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On Friday 29 October, at the Silk Museum in Como, a meeting was held entitled: "Tourism and culture: the culture of textiles for the valorisation of the territory".   The event, organized by Spoke 3 - Tourism and Culture Industry, was part of the usual event of the Researchers' Night of the University of Insubria which, for years, has been very active in the area in order to bring the general public closer to the world of research.   The works began with institutional greetings from the president of the Silk Museum Giovanna Baglìo, followed by Professors Roberta Minazzi and Valentina Jacometti of Uninsubria who had the task of presenting the Nodes project to those present.   During the afternoon, the collaboration between the University of Insubria, leader of Spoke 3, and the Silk Museum was confirmed. Collaboration which will have as its object interested studies in the field of fashion and textiles; we will try to understand how this sector has influenced the territory but above all, the impact it will have on it in the future.   Finally, the public present was able to attend the presentations of Doctors Laura Facchin, Alessandra Casati and Lucrezia Palandi who provided interesting analyzes about fashion in the past and how it was represented in iconography as well as an important reflection on internal law of the fashion supply chain.  

Last Friday, Sept. 29th, Spoke 2 - Green technologies and sustainable industry participated with a group of researchers from the University of Turin in the #UNIGHT event, the European Researchers' Night, at the picturesque Giardini Reali in Turin, animating, together with researchers from the other spoke Unito and Polito present, the NODES booth. This evening was an extraordinary opportunity to share our discoveries in the field of green technologies and sustainable industry with an audience consisting of adults and children, no longer just experts in the field.

Il 30 settembre sono scaduti i termini per presentare progetti di ricerca e innovazione   Non solo Nord Ovest. L’Ecosistema NODES - Nord Ovest Digitale E Sostenibile, guarda con particolare attenzione alle attività di ricerca e innovazione portate avanti dalle imprese nel mezzogiorno. Per questo, lo scorso maggio, attraverso i fondi del MUR-PNRR, NODES ha lanciato appositi bandi di finanziamento mirati esclusivamente per le aree del Sud d’Italia.    Oltre 8 milioni e mezzo di euro pronti per essere investiti per progetti di ricerca industriale e sviluppo sperimentale in Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicilia e Sardegna. Le imprese interessate hanno avuto tempo fino al 30 settembre per presentare progetti coerenti con gli obiettivi e ambiti del progetto NODES.    I DESTINATARI DEI CONTRIBUTI A FONDO PERDUTO   Destinatari dei finanziamenti erano Micro, piccole e medie imprese, singole o in raggruppamento, e Grandi imprese: quest’ultime solo se in associazione con altre imprese.    I progetti potranno avere una durata fino a 15 mesi, un valore minimo tra i 70 e 150 mila euro fino ad un massimo di un milione di euro. In base alla dimensione delle imprese, alla compagine e all’ambito di attività i contributi a fondo perduto potranno coprire fino all’80% delle spese per le piccole imprese, il 75% per le medie e il 65% per le grandi. 

La ricerca rappresenta uno dei motivi sfidanti dell’Ecosistema NODES. Oltre 540 ricercatori e professionisti si adoperano ogni giorno per vincere le sfide dell'innovazione a tutto campo. Scopri i 15 "Progetti Bandiera" coordinati dai diversi spoke tematici del progetto.    Spoke 1. Aerospazio e mobilità sostenibile  SPACE4YOU - creazione di un laboratorio distribuito per sostenere lo sviluppo di tecnologie, soluzioni e servizi per l’esplorazione dello spazio e infrastrutture spaziali. H2 MOBILITY - tecnologie e sistemi per la produzione, stoccaggio e distribuzione di idrogeno verde. ELECTRO - sviluppo di azioni specifiche nell’ambiente di ricarica dei veicoli elettrici, delle sue tecnologie, materiali e modelli di business legati alla mobilità sostenibile. Spoke 2. Green technologies e industria sostenibile GRIP - per implementare e applicare i principi dell'economia circolare ai processi upstream e downstream per ottenere sistemi di produzione industriale sostenibili. Spoke 3. Industria del turismo e cultura CIRIL - sviluppo infrastruttura aperta per sistemi di realtà virtuale immersiva per servizi di ricerca, istruzione e sviluppo aziendale. TOEP - per assemblare sinergicamente in modalità crowdsourcing, proposte di turismo integrato sostenibile, espressive delle eccellenze locali. Spoke 4. Montagna digitale e sostenibile SMART WEST - nuove procedure di conformità digitale e nuovi modelli organizzativi digitali per i territori del nord-ovest italiano. SUMMER - gestione Sostenibile delle Risorse Energetiche e Idriche in Montagna. INTERFACE - transizione ecologica partecipativa e digitale per le comunità montane.   Spoke 5. Industria della salute e silver economy INNDIANA - sviluppo di approcci diagnostici e terapeutici innovativi per la medicina rigenerativa. TINCARE - medicina personalizzata, di precisione e previsione, biomateriali, biotecnologie e tecnologie per la diagnosi precoce, per la mountain medicine. Spoke 6. Agroindustria primaria FORMIDABILÆ - per migliorare la sostenibilità e la circolarità del sistema agro-zootecnico, attraverso un sistema foraggero che renda resilienti le filiere di mais, latte e biogas. VINO - per affrontare le sfide del cambiamento climatico attraverso sistemi di telerilevamento, competenze in big data e tecniche di agricoltura di precisione.   Spoke 7. Agroindustria secondaria SADAIFO-ANIMAL - un approccio innovativo per contribuire all’aumento della competitività della filiera degli alimenti di origine animale. SADAIFO-ANIMAL - un approccio innovativo per contribuire all’aumento della competitività della filiera degli alimenti di origine vegetale.    

