Genciana Terova
Chiara Ceccotti
Federica Iannini
Federico Moroni

The main research interests of Marzia and Emanuela focus on the study of the antiproliferative effect of new drugs and compounds of natural origin on tumor cell lines, with particular attention to the mechanisms of action of these compounds. Furthermore, they are also interested in the role of hypoxia and the tumoral microenvironment in the response of cancer cells to drug treatment.
In collaboration with the Chemistry and Photobiology group (prof. Enrico Caruso), they study the photodynamic effects of newly synthesized photosensitizing agents and, in collaboration with the Institute for the Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (CNR – Bologna, dott. Greta Varchi e dott. Claudia Ferroni), they also study the anticancer effects of nanoparticles functionalized with different drugs. Furthermore, for several years they have been collaborating with the Università del Piemonte Orientale (prof. Mauro Ravera e dott. Elisabetta Gabano) in the field of the synthesis and characterization of new Pt(IV) derivatives. They also collaborate with prof. Francesco Caruso at the Vassar College, USA, studying the antineoplastic effects of curcumin derivatives and other natural-origined compounds.

Marzia Bruna Gariboldi – associate professor
Emanuela Marras

Donato Chiatante
Antonino Di Iorio
Antonio Montagnoli
Peter Beatrice

Main research is focused on the use of visible light, alone or combined with dyes, to control the growth of microbial pathogens. This approach offers potential applications in clinical, environmental and industrial fields. One focus is the evaluation of the activity of photosensitizers belonging to different family compounds on microbial biofilms. A second focus is the bacterial response to photo-oxidative stress induced by light.

Viviana Orlandi

Key words: antimicrobial approaches, antimicrobial light based techniques

Ian Marc Bonapace
Maria Giovanna de Marino
Michele Zocchi
Ramesh Gandusekar
Monica Mancini 

Giovanni Bernardini 
Rosalba Gornati
Roberto Papait
Marina Borgese
Elettra Musolino
Federica Gamberoni

Elena Bossi
Cristina Roseti
Bhatt Manan Juggbu
Angela di Iacovo
Tiziana Romanazzi

Lia Forti
Fafa Jennifer Adzraku 
Emanuele Secchi

Keywords: Neuronal physiology, Synapse, Membrane excitability, Stress, Electrophysiology

ERC sectors: LS5_1 Neuronal Cells; LS5_12 Mental disorders; LS4_8 Impact of stress (including environmental stress) on physiology

Collaborations: Maurizio Popoli, Università degli Studi di Milano; Laura Musazzi, Università di Milano-Bicocca; Charlotte Kilstrup-Nielsen, Università dell’Insbria

Through the Research Center in Clinical Ethics, it carries out research, collaborates with Italian and international institutions, and offers training activities at a local, national and international level in the field of clinical ethics. It promotes the clinical ethics service in hospitals and in the local area.

Mario Picozzi
Elena Ferioli
Emma Capulli
Silvia Ceruti
Emanuele Mangione
Elvira Passaro
Chiara Rossetti
Marta Vassallo

Keywords: clinical ethics, ethical counseling, ethical issues in organ transplantation, nanomedicine, genome research, end-of-life issues

ERC Sector: LS7_11

We collaborate with: European Association of Centers of Medical Ethics (EACME); European Clinical Ethics Network (ECEN); Interdisciplinary Group for Clinical Bioethics and ethical consultation in the health care system (GIBCE); Nord Italia Transplant program (NITp); Italian Academy of Osteopathic Medicine (AIMO)

Use of model insects for the development of immunomodulation strategies for the treatment of infectious diseases.
The classic therapeutic approach to infectious diseases involves the administration of drugs that work by restricting the proliferative potential of the pathogenic microorganism. Despite its enor-mous success, this strategy is not without serious limitations, including the selection of multi-resi-stant strains.
Immunomodulatory drugs act in a direct way on the immune system of the host: a) implementing the effectiveness of the effector mechanisms; b) directing the response towards the effector me-chanisms most appropriate to the specific context; c) mitigating the inflammatory damage to host tissues that often accompanies immune responses. Immunomodulatory drugs may thus represent an important adjunct to the use of classical chemotherapeutics, although, at present, they represent a largely unmet promise.
Our group studies a model of host/parasite interaction in insects. Nematodes of the genus Steiner-nema are capable of infecting lepidopteran larvae, specifically we use Galleria mellonella larvae. These nematodes are assisted by entomopathogenic bacteria of the genus Xenorhabdus that induce in the larva a deep state of immunodepression, thus a septic pathology. In our model , in fact, Xe-norhabdus nematophila evades the immune response of the host by acting simultaneously at mul-tiple levels.
Immunomodulation strategies aimed at altering the course of the infection, improving the "progno-sis" of the infection, are being studied in our laboratory. To this end the targets of therapeutic in-tervention are
a) pathway of the biosynthesis of eicosanoids
b) pathway of phenol-oxidase and melanization
c) pathway of nitric oxide synthetase

