Research

The main interest of the working group is to study cellular responses and cytotoxicity processes in a complex environment. This approach typically includes the combination of chemical stimulation (toxicants, food constituents and drugs) with physical stimulation (shear stress, uniaxial stretching, and substrate stiffness). To this aim, the research activity develops in three main areas:

1. Development and optimization of Microscopy and Image analysis workflows

We develop and implement tailored approaches for live cell imaging and image analysis, including workflows for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (3D-Structure Illumination Microscopy SIM, PALM and dSTORM).

2. Organ-on-a-Chip toxicological analysis

We work intensively on the integration of biomechanical stimulation with cytotoxicity tests, as well as on the characterization of the importance of mechanotransduction in toxicological pathways.

3. Systems Toxicology and Systems Biophysics

Thanks to the collaboration with Prof. Christopher Gerner at the Department of Analytical Chemistry we develop novel approaches for the integration of multi-omics profiling (proteomics/lipidomics/metabolomics) with imaging, biophysics and toxicology.