A joint group of researchers from the University of Padua and the University of Trieste has observed surprising behaviours in jellyfish of the Aurelia species, commonly known

as the four-leaf clover jellyfish. The results of the study, published in the prestigious journal Behavioural and Brain Sciences, raise fascinating questions about the origin of curiosity and the possibility that forms of cognition can emerge even in the absence of a centralised brain.

‘Our results are particularly interesting,’ explains Cinzia Chiandetti, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Trieste, ‘because these animals are considered ‘brainless’: their nervous system is organised radially, without a command centre, and equipped only with rudimentary sensory organs. Finding signs of memory and attraction to novelty in them is an important key to understanding the evolution of nervous systems and cognition itself.’

Specifically, the researchers observed the behaviour of young jellyfish placed individually in a rectangular tank. In the first phase, each animal was presented with an object, which elicited an immediate reaction: the jellyfish left the empty part of the tank and headed towards the novelty. In the second phase, after a one-minute interval, a second object was placed alongside the first, and on that occasion, the jellyfish showed a clear preference for the latter. This behaviour, which experts call ‘neophilia’, indicates that jellyfish have a memory of the first object and are attracted to the new one.

‘Not only did the jellyfish show neophilia,’ comments Christian Agrillo, professor of comparative psychology at the University of Padua, ‘but they also showed that they could retain certain information in their memory for at least one minute. We generally think that in the sea they approach us passively, carried by the current. Our study also opens up the possibility that in some cases they do so because of the same attraction to novelty documented here. You could say that perhaps they are curious to get to know us!’

The study invites us to rethink traditional models that link cognition to the presence of centralised brains, suggesting that even ‘diffuse’ nervous systems, such as that of jellyfish, can support complex behaviours. This discovery once again pushes the boundaries of what we think is possible in the animal world.

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UniTS, which coordinates the activities of Spoke 8 of the iNEST (Interconnected North-East) Innovation Ecosystem, is organising, as part of the Ecomondo 2025 fair in Rimini, on 5th November (from 10:30), a workshop focused on the project and public-private collaborations towards digital twins in the (northern) Adriatic Sea.

"This project is dedicated to the development of sustainable technologies and solutions for the marine environment, mobility by sea and inland waterways and the digital transformation of companies in the sector.’ – explains prof. Pierluigi Barbieri, iNEST Coordinator for the University of Trieste – ‘The strategic objective of the project is developing data acquisition models and systems, software, and user interfaces, necessary for the creation of the Digital Twin of the Upper Adriatic, an advanced digital model of the marine-coastal system that will make it possible to improve monitoring, planning and management of maritime resources and activities, in line with the European mission Restore our Ocean and Waters".

Between 2023 and 2024, the University of Trieste applied to several calls under Spoke 8 to finance 24 industrial research and development projects, funding €5,559,535.95 (granted from the NextGenerationEU funds of the Recovery and Resilience Facility). Forty-four companies (30 from Triveneto and 14 from Mezzogiorno) and 9 research institutions have benefited from this co-financing, for projects with a total value of €7,790,800.90. Six companies are classified by turnover and number of employees as ‘large enterprises’. The universities and research institutions involved in these calls are 9, all from Southern Italy.

Spoke 8 activities are divided into five thematic areas: Hydrosphere biology – new systems for biomonitoring and restoration of marine habitats; Chemical and physical risks and impacts on the hydrosphere – innovative technologies for contaminant control and water management; Sustainable mobility by sea and inland waters – prototypes and charging systems for electric navigation; Integrated maritime and territorial land-sea planning – smart solutions for climate change adaptation; Digital Twin of the Northern Adriatic – digital models and infrastructures for the simulation of meteorological and environmental scenarios.