Since insects and mammals share some fundamental pathways of immune response activation, it is likely that the immunomodulation results obtained in our model can be at least partially translated to mammals. Moreover, this type of studies aims to investigate the possibility of using animal mo-dels such as insects, alternative to mammals, in order to limit the use of the llatter in experimentation.

Stefano Giovannardi
Andrea Barbaro de Lerma

Researches deal with the study and application of psychopathology knowledge in the legal fie

Jutta Maria Birkhoff

Keywords: psychopathology, technical consulting

ERC sectors: SH4_2 - Personality and social cognition; emotion

The Human Genetics Unit has long been involved in the functional and structural characterization of the human RNASET2 tumor suppressor gene, encoding the only human member of the highly conserved family of T2 extracellular RNases. The protein encoded by this gene has been consistently reported to be endowed with a marked oncosuppressive activity in several experimental models both in vitro and in vivo, whose mode of action is carried out with both cell-autonomous and non-cell autonomous mechanisms. As for the latter, it has further been shown to involve a functional cross-talk between cancer cell-derived RNASET2 and several component of the tumor microenvironment.

Roberto Taramelli
Francesco Acquati
Annarosaria de Vito

Keywords: Tumor suppressor gene, T2 ribonuclease, Tumor microenvironment, Anticancer immune response

ERC research sectors: LS2_1 genomics, comparative genomics, functional genomics; LS2_2 transcriptomics; LS2_6 molecular genetics, reverse genetics and RNAi; LS2_8 epigenetics and gene regulation; LS3_2 cell biology and molecular transport mechanisms; LS3_3 cell cycle and division; LS3_2 cell biology and molecular transport mechanisms; LS3_4 apoptosis; LS3_11 cell genetics; LS4_6 cancer and its biological basis; LS6_1 innate immunity and inflammation; LS6_4 immunosignalling; LS6_12 biological basis of immunity related disorders 

We are actively collaborating with: IRCCS Humanitas – Rozzano, Italy; Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori – Milano, Italy; Istituto Nazionale per la cura dei tumori –(IST) Genova, Italy; Laboratorio Interdisciplinare di Tecnologie Avanzate – CNR, Segrate, Italy; IRCCS Multimedica Milano, Italy; Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy; IRCCS C. Mondino – Pavia, Italy; Universitè de Lyon, France; Institut NeuroMyoGène, Lione, France; Institute for Systems Bioligy, Seattle, USA; Universidad of Barcelona, Spain

Douglas Noonan
Lorenzo Mortara
Matteo Gallazzi

The research activity is focused on different aspects of insect development and physiology for the development of biotechnological applications. The main topics addressed are: 1) the use of dipteran larvae for the bioconversion of organic waste and protein production for feedstuff and development of biomaterials; 2) the identification of molecules for the development of bio-inspired strategies for the control of pest insects; and 2) the study of cell death processes during metamorphosis in holometabolous insects.
Another line of research is conducted on in vivo and in vitro models of Metazoans in the following areas: 1) study and characterization of cells and molecules involved in innate immune response in annelids; 2) study of the basic mechanisms of cell differentiation and molecular regulation of tissue regeneration in annelids and cnidarian; 3) amyloidogenesis and innate immune response in annelids.

Gianluca Tettamanti – full professor
Annalisa Grimaldi – associate professor
Nicolò Baranzini - assistant professor
Daniele Bruno - technician 
Aurora Montali - postdoc
Sara Caramella - PhD student
Laura Pulze - PhD student

Webpage: Lab Invertebrate Biology

Keywords: Circular economy; Development; Innate immunity; Insect biotechnology; Invertebrates; Regeneration

ERC panels: LS3_7 Cell death and autophagy; LS9_1 Applied biotechnology; LS8_2 Biodiversity, conservation biology, conservation genetics; LS6_1 Innate immunity in animals and plants; LS3_1 Morphology and functional imaging of cells and tissues

Collaborations: Università degli Studi di Milano; Università degli Studi di Padova; Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”; Politecnico di Milano; KU Leuven; Cairo University; South China Agricultural University; Università degli Studi di Palermo; Università degli Studi di Bologna; Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, University of Lille; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1; University of Pecs; Aarhus University.

