A study published in Microplastics has highlighted the presence of microplastics in deep karst caves connected to the Timavo river system, one of the main underground water systems in the Alpine-Dynaric area. The research shows that even extreme and uninhabited environments are not isolated from anthropogenic pollution.

The analyses confirm that the presence of microplastics in the Timavo system was consistent with what is already known for surface-connected river environments: the study’s contribution lies in clarifying how these particles are distributed in underground water systems, revealing marked spatial variability even over short distances.

The study was carried out by the University of Trieste, in collaboration with the Adriatic Society of Speleology, the Municipality of Trieste and the Bioscience Research Center (BsRC), a centre specialised in microplastics. 

Sampling was carried out in rarely accessible environments, including Maucci Cave, which can only be reached via cave diving, and Luftloch cave, discovered only recently after decades of exploration. 

The study was carried out by Raffaele Bruschi, a researcher at the University of Trieste and responsible for sampling and analysis, together with professors Manuela Piccardo, Monia Renzi and Stanislao Bevilacqua from the Department of Life Sciences at UniTS and Lucia Gardossi from the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. For the BsRC, Tecla Bentivoglio and Serena Anselmi were involved.

The research is dedicated to Patrice Cabanel, 32, (Fédération Française d’Études et de Sports Sous-Marins), an experienced cave diver who carried out the sampling at Maucci Cave.  Cabanel sadly disappeared a month after the sampling.

A second methodological study, published in Environmental Pollution https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127208 and developed in collaboration with Manuela Piccardo, addresses the strategies necessary to properly study highly heterogeneous underground environments. 

 

The Memorandum of Understanding between the Office for the Protection of Culture and Memory of Defence, the University of Trieste and the University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’ concerning the analysis of the remains of the fallen crew of the submarine Scirè, currently buried at the Military Shrine of the Fallen at Sea of Bari, was signed in Rome in the evocative historical library of Palazzo Marina. 

Present at the event were the Head of the Office for Protecting the Culture and Memory of Defence; Lieutenant General Andrea RISPOLI, the Rector of the University of Trieste, Professor Donata VIANELLI, accompanied by Prof. Paolo FATTORINI; and the Rector of the University ‘Aldo Moro’ of Bari, Prof. Roberto BELLOTTI, accompanied by professors Valeria SANTORO and Francesco INTRONA.

The Memorandum of Understanding regulates the analysis of the remains of the fallen of the Scirè submarine, with a view to identifying them. To this end, the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University of Bari will carry out anthropometric examinations, while the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University of Trieste will conduct DNA analysis. 

The two universities will receive 14 of the 42 ossuary boxes containing the remains of the fallen in order to perform a feasibility study to determine whether definitive identification is possible.

The Office for the Protection of Culture and Memory of Defence is responsible for the census, collection, provisional arrangement and subsequent definitive arrangement of the remains, as well as for the maintenance and custody of military burials, both in Italy and abroad, where the mortal remains of the Italian servicemen are laid to rest. 

This multidisciplinary study aims to provide a fundamental scientific contribution to give the fallen of the Scirè submarine a name.  The Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the parties involved, marks a new phase in the recovery and enhancement of the historical and human heritage linked to the Second World War and is part of the broader project to preserve and protect the memory of Italian soldiers who died in the war.

The Scirè submarine was not only a unit of the Royal Navy but became ‘legend’. Built at the shipyards of Muggiano (near La Spezia), it was launched on 6th January 1938. It entered service on 25th April of the following year and received the combat flag on 19th June of the same year. It became the protagonist of bold actions culminating with the raid on the port of Alexandria in Egypt on 18th December 1941, and with the damage of the British battleships Queen Elizabeth and Valiant.  On 6th August 1942, the Scirè met its tragic fate. It sailed from Leros to the port of Haifa. The British, however, managed to decrypt the messages encoded with the Enigma system and, at 10:30 on 10th August, attacked the Italian submarine with depth charges from the corvette Islay. Severely damaged, the Scirè emerged but was hit again and sank, taking all 60 crew members with him. On 14th August, on the beach of Haifa, the bodies of two raiders were found: Captain Egil CHERSI and PO Eugenio DAL BEN. They were buried by the British, with the honour of arms, in the cemetery of Haifa. They were repatriated in 1965. The other crew members were trapped at a depth of 35 metres. On 31st August 1942 the Scirè was declared lost in action. On 28th April 1943 it was awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valour. With the support of the Navy vessel Nave Anteo 42 bodies were recovered. On 15th October 1984, it returned to Italy, in the port of Bari. The crew now rests at the Military Shrine of the Fallen at Sea of Bari in a common shrine that welcomed men who lived, sailed, fought and died together. The lack of identifying features made identification impossible, and were all therefore classified as ‘unknown’. Unfortunately, 16 sailors still rest at the bottom of the sea. The submarine was sealed in 2002. On 10th October 2024, the Scirè became a military shrine, a silent guardian of valour, brotherhood and glory. 

