by: Team Fai Brillare la Ricerca! | data 09/12/2021
Hi! We are Giulia, Pietro, Lorenzo and Federico, a group of researchers from the University of Turin.
Together we are combining our physical, chemical and biological expertise to develop a diamond biosensor to study the behaviour of human cells when exposed to ionizing radiation. These radiations are generally harmful to the human body, but they can also help us to identify pathologies (x-rays, CT scans) and, in the case of cancer, eliminate tumoral tissues (radiotherapy). These technologies already save countless lives every year, but fully understanding the biophysical mechanisms involved can help us develop more effective diagnostic and therapeutic protocols.
Our designed biosensor will carry out these studies, but to realize it we need your support. Thanks to your contribution we will be able to complete its development by purchasing the components that will make it up and finally together we could make some ... brilliant discoveries!
We are a group of researchers from the University of Turin. Our personal stories have led each of us, independently, to choose science and research as a commitment to make a positive contribution to our society. Together we decided to merge the skills of 3 different departments (Physics, Chemistry and Drug Science and Technology) to develop technologies applied in the biomedical field.
The purpose of our project is to study the behavior of cells (i.e. of those small bricks that constitute every part of our body) when exposed to radiation, but to achieve this purpose we have to invent tools to allow us: collecting these information: biosensors.
Radiations are particles that continuously hit our body in very low doses. In fact, they come to us both from space (the astronauts must protect themselves from them!) and from the matter that surrounds us, but we are also able to artificially produce and employ them for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes (radiographs, CT scans, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine techniques to treat tumors!). You can imagine our biosensor as an interpreter, capable of allowing both healthy and malignant cells to communicate with us, providing invaluable information on what happens inside them when hit by such radiation.
It is a device capable of monitoring the electrochemical and physiological activity of cells (eg neuronal or tumor) that grow on it.
It is necessary to choose a material that is biocompatible (not harmful to the cells when in contact with it), and chemically inert (it does not damage if in contact with solutions, for example the medium of the cells) and can be processed to transform it into a device. For us, the best choice is artificial diamond. Yes, diamond is not only synonymous with luxurious jewel, but it is a material with extraordinary properties, especially for the scientific field!
In fact, we have invested the last few years to study it and learn how to modify it, and now in our laboratories, we are able to "draw" small graphite microcircuits inside it, which allow us to collect the biochemical signals released by the cells that we are interested to study.
Understanding what happens in our cells during, for example, an x-ray or a radiotherapy session is essential to make these procedures increasingly effective and safe, allowing for early diagnoses and optimized therapies. To carry out our idea, however, we strongly need your help. At the moment we have a very promising system, but to create our biosensor we still need some fundamental elements: more sophisticated components for the manufacture of the sensor, new electronic control for the detection of cellular signals.
For the first step of this trip that we want to face with you, we need to buy the material for the sensor (artificial diamond, chip carrier, electronic components, diamond modification masks), and to do this we need 5,000 €.
We would also like to let you know that thanks to the Funds TOgether project, your generosity doubles due to the trust that the University Of Torino (UniTo) has in you! In fact, UniTo will support our research with a special fund equal to the amount raised by this campaign. These additional funds will allow us to purchase the components of the digital interface that will allow us to read the signals and control the sensor itself.
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
There is no x2 without x3 ... The success that the campaign is having and the importance of the topics covered have convinced "Compagnia di SanPaolo" to participate with an important contribution.
Now the budget that we will collect will be tripled!!! This will allow us to purchase the biological material (cell lines, reagents, culture media, etc.) to carry out the radiobiology experiments in which we will use our sensors, thus obtaining important data that will allow us to understand the effects of radiation on living organisms.
Your contribution is worth TRIPLE, support us on IdeaGinger!
We believe that scientific research as the engine of the progress of our society is a common good and as such must be shared. Only by joining forces, we will be able to achieve this goal together. If you believe like us in this project, please take part in this challenge too and support us with a donation!
For more information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram or contact us directly by e-mail (diamondforbio@gmail.com)
Siamo Giulia, Pietro, Lorenzo e Federico, un affiatato gruppo di ricercatori dell'Università di Torino.
