0000000000067858
AUTHOR
Felicia Cavaleri
Integration of green roofs&walls in urban areas
Growing urbanization is associated with the emergence of environmental problems, such as the reduction of natural resources, the atmosphere pollution and the increase of the heat islands phenomenon in cities. The integration of vegetation in the urban areas, through the creation of green hanging systems, represents a possible solution to improve the energy sustainability of buildings, to combat meteoric excesses, to improve stormwater management and to reduce pollutant levels. These energy and environmental benefits are related to the properties of evapotranspiration, shading and thermal insulation of the vegetation. The work reports the results of the main studies concerning the use of han…
Autonomous molecularly crowded confinement in inkjet printed femtoliter-scale aqueous compartments
Natural evolution has chosen the localization of biomolecular processes into crowded sub-cellular femtoliter (fL) scale compartments for organizing complex biological processes. [1] Many synthetic biology platforms with life-like activities have been able to mimic these systems under different compartment sizes regimes. [2] However, the fabrication of crowded compartments down to sub-cellular scales is challenging, mainly because of high surface-volume ratio of these systems, finally compromising the stability of the encapsulated biomolecules. In this regard, we here bridge this gap by showing the possibility to produce femtoliter-scale aqueous droplets using a novel inkjet printing approac…
Towards bioarrays of cellular-like compartments for monitoring few molecular binding events
The aim of this work is to artificially reproduce scalable cellular-like compartments on a chip, thus realizing specialized small volume systems to study the behaviour of interacting biomolecules by few binding events. In particular, we show an unprecedented solution-based protein-binding assay based on arrays of oil-confined water droplets containing protein targets, labelled ligands and other compounds.
High-throughput screening at the picoliter scale by combining Dip Pen Lithography with Inkjet printing
Drug screening is a complex, expensive and time consuming field consisting of diseasebased target identification in conjunction with high-throughput screening of chemical and natural product libraries. Conventional drug screening technology is usually time and reagent consuming (micro-, nanoliter scale) and is based on complex liquid handling robotics. In this work, we show a low-cost and miniaturized drug screening methodology based on direct bio-printing methodologies like Inkjet Printing and Dip Pen Lithography. We show the possibility to precisely deliver femtoliter scale droplets of protein targets by Dip Pen Lithography by finely tuning deposition parameters. This allows obtaining mic…
High-throughput drug screening by Printing Biology
Printing biology is our way to define a novel field employing material printing techniques generally used in plastic electronics to solve important issues of biology by miniaturized and high-throughput platforms. In this field, we already showed the possibility to use Dip Pen Lithography to fabricate single-cell biochips [1]. Also,we employed non-contact patterning methods such as inkjet printing methods to fabricate microarrays for drug screening at solid-liquid interfaces [2] or in picoliter-scale liquid droplets [3] so enabling high-throughput screening of chemical libraries onto disease-based targets. In this regard, printing methods would greatly reduce times and costs of standard drug…
Synthesis, chemical characterization, computational studies and biological activity of organotin(IV) compounds interacting with enzymes involoved in epigenetic regulation. New and potential methodologies for studying molecular interactions
Our studies deal with the synthesis, the chemical characterization of organotin(IV) complexes of molecules, as caffeic acid, interacting with enzymes involved in epigenetic regulation.
Sustainable architecture for wine cellars
Environmental sustainability in the wine sector is one of the major factors of commercial interest for consumers and producing companies. The link between wine production, territory and architectural typology of wine cellars is always more important for the food and wine sector. This work explores the connections between architecture and energy efficiency with regards to minimizing environmental impacts in wine production and the sustainable use of resources in production processes. The role of economic and cultural promotion of wine cellars with bioclimatic architecture towards the tourism industry is highlighted.
Dip Pen Lithography of oligonucleotides on flexible substrates for point-of-care malaria disease testing
The first step for prevention and treatment of diseases is the accurate diagnosis. However, proper diagnostic technologies are not available in developing countries due to the lack of reliable electrical power, refrigeration and trained personnel. For this reason, there is an urgent need of low cost, rapid assays not requiring any external support. By coupling such technologies to communication infrastructures, healthcare in areas without access to medical personnel would be possible. “Paper” like substrates are ideal for fabricating such devices since they are cheap, easy to degradate after use and compatible with most of existing printing technologies [1]. We had previously shown the poss…
PRINTING NANOBIOLOGY IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS
Our studies in the field of printing nanobiology in aqueous solution are proposed to highlight the role of water in the processes of interaction between biomolecules in drug- screening devices fabricated by bioprinting technologies and to emphasize the influence of water evaporation on the diffusion of molecules in droplets of picoliter-scale.
Sustainable technologies for greenhouse systems
The greenhouse cultivation system in European countries represents one of the most energy-intensive sectors in the agriculture and agro-industry sector. In this regard, renewable energies represent an innovative solution to reduce energy costs and environmental impacts. Both, the energy demands and the economic aspects are analyzed with regard to the main energy users, i.e.: heating and cooling systems, lighting and pumping for irrigation. This work considers the use of solar photovoltaic and thermal energy. The use of semi-closed greenhouses is also considered.