University of Catania: work is underway on the health-tech hub
From molecular diagnostics to new medicines, from artificial intelligence to telemedicine: the university is working to foster the growth of spin-offs, start-ups and new projects
Key points
It is a work in progress, with work having been under way for at least a couple of years now. To put it simply, it is a process involving the academic world, established companies and start-ups, doctors, researchers and experts. At the heart of it all is the University of Catania, which is bringing together scientific expertise, clinical research and entrepreneurial skills to build a health-tech ecosystem: from biotechnology to diagnostics, from artificial intelligence to digital healthcare.
The Benedictines’ Showcase
This will be discussed during the “Disruptive Innovation in Healthcare – Health-Tech Speed Date” event, to be held at the Benedictine Monastery. The second edition of the event, organised by the ILHM Centre for Advanced Studies at the University of Catania, will bring together over 130 speakers, with ten round-table sessions dedicated to artificial intelligence in healthcare, personalised medicine, data management, new organisational models, pharmaceuticals and life science start-ups.
“The aim is to ensure that university research does not remain confined to laboratories but becomes useful innovation, capable of finding its way into treatment pathways, creating businesses and generating new skills,” says Elita Schillaci, director of the ILHM Centre for Advanced Studies. “Digital technology in the healthcare sector requires collaboration between universities, hospitals, start-ups, businesses and investors: this is the network we are building.”
From pharmaceutical software to precision medicine
The map of the organisations associated with the university already gives an idea of the directions being taken. Mimesis, a spin-off founded by Francesco Pappalardo, develops high-tech simulation software for the evaluation and safety of medicinal products. This is one of the fields in which applied computer science can complement the traditional stages of pharmaceutical research. In the field of pharmaceuticals, Pharmatrix – proposed by Vincenzo Micale and Gian Marco Leggio – is currently undergoing accreditation. The platform aims to support drug candidates from molecular scouting through to preclinical validation, right up to the protection of intellectual property and licensing agreements. Moltheria, another project currently undergoing the accreditation process, proposed by Simone Ronsisvalle, Giuseppe Forte, Cosimo Gianluca Fortuna and Piero Pavone, operates in the same field. The aim is to integrate molecular modelling, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence to formulate personalised treatment recommendations, with applications in paediatric neurology, rare diseases, childhood cancers and antiviral strategies. Molecular diagnostics is another key area of the sector. A.I.D.A., led by Stefania Stefani, Dafne Bongiorno, Paolo Bonacci and Salvatore Petralia, develops kits for molecular biology and oncology intended for precision medicine. DGBiotech, an initiative proposed by Massimo Gulisano, is working on systems for molecular diagnosis and rapid DNA analysis.
Biotechnology and new materials
WE.Mitobiotech operates in the biotech sector; the company was founded by Vito Nicola De Pinto, Angela Anna Messina, Francesca Guarino, Simona Reina and Andrea Magrì. The project aims to develop and validate molecules capable of addressing mitochondrial dysfunction, with potential applications in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetics and veterinary sectors. Nacture, founded by Gianna Tempera, Rosanna Acquaviva, Daria Nicolosi, Simone Ronsisvalle and Carlo Genovese, develops and markets biologically active substances. ProBioEtna, founded by Cinzia Randazzo, Cinzia Caggia and Alessandra Pino, works on microbial strains and cultures for nutraceutical products with applications in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and medical sectors. Among the spin-offs currently undergoing accreditation is Medithera, which focuses on the research, production and characterisation of biologically active molecules of plant origin. Eclat, proposed by Riccardo Polosa, is involved in the development of alternative products that are potentially lower-risk than cigarette smoking. Outside the strict healthcare sector, but still within the field of university technology transfer, Midi Technology – founded by Margherita Anna Ferrante – develops diagnostic and risk assessment services applied to cultural heritage.