The focus of the group is on genetic engineering approaches applied to fermentation processes of microorganisms of industrial relevance, aimed at producing secondary metabolites (antibiotics), bioactive peptides and proteins.

Flavia Marinelli – full professor
Francesca Berini -researcher
Elisa Binda - technichan
Oleksandr Yushchuk - postdoctoral fellow
Melissa Bisaccia - PhD student
Luca Mellere -  PhD student
Letizia Bartolone - postgraduate fellow

Group’s website: biotecnologiemicrobiche.wordpress.com/

Keywords: Microbial biodiversity, Fermentation, Antibiotics, Glycopeptides, Antibiotic resistance, Actinomycetes, Heterologous expression, Metagenomics, Bioinsecticides

ERC sectors: LS9_1 Applied biotechnology (including transgenic organisms, applied genetics and genomics, biosensors, bioreactors, microbiology, bioactive compounds). LS9_2 Applied bioengineering, synthetic biology, chemical biology, nanobiotechnology, metabolic engineering, protein and glyco-engineering, tissue engineering, biocatalysis, biomimetics. LS6_7 Biological basis of prevention and treatment of infection (e.g. infection natural cycle, reservoirs, vectors, vaccines, antimicrobials)

Our collaborations: Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, and Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan Italy; BioC-CheM Solutions Srl Gerenzano, Varese Italy; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Salento University, Lecce Italy; Enea, Casaccia, Rome Italy; Coastal marine environment institute, CNR, Messina Italy; Water Research Institute, CNR-IRSA, Verbania Italy; Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil Switzerland; Department of Biotechnology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague Czech Republic; Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich UK; Microbial Genomics and Biotechnology Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld Germany; Division of Physical Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb Croatia; MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat-Shmona Israel; Departamento de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid Spain; Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv Ukraine; Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular (IBBM) Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, La Plata, Buenos Aires Argentina; Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin Germany.

Our group is interested in studying the molecular bases of human diseases, with a focus in cancer and in particular lung cancer. Two main projects are ongoing:

1. Functional genetics of proline dehydrogenase, characterizing the roles of proline dehydrogenase in lung cancer cell proliferation, induction of senescence and in influencing the tumor cell microenvironment and resistance to cancer therapy.
2. ​Identification and validation of circulating biomarkers for screening and early diagnosis of lung cancer. We are interested in particular in quantification of specific microRNAs with digital PCR.

Paola Campomenosi
Raffaella Cinquetti
Priscilla Chiofalo
Elena Berno

Keywords: Lung cancer; Functional genetics; biomarkers; proline dehydrogenase; microRNAs

ERC SECTORS: LS2_1 Genetics; LS2_4 Gene regulation; LS2_14 Genetic diseases; LS4_12 Cancer; LS7_2 Medical technologies and tools (including genetic tools and biomarkers) for prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of diseases

Collaborations: CiBIO, University of Trento; Dipartimento di Medicina di Precisione, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”; Dipartimento di Diagnostica e Sanità pubblica, University of Verona.

Charlotte Kilstrup Nielsen
Isabella Barbiero
Roberta de Rosa

Ongoing research lines in the lab are aimed at evaluating: 1) The therapeutic potential of some phytocannabinoids in animal models of autism; 2) The role of the endocannabinoid system in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders; 3) The ability of cannabidiol to modulate the long-term negative consequences of adolescent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure on the brain; 4) the role of the endocannabinoid system in adolescent brain maturation/remodeling.

Tiziana Rubino
Erica Zamberletti
Marina Gabaglio
Cristina Manenti

Sergio Balbi

Fabio D’Angelo
Giorgio Pilato
Michele Francesco Surace

Ilaria Gorini

Paolo Castelnuovo
Maurizio Bignami
Paolo Battaglia
Davide Locatelli

The main research of the Plant Physiology group is focused on the response of plants to different abiotic stresses, such as high or low temperatures, water shortage, metal pollution. In recent years the group has also worked on the interaction between plants of agronomic interest and beneficial soil microorganisms. It also studies intra- and inter-plant communication mediated by volatile organic compounds. The studies are carried out through physiological and molecular analyzes, in particular proteomics and phosphoproteomics.

