Cancer, insomnia, ancient DNA: over 100 projects from Italian scientists at HT

Human Technopole has presented 102 research projects that were the first to benefit from the cutting-edge equipment of the National Facilities – the advanced technologies that the Institute makes available to external researchers from across Italy. The majority of studies focus on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, accounting for 50% of the selected projects. The announcement was made this morning in Milan during “Open HT – The Open Day on Life Sciences”, an event designed to showcase Human Technopole’s achievements and outline future goals.

Finding new drugs for metastatic breast cancer, predicting the onset of a rare sleep disorder, understanding why certain wounds fail to heal, and studying the evolution of DNA over past eras: these are some of the challenges tackled by the 102 new projects granted access to the advanced technologies of the National Facilities – a set of infrastructures that Human Technopole provides to researchers throughout Italy.

In June last year, Human Technopole launched the first call for access to the National Facilities, offering the Italian scientific community the opportunity to use ultra-high-resolution microscopes, next-generation genomic sequencing tools, and technologies for the production of stem cells and organoids.

The results of this first call were presented this morning at the “Open HT – The Open Day on Life Sciences” event in Milan, which was organised to highlight the achievements of Human Technopole over the past year and share its upcoming goals. The event was attended by civil authorities and representatives of the Ministries overseeing the Foundation (MEF, MUR, and Ministry of Health).

Five years after beginning its activities, the Institute now employs 500 staff, 80% of whom are researchers or technical-scientific support personnel. These professionals come from 39 countries, with an average age of 30. Around 40% of researchers are from abroad, including about one hundred Italians. Together, they have published more than 488 scientific articles with Human Technopole affiliation and secured €26 million in external funding through European and international grants and fellowships, including five prestigious ERC (European Research Council) grants.

Gianmario Verona, President of Human Technopole, stated: “By opening its technologies to the broader scientific community, Human Technopole acts as a catalyst for Italian life sciences research through a true model of open innovation, aiming to become a national and international hub. The five Platforms, designed to centralise highly advanced technologies and integrate seamlessly, provide researchers with comprehensive support and smooth transitions between different areas of study. This initiative not only fosters scientific research but also promotes technology transfer — a strategic priority for Italy today.”

Marino Zerial, Director of Human Technopole, added: “Our goal is to support Italian scientists in every way possible. For these first Platform calls, we received a high number of cancer-related projects that will be developed in our labs using advanced techniques such as structural biology, genome editing, and stem cell development. Numerous other studies focus on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and genetic disorders such as fatal familial insomnia, which will be investigated through the multidisciplinary approach that underpins our scientific vision.”

Selected projects at the National Facilities

The first selected projects cover a broad range of topics, from individual diseases to population genomics, with a clear focus on cancer. Over one-third of the projects — 39 in total — aim to explore the origins, development, and potential treatments for various cancers. Other key areas include 10 projects on neurodegenerative diseases and 7 on genetic disorders. From Milan to Bari, via Bologna, Rome, and Naples, researchers from IRCCS institutions, research bodies and universities will access Human Technopole’s state-of-the-art facilities and technologies to carry out their studies. A noteworthy aspect is that 37 of the 102 selected projects are led by young researchers.

The technologies available include cutting-edge optical microscopes, cryo-electron microscopes that allow near-atomic resolution imaging of cells, the latest DNA sequencing platforms for analysing DNA, RNA, chromatin and other epigenetic and regulatory markers, as well as genome editing platforms, stem cell and organoid production tools, and big data analytics infrastructures.

The National Facilities

In May 2023, the Human Technopole Foundation’s Supervisory Board approved the creation of the National Facilities — high-tech infrastructure facilities made available to the national research community, alongside the Institute’s internal scientific work.

In keeping with an open innovation model for life sciences, the National Facilities are shared facilities operated by Human Technopole and open to the entire Italian research ecosystem. There are five Facilities: the National Facility for Genomics, the National Facility for Genome Engineering and Disease Modelling, the National Facility for Structural Biology, the National Facility for Light Microscopy, and the National Facility for Data Handling and Analysis. Each Facility comprises a range of technologies and services that expand Human Technopole’s technological offering.

Since June 2024, Human Technopole has launched the first access calls for the Facilities, with evaluations conducted by the Standing Independent Evaluation Committee — an external panel of internationally renowned scientists.

Human Technopole’s mission

Human Technopole’s research aims to improve people’s health and wellbeing by studying the fundamental mechanisms of biological systems relevant to human disease. This is done using a multidisciplinary approach across medicine, genomics, nutrition, and data science.

The Institute’s research is structured into several areas that combine experimental and computational approaches: genomics, neurogenomics, structural biology, computational biology, health data science, cellular and molecular biology, and biophysical modelling and simulation.

Within these areas, Human Technopole researchers carry out interdisciplinary Flagship Research Programmes aimed at uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying key biological processes in health and disease. These programmes harness Human Technopole’s advanced expertise and focus on five main therapeutic areas: cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, immunogenomics and cancer, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, ciliopathies, and multimodal AI across scales.