From computational chemistry to quantum detection, the University of Pisa has been awarded a grant worth EUR 9.5 million under the FIS 2 call for proposals of the Italian Science Fund, aimed at developing fundamental research activities. The funding will support six projects in the fields of Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Biomedical Engineering.
“This is a good overall result that will allow us to enhance the role of our University in the national research system,” comments Giuseppe Iannacone, Deputy Pro-Rector of the University of Pisa. “There was a wide participation in the competitive call and a strong selection, so we really have to congratulate the Principal Investigators”.
For the University of Pisa, the winners of the grant in the “Starting Grant” category, reserved for up-and-coming researchers, are Ludovica Cacopardo, of the Department of Information Engineering, Flavia Mascagni, of the Department of Agricultural, Food and Agro-Environmental Sciences, and Francesco Zinna, of the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry.
In the “Consolidator Grant” category – reserved for career researchers – the Ministry’s contribution went to Federico Paolucci, researcher at the Department of Physics. In the “Advanced Grant” category – reserved for established researchers – Benedetta Mennucci, of the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, and Vittoria Raffa, of the Department of Biology, received funding for their projects.
PROJECTS FINANCED BY FIS
“Starting Grant” category
INTERCELLAR (Ludovica Cacopardo) – For the first time, the INTERCELLAR project studies cell coordination by considering spatial-temporal deformations in biological tissues. The initial hypothesis is that cell movement can be influenced by “micro-relativity”, with variations in temporal perception and cell motility. The aim of INTERCELLAR is to understand how cells use these deformations to communicate and navigate at a distance. The results will enable important innovations in regenerative medicine, in vitro applications and in the prediction of pathological outcomes.
NEXT-G (Flavia Mascagni) – The NEXT-G project studies how transposons, repeated DNA sequences capable of moving within the genome, contribute to the creation of new genes in wheat through the process of exaptation. It analyses the evolutionary impact of transposons in the creation of new genes and the mechanisms that drive them using bioinformatics and genomic. By focusing on wheat and its progenitors, the project provides new insights into the evolution of plant genomes and adaptation to selective pressures, with an emphasis on the early stages of domestication.
SuperChiM (Francesco Zinna) – The SuperChiM project aims to revolutionise technologies such as spintronics, photonics and electronics using organic chiral materials, which combine plastic flexibility with the unique properties of chirality. By studying molecular organisation and properties on a macroscopic scale, the project addresses the challenges in predicting and optimising such materials. By combining chemistry, spectroscopy and simulations, SuperChiM aims to develop advanced chiral materials to improve the efficiency of electronic devices, such as OLEDs with circularly polarised light, which are fundamental to future technology.
“Consolidator Grant” Category
QuLEAP (Federico Paolucci) – The QuLEAP project addresses the challenges of fundamental physics by developing a quantum detection platform to improve sensitivity to low-energy phenomena such as dark photons, axions and weakly interacting particles. It uses advanced technologies based on superconducting systems and Josephson devices to create bolometers and calorimeters which outperform existing technology. These detectors operate with reduced energy consumption and in synergy with existing technologies, filling gaps in modern fundamental physics experiments.
“Advanced Grant” category
DeepEn (Benedetta Mennucci) – The DeepEn project aims to design new photoenzymes, proteins capable of using light to catalyse the synthesis of new molecules. The proposed strategy combines computational chemistry and artificial intelligence and then complements them with experimental tests conducted directly in living cells. This approach expands the possibilities of using computational tools to design proteins with selected and optimised catalytic functions, improving their effectiveness in broader contexts of application.
NEMESIS (Vittoria Raffa) – The NEMESIS project proposes an approach to guide axon growth in the non-permissive environment of the central nervous system (CNS). The project uses a magnetic switch designed (using synthetic biology approaches) to generate mechanical forces at the microtubule level, triggering a mechano-transduction pathway that leads to axon extension and synaptic maturation. At the end of the three-year project, the group led by Vittoria Raffa will demonstrate the ability to control axon navigation in the CNS. Furthermore, we will elucidate the pathways of signal transduction that regulate this process.