Joint Labs

Antennas and electromagnetics

Established in 2019. In 2022, the partnership agreement was renewed to continue developing of research activities.

 Partners: Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – HUAWEI Technologies Duesseldorf GmbH

 Research Activities:  the “AEE Lab” focuses on research activities concerning the application of EM theory and methods for antennas and components pertaining to M-MIMO base station antennas and radio access antennas. In addition, the lab activities also cover unidirectional PTD and topological modes, DMTM and DMTS antennas, ultrawideband arrays, degrees of freedom in antenna arrays and multibeam antennas.

          Brain Imaging Laboratory Link – BILL Lab

Project “SInLAB: brain MRI image analysis platform”

Established in 2022

Partners: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurosciences – Siena Imaging S.r.l.

Research activity: through their routine clinical activities, the physicians of the QNL, a research laboratory belonging to the Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurosciences directed by Prof De Stefano, have been testing and validating the functionality of Siena Imaging’s proprietary platform SInLAB, designed to aid neurologists or neuroradiologists in analysing brain MRI images.    

SInLAB is a Web 2.0 platform that manages:

–          data acquisition and creation of an image database;

–          analysis and calculations, with specific dedicated procedures, of the most frequently used radiological endpoints (e.g., old and new lesions; brain volumes and their variation over time);

–          report creation, designed specifically for disease and endpoints Neurologists afferent to the Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience Sciences, accessible through the Siena Imaging analysis platform from two consoles placed in the spaces of the QNL research laboratory. As such, the QNL research laboratory have tested the ease of use, accuracy in analysis and clarity and completeness of the reports.

Siena Imaging’s platforms will enable neurologists to use state-of-the-art software that incorporates proprietary analysis procedures, thereby simplifying and making the assessment of focal damage indexes (e.g., lesions) more robust and sensitive. In addition, the new procedures allow for automatic quantification of atrophic damage, otherwise precluded in clinical practice by the requested high degree of computer literacy.

 The goal of the project concerns the raising of the technological frontier in the field of brain MRI diagnosis by evaluating the actual potential of the SInLAB platform to increase its performance for disease treatment and to disseminate the results achieved by publishing scientific papers on the relevant topics.

BioAgry Lab

Plant cultivation processes
Established in 2023.
Partners: Department of Life Sciences – Bio-Esperia Srl

Research activity: the BioAgry Laboratory focuses on research activities concerning  the development of the project on “Applicability of products of natural origin in the cultivation processes of plants of agricultural interest”

Center for Science and Technology Grosseto – CSTG lab

Established in 2023
Partners: Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy and Grosseto University Pole Foundation

“The main objective of the CSTG Lab is the development of research and experimentation of methodologies for the effective teaching. of science and the history of science, with a focus on the use of new technologies.

Drug Discovery and Syntesis

Identification and development of new antibacterial agents

Established in 2019

Partners: Dept. of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals – Dept. of Medical Biotechnology – Lead Discovery Siena s.r.l.

Research activities: The Laboratory “Drug Discovery and Synthesis” aims to identify and develop new innovative antibacterial agents active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, with a focus on resistant strains of bacterial pathogens, for the treatment of infections caused by the same. Indeed, the emergence of pathogens resistant to current antibiotic treatments is proceeding at a much faster rate than the discovery of new drugs, thus representing a serious threat to public health.

LABORIOSO

Strategies, innovative solutions and good practices for sustainable development

Established in 2018

Partners: Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences – Indaco2 S.r.l.

Research activities: the “LABORIOSO” laboratory focuses on Sustainable Development strategies with clear reference to the goals of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations (approved on 25 September 2015), the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (approved on 22 December 2017) and the 2017 Report and Mission of ASVIS, the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development.

In detail, the objectives of the workshop are to:

– Identify strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advance such methodologies to monitor their effects using specific environmental, social and economic indicators, with reference to territorial (e.g. regions, cities) and productive systems (e.g. production chains);

– Identify innovative solutions and good practices for sustainable development to promote adherence to national strategies by public bodies and, above all, private companies that need to define customised strategies as an opportunity to gain competitive advantages;

– Develop communication skills aimed at presenting scientific content in a simple and clear form and making research results (often only accessible to specialists) accessible to a wider audience.

