RICERCA ITALIANA     

National Laboratory for Nanotechnology applied to Genomics and Post-Genomics (NG-Lab)

Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia (INFM) - incorporato nel Cnr

Abstract

This project aims at constituting a national infrastructure for Nanotechnology Applied to Genomics and Post-Genomics (hereafter referred to as NG-Lab) at Lecce, Italy.

The core of the NG-Lab is represented by the public/private joint research team already established at Lecce by the Bionanotechnology Division of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory (NNL) of INFM and by the Application Group of the Microfluidics Division of ST-Microelectronics (AG-STM). The NG-Lab relies on a top-level infrastructure at Lecce, including 400 sqm of clean rooms, and biology, chemistry, scanning probe and nanoprocessing laboratories. This will be supported by a selected network of high-profile partners with cross-disciplinary background from academic institutions (the Nanoscience Laboratory at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa and the Institute for Biomolecular Technology of CNR in Milan), and a pharmaceutical company (Aventis-Bulk) in Brindisi.

The strategy of the NG-Lab is based on the establishment of five technological platforms, namely:

a) nanofabrication
b) microfluidics
c) immobilisation
d) detection
e) molecular biology

enabling, on one hand, the achievement of short-term targets (time scale: 3 years), to be primarily driven by the industrial partners, and, on the other, of basic research long term targets (5 years and beyond) under the leadership of the academic research partners.

For the short term, the following milestones have been identified:

Year 1-M1: full operation of the NG-Lab infrastructure
Year 2-M2: accomplishment of a fully integrated lab-on-chip device for point of care diagnostic applications (AG-STM)
Year 3-M3: application of lab-on-chip devices to the analysis of antibiotic production (Aventis)

Concerning the long-term targets, two mainstream lines have been identified for the exploratory studies of the NG-Lab:

Year 4-M4: development of single event/single molecule detection methods
Year 5-M5: nanotechnology applications to proteomics

The NG-Lab will also develop a complete outreach/dissemination program
and a specific higher-education program in the field of cross-disciplinary nanobiotechnologies exploiting the higher education schools of PISA (Scuola Normale Superiore) and Lecce (ISUFI/University of Lecce). <<<

Principal Investigator

Roberto CINGOLANI, Istituto Nazionale Fisica della Materia (INFM)

Research Goal

This proposal aims at the formation of a unique multi-disciplinary laboratory for the application of nanotechnologies to genomics/postgenomics. The main objectives of the proposal are:

OB1) To form a "core-infrastructure" at Lecce that will fuse nanotechnology and genomics (post-genomics) approaches in a mainly hardware-oriented activity, with clearly defined short and long term priorities. The structure will gather internationally acknowledged research groups and companies with cross-disciplinary and complementary backgrounds;
OB2) To design and produce, in the short term, fully integrated lab-on-chip devices for genomic analysis of widespread health and environmental relevance;
OB3) To conduct, over the long term, exploratory research in the field of nanobiotechnologies;
OB4) To carry out an interdisciplinary educational program of excellence of young researchers in fields at the forefront of nanotechnology and genomics;
OB5) To pursue a policy of outreach and dissemination on nanotechnology and genomics, as methods for the improvements of the quality of life and for their ethical and social aspects.

Concerning OB1), the NG-Lab will be constituted at Lecce, in the facilities of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory of INFM (NNL-INFM) which already hosts the Application Group of the Microfluidics Division of ST-Microelectronics, by Aventis-Bulk Italia, CNR-ITB (Milan), and NEST-Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa). The proponents have carefully tailored this proposal in order to avoid any duplication and take advantage of the specific expertise and facilities of the participating laboratories. This core infrastructure will synergistically interact with the available and newly established facilities, and benefit from a unique combination of expertise in engineering, physics, biochemistry and chemistry. Device development will benefit from the leading-edge hardware capability of the partners, the methodologies for design and production of the electronic-industry, and the methodologies for drug production and validation of the pharmaceutical industry. Through the development of a lab-on-chip for clinical and pharmaceutical applications, a bridge will be created between high-tech markets and future research.

Concerning OB.2), the NG-Lab will develop five hardware platforms, by combining the expertise of the partners in engineering, physics, chemistry and biology, namely:

a) nanofabrication
b) microfluidics
c) detection
d) immobilisation/surface functionalisation
e) molecular biology

These will enable full integration of lab-on-chip devices designed for "point-of-care" diagnostics (with AG-STM) and for pharmaceutical applications (with Aventis-Bulk).

In the long term (OB.3), the platforms are expected to create the knowledge base for the development of new tools to enable frontier studies in the fields of (see section 3):

i.) single molecule/single event detection
ii.) proteomics

Concerning OB4), the interdisciplinary educational program of excellence will rely on the synergy between the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa and the ISUFI/University of Lecce. The two institutions already share a cross-disciplinary program for PhD students and post-doctoral fellows, which will ensure the supply of bright young researchers to the NG-Lab during its lifetime.

Concerning OB5)(Outreach and dissemination), a program of open regular seminar sessions will be hosted with international speakers. In addition, the NG-Lab will organise two student schools and two international workshops during its first five years, to increase awareness and discuss the ethical, societal and technological implications of nanotechnology and genomics.
Available positions will be advertised on international magazines of wide circulation and scientific repute.
All the outreach and dissemination programs will be managed by the well established ISUFI/University of Lecce and SNS schools, with great benefit for the NG-Lab (see the outreach program of section 2.9). <<<

Timescale

60 months