About our
Members

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DAVIDE PROSPERI

Principal Investigator of the NanoBioLab, Full Professor of Biochemistry

He is devoted to biomedical and biophysical applications of nanotechnology. In particular the design, synthesis, functionalization and characterization of colloidal, polymeric and biomimetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications, with particular focus on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases.

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MIRIAM COLOMBO

Principal Investigator of the NanoBioLab,
Associate Professor in Clinical Biochemistry

Her current scientific research is aimed to the development of nanoparticles for biochemical and biomedical applications. It concerns the conception of new systems for drug delivery and other therapeutic approaches, their characterization and bio-functionalization with different active bio-ligands for biomedical application mainly in the oncology field. In the past few years, she has looked into new administration methods of nanoparticles and biomolecules rather than traditional intravenous ones, in particular oral and topic administrations for pharmaceutic and cosmetic applications.
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Lucia Salvioni

Assistant Professor in Clinical Biochemistry

Her scientific research is mainly dedicated to nanobiotechnology and this multidisciplinary field has allowed her to acquire various technical skills ranging from chemistry to cellular biology, from physics to pharmaceutical technology. Her studies are mainly focused on the development and in vitro/in vivo assessment of nanoparticles for biological drugs delivery (nucleic acids, protein and peptides) as well as of nanomaterials applied in diagnostics and hyperthermia. Recently, she has been involved in projects concerning the study of nano-bio interactions and formulation of materials for pharmaceutical/cosmetic applications.
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Marco giustra

Assistant Professor in Pharmaceutical and Technological applications of Chemistry

His scientific research is mainly focused on the chemistry part of two main distinct fields: nanobiotechnology and formulations. His studies are devoted to A) the synthesis of polymers, the production of inorganic and polymeric nanoparticles modulating sizes and shapes, and surface functionalization for drug delivery applications (diagnostic and therapeutic nanoplatforms); B) the extraction of natural compounds and the production of semi-synthetic materials for sustainable formulations.

Postdoctoral Fellows

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LUCIA MORELLI

Synthesis and characterization of polymeric nanoparticles with microfluidic system; development of oral delivery systems; 3D print.
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Stefania garbujo

Development and characterization of nanoparticles as drug and gene delivery systems: Colloidal NPs, Cell membrane derived- biomimetic NPs, RNA- encapsulating lipid NPs; cellular studies.
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Linda barbieri

Synthesis, characterization and functionalization of protein nanoparticles; isolation of mononuclear cells from whole blood; development of 3D cancer spheroids.

PhD STUDENTS
in Converging Technologies for Biomolecular Systems (TeCSBi)

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Chiara baioni

pDNA and mRNA transfection studies; extracellular vesicles isolation and
characterization.

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Filippo testa

Synthesis and characterization of metallic and lipid nanoparticles; cellular experiments; nanoparticle-cell interaction microscopy studies.

PhD STUDENTS
in Marine Sciences, Technology and Management (MTM)

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Francesca spena

Synthesis and characterization of polymer nanoparticles; nanoprecipitation and nano-encapsulation.

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Beatrice De Santes

Synthesis and characterization of polymeric nanoparticles with microfluidic system; cosmetics developments.

TECHNICIAN

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Evelyn Ochoa

Senior technician

Development of oral delivery systems, characterization of solid state, 3D-print
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Giulia maffeo

Lab Manager

GRADUATE STUDENTS

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Chiara colombo

Synthesis, purification and characterization of lipid nanoparticles; functionalization of nanoparticles with biological molecules; cellular studies
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Giulia Sinesi

Synthesis and characterization of synthetic and semi-synthetic derivatives obtained through scalable and green processes for cosmetic applications.

COLLABORATORS from UNIMIB

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Luisa fiandra

Assistant Professor in Clinical Biochemistry

She is devoted to the use of advanced cell models for study the cross-talk between cancer and tumor microenvironment cells, to develop innovative nanoformulated strategies for the eradication of aggressive cancers. Her expertise in the field of Nanomedicine also includes: in vitro studies to determine nanoparticles’ interaction and biological activity on cancer cells and biological barriers crossing; nanoparticles’ biodistribution, pharmacokinetic properties, therapeutic effect, and acute and sub-acute toxicity in murine models.
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Gianni frascotti

Tenured Assistant Professor in Chemistry and Biotechnology of Fermentation

He is a microbial biotechnologist, expert in the production of recombinant proteins, from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell factories. These proteins can be conjugated to inorganic or organic nanoparticles or be used by themselves, as nanovector for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. One of his research projects regards the production, in a yeast cell factory, of the vault protein nanoparticle, the purification, the biochemical characterization and the study of this gigantic molecule as a potential targeted drug delivery system.
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Paolo Tortora

Senior Professor

His research project is aimed at employing the vault protein as a nanovector endowed with therapeutic efficacy, which is routinely produced in the laboratory using a yeast-based expression system. This molecule is been investigated in view of the development of vault-based nanovectors capable of delivering antitumor siRNAs or cytotoxic proteins to selected cancer cell lines.
Inversely, due to its ability to exert a cytoprotective action towards some cell
lines (notably cardiomyocytes), the possibility is being explored to use this same molecular assembly as a cytoprotective agent in patients treated with antitumor agents. For this purpose, the vault is equipped with antibodies or other proteins capable of specifically directing it to the target cells.

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Metello Innocenti

Assistant Professor in Biochemistry

He employs quantitative analyses spanning the molecular, cellular, and organismal scales, and combines molecular cell biology, biochemistry, advanced microscopy, optogenetics, and -omics technologies, to study cortical actin-based processes in health and disease. His work has contributed to elucidating how actin controls cell migration, clathrin-mediated endocytosis and signalling in normal cells, and how defects in actin-dependent processes impact on homeostasis and carcinogenesis in (tubular) epithelial tissues, such as the epidermis and the exocrine pancreas.
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