More than 200 high school students from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto are taking part this year in the International Masterclasses in Particle and Astroparticle Physics, an international initiative that brings students into direct contact with cutting-edge scientific research. In the region, the Masterclasses are organised by the Trieste Section and the Udine Associated Group of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) in collaboration with UniTS, UniUD and the International Center for Theoretical Physics.

Specifically, the INFN Trieste Section is organising the following Masterclasses:

https://www.ts.infn.it/pub/eventi-e-divulgazione/scuole/masterclass 

• Masterclass CMS experiment, 19th February and 4th March 2026
• Fermi Masterclass, 18th March 2026

The Masterclasses will be held simultaneously at other Italian and international venues, and the students enrolled will have the opportunity to experience what it is like to work as researchers: Together with experts, they will analyse real data from large experiments in particle physics and astroparticles, discovering how research is carried out in large laboratories. 

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, the activities will take place in the classrooms of the Universities of Trieste and Udine and the International Center for Theoretical Physics. The programme includes introductory seminars and practical computer sessions. The data analysed come from experiments conducted at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) accelerator at CERN in Geneva, such as ATLAS and CMS, and the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi satellite, which studies high-energy gamma rays. 

As is customary in international scientific collaborations, at the end of each day, the students participating in the Masterclasses in Italy and abroad will connect via videoconference with CERN in Geneva and with researchers from the international Fermi-LAT collaboration. 

Created in 2005, the International Masterclasses are organised worldwide by IPPOG (International Particle Physics Outreach Group) and, in Italy, by INFN. The initiative involves around 60 countries each year, bringing together some of the world’s most prestigious research institutions and universities and more than 13,000 secondary school students. This year, INFN venues include Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Cosenza, Ferrara, Florence, Genoa, Lecce, Milan, Milan-Bicocca, Naples, Padua, Parma, Pavia, Perugia, Pisa, Rome I, Rome II, Rome III, Salerno, Trento, Trieste, Turin, Udine, the Frascati National Laboratories (INFN – LNF), the Gran Sasso National Laboratories (INFN – LNGS). 

From 20th February to 3rd April 2026, the series of free events aimed at bringing psychology to a wider audience, returns with six in-depth sessions held across the region, in Palmanova, Trieste, Tavagnacco, Gradisca d'Isonzo, Gorizia and Cormons.

The sixth edition, dedicated to ‘Border Psychologies’, will explore selected contemporary areas of research and application in psychology through the contributions of experts from the academic world, , drawing on the work of six authors active in border regions: Alberto Argenton, Gaetano Kanizsa, Giovanni Bruno Vicario, Paolo Bozzi, Anton Trstenjak and Edoardo Weiss.

The events will address creativity, perception, art, music, the unconscious and relationships, reflecting on how psychology can explore and interpret the frontiers of the human mind and behaviour.

PROGRAM 

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The University of Trieste is taking part in the 22nd edition of M’illumino di Meno, the Italian National Day of Saving Energy and Sustainable Lifestyles, which in 2026 focuses on the role of science in the ecological transition.

The name of this switch-off campaign, which literally means ‘I fill myself with less light’, evokes in the Italian reader a famous line from the poem Mattina (morning) by Giuseppe Ungaretti: M’illumino d’immenso (immensity fills me with light).

In line with this year’s theme, M’illumino di Scienza (I fill myself with science), UniTS reaffirms sustainable development as a core value of its identity, integrating teaching, research and good practices to address climate change. Since 2012, under the coordination of the UniTS Energy Manager, the University has implemented structural measures, including a new heating plant replacing fuel oil with natural gas, fully LED-based lighting systems, and photovoltaic installations with a total capacity of nearly 1 MW. Together, these actions have led to an overall reduction of around 40% in energy consumption.