"With these projects – concludes prof. Pierluigi Barbieri – we are networking companies and research centres to promote innovation, sustainability and industrial competitiveness, contributing to the development of the Blue Economy in the North-East and in the whole country. The workshop will include a discussion, mediated by the Alto Adriatico Technological Pole, with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, and with institutons and companies on the Adriatic coast - Marche and Puglia in particular - in the think tank ‘The Blue Way’, to develop mutual knowledge and outline innovation projects guided by territorial research and development".

THE PROGRAMME:

Workshop ‘iNEST Innovation Ecosystem and public-private collaborations towards digital twins in the (northern) Adriatic Sea’

10:30 Introduction:

Pierluigi Barbieri, iNEST Coordinator, University of Trieste: ‘The iNEST Ecosystem and Research-driven innovation in the Blue Economy: where we are today’

Diego Santaliana, Alto Adriatico Technological Hub – ‘Building relations between research organisations and businesses at the Innovation Melting Pot-Urban Center in Trieste and grounding strategic projects’

Maria Cristina Pedicchio, President of APRE, KIC OneWater proposal ‘Making the Oceans Mission in the Adriatic macro-region concrete’

Salvatore Dore, Technology transfer and partnerships, University of Trieste ‘Technological transfer at the University of Trieste and responses to the challenges of the business system’

10:50 Contributions from Spoke 8 of the iNEST Innovation Ecosystem:

Stefano Querin OGS – Luca Manzoni UniTS – iNEST Spoke 8 Research Topic 5: ‘The contributions of research organisations and companies to the creation of digital twins in the Northern Adriatic’

Ludovico Centis iNEST Spoke 8 Research Topic 4: ‘Integration of information and planning in changing coastal systems’

11:10 Flash presentations: Results of the Waterfall Calls and the CC2 Proof of Concept call (Alessandra Citterio-DBA Group, Giuseppe Borruso-GEP Lab UniTS, BaC winners).

11:30 Giulia Carboni - Programme Coordination Manager for Sustainable Blue Economy at CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency - ‘EU Key perspectives in sustainable innovation’

11:45 Roundtable ’The Blue Way Think Tank. Climate, infrastructure, environment: shared energy and projects in the Adriatic area’: Barbieri (UniTS), Santaliana (PoloAA), Querin (OGS), Alberto Monachesi (Typicality in Blue); Q&A.

12:30 Closing of the workshop

Project ‘iNEST Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem’, ECS_00000043, is part of the research programme for the innovation ecosystem from the resources of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), M4C2 – Investment 1.5 Creation and strengthening of ‘Innovation Ecosystems for Sustainability’, funded by the European Union, NextGenerationEU – CUP J43C22000320006.

Four UniTS lecturers will be among the protagonists of Focus Live 2025, an event scheduled to take place in Milan from 7th to 9th November, promoted by the magazine ‘Focus Live’, which brings science to the general public in an accessible and entertaining way.

Vanessa Nicolin, Katia Rupel and Alex Buoite Stella, from the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, and Mattia Zulianello, from the Department of Political and Social Sciences, will be among the speakers at the three days of events, meetings, workshops, shows and interactive experiences at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology.

This year's programme offers a journey through different scientific disciplines, where passion – this year's theme – will be the common thread linking science, sport, art and music. Topics covered will include Samantha Cristoforetti's passion for space, revolutionary gene therapies, artificial intelligence, the chemistry of chocolate, the atlas of emotions, 90 years of Schrödinger's cat and prehistoric reptiles brought back to life. 

Researchers from the University of Trieste will be the speakers at two talks in which they will reveal what could happen if the superpowers of comics became scientific reality and explain what populism is through games and challenges.

UniTS Talks at Focus Live (free admission, booking required on the official website)

7th November at 12:30

ANATOMY OF SUPERPOWERS

What would happen if the superpowers of comics and films became scientific reality? How would super strength or the ability to fly really work? Starting from curiosity and mixing fantasy and science, we will analyse superpowers through the lens of human anatomy and physiology. From super speed to regeneration, which mechanisms of the human body could be ‘enhanced’ to bring us closer to these incredible imaginary powers? A surprising journey where science meets imagination, to understand the limits – and potential – of our organism.