Marcella Bracale – full professor
Candida Vannini – associate professor
Elena Costantini – PhD student
Guido Domingo – researcher

Keywords: plants, abiotic stress, biotic stress, proteomic, phosphoproteomic

ERC sectors: LS2_3 proteomics; LS3_8 signal transduction; LS9_5 food sciences

Collaborations: University of Milan; University of Bari; University of Turin; University of Urbino; Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome; IRD, Cirad, Univ. Montpellier, Plantes Microorganismes Environnement Interactions (IPME); CNR ITB of Milan; CNR DiSBA of Rome; CNR IPSP of Florence; CNR IPSP of Portici; Centro Tessile Cotoniero S.p.A, Varese; KCS biotech, Vergiate, Varese.

Luigi Valdatta
Mario Cherubino
Davide Sallam
Martina Corno
Tommaso Baroni
Leonardo Garutti

The research group is interested in the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured polymeric materials.
Scientific activity is mainly focused on the following research lines:
- Mechanistic study of polymerization reactions for obtaining multifunctional polymers with controlled microstructure and study of the property-structure relationship.
- Modeling and simulation techniques of polymer chains for the quantitative study of the polymers’ microstructure.
- Synthesis of supramolecular polymeric systems for precise and controlled drug delivery.
- Synthesis and development of biocompatible materials with intrinsic antimicrobial activity.

Lorella Izzo – associate professor
Luca Scapinello
Chiara Scanferla

Keywords: polymerization catalysis, multifunctional nanomaterials, structure-property relationship

ERC panels: PE5_14 Homogeneous catalysis; PE5_15 Macromolecular chemistry; PE5_16 Polymer chemistry; PE5_17 Supramolecular chemistry

The activities of our research group have been conducted on Population Genetics of forest trees and other plant species since several decades. Neutral genetic molecular markers are being been used to conduct large-scale surveys about the distribution of the genetic variability among different Italian populations of chestnut tree and of the Mediterranean shrub Cistus albidus, with a special emphasis on the conservation aspects of the work.

The results are analysed with the aim of answering questions about the genetic structure of the species, to answer demographic issues and to model ecological speciation.

Giorgio Binelli – associate professor
Marta Cavallini
Gianluca Lombardo

Keywords: Population Genetics - Evolution - Forest trees - Molecular markers – Conservation Genetics

ERC sectors: LS8_2 Biodiversity, conservation biology, conservation genetics – LS8_3 Population biology, population dynamics, population genetics – LS8_5 Evolutionary genetics

Collaborations: Centro Nazionale Carabinieri Biodiversità di Peri (VR) – Unité de Recherche Écologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes, INRAE, Avignon

The main focal points of the research activity of the Protein Factory 2.0 are:

- the investigation of enzymes and whole metabolic pathways, in particular the ones involved into the metabolism of D-amino acids, their regulation and dysfunctions related to relevant human diseases;
- the analysis of D-amino acids in human serum and fluids, to validate alterations in their levels as early biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease;
- the production of improved variants (generated by protein engineering) of recombinant proteins useful in several areas of biotechnology: human health (protein therapeutics), bio-based industry (biocatalysis), biorefineries (lignin valorization), bioremediation and circular economy processes (removal of pesticides, plastics and toxins);
- the analysis of paclitaxel levels in human blood after drug-coated ballon treatment.

Loredano Pollegioni – full professor
Luciano Piubelli – associate professor
Gianluca Molla – associate professor
Silvia Sacchi – associate professor
Elena Rosini – researcher
Laura Caldinelli – technician

Group website: www.theproteinfactory2.it

Keywords: D-amino acids; recombinant proteins; protein engineering; neuromodulation; biocatalysis; biorefineries; biosensors; structural bioinformatics; enzymology; lignin valorization, plastic degradation

ERC sectors: LS1_2 general biochemistry and metabolism, LS1_5 protein synthesis, modification and turnover, LS1_11 biochemistry and molecular mechanism of signal transduction, LS9_1 applied genetic engineering, transgenic organisms, recombinant proteins, biosensors, LS9_9 applied biotechnologies, bioreactors, applied microbiology, LS5_2 neurophysiology.

Collaborations: Ca' Foscari University of Venice; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland; CMIC, Polytechnic of Milan; CNR-IRSA, Water Research Institute, Verbania; Cryo-EM Lab, Dept. of Biosciences, University of Milan; DAAIR, D-Amino Acid International Research Center, Gerenzano; Dept. of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese; Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA-CNR), Bari; IRCCS Galeazzi Orthopedic Institute, Milan; Lab of Behavioural Neuroscience, Ceinge Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples; LuMIn, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ENS Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Neurology Unit and Vascular Surgery Unit, Circolo and Fondazione Macchi University Teaching Hospital, Varese; University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta; University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA; University of Milan; University of Milan-Bicocca; University of Naples Federico II; University of Parma; University of Pavia; University of Rome "Tor Vergata".