The ESB-ITA 2023 conference in Turin  From September 18 to 19, the Polythecnic University of Turin hosted the XII Annual Meeting of the Italian chapter of the European Society of Biomechanics (ESB-ITA) one of the main national events aimed at bringing together experts in the field of biomechanics to encourage their interaction and to promote research. Among the topics discussed, there was a focus on the development of cutting-edge technologies and innovative approaches for health and well-being.    The award for NEWBREATH research  Young researchers from the group led by Professor Alberto Audenino partecipated in the event, taking the opportunity to disseminate some of the results of their research activities within NEWBREATH, the Research Module of TINCARE aimed at developing a ventilator device for the support of patients in the home environment.  The researchers presented their work on the implementation of methodologies for the experimental verification of the performance of digital models capable of predicting their performance in silico under realistic usage conditions, including virtual patients.  The quality of the work presented by the researchers and the interest in the topics discuessed led to the award ''Medical Device Usability and Training: Integrating Scientific Research and Engineering Design to Drive Innovative Solutions'', sponsored by 3B srl.   

On September 29, 2023, the University of Piemonte Orientale opened its doors to the public for an extraordinary evening of scientific discovery and innovation.    The Research Night, held at the Department of Science and Technological Innovation in Viale Teresa Miche 11, embraced the theme ''One Planet, One Health'' and highlighted the NODES- North West Digital and Sustainable.    This event provided participants with a unique opportunity to delve into the depths of science and innovative through a wide range of activities, including conferences, roundtables, interactive workshops and presentations, relating to recycling and reuse, tourism, rare diseases, telemedicine, home care, regenerative medicine but also food and aging.  It was an extraordinary opportunity for students and the general public to learn, share and be inspired. The event demonstrated that scientific research is a fundamental pillar to face global challenges and shape a bettere future, thus confirming the Research Night as an expected and significant event. 

On September 29, 2023, the European Researchers' Night took place in Turin within the elegant Royal Gardens.  The event, which is an important occasion for meeting, exchange, and scientific dissemination between researchers and citizens, has involved several groups from the NODES project for this edition, promoting Spoke 5 ''Health Industry and Silver Economy'' and the projects INNDIANA and TINCARE.        

On September 24, 2023, at the courtyards of the Botanical Garden of the University of Pavia, 20 researchers from SPOKE 6, representing the Universities of Pavia, Turin, Sassari, and Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Piacenza, shared their research experiences with over 827 visitors.    The Interactive Exhibition: NODES    The day began with seven research booths, curated by the researchers involved in the "Vino" and "Formidabalæ" flagship projects. This exhibition offered visitors the opportunity to understand the work of the researchers and the innovations developed within the context of NODES.    Through videos, images, and experiments, the research in the primary agro-industry sector was highlighted, promoting dialogue between the academic world and civil society to foster innovation and sustainability in agriculture.    The Two Flagship Projects    In the afternoon, two roundtables focused on SPOKE 6's flagship projects, "Formidabile" and "Vino," allowing for an in-depth exploration of the two primary research areas.    The Exhibition and Farmer's Market of Local Varieties    The "X Exhibition and Farmer's Market of Traditional Lombard Local Varieties," allowed the public to discover and appreciate the ancient agricultural cultivars of Lombardy.    Visitors had the opportunity to taste traditional products, know rare varieties of local crops, and learn about the importance of preserving these agricultural traditions for biodiversity and sustainability.                              

