Activities
The new LuCId laboratory aims at contributing to the strengthening of the University's research in the area of applied engineering to the life sciences. In this sense, the new laboratory will serve as a centre gathering together various research groups already working at the University in this area (in part represented by the groups proposing the present project). The benefits will be multidisciplinarity and critical mass for attracting major funding to the life sciences.
The new laboratory will operate in the following fields:
- Life sciences and biomaterials:
- nanomedicine (interaction between nanoparticles and cells)
- regenerative medicine (observation of cells on 3D microstructures, characterisation of natural and engineered tissues)
- genetic engineering (3D non-viral vector transfection kinetics)
- systems of advanced 3D cell cultivation (lab-on-chips, microwells for aggregates, bioartificial organioids)
- mechanobiology (dynamics of cellular migration and differentiation, mechanics of cellular adhesion to substrata, mechanics of extravasation of cancerous cells)
- Science and technology of materials:
- fluorescent materials (organic electronics, organic LED)
- organic photovoltaics (polymeric and hybrid solar cells)
- soft materials (supramolecular gels)
- photopolymers (3D microstructures obtained with two-photon photopolymerisation laser)
Location
LuCId Lab is located in the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” (DCMC). The two main instruments of LuCId Lab are:
- confocal microscope at the Mechnobiology Lab, Building 03 on the Leonardo Campus
- a dynamic/static light scattering system at the experimental Nano Medicine Laboratory, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milan
Equipment
- Olympus Fluoview FV10i confocal microscope for water immersion for live-cell time-lapse experiments thanks to the built-in incubator, for coltura perfusa as well
- Dynamic and static light scattering for measuring diffused light intensity aimed of determining the average molecular weight of a polymer, protein or nanoparticle in solution
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering (DCMC): Mechanobiology laboratory (at LaBS), available as a support laboratory for the new confocal microscope, for preparing samples containing a living component. Experimental nano medicine laboratory, available a support laboratory for the new SLC/DLS instrument and for preparing samples
- Department of Physics (DFIS): Femtosecond laser for fabricating microstructures through two-photon polymerisation
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering (DEIB): Tissue Engineering prototype laboratory
- Department of Mathematics (DMAT): Calculation cluster with 16 node 128 core Xeon E5560 dual processor
Services provided
Please see the Rules of LuCID Lab, in force since 7 November 2014 (in Italian only).
Procedures and costs of using equipment
Please see the Rules of LuCID Lab, in force since 7 November 2014 (in Italian only).