With Vanessa Nicolin (Human Anatomy), Katia Rupel (Oral Diseases) and Alex Buoite Stella (Physiology).

8th November, 13:00

POPULISM BETWEEN MYTH AND REALITY

Populism is often described as the absolute evil of politics or, conversely, as the only true voice of the people. But how true are these statements? Populism seems an elusive phenomenon, difficult to define precisely, yet it has typical characteristics that make it recognisable. In this interactive talk, we will test the most widespread beliefs about the phenomenon, separating facts from simplistic narratives. Not only will we debunk the myths, but we will also clearly explain what populism really is, what its distinctive elements are and how it manifests itself in different political and social contexts. Through games and challenges, the audience will discover how populist actors build their success, what strategies they use and what real effects they have on politics.

With Mattia Zulianello (Political Science).

From 3rd to 8th November, Vitiligo Week will be held throughout Italy, an initiative promoted by SIDeMaST to raise awareness and support people affected by this condition. During the week, over a thousand free consultations will be available in 40 dermatology centres in Italy, including the Dermatology Clinic and STD Centres of the University of Trieste and ASUGI.

In Trieste, consultations will be held on 7th November from 15:00 to 17:30 in the Dermatology Clinic and STD Centre of the Maggiore Hospital, Infectious Diseases Building, 4th floor. 

To book a free consultation during Vitiligo Week, please call the toll-free number 800226466, available Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00.

Professor Iris Zalaudek, full professor of Skin and Venereal Diseases at UniTS and head of the Dermatology Clinic and STD Centre, emphasises the importance of the initiative: ‘Vitiligo is a chronic, non-infectious skin disease characterised by white patches often located on visible areas such as the face or hands. It is precisely the visibility of the disease that often causes feelings of stigmatisation, shame, depression, anxiety or social withdrawal in those affected. For this reason, we at the Dermatology Clinic in Trieste are participating by offering free medical consultations during Vitiligo Week, sponsored by the Italian society of dermatology and sexually transmitted diseases (SIDeMaST).’

From 1st November, the University of Trieste will launch three new specialisation schools, offering training for future allergists and clinical immunologists, pathologists and vascular surgeons.

Thanks to this further expansion of the University course catalogue, the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences (DSM) at UniTS is offering 32 medical specialisation schools this year, the highest number ever. The Department will welcome up to 254 new specialty trainees, thanks to grants funded by the Ministry of University and Research and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.

The three new postgraduate courses reflect the University’s strong growth trend, as has been seen in the creation of schools of haematology, microbiology and virology (for non-physicians) over the last two years. The University’s investment in these schools aims to expand the areas of specialisation in sectors crucial to citizens' health and respond to the needs of the healthcare system.

Medical specialisation schools are postgraduate training courses for graduates in Medicine and Surgery. Courses last four or five years (depending on the area of specialisation) and are accessed through a national competition. The specialisations offered, to name but a few, range from general surgery to neurology, from urology to gynaecology, from orthopaedics to internal medicine and palliative care. There are also active and highly attractive courses for training cardiologists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists and pulmonologists.

In addition to the medical schools, the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences also offers courses in healthcare and dentistry. Within the field of healthcare, three schools (Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Genetics, and Microbiology and Virology) offer courses that run parallel to those offered within the field of medicine, but these healthcare specialisation schools are reserved for graduates with master's degrees in biology and pharmacology. The University also offers all three dental schools provided for by Italian law, reserved for graduates in Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics, who can specialise in oral surgery, paediatric dentistry and orthodontics. 

The regulations governing specialisation schools in the health and dentistry fields are currently undergoing a review, which for the first time provides for a limited number of scholarships for enrolled students, while maintaining admission selections at university level. The implementing decrees are currently being finalised and will soon allow the courses to start and UniTS will be able to welcome an additional 34 specialisation students. 