Innovazioni sulla conservazione della carne L’orientamento dell’industria alimentare verso l’adozione di specifiche innovazioni è legato all’accettabilità dei consumatori.   I ricercatori dell’Università di Torino (Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari e Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie) e dell’Università di Scienze Gastronomiche di Pollenzo stanno conducendo uno studio con l’obiettivo di raccogliere le opinioni dei consumatori relativamente alle innovazioni tecnologiche che portano ad allungare il periodo di conservazione della carne.   A tal fine è stato predisposto un questionario che permetterà di raccogliere le opinioni dei consumatori dal titolo: Innovazioni sulla conservazione della carne.   Per rispondere alle domande del questionario clicca QUI!   Il tuo contributo sarà di grande importanza per la ricerca e per orientare le imprese verso le diverse innovazioni su cui sta lavorando la ricerca scientifica, come l’utilizzo di antiossidanti naturali o estratti vegetali durante la fase di preparazione degli hamburger, oppure la creazione di un sottile strato edibile attorno al prodotto utilizzando proteine di soia o gelatine di origine naturale. RISPONDI AL QUESTIONARIO

I ricercatori dello Spoke 1 portano le loro conoscenze a NanoInnovation, edizione 2023. Un evento nazionale di riferimento dedicato alle nanotecnologie e le loro applicazioni nei diversi settori, dalle scienze materiali alle scienze della vita, con un programma di quest'anno è fortemente orientato all'innovazione e agli aspetti di mercato, pienamente in linea con gli obiettivi dell’Ecosistema. L’evento è uno spazio di confronto tra accademia, ricerca, imprese e stakeholder, con le ultime novità nella ricerca applicata su micro e nanotecnologie. Sulle le aree tematiche di Spoke 1, ricercatrici e ricercatori hanno organizzato un simposio dedicato al ruolo dell’idrogeno e dell’energia elettrica per il mondo dei trasporti di domani. In particolare, sono stati trattati temi quali il grande potenziale dell’idrogeno sulla mobilità su terra, aria e mare, ma anche l’ottimizzazione dei sistemi di stoccaggio di energia relativi ai motori elettrici, sempre più diffusi. L’evento è stato un’ottima occasione di confronto tra accademia e industria, per arrivare più velocemente a sistemi e infrastrutture di trasporto più puliti, più verdi e più connessi.   Scopri di più   Hanno partecipato il professor Giuseppe Scellato, coordinatore scientifico di Spoke 1, la professoressa Paola Rizzi e il professor Gabriele Ricchiardi, di Università di Torino, e la dottoressa Enrica Fontananova, ricercatrice senior presso CNR-ITM

What is sarcopenia e which are the available treatments? It is a condition characterized by the loss of muscle mass and strenght due to aging: over 65 years, sarcopenia affects more than 40% of individuals. In the elderly, it represent one of the most important risk factors in terms of falls, disability and mortality. It is possible try to prevent sarcopenia or delay its occurrence by exercising and following a proper diet.  Until today, effective pharmacological treatments are not available: the only option involves increasing muscle mass by inhibiting myostatin, a protein that normally limits muscle fiber growth. By inhibiting myostatin, muscle can gain volume. However, the significant increase in muscle mass induced in patientas is not sufficient to ensure prolonged muscle performance beyond momentary effort.    ActR-Fc-nL G3: a new effective therapeutic option for sarcopenia. For years, at the Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), new therapeutic strategies have been studied to counteract sarcopenia at the preclinical level, in collaboration with the Swiss company Pharmafox Therapeutics. Recently, Professor Boido e Doctor Schellino (affiliated with NICO and the Department of Neuroscience, Univeristy of Turin) https://www.nico.ottolenghi.unito.it/Ricerca/Gruppi-di-ricerca/Sviluppo-e-patologia-del-cervello) have published an interesting study in the journal Aging and Disease. Using an older mouse model, called ActR-Fc-nLG3, which in addition to acting on myostatin also aims to improve muscle innervation.  Indeed, the muscles to contract must be properly innervated by motoneurons (specific neurons responsible for sending and trasporting movement signals). ActR-Fc-nLG3 promotes the innervation of muscles made hyperthophic by myostatin inhibition, ensuring prolonged endurance during physical exertion. Compared to conventional treatment, the administration of ActR-Fc-nLG3 is capable of improving the stability of neuromuscular joints (the points of contact between motoneurons and muscle fibers) and their innervation, preventing muscle atrophy: this allowed an improvement in motor performance, and in particular an increase in strenght and resistance to prolonged physical exertion in mice treated with ActR-Fc-nGL3.  The application of this approach could also be extended to other diseases similarly characterized by muscle atrophy and innervation deficits, such neuromuscular diseases (including Amyotrophic lateral Sclerosis and Spinal Muscular Atrophy), thereby expanding its potential use across a broad range of conditions.          Copyright: © 2023 Schellino R. et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.    

