On June 4, our researcher Bryan Guilcapi successfully represented our laboratory at the prestigious Annual Congress of the Department of Physical Sciences and Technologies of Matter (Cnr-Dsftm), held at the headquarters of the National Research Council (CNR) in Rome.
Under the core theme “Dal PNRR all’impatto: infrastrutture, competenze e visione” (From PNRR to Impact: Infrastructure, Skills, and Vision), this high-level event gathers leading minds from across the scientific community to discuss how to transform extraordinary PNRR funding into long-lasting technological and scientific capabilities for the upcoming decades.
Within this strategic framework, Bryan Guilcapi delivered an outstanding 15-minute conference titled:
“Plasmonic SERS Nanobiosensors for Ultrasensitive and Automated Detection of Shiga Toxin Variants: From Rigid and Flexible Gold Nanostructures to Intelligent Point-of-Care Diagnostics”
During his presentation, Guilcapi showcased the revolutionary milestones achieved by our research group under the umbrella of the SENSOSTEC (PRIN2022) project. He demonstrated how leveraging plasmonic nanotechnology (SERS) combined with Artificial Intelligence algorithms allows a seamless transition from the fundamental physics of metasurfaces straight into automated, ultra-sensitive medical diagnostics tailored for Point-of-Care applications.
Project Impact and Reflections
The talk highlighted the true essence of the PNRR-funded initiatives, emphasizing that their greatest legacy is not just state-of-the-art laboratory infrastructure, but the highly skilled human network trained to tackle critical global health challenges. As Bryan emotionalized at the conclusion of his speech:
“In questi ULTIMI anni, con il progetto SENSOSTEC, siamo passati dalla fisica fondamentale delle metasuperfici all’intelligenza artificiale applicata alla clinica. Non abbiamo solo pubblicato articoli. Abbiamo costruito i mattoni per una nuova era della medicina: veloce, ultrasensibile e accessibile. Il nostro obiettivo è semplice: fare in modo che un paziente non debba più aspettare giorni per una diagnosi. La luce può salvare vite.”
Special Acknowledgments:
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all the co-authors and researchers whose hard work and absolute dedication made this breakthrough possible: Alessia Milano, Amalia D’Avino, Domenico Sagnelli, Massimo Rippa, and Valentina Marchesano. And all institutions that support us. We also sincerely acknowledge the essential financial backing of the European Union via NextGenerationEU / PRIN2022 funds.
Above all, we dedicate a profound and heartfelt acknowledgment to our group leader and coordinator, Dr. Lucia Petti. Her brilliant scientific vision, unwavering leadership, constant support, and management expertise have been the true engine driving this team forward, making it possible for this cutting-edge research to transform into a tangible, life-saving impact for society. Congratulations to the entire team
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