A central role in the University’s scientific work on these topics is played by the Interdepartmental Centre ‘Giacomo Ciamician’, a key hub for energy, environment and transport. The Centre is actively engaged in cutting-edge research, technology transfer, education and support for public and private decision-makers. Its main research areas related to energy saving include renewable energy communities, hydrogen, the integration of electric vehicles with power grids, photovoltaics, and energy storage systems, including battery reuse and recycling, also supported by artificial intelligence tools.

As part of its educational offering, UniTS also provides the Master’s Degree in Engineering for the Energy Transition, a course with a distinctly international outlook whose first graduates are highly anticipated by the job market.

In the lead-up to M’Illumino di Meno, the University also organised the workshop ‘Urban Heat Island and Climate Change: Modelling and Mitigation Policies’, held within the PRIN NRRP project CriStAll (Climate Resilient Strategies by Archetype-based Urban Energy Modelling), with the participation of Politecnico di Torino, the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and the University of Trieste. Alongside an overview of the project’s main activities and results, the workshop presented initiatives carried out in Friuli Venezia Giulia by ARPA FVG, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and ATER Trieste to address challenges linked to rising urban temperatures.

Rafforzare le competenze di funzionari e dirigenti della pubblica amministrazione locale e regionale, costruire percorsi formativi avanzati e mettere a sistema ricerca e pratica amministrativa: con questi obiettivi è stata sottoscritta oggi una convenzione di collaborazione tra il Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche, del Linguaggio, dell’Interpretazione e della Traduzione (IUSLIT) dell’Università di Trieste, l’ANCI FVG - Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani del Friuli Venezia Giulia e COMPA FVG, la Scuola di Formazione del Comparto Unico della Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia e Centro di Competenza.

Strengthening the skills of senior civil servants and managers in local and regional public administrations, developing advanced training programmes and bringing together research and administrative practice: these are the aims of the cooperation agreement signed today by the Department of Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Studies (IUSLIT) of the University of Trieste, ANCI FVG – the National Association of Italian Municipalities in Friuli Venezia Giulia – and COMPA FVG, the Training School for the Single Regional Public Sector of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Centre of Expertise.

The signing, held in the Cammarata Hall of the University of Trieste, comes at a time of transformation in the region’s institutional framework, linked to the reinstatement of the Provinces in Friuli Venezia Giulia following the amendment of the Special Statute. In this context, the agreement aims to provide structured support to local authorities, fostering a stable exchange on legal and institutional, organisational and management issues and supporting administrations as they adapt to the new scenario.

Speakers at the event included the Rector of the University of Trieste, Donata Vianelli; the Director of the IUSLIT Department, Gian Paolo Dolso; the President of ANCI FVG, Dorino Favot; and the President of COMPA FVG, Rodolfo Ziberna; together with the Regional Councillor for Local Autonomies, Public Service, Security and Immigration, Pierpaolo Roberti. Also in attendance were the Secretary General of ANCI FVG, Alessandro Fabbro; the Director General of COMPA FVG, Daniele Gortan; and the ANCI National Councillor, Mirko Martini.

In practical terms, the agreement provides for the active involvement of the University of Trieste in the design and delivery of training programmes for staff in local and regional administrations, with particular attention to the needs emerging during the transition to the new institutional framework. The University will contribute through applied research, comparative analysis of territorial governance models, the development of teaching materials, specialist lecturing and scientific support for COMPA FVG’s activities.

The collaboration will also result in thematic seminars, in-depth workshops, professional development programmes and opportunities for dialogue between academia and public administrations, with the aim of strengthening the legal, administrative and organisational skills required of those involved in territorial governance processes.

“This agreement,” Rector Vianelli said, “strengthens the dialogue between the University of Trieste and local institutions: linking academic knowledge with administrative practice means investing in more informed and effective management of processes, especially at a time of change such as the one accompanying the reinstatement of the Provinces.”

“The Department of Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Studies,” explained IUSLIT Director Dolso, “makes its scientific and teaching expertise available to build solid, up-to-date training pathways, capable of responding to the real needs of administrations and supporting the quality of decision-making within the new regional institutional framework.”

“The signing of the agreement represents an important collaboration between academia, training and the system of local autonomies, because by combining the commitment of the various institutional actors it is possible to achieve better management and organisation of local authorities, in favour of better services for citizens,” said ANCI FVG President Favot.