The same review phase also affects Neuropsychology, the University of Trieste’s 39th school.  This school is the only one to sit outside medicine and is also the only one affiliated with the Department of Life Sciences. The School of Neuropsychology expects to welcome six specialisation students. 

‘The training of specialists,’ says Luigi Murena, Head of the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences at UniTS, ‘is essential for the sustainability of the healthcare system and for responding to the health needs of citizens. Our department is committed to supporting the expansion of the course catalogue, which has reached a record number of 38 schools, to ensuring high-quality training and to fulfilling significant organisational and administrative responsibilities. Specialisation schools allow us to train young professionals in the health field who will be at the forefront of the transformations and great opportunities offered by the application of new technologies and the results of research in clinical practice.’ 

The new Specialisation Schools in detail

Allergology and Clinical Immunology (director Prof. Giacomo Emmi)    
The Specialisation School in Allergology and Clinical Immunology is a brand-new addition to Trieste and the entire region. The four-year course offers comprehensive training in paediatric and adult immuno-allergology, integrating clinical activities in internal medicine, allergology, immunology and rheumatology with solid laboratory training. The School responds to a healthcare need given the shortage of specialists and aims to produce professionals with up-to-date and cross-disciplinary skills. The goal is to effectively address the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges associated with allergies, immunodeficiencies, autoimmune and rare diseases, while promoting excellence in training and within the healthcare network.

Vascular Surgery (director Prof. Sandro Lepidi)         
The School of Specialisation in Vascular Surgery is reopening in Trieste after 17 years, offering a unique training opportunity in the region. The course is dedicated to young doctors who wish to specialise in the treatment of vascular diseases, both arterial and venous, from a diagnostic, pharmacological and surgical point of view. The training covers both traditional surgery and the use of sophisticated minimally invasive endovascular techniques. Specialty trainees will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the University's new Simulation Centre and the ‘hybrid’ operating theatre for vascular surgery, where high-precision procedures can take place. Trainees in this school will also benefit from training and research conducted in collaboration with national and international centres of excellence.

Pathological Anatomy (director Prof. Fabrizio Zanconati)    
The School of Specialisation in Pathological Anatomy is returning to Trieste after being run jointly with the University of Udine since 2008, reviving a tradition that dates back to the early 1970s. The aim is to capitalise on recent technological innovations, in particular ‘digital pathology’ with computer-assisted analysis of specimens and molecular pathological diagnostics applied to oncology. These technologies will improve the selection of patients eligible for personalised therapies. Specialty trainees will be able to carry out their training and thesis activities in the fields of oncology, cytodiagnostics and screening. The School will collaborate with regional centres of excellence and participate in international networks, such as the European Advanced Master in Molecular Pathology.

A Palestinian student, Ameer Alzerei, winner of the IUPALS – Italian Universities for Palestinian Students scholarship funded by UniTS, is on his way to Trieste.

Roberta Altin, the Rector’s Delegate for Development Cooperation, speaking from Milan airport where she welcomed the student who had departed from Amman (Jordan), commented: “With this initiative, the University of Trieste wishes to show its support for students and for the Palestinian population who in recent months have been facing extreme and unacceptable hardships. Both schools and universities have been destroyed, and as an Italian university network we are working to uphold the right to education for young Palestinian women and men.”

The IUPALS programme is an initiative conceived and promoted by CRUI – the Conference of Italian University Rectors. It will award 97 scholarships across 35 Italian universities to students from the Palestinian Territories so they can benefit from an international education by accessing academic programmes in Italy.

Most of the students are arriving in Italy over these hours and are making their way to the various university campuses that have offered their support.

The project—developed in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Universities and Research, and the Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem—has also relied on crucial collaboration from the Guardia di Finanza, the Civil Protection and the European Civil Protection Mechanism, the Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem, the Embassy of Italy in Jordan, the Crisis Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Terra Sancta Schools, and the Giovanni Paolo II Foundation.

