CNR

Lucia Petti received the doctoral degree cum laude in Physics from the University Federico II of Naples in 1996 with a thesis on “Nonlinear optical devices in liquid crystal waveguides”. She received her Ph.D in Physics from the Physics Department of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, in 2001. Her doctoral thesis was entitled “Thermo- and Electro-Optical Analysis of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal systems”. She has been a contract researcher at the Institute of Cybernetics of the Italian National Council of Research (ICIB-CNR) now ISASI from 1997 up to 2007 working to study and characterize new materials for applied optics (liquid crystals, polymers and polymeric blends, PDLC’s, micro and nano-composites) and the fabrication and testing of electro-optical devices. In more details, she focused her attention to the Optics of Liquid Crystals, Linear and nonlinear Optics in polymeric systems and hybrid organic-inorganic composites, Spectroscopic analysis of thin films from UV to far IR, and in Fabrication of Photonics Nanodevices through Electron Beam Lithography technique.

Lucia Petti is now a staff researcher and Team Leader at the Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems of the Italian National Council of Research (CNR) coordinating three projects: i) “Development and Validation of Methods in Nanosciences and Agro-Food: Innovative Materials and Sensors (DFM.AD005.015)”, ii) “H2OSafety- Design and development of environmental sensors for the research of microbiological and chemical contaminants hazardous to health” (National Project funded by MIUR Call “Proof of Concept”), iii) “Photo-Piezo-ActUators based on Light SEnsitive COMposite -PULSE-COM” (European project Horizon2020 FETOPEN-01-2018-2019-2020)”. All of which are focused on research activities aimed at the development of new methodologies using innovative materials and nanostructured devices. She is coordinating the activities of the “Nanocomposites and Soft matter” and “Nanolithography” Labs. From 2005 she is Responsible for the Large Research Facility “Electron Beam Lithography system” at ISASI-CNR. From 2011 she is Responsible for ISASI-CNR in the frame of the Technological Italian Platform “Sources and Photonic Sensors”. From 2016 she is an Expert participating in the evaluation of H2020 projects. From 2020 she has been enabled to the role of Full Professor in Experimental Physics of Matter. Her current research focuses on Photonics, Biophotonics and Plasmonics with more focus on the Study, Fabrication and Characterization of Active Photonic Crystals and Quasi-Crystals in either organic/inorganic nanocomposites or metal; Waveguiding Optics; Electrooptics, Linear and Nonlinear Optics of Liquid Crystals, Polymers and Organic Molecules; development of plasmonics LSPR and SERS based- nanobiosensors by electron beam lithography for the detection of chemical species and bio-analyses for Medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring and Food safety.

She is author/co-author of three patents and 112 scientific papers published in peer reviewed journals and 18 technical reports. Over 115 International and national conference presentations (as poster and as oral) have been presented in Italy, Germany, Israel, USA, Taiwan, Russia, Cuba, India, France, Ireland. She has been invited 33 times for oral presentations in Germany, Romania, Israel, France, USA and China.

Massimo Rippa graduated in Physics cum Laude, in 2004, at the Science Faculty of the University of Naples “Federico II”, with a thesis on “Polymeric Films for optics communications: materials characterization and devices design”. In December 2009 he received his Ph.D in the International course “Novel Technology for Materials, Sensor and Imaging” from the Science Faculty of the University of Naples “Federico II” with a doctoral thesis entitled “Monitoring of laser – biological tissue interaction on plane angioma by functional infrared imaging”. Dr. Rippa has been working in the Institute of Cybernetics “E. Caianiello” (ICIB-CNR) and in the Institute of Chemistry and Polymer Technology (ICTP-CNR) for several years. He is currently a staff researcher at the Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems of the Italian National Council of Research (ISASI-CNR). He has been involved in several national and International projects including bilateral projects of cooperation between the Italian National Council of Research (CNR) and the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS). He attended three Short Term Mobility Research program at the Ningbo University (China) to develop plasmonic nanobiosensors, financed by CNR. His current research focuses on Photonics, Biophotonics and Plasmonics with particular regard to design, fabrication and characterization of nanostructures (Photonic Crystals, Photonic Quasi-Crystals and Metamaterials) for sensors, lighting applications and electro-nonlinear optics with liquid crystals. He has a good expertize in Thermography and Infrared Imaging applications. He is author/co-author of 59 scientific papers published on International journals, 2 patents and one monographic publication. He has participated at over 60 International and national conferences as poster or as oral.

Valentina Marchesano obtained her PhD in Medical Biotechnology at the University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy in 2013. During the PhD she worked in the frame of the Nanotruck European project: Multifunctional gold Nanoparticles for gene therapy at the CNR Institute of Cybernetics “E. Caianiello” in Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy. Her Expertises and skills are: sample preparation for light, fluorescence and electron microscopy (TEM and SEM); Cytological and histological preparative techniques; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology skills (protein extraction, SDS-page, western blot, PCR, cloning, in-situ hybridization and quantitative Real Time PCR); Cell culture and cell adhesion on nanostructured substrates. She is expert in using light-responsive polymeric nanomaterials, in light-manipulated ferroelectric systems, in nanostructured systems for light-matter interaction, in Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy, SERS, LSPR, in optical and fluorescence microscopy and got a proven experience in the field of nanotechnologies (use of nanoparticles and nanomaterials). She is author and\or co-author of 25 papers published in international peer reviewed journals and of more than 30 conference papers.

From Pistoia (Italy), Ambra Vestri gained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Molecular Biotechnology from the University of Florence (Italy). She completed in Verona (Italy) in 2016 her PhD focused on “Molecularly Imprinted Nanoparticles for the measurements of the Iron Regulator Hormone Hepcidin in Serum Samples”. The work experience in the academic environment helped her to gain a relevant expertise in polymer synthesis and nanomaterial/surface functionalization for different applications. During her Postgraduate Master in Drug Design and Synthesis at the University of Siena (Italy), she carried out a project on the synthesis of polymers for drug delivery purposes at the University of Nottingham (Steven Howdle group). She joined Lucia Petti’s group in 2020 at the ISASI-CNR of Pozzuoli (Italy) to work on the development of photoactive monodomain polymers (PULSE-COM project).

Domenico Sagnelli graduated in Biotechnology at the University « Federico II » of Naples. He completed his PhD in Copenhagen developing novel polysaccharide-based materials. He was awarded with a postdoctoral grant from the Danish council of research in 2018 and joined the Howdle group to work on the synthesis of polymers from renewable resources in supercritical CO2. He joined the SMART materials Team of Lucia Petti in the Institute of Applied and Intelligent Systems (ISASI – CNR) of the Italian National Council of Research to develop novel liquid crystal based photo-mobile polymers. He is expert in synthesis and characterization of polymeric materials. During his career he was highly trained in physico-chemical characterization of polymers and biomacromolecules. Furthermore he has deep knowledge of analytical tecniques such as: DMA, DSC, dynamometer, permeabilimeter, NMR, GC/MS, MALDI TOF, microscopy, HPLC, SEC, IEC. Dr. Sagnelli is author and co-author of 17 papers.