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Chemistry and Health


People’s health and quality of life are the basis of an active and dynamic society. Knowledge of human metabolism, as well as development of new medicines, innovative therapies and new techniques for diagnostics, is fundamental for the well-being of our society.

Chemistry and biochemistry are the basis of metabolic processes that regulate life, health and modern medicine. Thus, by modifying something infinitely small such as a molecule, one can produce effects at a macroscopic level in both chemical and biochemical terms. In this context, the challenge that the Department of Chemistry of the University of Torino poses itself is to improve people’s health and quality of life by producing innovation at the intersection of chemistry, medicine, pharmaceutics, biology, nanotechnology and materials science. This is made possible by the development of innovative technologies and tools that, beyond addressing the scientific community and the whole society, are intimately correlated to the industrial world, through several contracts and agreements with local and international companies, involved in the field of public health.

In particular, the research activity aims at finding new solutions for therapeutics, diagnostics, theranostics and toxicological analysis, with a three-pronged goal: ethical (therapeutic efficacy, high tolerability…), scientific (excellence and innovation) and economic (know-how transfer, support to industries).

Research topics

  • Probes (Prandi, Martra)
    Development of organic and nanostructural probes (inorganic and hybrid) for tumor diagnostics.
  • Sensors (Rizzi)
    Development of metal-based sensors for pathogens, disease markers.
  • Immunoassays (Anfossi, Baggiani)
    Development of immunochemical methods.
  • Metabolomica (Vincenti, Salomone)
    Chemometric analysis and interpretation of metabolic and steroidal profiles for diagnosis and prognosis of oncological and endocrinological pathologies.
  • Teranostici (Deagostino, Anfossi, Baggiani)
    Development of probes for diagnostic and tumor therapy.

  • Nanotoxicology (Fenoglio)
    Study of the risks associated with the use / exposure of nanomaterials deriving from industrial processes.
  • Forensic Toxicology (Vincenti, Salomone)
    Development of analytical methods for biomarkers of alcohol abuse and drugs and dopants on keratin matrix (hair) and biological fluids.
  • Particles and fibers toxicology (Fenoglio, Turci, Tomatis)
    Properties of inorganic particles and fibers, including silica, naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) and elongated mineral particles (EMP). Investigation of the toxicological mechanisms related to human exposure to inhalable dusts.

  • Polymeric (Bracco)
    Materials for prosthetics and drug delivery.
  • Nanofiber (Zanetti, Bracco)
    Materials for prosthetics and drug delivery.
  • Ceramics (Ugliengo, Martra)
    Materials for bone reconstruction and drug delivery.
  • Nanostructured Materials (Martra, Berlier, Fenoglio, Giordani)
    Materials for bone reconstruction, probes, diagnostics and drug delivery.
  • Biomimetic materials (Anfossi, Baggiani)
    Molecular polymer materials for analysis, diagnosis and drug delivery.
  • Biocompatible alloys (Battezzati, Castellero)
    Metal materials for prostheses.

  • Drug delivery (Brunella, Scalarone, Trotta, Berlier, Martra, Ugliengo, Civalleri, Fenoglio)
    Development of new materials (polymeric and metallic) and organic, inorganic, and hybrid systems for drug delivery.
  • Probes (Martra)
    Development of fluorescent nanomaterials.
  • Sensors (Rizzi)
    Sviluppo di sensDevelopment of metal-based sensors for pathogens, disease markers.
  • Theranostics (Giordani)
    Development of nanoprobes for diagnostic and tumor therapy.

Last update: 05/06/2020 14:27
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