The possibility of opening a corridor for students and scholars from Gaza has been a hard‑won achievement, since until now leaving the Gaza Strip had been permitted only for medical reasons or family reunification. The arrival of this first student was coordinated by the Development Cooperation Staff Unit in synergy with the Delegate for Mobility and International Relations, Prof. Elisabetta De Giorgi.

A collaboration agreement has been signed between the UniTS Department of Engineering and Architecture and the Municipality of Trieste to promote and enhance the city's contemporary architectural heritage, including the suburbs.

Thanks to access to the rich documentation of the Municipality's Technical Archive, the University, combining research and teaching, will promote in particular the work of Luciano Celli, one of the city's leading designers.

The results of the collaboration will be disseminated through cultural events, seminars and conferences, with the aim of highlighting the role of quality architecture in the sustainable development and identity of the city and its region.

'The relationship between UniTS and the Municipality is fundamental for the research and enhancement of the local architectural heritage. The newly launched project will focus on the figure of Luciano Celli. We will study and analyse part of his archive through digital redesign and illustrate and disseminate it to citizens so that we can rediscover together the golden years of Trieste's urban and architectural transformation,’ explained Adriano Venudo, scientific director of the agreement.

‘The Academy must be at the service of the region, creating mutual benefit and exchange. The project is not only an example of the multidisciplinary nature of our Department, but also testifies to the importance of rediscovering the past in order to design the future. This is particularly true for architecture, which is always a reflection of the level of awareness of society,’ said Paolo Gallina, Director of the Department of Engineering and Architecture at UniTS.

‘Administrators are well aware of the formal plan of architecture. We perform our role as architects by looking to the future but with a “rear-view mirror”, thus protecting documents and using them as a source of inspiration,’ added Thomas Bisiani, who works alongside Venudo as the project's scientific director.

The details of the collaboration were presented together with Michele Babuder, Councillor for Local Policies of the Municipality of Trieste, and Eddi Dalla Betta, Director of the Local Planning Service.

From 20th to 24th October, the University of Trieste participated in the T4EU Strategic Assembly organised at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas (Lithuania).

For five days, Kaunas hosted institutional meetings, conferences, workshops, cultural activities and discussions between students, teachers, representatives of the Alliance's European partner universities, companies and entrepreneurs. The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic of Lithuania and the former President of the Republic of Finland.

In parallel, Kaunas hosted the T4EU Week entitled ‘TransformEd: Renaissance of Liberal Arts’, a week of learning aimed at Alliance students, who were able to explore a range of different and complex topics at the crossroads between innovation and tradition over these five days.

Our university took part in the initiative with its largest ever delegation, consisting of 12 students, 14 representatives of the technical and administrative staff and 8 lecturers.

For the first time, the Rector, Donata Vianelli, participated together with her colleagues, Elisabetta De Giorgi, Delegate for International Relations and Mobility, and Alberto Pallavicini, UniTS point of contact for the T4EU Alliance.

Also participating were the Delegate for Development Cooperation, Roberta Altin, and Tullia Catalan, scientific leaders of Work Package 7 ‘T4EU Common Heritage and Multilingualism’, of which the University is the lead partner.

The T4EU Strategic Assembly was divided into training and thematic courses dedicated to students, PhD students, administrative and academic staff, accompanied by cultural and recreational activities with ample space for networking initiatives, cultural meetings and experiential workshops, with the aim of promoting dialogue and collaboration between the Alliance's universities.

The Rector commented: ‘Participation in the Transform4Europe Executive Board Meeting in Kaunas was fundamental for sharing, at a strategic level, the opportunities for collaboration between the universities of the European Alliance, their enhancement and future development.

The value that the Alliance has created in recent years has benefited thousands of students across Europe and enriched UniTS course catalogue.’

Participation in the T4EU Strategic Assembly is part of UniTS's efforts to strengthen international collaborations and of its commitment to the Transform4Europe Alliance, which promotes a European university model based on innovation, sustainability and active citizenship.

