SURFACE-ACOUSTIC-WAVE BIOSENSORS AND MICROFLUIDICS – Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are acoustic waves that travel along the surface of an elastic material, with an amplitude that typically decays exponentially with depth into the substrate. Given their very superficial nature, SAWs are highly sensitive to surface perturbations of the substrate along which they propagate. For example, they can interact with liquid droplets or streams inducing macroscopic fluid manipulations or, in a different configuration, be exploited for sensing applications. Our interest in this field is to explore and study novel SAW-driven microfluidic phenomena, and develop SAW-architectures for sensing applications.
NANOTECHNOLOGIES FOR THE NERVOUS SYSTEM – The nervous system (NS) is in some ways the most complex and fascinating organ of the human body. Unfortunately, NS pathologies that lead to tissue loss are dramatically difficult to treat because of the negligible regenerative potential of the central nervous system (CNS) from one side, and of the very slow and ineffective repair mechanisms of peripheral nervous system (PNS) from the other side. Our in this field is to develop biocompatible nanostructured materials to help the heal of the PNS and cure and study CNS diseases.
http://web.nano.cnr.it/neurosens
| People | Sara Carpi, Marco Cecchini*, Laura Colagiorgio, Ambra Del Grosso, Miriam De Sarlo, Maria Cristina Gagliardi, Francesco Lunardelli, Roberta Mezzena, Luca Scaccini, Ilaria Tonazzini, Giorgia Tori |
| Keywords | Lab-on-a-chip, surface acoustic waves, biosensor, microfluidics, nanoparticles, brain delivery |
| Methods, techniques | Micro/nanofabrication, high-frequency electrical characterization, micro particle image velocimetry (uPIV), chemical functionalization of surface, polymer chemistry, dynamic light scattering techniques, biochemistry methods, cellular and molecular biology methods, advanced fluorescence microscopy techniques |
| Granted projects | |
| Tuscany Health Ecosystem – Spoke 4: Nanotechnologies for diagnosis and therapy PNRR (2022-2025) | |
| Angelman Syndrome Alliance- Call for Applications for Research Grants on Angelman Syndrome 2021, “Innovative brain-targeting nano-tools and imaging methods for therapeutic development in Angelman Syndrome” (2022-2025). | |
| FSC – Fondo per lo Sviluppo e la Coesione – Bando assegni di ricerca anno 2021, “Isolation and molecular characterization of neuronal exosomes in models of neurodevelopmental disorders – END”- (2022-2024). | |
| FISR 2019, Grant FISR2019-03020, “ Wine and Oil Analysis 4.0: development of a Lab-On-Chip with remote connectivity ”- (2021-2024). | |
| Regione Toscana, Bando Ricerca Salute 2018, “The Omics Sciences Against OsteosarcomaTOSCANO”- (2020-2023). | |
| Regione Toscana, Bando Ricerca Salute 2018, “Neurodegenerative disorders throughout the lifespan. Autophagy-dependent biomarkers for trial readiness from infantile neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinoses to senile dementias – DEMAGING”- (2020-2023). | |
| European Leukodystrophy Association (ELA) International Grant, ELA 2019-008I2 “nanoERT “Nanoparticle based Enzyme Replacement Therapy for the treatment of Krabbe disease: a pre-clinical study in the Twitcher Mouse”- (2020-2023). | |
| Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca “SAWine: Lab-on-a-Chip based on Surface Acoustic Waves for precision oenology”- (2020-2022). | |
| European Leukodystrophy Association (ELA) International Fellowship Grant, ELA 2018-008F2 “Pre-clinical testing of single and combined autophagy modulation by Lithium and Rapamycin in Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy”- (2019-2022). | |
| Collaborations | Prof. Fabio Mencarelli (UniPi, Agraria) |
| Prof. Andrea Bellincontro (UniTuscia) | |
| Dr. Chiara Mazzanti and Dr. Liam McDonnel (Fondazione Pisana per la scienza) | |
| Dr. Laura Baroncelli (CNR-NEURO, Pisa) | |
| Prof. Luisa Brandi (UniFirenze) | |
| Dr. Marco Calderisi (Kode Solutions) | |
| Publications | M. Gagliardi, G. Tori, M. Agostini, F. Lunardelli, F. Mencarelli, C. Sanmartin and M. Cecchini. Detection of Oenological Polyphenols via QCM-D Measurements. Nanomaterials 2022 |
| M. Gagliardi and M. Cecchini. Bio-inspired nanoparticles as drug delivery vectors. Nanoparticle Therapeutics 2022 | |
| A. Del Grosso,G. Parlanti, L. Angella, N. Giordano, I. Tonazzini, E. Ottalagana, S. Carpi, R. M. Pellegrino, H. B. R. Alabed, C. Emiliani, M. Caleo, M. Cecchini. Chronic lithium administration in a mouse model for Krabbe disease. JIMD Reports 2022 | |
| L. Scaccini, R. Mezzena, A. De Masi, M. Gagliardi, G. Gambarotta, M. Cecchini, I. Tonazzini. Chitosan Micro-Grooved Membranes with Increased Asymmetry for the Improvement of the Schwann Cell Response in Nerve Regeneration. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021 | |
| M. Agostini and M. Cecchini. Ultra-high-frequency (UHF) surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) microfluidics and biosensors. Nanotechnology 2021 | |
| M. Agostini, F. Amato, ML. Vieri, G. Greco, I. Tonazzini, L. Baroncelli, M. Caleo, E. Vannini, M. Santi, G. Signore, and M. Cecchini. Glial-fibrillary-acidic-protein (GFAP) biomarker detection in serum-matrix: Functionalization strategies and detection by an ultra-high-frequency surface-acoustic-wave (UHF-SAW) lab-on-chip. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 2021 | |
| I. Tonazzini,C. Cerri, A. Del Grosso, S. Antonini, M. Allegra, M. Caleo, and M. Cecchini. Visual System Impairment in a Mouse Model of Krabbe Disease: The Twitcher Mouse. Biomolecules 2021. | |
| Patents | Dispositivo sensorizzato per l’analisi di un fluido mediante onde acustiche – IT201900000418A1 AUTOMATIC PASSIVE CONTROL OF LIQUID POSITIONING IN MICROFLUIDIC CHIPS – EP2766721A1 DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING FLUID MOTION INTO MICRO/NANOCHANNELS BY MEANS OF SURFACE ACOUSTIC WAVES – EP2179279A1 (B1) |
*Marco Cecchini: marco.cecchini@nano.cnr.it