On the morning of Thursday 14 September 2023, at ComoNext, Innovation Hub partner of Spoke3 - Tourism Industry and Culture, a meeting entitled "Financing for innovation projects - Calls and opportunities for startups and SMEs" was held, in collaboration with Invitalia and the University of Insubria. After the initial greetings by Elena Zaffaroni, incubation area representative and Sara Lucca, project financing area representative, the interventions of the speakers involved followed. Fabio Comi of Invitalia presented the general lines of the Smart and Start Italia (SSI) measure, dedicated to aspiring entrepreneurs and startups established no more than 60 months ago. Following this was Nicola Renato De Carlo, founder of Tutornow, who brought his experience of participation to the measure just described, after briefly introducing the main reference themes for the startup. The word then returned to Invitalia, which, again in the person of Fabio Comi, described the criteria of the Brevetti+ call, functional to the valorisation of patents already available to companies, soon to open on 10/24/2023. The last speech was by Chiara Cappellini, Uninsubria's administrative contact for the Nodes project, focused on the presentation of the NODES ecosystem and the Line A and Line B cascade calls which will close on 31/10/2023. The meeting, which saw the participation of 36 participants, ended with the collection of several questions from the public. Following the event, the one-to-one meetings booked by the companies were managed by ComoNExT, in particular seven companies exchanged ideas both in reference to the initiatives promoted during the meeting and in relation to the creation and development of new startups.

In the Laboratory of Human Anatomy of the Università del Piemonte Orientale, directed by Professor Francesca Boccafoschi, research work focuses on regenerative medicine. In this context, master's graduate Emma Zanella and master's student Irene Regano are working on the project ''Psycochemical characterization and biological performances of an ECM-derived hydrogel: role in articular cartilage regeneration''. The ambitious goal of this project is to develop and characterize biomaterials capable of supporting the structural and fucntional regeneration of articular cartilage.   This tissue, indeed, can be the target of various degenerative diseases, including osteoarthritis (OA) which represents an emerging medical challenge. This condition is characterized by high inflammation, reduced lubrification and abnormal cellular behavior at the joint level, which gradually lead to pain and stiffness in movements, strongly affecting the quality of life of patients.    In the current context of ageing of the general population, the prevalence of OA is expected to grow as well as its clinical relevance.  Current therapeutic approaches mainly involve the administration of anti-inflammatories and intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid. However, these methods only provide symptom control and are ineffective in halting the progression of the disease. In severe cases, therefore, surgical intervention, such as joint replacement with prosthetics, becomes the solution.     Considering the incapacity of articular cartilage to regenerate as a result of damage and the current lack of therapeutic strategies to support the functional restoration of this tissue, the study of innovative biomaterials for the treatment of osteoarthritis is of increasing interest.  The project focuses on the characterization of a natural hydrogel derived from decellularized bovine pericardium. This hydrogel combines the high flexibility and adaptability of polymer networks with the intrinsic bioactivity of biological matrices.  Since the cartilage primarly consists mainly of extracellular matrix which is significantly degraded in osteoarthritic contexts, the use of hydrogel capable of providing a suitable microenvironment for resident cells is a potentially promising strategy.     

Approaching the deadline of the NODES calls on October 31, Environment Park and Proplast - co-managers of the CLEVER and CGREEN Innovation Clusters and partners of Spoke 2 - will organize a business connection webinar on October 5, 2023, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The main goal of the event will be to give companies the opportunity to present their offer or request for innovative services in slots of only three minutes. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to leave their contact information to facilitate follow-up networking. If you work in the field of green technologies and would like to present your company, it is critical that you do not miss this unique opportunity. Let us know of your interest by sending an email by Sept. 29 to ilaria.schiavi@envipark.com or susana.remotti@proplast.it, and you will receive the template for your pitch, which will allow you to best highlight your proposal/request. And for those who plan to attend the event without submitting a pitch, don't worry! Mark the date and stay tuned for the registration link, which will be made available soon!  

A digital twin to predict the functioning of lung ventilation devices.   The ''digital twin'' of a medical device is a virtual representation of the device itself created using data and models. It allows to monitor and analyze the device's operation, optimizing performace and testing diffeent configurations or updates virtually before applying them to the real device.  The research group led by Professor Audenino is developing at Politecnico di Torino a digital twin of an innovative non-invasive ventilation system with reduced oxygen consumption. Using engineering modeling techniques, the ongoing development of this twin will allow both to predict the behavior of the device to vary its configuration and to predict the effect of the therapy provided by the device on patients with various lung conditions. In particular, using virtual replication it is possible to evaluate different ventilation interfaces (such as a helmet or mask), providing useful information to the design of the device and its circuit, including the quality of air breathed by the patient during therapy.    Thanks to this innovative approach, new perspectives are opening up in the field of medical design, contributing to ensure safer and more effective solutions for the well-being of patients.