Università degli Studi della Tuscia - UNITUS

Università degli Studi della Tuscia - UNITUS

Identification and characterisation of biobased chemicals and natural and bioactive substances

The team founded the GENTOXchem (www.gentoxchem.com), producing cosmetics based on natural compounds and active in cytological and cytotoxical analyses, industrial and pharmaceutical chemistry, toxicology and nanotechnology

Area of Research

We are mainly involved in bionanotechnology. Our focus is on the research and development of advanced and smart bio-nanoplatforms from renewable materials and enzymes.  

Area of Expertise and Main Technologies

The expertise is organic chemistry, biology and biotechnology and green chemistry. Our technologies include the preparation and characterization of sustainable nanoplatforms for the immobilization of enzymes in single or cascade-based systems, their stabilization and orientation control, and application in different areas including biosensing, bio-catalysis, drug discovery and delivery, bio-inks, and bio-fillers for advanced and functional materials. 

Key Organisms

We use Laccases from different origins including Trametes Versicolor, Tyrosinases from Agaricus Bisporous, Horseradish Peroxidase from Armoracia Rusticana, Lipases from different origins including Aspergillus niger and Mucor Javanicus, Lectins from Canavalia Ensiformis, aldolases from Escherichia coli K12, and others. 

Industrial Application

Industrial applications include A) biomedical area with a particular interest in drug-delivery and discovery and design of sustainable and bio-compatible sensors in the sensitive detection of glucose and in the fast screening of endocrine and neurological disease; B) Advanced material science with a particular interest in the design of sustainable bio-inks and functional bio-fillers for bioplastics and smart packaging; C) Bio-catalysis for green products and processes and synthesis of bulk and fine chemicals.  

Industrial Sector

  • Pharma
  • Material & Textiles
  • Human well-being & Care
  • Bulk & Fine Chemicals
  • Food Ingredients
  • Biomedical & Biological

Contacts 

Raffaele Saladino - saladino@unitus.it

Eliana Capecchi - e.capecchi@unitus.it

Modification date : 25 April 2023 | Publication date : 16 April 2022 | Redactor : Mauro Di Fenza