• MarBiotox

MarBioTox group has a strong focus on chemical analysis of natural toxins produced by marine microalgae and freshwater cyanobacteria and accumulated in the environment and in the marine food web. Its research activity includes:

- Development of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods for determination of known and new marine biotoxins in environmental, food and biological matrices (sea/freshwater, microalgae, edible mollusks and fish, blood, urine);

- Implementation of new LC-MS/MS and LC-High Resolution MSⁿ approaches for structural characterization  of new toxins contained at trace levels in crude extracts.

- Isolation and stereo-structural elucidation of marine biotoxins through NMR techniques.

- Preparation of reference material.

Such research line supports public health and environmental protection agencies in the management of toxic outbreaks in Italy and abroad. 

• SafeNutra

​The activities of the Research Group identified as "SafeNutra" comprise the basic study, the extraction and the analytical characterization of anthropogenic and natural compounds of the biosphere, this last considered as a set of environmental, food and hydrological resources. The group SafeNutra is deeply interested in evaluating the aspects closely related to safety, biological activity at risk assessment, including bioavailability and bioavailability, for human health of all these compunds that may give risks for humans. The profile of the research group's activities includes the study of organic and inorganic contaminants produced from both human activity and metabolites derived from the presence of undesirable microorganisms such as moulds, bacteria, yeasts, etc. In particular SafeNutra group characterize the metabolites from chemical-physical point of view, makes the surveillance and the monitoring of many compounds such as MCPD esters of vegetable fats, mycotoxins, additives and molecules used as process adjuvants, residues defined as contaminants of the process that are present in the biosphere. In some cases, the assessment of the risk related to their direct or indirect consumption through inhalation, inhalation, skin absorption etc. is further investigated. of the components responsible for potential toxicological hazards. The SafeNutra group for the assessment of the various toxicological and environmental aspects uses and develops not only conventional but advanced and innovative methods of dosing in the field of spectrometry (NMR, MSMS, GCMS, etc.).

• TECH (Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry)

​The research activities are aimed at assessing the environmental pollution and the relative toxicological risk of the exposed population. Research topics are carried out by sampling, pretreatment and analysis of the main pollutants of the three environmental matrices and biological samples. The analyzes are performed using the main extractive (SPE, SPME, MAE) and analytical (HPLC-UV, GC-MS, ICP-MS) techniques.

Determination of pollutants is aimed at assessing the environmental and health risk of the population in urban, suburban and / or resident close to areas subjected to high anthropic pressure. Furthermore, the determination of pollutants in animal and plant species identified as environmental biomarkers is intended to determine the Health Impact Assessment (HIA).

The research group carries out the following analysis:

- qualitative quantification of atmospheric particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2,5);

- determination of metals in environmental and biological matrices;

- quantitative determination of inorganic and organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides and dioxins.