“Ensuring training and continuing professional development for managers and civil servants in the regional administration and local authorities will make it possible to respond to territorial governance needs in a way that is more aligned with the requirements and expectations of a community that is constantly evolving, with benefits for citizens and businesses. It is a challenge that ComPA, ANCI, the Region and the University are ready for and undoubtedly capable of meeting,” stated COMPA FVG President Ziberna.

Art guides our gaze and daily increses our sensitivity to the world, which is why the University of Trieste joins in mourning the passing of Annamaria Ducaton, an artist from Trieste whose work combined poetic intensity and compositional rigor.

Her connection with the University became particularly significant during UniTS 100th Anniversary celebrations. In 2024, Annamaria Ducaton donated the collection "La donna del mare" (the woman of the sea) to the University Museum System (smaTs), consisting of 28 works inspired by Henrik Ibsen's poem. This precious donation was showcased by UniTS through an exhibition of the entire collection at UniTS Gorizia Campus (October-December 2025), which will soon become a permanent gallery.

In this work, Annamaria Ducaton intertwines personal images and universal symbols, creating a dialogue between time, memory, and identity in a visual narrative that touches the viewer with discretion and depth.

In promoting the collection La donna del mare, UniTS also preserves a legacy of rare intensity, a work that will continue to speak, both inside and outside the University, with the silent and necessary voice of art.

‘Der bodde en underlig gråsprængt en på den yderste nøgne ø’ Henrik Ibsen

‘There lived a remarkably grizzled man on the uttermost, barren isle.’

Accurate measurements are the basis of every effective diagnosis and safe treatment. To ensure that this fundamental requirement for patient safety is met the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste and the University of Trieste have launched the world's first Master's degree in Radiation Metrology.This new two-year course, which began on 26 January, is part of the Master's Degree in Advanced Studies in Medical Physics and is co-funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Medical technologies that use radiation, including widely used techniques such as X-rays, CT scans and radiotherapy, save many lives every year. Using them to make accurate and safe diagnoses and treatments requires highly specialised professionals who can calibrate the instruments and assist medical staff in using the calibration results to ensure the safety and effectiveness of radiation diagnostics and treatment.

The new course in radiation metrology in Trieste will provide a small group of selected students, mainly from the Global South, with the managerial and technical skills they will need to become qualified radiation metrologists and play this vital role in their countries. Once graduated, the Qualified Radiation Metrologists will work in Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories, centres established by the IAEA and the World Health Organization (WHO) to disseminate radiation dosimetry quantities in accordance with international basic safety standards. They will operate the specific equipment needed for radiation measurements, perform calibrations, evaluate the results and issue calibration certificates.

Four students coming from Venezuela, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa will start their two-year training next January. During the first year they will attend the lectures of the Master of Advanced Studies in Medical Physics, with additional courses focussing on dose measurements and calibration. Discussions are underway with the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) to provide part of the practical, hands-on training that will be delivered during the second year, either at the Italian National Institute of Ionizing Radiation Metrology (INMRI-ENEA) in Rome, Italy, or at IAEA in Vienna, Austria.

“Accurate measurements are the cornerstone of safe and effective use of ionising radiation. This pioneering post-graduate programme is a strategic investment that will support global health and safety in the use of ionising radiation, creating the experts who will ensure that diagnostic and therapeutic radiation doses are precisely delivered and standardized worldwide, optimizing patients’ exposure and advancing health care,” said Mauro Carrara, Head of the Dosimetry and Medical Radiation Physics Section at the IAEA.

“According to international guidelines, before undertaking an internship and then practising the profession, medical physicists and radiation metrology experts need appropriate postgraduate training,” added Donata Vianelli, Rector of the University of Trieste. “Our Master's Degree in Advanced Studies in Medical Physics guarantees all the skills necessary to work in a hospital or metrology centre."

“We are grateful to the IAEA, the University of Trieste, and all our partners for their collaboration and efforts in creating with us a strong a successful programme in medical physics. It’s a wonderful example of multilateral collaboration for addressing the growing need for scientific expertise around the world in this important field. The work we have carried out together has paved the way for the new specialization in radiation metrology. We are excited to support the training of professionals who will play a vital role in this field,” said Atish Dabholkar, ICTP Director.

