Research ???Area
IEO Administration Team at Campus IFOM—IEO with industrial drug discovery experience, and biochemists, cell biologists and in vivo pharmacologists are working together in our state-of-the-art equipped laboratories to identify new drugs against cancer. This biology-inspired, chemistry-driven multidisciplinary effort to provide innovative therapies is sustained by a close collaboration between the Project Originator, the Molecular Medicine Program and the campus technology transfer company (TTFactor S.r.l.). Current projects in the pipeline include Epigenetic targets, inhibitors of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) Kinases and alterations of self-renewal in cancer stem cells (CSCs). State-of-the-art Technological Platforms and Facilities. DEO and IFOM have collaboratively developed a number of technological platforms that have been placed within a Consortium (Cogentech) based at the IFOM-IEO Campus and owned by IFOM and IEO. Cogentech has developed the following technologies: Next-Generation Sequencing (Coordinator: Alcalay M.): The facility has set up protocols to cover most applications that require high-throughput sequencing (including ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, mutational analysis, methylation analysis) using the Illumina platform. stem cell genes that are overexpressed in tumours and that correlate with a negative prognosis, in an attempt to identify markers that will improve our diagnostic/prognostic ability and the clinical management of breast cancer. 2) Development of a blood test for the early diagnosis of lung cancer. Within this program, we are developing a clinical test, based on the detection of circulating serum miRNAs, for the early detection of NSCLC (non-small-cell lung carcinoma). 3) Understanding breast cancer for early diagnosis. This program is focused on the identification of prognostic and diagnostic circulating serum miRNA profiles for breast cancer. The Drug Discovery Programme (Directors: Saverio
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Minucci and Mario Varasi). The primary objective of the Drug Discovery Programme (DDP) is to translate the basic research findings and the technologies developed within the Campus into drug discovery projects. The DDP aims to i) successfully bring these projects up to an Investigational New Drug (IND) application, ii) ensure their development for maximum patient benefit and iii) exploit their potential for the growth of both the DDP and IEO. The DDP is committed to excellence in drug discovery through the creation of a network of fruitful collaborations and the development of educational and training opportunities for talented young people. Medicinal, analytical and computational chemists
Animal Facility: Two facilities currently provide researchers with the possibility to carry out experiments in animal model systems: i) the Mouse Genetics facility (Director: Gobbi A.), which deals with mice housing and caring, colony maintenance and expansion; ii) the Transgenic facility (Director: Allievi E.) which provides support for the generation of transgenic and knock-out mice. Imaging Unit (Facility Director: Parazzoli D.): This facility covers all the main needs of basic and advanced cancer research providing Fluorescence Microscopy, Cell Microinjection, Fluorescence Wide Field, Confocal and Time-Lapse Microscopy, Flow cytometry and Cell
sorting technologies and Digital Image Analysis (including deconvolution and 3D rendering) for all the researchers at the IEO-IFOM Campus. Main responsibilities of the facility are: i) set up, maintenance and development of optical technology for basic and advanced research; ii) competent assistance in sample acquisition and analysis, including training on-site and assistance on advanced imaging applications; iii) independent and collaborative research for the development of advanced imaging-based technology. Crystallization Unit (Coordinator: Mapelli M.): The threedimensional structure of biological macromolecules and their complexes can significantly contribute to the understanding of the biological processes in which they are involved. This Unit has established an automated platform for highthroughput protein crystallization in order to maximize the success rate of initial crystallization trials with minimal amounts of sample. Protein Chemistry Unit (Coordinator: De Marco A.): This facility offers integrated services for the production and characterization of recombinant proteins, maintains a collection of vectors, strains and protocols, and helps users generate monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Mass Spectrometry Unit (Coordinator: Grigorean G.): The Protein Analysis Unit aims at providing assistance in the design of experiments and data interpretation as well as scientific and technical knowledge in proteomics by providing tools for protein isolation, identification and characterization using mass spectrometry. DNA Services (Coordinator: Bernard L.): This facility offers DNA sequencing, human cDNA Library Colony Picking and Real Time PCR technologies. Microarray (Coordinator: Minardi S.): This state-of-the-art facility routinely performs complete microarray analysis for internal and external users, using Affymetrix and Nimblegen technology.
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