LABORATORIES and RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

LABORATORIES and RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

In MEBIC activity first two years an intense effort was produced to realize the advanced technological platform of imaging and microanalysis and then to participate in several research projects with other Institutions partnership.

a) Thechnological platform currently includes a transmission electron microscopy laboratory, scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis, a laboratory for advanced sample preparation, an advanced optical imaging laboratory and a macro image database, a laboratory of fluorescence microscopy including a fluorescence stereo microscope for embryos and transgenic small animals (zebra fish) study with fluorescent reporter genes (GFP – RFP), an advanced multiphoton confocal microscope, a laser capture microdissection laboratory for tissue and isolation of single cells, and the various nano methods for nucleic acids and proteins extraction and analysis from microdissected fractions or from single isolated cells. This platform works alongside molecular biology, cellular biology, molecular neuropathology, electrophysiology and patch-clamping laboratories supplied to San Raffaele Pisana IRCCS laboratories also located at the San Raffaele Scientific Center in via Val Cannuta and usable by MEBIC, according to appropriate agreement.

b) Research activity: The MEBIC has participated in or participates in more than 20 research projects in which it works as a coordinator, as an OU or as a consultant. Here are two easy traslation to clinic project examples: 1) In the identification of potential therapeutic agents and their mechanism of action, the study of subcellular reactions to drugs has proved to be an important and cheap shortcut for preclinical phase of new drugs to bring them faster to clinical practice.  2) Another example is organo-specific molecular markers identification and molecular analysis of exosomes in complex patients with multi-organ pathologies. The goal is the identification of markers that allow a predictive evaluation of many aspects in complex patient as well as molecular targets for new drugs and new strategies of the polypill patient.