A group of researchers at the University of Trieste has developed an innovative, rapid and inexpensive diagnostic method that uses low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) to analyse the properties of sputum and provide a reliable indicator of lung function and inflammation, highlighting any pathological alterations. 

The test developed by the researchers could be particularly useful for patients with chronic productive lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), characterised by the production of viscous mucus that is difficult to eliminate. It could also be helpful in the management of asthma. 

The sputum sample, taken from the patient, is analysed using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance technology, which returns the result in a few minutes. The test, unique in its kind, evaluates the behaviour of hydrogen atoms in the in the water contained in sputum and translates the signal into clinically relevant parameters, such as viscosity, elasticity, solid content and polymer network structure. These data are closely related to the patient's clinical status and can support the physician in therapeutic decisions. 

Mario Grassi, full professor of Foundations of Chemical Engineering at the Department of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Trieste, and Michela Abrami of the same department, explain: 'The idea of applying low-field nuclear magnetic resonance to the study of sputum arose from an interdisciplinary reflection: the technology, already widely used in quality control in the food industry, has proven to be an economical, transportable tool that can be easily integrated into clinical practice. The test is rapid, repeatable, non-invasive, does not require highly specialised personnel and can be performed during an outpatient visit.’

Low-field magnetic resonance imaging (LF-NMR) is a technology that uses low-intensity magnetic fields to analyse the properties of materials, such as biological tissues, quickly and non-invasively. Unlike traditional high-field magnetic resonance imaging, low-field instruments are more compact, economical and easy to use even in non-hospital settings.

Gabriele Grassi, full professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology at the University Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences at the University of Trieste, comments: ‘The new method represents a step forward in the diagnosis and monitoring of respiratory diseases. With the aim of continuously improving patients' quality of life and optimising therapeutic strategies, we are also implementing specific software (SOFT NMR), which is currently under development. The clinical centres involved are participating with us in the discussion of the results, in light of the patients' clinical history, and in the implementation of experimental campaigns in response to the clinical questions that arise from time to time, with the ultimate goal of making our conclusions increasingly robust.’

Sputum samples are provided by the Burlo Garofolo Research Hospital in Trieste, the Pulmonology Unit of the Cattinara Hospital (Trieste), the Radiology Unit of the Ca' Foncello Hospital in Treviso and the Department of Radiology of the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam. 

The project partners also include PROTOS, a non-profit research centre based in Trieste, active in the field of biopolymers, medical devices and in vitro diagnostics. 

The project is funded by the PRIN (Projects of National Interest – Ref. 2022K4Y33B) and by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region for the support of projects for the validation of innovative ideas and technologies that aim to achieve a TRL 6, 7 or 8 [Article 7(56-61) of Regional Law No 22/2022].

At the 40th Annual Conference of the Italian Association of Constitutionalists (AIC), dedicated to the theme ‘The European Union compared with the Constitution of the Italian Republic’, the AIC awarded Andrea Conzutti the 2025 ‘Opera prima – Sergio P. Panunzio’ National Award for the best first monographic work on constitutional law.

The judging panel, composed of the Association's President Renato Balduzzi, Vice-President Lucia Scaffardi and Giorgio Repetto, awarded the prize to his book ‘Il governo della moneta nella prospettiva del diritto costituzionale’ (the governance of currency from a constitutional law perspective) (Giappichelli, Turin, 2024).

More than thirty years after the Maastricht Treaty (1992), which marked the advent of economic and monetary union, the volume addresses the issue of tensions between monetary power, exercised by the European Central Bank with full independence, and the democratic principle, in its representative dimension. 

Andrea Conzutti obtained his inter-university PhD from Trieste/Udine in ‘Law for Innovation in the European Legal Space’ under the scientific supervision of IUSLIT professors Gian Paolo Dolso and Paolo Giangaspero. He is currently a research assistant in the same department and a teaching fellow at the Department of Economics, Business, Mathematics and Statistics and at the Department of Humanities.