Project partners

Biosensor s.r.l.

Web page:
http://www.biosensor.it
Contact:
Giovanni Basile - g.basile@biosensor.it
Biosensor S.r.l.
Viale Tivoli Km 18.642
00018 Palombara Sabina (Rome) - Italy

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Profile
Biosensor Srl was founded in September 2003 as DAS Srl spin-off with the objective of exploring a possible business extension through the sensors market and offering a stimulating development environment to young innovative skills. The company provides expertise in design, prototype fabrication, calibration, testing and product engineering of miniaturized modular automated instruments for biotechnology, agrofood, environmental monitoring, biomedical applications. Examples of already developed instruments are: Multiband and Multicell arrays Fluorescence Measurement Systems; amperometric biosystem; biofreezers and biocontainers; photobioreactor for in-vitro cells cultures growth. Biosensor is the industrial partner of CNR, ENEA and the University of Udine within the MoMa (From Molecules to Man) project, sponsored by the Italian Space Agency.

Nanosens

Web page:
www.nanosens.nl
Contact:
Cees van Rijn ceesvanrijn@nanosens.nl
Aquamarijn Research BV
Berkelkade 11, Zutphen 7201JE
The Netherlands
Tel. +31575519751
Fax. +31848823204

Profile
Aquamarijn Research develops and produces various nanostructures for sensor and electronics devices, including single nanopore membrane, nanoelectrodes, nanoresonators and especially ready for measurement nanowire chips. All these nanostructures with the dimensions of the active part down to a few nanometers can be used to build up many kinds of smart and powerful nanodevices that have been reported recently by researchers around the world. Our advantages are that we combine various “high tech equipment” together with “our proprietary developed processes” to make the above nanostructures inexpensive, thus offering nanostructures with a high added value at low-cost for further development and incorporation in final devices.

National Institute for Biological Sciences - Centre of Bioanalysis 

Web page:
www.bioanaliza.dbio.ro
Contact:
Dr. Simona Carmen Litescu - slitescu@dbio.ro
National Institute for Biological Sciences, Centre of Bioanalysis
296 Spaiul Independentei, Bucharest 6, 060031 Romania
Tel: + 40212200900
Fax:+ 40212200900

Profile
Centre of Bioanalysis, created in 2003 continues - as part of National Institute for Biological Sciences, Bucharest-the activity of the former Department of Bio-analytical Chemistry that activated since 1995 in the same institutional structure. The group expertise is focused on the development of new analytical methods and devices devoted to the determination of different compounds of interest, able to provide reliable data regarding the quality control of products and process. The core used techniques are HPLC, spectrometry (UV-VIS, FTIR, fluorescence) and electrochemistry. Main research directions are: development of new bio-analytical methods devoted to the characterisation of complex matrix systems in order to provide experimental evidence of inter-relation between different exogenous and endogenous compounds and products properties; investigation and evaluation of free radical impact against the structural and functional integrity of various samples; noxious compounds detection (organo-phosphorous compounds, heavy metals etc) based on biosensors and modified electrodes; realisation and characterisation of biomaterials based on functionalized matrix components used as support for active compounds immobilization; nano-composite design, characterisation and application as solid supports to built up sensitive devices.

National Council of Research - Institute of Crystallography

Web page:
http://www.ic-rm.mlib.cnr.it
Contact:
Dr. Giuseppina Rea - giuseppina.rea@ic.cnr.it
National Council of Research - Institute of Crystallography
Via Salaria Km 29,300
00016 Montelibretti (Rome) Italy

Profile
The CNR-IC group has experience in plant physiology and phytochemistry oriented to the development of advanced sensors and biosensors for agricultural and environmental applications. In addition, the group has experience in the biochemical characterization of plant enzymes, proteins and secondary metabolites as well as in molecular design and bioinformatics. The above expertise has been recognized at international level as demonstrated by the number of high quality publications and issues patents. It has a direct institutional interface with industries for the development of miniature size prototypes. As an example the commercialization of biosensors for monitoring pollutants is a patented technology. Some systems have been found to be reliable in the market and have found application for the direct analysis of complex matrices, such as water and food.

Ben Gurion University

Web page:
http://cmsprod.bgu.ac.il/Eng/Home/
Contact:
Sammy Boussiba, sammy@bgu.ac.il
Ben Gurion University (BGU)
Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory
Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
Marcus Family Campus, Israel
Tel. 08 6596796
Fax. 08 6596802

Profile
The Landau Family Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory at the Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) of Ben Gurion University (BGU) operates for more than 30 years and includes 5 senior researchers. They are committed to continuous development of the technology for mass production of microalgae and their products, utilising the resources available in semi-arid areas (brackish water, high solar irradiance). They plan to extend the use of algae in the relief of environmental problems (e.g., bioremediation) as well as potential generators of alternative energy source (biofuel).
Research in our group is targeted to the following topics: (i) search for natural products with particular interest in carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as valuable food additives, (ii) managing the limiting factors governing biomass production in outdoor culture and (iii) the response of microalgal cultures to biotic and/or abiotic stresses with special emphasis on secondary metabolites production.
The MBL represents one of the few research centres worldwide that is interfacing basic algal physiology with industrial applications. Our range of expertise spans a considerable accumulated know-how on (i) indoor and outdoor microalgal intensive and extensive growth; (ii) design of efficient photobioreactors; (iii) basic and stress algal physiology; (iv) overproduction, analysis and partial extraction of valuable secondary carotenoids and fatty acids; (v) basic algal molecular biology and biochemistry, as well as (vi) microalgal taxonomy and contamination management.
The MBL was the first algal team in Israel to operate large-scale open ponds for the cultivation of several microalgae. In the mid 80’s we were the Israeli leading team in a project funded by the US department of Energy involving the evaluation of commercial production of oil rich microalgal biomass. Recently, the group supported the SME ALGATECH in the development and establishment of one of the largest and most advanced tubular photobioreactor facilities for the production of astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus biomass.