News
12/07/2024 - The knowledge of the secondary structural characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 S protein and their components is of primary importance to understand the mechanisms occurring in the viral process and to address specific actions aimed at developing prevention actions. In a collaborative framework coordinated by SapienzaTerahertz group, SARS-CoV-2 Viral Protein domains, from Receptor Binding Domain to Spike Protein, are investigated through infrared vibrational spectroscopy. Experimental data in combination with MultiFOLD predictions, Define Secondary Structure of Proteins (DSSP) web server and Gravy value calculations, provide a comprehensive understanding of RBD, S1, S2, and S proteins in terms of their secondary structure content, conformational order, and interaction with the solvent. The results are published on Advanced Science .
All these results allow us to clarify the role of each S component and their contribution to the whole S protein conformational order and interaction, contributing to shed light on their properties and functionalities. Moreover, those results are of primary importance for addressing specific actions aimed at the development of specific drugs and diagnostic tools, such as the design of optical-based biosensors.
28/06/2024 - SapienzaTerahertz at Rome Technopole Spoke 6 - International Young Researcher Workshop! This workshop was held at Sapienza University of Rome to share some of the cutting-edge research projects in the Spoke 6 framework.
Dr. A. D'Arco discussed the "FT-IR spectroscopy coupled with Machine Learning for highly sensitive detection and discrimination of gaseous Volatile Organic Compounds". This activity aims to the development of a new, and highly sensitive sensor system for VOCs monitoring based on ultrasensitive multi-messenger spectroscopy.
Dr. T. Mancini and R. Mosetti presented our results concerning the study of SARS-CoV-2 Viral Protein domains through IR spectroscoy and preliminary steps towards a IR optical biosensor for the monitoring of airborne pathogens in the poster session.
20/06/2024 - SapienzaTerahertz at XXVII Congresso Nazionale SIBPA 2024 Società Italiana di Biofisica Pura e Applicata 16-20 June 2024.
Dr. T. Mancini presented our results concerning the development of a new, and highly sensitive gas sensor system based on ultrasensitive multi-messenger spectroscopy for the detection and automatic discrimination/recognition of gaseous Volatile Organic Compounds, receiving the Best Poster award at XXVII Congresso Nazionale 2024 Società Italiana di Biofisica Pura e Applicata
10/06/2024- Through the scientific synergy between the teams led by Stefano Lupi from the Dept. of Physics at Sapienza University of Rome and Alessandro Molle from CNR-IMM Agrate Brianza, the generation of unconventional electronic dynamics on a new type of exotic material known as PtTe2, platinum ditelluride, has been investigated. This material is a three-dimensional Dirac semimetal with an electronic structure similar to graphene, i.e., a conductive system in which electrons show a linear energy/momentum dispersion due to their non-trivial electronic band topology. The class of materials to which PtTe2 belongs has enormous potential for photonic applications, especially in the infrared (IR) and terahertz (THz) spectral regions. The exploitation of these intrinsic properties was the focus of the work conducted by the two teams: first, platinum ditelluride was "grown" as a thin film on a substrate using chemical vapor deposition methods, a technologically essential step to integrate the material into optoelectronic and photonic devices; second, the material's growth was engineered to have a "plasmonic pattern" a sequence of linear micrometric stripes designed to trigger plasmonic resonance when illuminated by THz and IR radiation. This pioneering observation is the basis for developing terahertz and infrared detectors and modulators whose efficiency will be highly increased due to the non-conventional electron topology of platinum ditelluride, Given the impact and originality of this work, which has been operationally conducted by Salvatore Macis (DepT of Physics at the University of Rome Sapienza) and Christian Martella (CNR-IMM, Agrate Brianza) the results have been recently published on Advanced Materials.
This publication has been supported by the European Union under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) of Next Generation EU partnership PE0000023-NQSTI, and “Telecommunications of the Future” (PE00000001 - program “RESTART”, Structural Project DREAMS) and MUR PRIN project PHOtonics Terahertz devices based on tOpological materials (PHOTO) 2020RPEPNH.
29-31/1/2024 - Workshop "Physics and Topology" will be held at Aula Conversi of Sapienza University from January 29th to January 31st, 2024. Topology which concerns the properties of a geometric object that are preserved under continuous deformations, such as stretching, twisting, crumpling, and bending, has recently found a route from mathematics to physics. Indeed, although within the Landau paradigm, quantum phases of matter differ by their symmetries, a finer classification exists, based on the entanglement (topological) properties of their wavefunctions. This finer classification gave rise to the discovery of new quantum topological phases like the quantum spin Hall effect and topological insulators culminating with the Nobel Prize in 2016 to Haldane, Kousterliz, and Thouless. Today, topology is one of the most active and fruitful research areas in physics, and intense efforts have been devoted to the exploration of new topological quantum phases and phenomena. This goal is driven not only by the prediction of fundamentally new physical phenomena but also by the potential technological applications of such systems. In this workshop after a general discussion of topological effects in physics and mathematics, more focalized talks will be given, touching specific fields like quantum topological materials, topological photonics and acoustic, topological superconductivity, and their applications in devices. In our opinion, this multidisciplinary environment is of fundamental importance for a general vision of the topological effects in physics and cross-fertilization among different research fields.
Info at: https://sites.google.com/uniroma1.it/physicsandtopology
07/12/2023 - SNOM "Sapienza Nano Optical fabrication and spectroMicroscopy" project wins the public call Open Infrastructures for Research 2022 by Regione Lazio, aimed at creating an infrastructure for increasing the competitiveness of the regional research and innovation system. The aim of SNOM is the foundation of an open infrastructure for research in the field of characterization and fabrication of innovative materials and devices, through microspectroscopic techniques able to perform imaging and spectroscopy at the nanoscale.
The overall cost of the project is about € 3.4 Mln. Regione Lazio co-finances the project with an amount of approximately € 2.2 Mln. The grant will be devoted to upgrading of laboratories, instruments and equipment, and updating of technological systems and plants.
Info at: https://www.lazioinnova.it/bandi/infrastrutture-aperte-per-la-ricerca-2022/