Established in 2018

Partners: Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences – Unicalce S.p.A. – PetroLogic Synergy S.r.l.

Research activities: The main objective and research activities of the joint laboratory “LCPAIC” concerns the issues related to the qualitative and quantitative characterisation, by means of optical and electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction/fluorescence techniques, of the chemical-physical, petrographic, mineralogical and microstructural properties of limestones used in the industrial production of lime and the understanding of the limestone/lime raw material relationships.

MTS Lab

Study, models, and design of technologically advanced devices aimed at controlling the propagation and irradiation of electromagnetic fields, metamaterials, and metasurfaces

Established in 2017. In 2022, the partnership agreement was renewed to continue developing research activities.

Partners: department of information engineering and mathematical sciences – Wave Up srl

 Research Activities: the MTS Lab researches the electromagnetic field, in particular to the study, modelling and design of technologically advanced devices aimed at controlling the propagation and radiation of electromagnetic fields, metamaterials and metasurfaces.

Specifically, MTS Lab’s main research project is entitled “Metasurface Antennas for Space Applications.” MTS Lab aims at implementing new methodologies for software development based on:

–         EM models;

–         Models and CAD tools of
metasurface antennas (MTS);

–         devices and other types of
antennas.

Visual, sensory, cognitive and behavioural neuroscience

Established in 2019

Partners: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience Sciences – RoNeuro Institute (Romania) – Liquidweb s.r.l.

Research activities: The “Neurosense” laboratory focuses on the field of biometrics, particularly to the different analyses of neurophysiological signals as well as their integration and application to marketing, user experience, neuro-cognitive rehabilitation and joint use with BCI technology.

Oto-neuro-tech Lab 

Hearing technology

Established in 2023

Partners: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neuroscience – Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – MED-EL Elektromedizinische Gerate GmbH – Akusia Onlus Foundation

Research Activities: The joint Oto-Neuro-Tech Laboratory main objective is the development of technologies to improve the brain’s plastic adaptability through non-invasive neuromodulation for speech perception in individuals with hearing aids and for the treatment of tinnitus-related issues.

Digital communication models capable of adapting to the various industrial and institutional (both public and private) realities of our territory

Established in 2017

Partners: Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences – QuestIT srl

Research activity: The activities carried out within the lab aim to identify digital communication models that are suitable for the various industrial and institutional realities (both public and private) in our territory. QuestIT’s experts and the students of the Business Communication Master’s Degree Course of the Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences collaborate to devise innovative strategies and ‘applicative’ methods of digital communication and marketing, with companies, organisations and institutions in the area.

Through collaborations with public and private institutions such as the Santa Maria della Scala Museum or the Siena International Photo Awards, it is also possible to experiment the artificial intelligence and machine learning contained in ChatBots in the fields of public and institutional communication.

UDOO Lab

Design and development of platforms for IoT solutions

Established in 2020

Partners: Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences – SECO spa – AIDILAB srl

Research activity: The main objective of the UDOO Lab concerns the design and development of platforms for the management of IoT gateways, control dashboards and apps for the use of services and content of IoT solutions. From a ‘methodological’ point of view, the UDOO Lab uses a design approach based on Design Thinking (a.k.a. User-Centred Design), dividing into specific phases and activities.

Virtual Interaction for Training and Analysis Lab

Established in 2020

Partners: Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences – Toscana Life Sciences Foundation – ITS Nuove Tecnologie per la Vita Foundation

Research activities: The main objective of the “V.I.T.A. Lab” concerns both theoretical and applicative research on approaches and methods of training and lifelong learning based on virtual and augmented reality in the life sciences.

In particular, the approach uses Industry 4.0 technologies to analyse, propose and test new methodological paradigms for strengthening and upgrading educational and training activities in the life sciences sector. These methodologies open to the possibility of studying and monitoring the learning process with reference to human-machine interaction.

Viserion Lab

Established in 2023
Partner: Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – Hyperion srl
Research Activities: The main objective of the Viserion Lab research project consists in developing signal and image data processing techniques displaying multi-temporal, multi-resolution, multi-sensory characteristics, applicable for the protection and safety of property and people, for wellbeing, as well as for environmental monitoring and management of levels of both health and decency.