Giampaolo Perletti

Elena Maggi
Daniele Crotti

Andrea Vezzulli

Alberto Onetti
Enrica Pavione
Roberta Pezzetti
Alessia Pisoni 

Sergio Patriarca
Ilaria Capelli 

Raffaello Seri

Eugenio Caverzasi
Marcello Spanò 

Anna Maria Arcari
Daniela Montemerlo
Patrizia Gazzola
Giovanna Gavana
Anna Iside Pistoni
Francesco Sacco

Matteo Rocca
Chiara Gigliarano
Elisa Mastrogiacomo
Asmerilda Hitaj

Ivan Moscati
Astrid Gamba

Alfredo Biffi
Caterina Farao

Alba Fondrieschi
Camilla Ferrari

Silvana Robone

Francesco Figari

Paolo Zuddas

The research in the field of Art History includes the period from the Middle Ages to the contemporary age, privileging the study of the Artists of the Lombard-Swiss Lakes, who were active not only locally, but also nationally, in Europe and overseas.

Andrea Spiriti
Laura Facchin

The lines of research in this area aim to investigate the relationships between tectonics, magmatism and volcanism and deal with the study of the developmental habitat of animal and plant organisms and their relationships in natural situations.

Roberta Bettinetti

Federico Aligi Pasquaré Mariotto

The research in the historical field is chiefly concerned with the study of European history from the modern to the contemporary age. In the area of modernist studies, the study of social, intellectual and religious history is privileged, the latter being investigated especially with regard to Jewish-Christian relations. The contemporary area focuses on the transformation and persistence of elements of the Old Regime in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries on the one hand, and on the history of Europe in the context of global relations in the 20th and 21st centuries on the other, with particular attention to the role played by local authorities in the process of European integration. Moreover, in the field of historical sciences, there are studies in demoethnoanthropological disciplines concerning the anthropology of art and the art of Insulindia and Oceania. In this area research revolves around also photography in exoticism and primitivism in 20th-century art.

Francesco Paolo Campione

Fabio Zucca

Giorgio La Rosa

Paolo Luca Bernardini
Elisa Bianco

The lines of research of these disciplines range from the historical aspects of law, in particular Roman law, to more current issues such as human rights and business organisation.

Paola Biavaschi

Giuseppe d’Elia

Valter Castelnovo

The research lines of this area include several disciplines, which belong to two macro-areas, the linguistic, historical and literary studies related to the Italian language, and the studies of the European and extra-European languages that are that are represented at the Department. In the linguistic area, various lines of research focus on diachronic linguistics, synchronic linguistics, applied linguistics and philology.
In the literary area, the Department's research revolves around perspectives related to textual criticism and interpretation, literary history and comparative studies. Furthermore, there are studies on the theory and practice of literary and specialised translation and on language teaching.

Andrea Sansò
Francesco Ciconte
Francesca Moro

Giulio Mario Facchetti

Gianmarco Gaspari

Maria Nieves Arribas Esteras

Paola Baseotto
Alessandra Vicentini
Daniel Russo

Maria Paola Bissiri

The lines of research of this field are mainly focused on the following fields:

• numerical linear algebra and its applications in the study of techniques for solving linear systems arising from various integro-differential problems;
• the development of analytical procedures for the characterization of historical and artistic artifacts, as well as the design of innovative methods for restoration.

Stefano Serra Capizzano
Mariarosa Mazza

Laura Rampazzi

The research in the field of philosophical studies extends in several lines of investigation. In the field of Theoretical Philosophy major topical issues cover areas such as the philosophical implications of the possible discovery of extraterrestrial life and the role of science fiction in the perception of science. In the field of Aesthetics, research is conducted on the one hand in the area of Aesthetics in Social Languages, a field in which aesthetic reflection meets with art and philosophy; on the other hand, in the area of German-language Aesthetics with particular attention to the image. The departmental research also presents a line of research related to the pedagogical field, in which the study of methods and tools aimed at the design of educational experiences is accompanied by research aimed at the field of disability and specific educational needs.

Stefano Bonometti

Micaela Latini

Pierre Dalla Vigna

Paolo Musso

The field of Political and Social Sciences includes historical research lines that investigate political symbolism, with particular focus on the period of the French Revolution and the Jacobin period, in addition to research that investigates ideas and legal political institutions of the late Middle Ages.
Moreover, research in this field involves the reflection on individual rights and exercise of sovereignty in relation to the phenomenon of globalisation and the introduction of new technologies.

Paolo Bellini

Luca Daris

Mario Conetti