Biophotonics
Area Manager: Francesco Saverio Pavone
In the Biophotonics area we working on different spatial and temporal scales, setting up microscopy methodologies to bridge between them. In this respect, we are ranging from single molecule biophysics problems, up to single cell and complex cells environments like tissues. In all cases, we are putting together the development of optical imaging techniques with optical manipulation ones, like light activation on molecules or manipulation with laser radiation. Biological problems studied are ranging from nano to micro, meso and macro scales in the spatial domain, from milliseconds up to months in the temporal domains. Together with this, Artificial Intelligence tools are used and developed to treat big data content and data analysis. Basic studies are generating also applications in the field of biomedical imaging with connections to clinics and industries, together with new microscopy techniques, new software for data analysis, and new biomedical devices.
Research Groups
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In this research line we took advantage of three-photon fluorescence microscopy (3PFM) to extend the access to neuronal activity information at deeper structures of the brain.
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The use of light to stimulate and readout neuronal activity has several advantages, such as the noninvasiveness and the possibility to target with high spatial and temporal precision specific groups of neurons.
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We make use of multi-modal optical imaging techniques to perform the functional mapping of zebrafish larvae physiological and pathological brain activity. In particular, we adopt an acute epilepsy zebrafish model to investigate aberrant neuronal activity underlying seizure onset and propagation, a typical sign of this widespread neurological disorder.
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In this research line different imaging and spectroscopic methods are used to investigate the relation between morphology and molecular content in biological tissues, both in healthy and pathological condition in in-vivo and ex-vivo samples.
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The Cardiac Imaging research line is about innovative imaging methodologies to increase the understanding of cardiac physiology.
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This research line is dedicated to the development of experimental approaches for high-speed volumetric imaging and to their application to answer biologically relevant questions.
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We leverage the intrinsic optical sectioning, high contrast and direct fast 2D image recording of confocal light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (CLSFM) to obtain with cellular resolution three-dimensional reconstructions of large intact neuronal networks for an improved understanding of the mice and human brain structure.
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We are interested in how the brain processes and integrates information at the cortical level over multiple areas to produce behavioral responses and how these processes are altered in pathological conditions. To this end, we perform mesoscale functional imaging in awake mice expressing a fluorescent calcium indicator (GCaMP6f) in cortical excitatory neurons while animals are performing a behavioral task.
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The Molecular and Cellular Mechanobiology research line is focused on the mechanisms underlying mechanical regulation of biological systems.
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This research line is devoted at applying advanced microscopy techniques and imaging approaches based on fluorescence to tackle the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Nanosensing research line aims at developing novel multifunctional optical sensors enabling for smart applications in chemical and biological sensing through the molecular screening of samples with improved sensitivity towards selective analytes.
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Our main focus is currently the dissection of brain circuits involved in the formation and consolidation of fear memory.
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Slow-wave oscillatory activity is critical for several fundamental processes from general brain homeostasis to memory consolidation. Further, there is increasing evidence in support of SW activity alterations in different brain diseases. In this project, the long-term goal is to correlate the delicate equilibrium between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, mirrored into patterns of propagating waves, and large-scale functional connectivity in different brain states (awake, anesthetized, natural sleep).
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Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques have become increasingly popular over the last decade, owing to the fact that they allow investigators to resolve details orders of magnitude smaller than the optical resolution limit, without having to resort to methods such as electron or scanning probe microscopy techniques.
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The Tissue Biomechanics research targets the morphology, composition and biomechanics of biological tissues, trying to correlate the molecular and ultrastructural behavior with the properties observed at a macroscopic level.
- Riccardo Cicchi Group Leader
- Joao Lagarto
- Sara Mattana
- Francesco Saverio Pavone
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We exploit the high-resolution and penetration depth achievable with Two-Photon Fluorescence Microscopy (TPFM) to perform both structural and functional analysis on different animal models, and mesoscopic reconstruction of human brain tissue.