The Master of Advanced Studies in Medical Physics (MMP)

The Master of Advanced Studies in Medical Physics (MMP) is a two-year training programme run jointly by ICTP and the University of Trieste. The programme provides young graduates of physics or related fields (mainly from developing countries) with postgraduate theoretical and clinical training so that they may be recognised as clinical medical physicists in their home countries. The programme comprises a year of basic and advanced courses taught in English and prepared with the assistance of experts from ICTP, the University of Trieste, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and appointed external advisors. This is followed by a year of professional clinical training in a medical physics department of an Italian hospital in the programme's training network.

Almost 190 medical physicists have graduated so far from the programme, launched in 2014. They have come from more than 70 different countries, mainly in the Global South. About 90 of them have come from Africa, 44 from Asia, 41 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 14 from Europe and 1 from Oceania. Almost 40% of them are women.

Starting next year, a new collaboration with the United Nations University, through the International Institute for Global Health, will enrich the educational offering of both tracks of the Master of Advanced Studies in Medical Physics Programme by offering a course on medical ethics and issues related to global health.

The MMP is co-sponsored by the IAEA, and is supported by the International Organisation for Medical Physics (IOMP), the European Federation of Organizations in Medical Physics (EFOMP), the Italian Association of Medical Physics (AIFM), in collaboration with Trieste university hospital. The Master’s Programme is accredited by IOMP

UniTS will take part in WIRED Digital Day in Monfalcone, an event dedicated to the cutting-edge of research, development and technological innovation.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday 4th February 2026 at Teatro Comunale ‘Marlena Bonezzi’ in Monfalcone, from 9:00 to 16:45, with free admission upon registration. Programme: Wired Digital Day.

Opening with remarks from UniTS Rector Donata Vianelli, the day features discussions between experts, international and national leaders and leading regional players, highlighting the strategic role of Friuli Venezia Giulia as an integrated innovation ecosystem, supported by three universities, more than 50 research centres and over 10,000 international researchers.

Topics will range from the energy transition to deep tech, from quantum computing to the life sciences, with a focus on the Porto Vivo project, set to transform part of Porto Vecchio (the Old Port of Trieste) into a hub for innovation and start-ups.

For UniTS, Angelo Bassi, Full Professor of Theoretical Physics, is giving a talk on ‘Quantum technologies in Italy: from research to industry’, while Anna Gregorio, Professor of Physics and Strategy Manager at space-tech spin-off PicoSaTs joins the section dedicated to success stories in Italian tech-transfer. 

Countering the motor and cognitive decline associated with ageing is one of the major healthcare challenges of the coming decades. A research project conducted by the University of Trieste shows how innovative rehabilitation protocols that integrate physical exercise, cognitive stimulation and virtual reality can produce significant benefits for active and independent ageing.

The study, developed in collaboration between the public social care provider ITIS and the UniTS Bachelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy, compared the effectiveness of two physiotherapy approaches in a cohort of older adults living in the care facility: a dual-task exercise protocol, combining motor activity with simultaneous cognitive tasks, and a treatment based on the use of virtual and augmented reality to perform targeted physical exercises.

A research project supported by local philanthropic foundations

The research was co-funded by the Morpurgo and Casali ETS Foundations via a one-year research grant awarded to physiotherapist Marta Ceschin, who conducted the study from February 2024 to February 2025. The project was supervised by Luigi Murena, Head of the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, and by Manuela Deodato, head of clinical and professional training for the Bachelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy.

Methodology and tools

Approved by the University Ethics Committee, the study involved 45 participants aged over 65 and without medical conditions that could affect participation. They were randomly assigned to one of two dual-task treatment groups: one combined physical activity with cognitive tasks, the other paired physical exercise with virtual and augmented reality.

Both groups carried out 24 individual sessions of 60 minutes each, twice a week for 12 weeks, in the UniTS physiotherapy teaching gym, equipped with advanced virtual and augmented reality devices.

Treatment effectiveness was assessed through standardised cognitive tests (Trail Making Test, Frontal Assessment Battery), motor function (10-Metre Walk Test, Timed Up and Go, Chair Stand Test, handgrip strength) and dual motor-cognitive performance.

Results: dual-task training proves particularly effective

Results show that both approaches significantly improve motor function, particularly in walking and mobility tests. However, the dual-task protocol showed greater benefits when physical activity was paired with a cognitive task, in line with recent studies linking good physical performance with good cognitive performance.

Dual-task training thus emerges as a promising active ageing strategy, capable of acting simultaneously on body and mind and helping older adults remain independent in their everyday activities.