An international research group has designed a new low-cost catalyst for the production of propylene, which is more efficient and sustainable, doesn’t require processing crude oil and uses less of the rare and expensive precious metal, platinum. Propylene, which is essential in the production of plastics, fibres, automotive components and electronic devices, is considered a key raw material in the industrial sector. Its annual production exceeded 160 million tonnes in 2023 with a forecast of over 200 million tonnes in 2030.

The study was published in the prestigious scientific journal ‘Nature’ and will have a significant impact on the industrial sector. Among the researchers was Paolo Fornasiero, professor at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Trieste, associated with the Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds of the Italian National Research Council (ICCOM-CNR) in Florence and member of the National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (INSTM).

The research conducted by Professor Fornasiero and his research team presents a concrete solution, which improves what is already considered a valid alternative to the production of propylene from crude oil. The alternative is the process of the ‘dehydrogenation’ (PDH) of propane (a component of natural gas), splitting the bonds between carbon and hydrogen and as a result forming propylene and releasing hydrogen. Triggered at very high temperatures, dehydrogenation uses platinum catalysts, a metal that is easily susceptible to aggregation and deterioration when used repeatedly (the ‘sintering’ phenomenon). As well as producing propylene, the high temperatures used to trigger the reaction also lead to the formation of solid carbon deposits and other undesirable products that can compromise the catalyst. The process is, therefore, still inefficient for bridging the gap between the supply and demand of propylene.

Paolo Fornasiero, professor at the University of Trieste, associated with the ICCOM-CNR Institute in Florence and member of the INSTM consortium, commented: ‘With a view to an increasingly sustainable, less polluting and energy-intensive economy, our study offers the possibility of significantly reducing the use of platinum, maintaining or even improving performance, while avoiding the processes of decommissioning and regeneration of the catalyst currently required in industrial plants due to their rapid degradation.’

The catalysts obtained by the researchers, encapsulating platinum clusters in appropriate zeolites (minerals with crystalline and microporous structure), can actually maintain high activity and selectivity for over six months in industrial conditions, whereas catalysts currently used are active for only a few weeks.

As well as improving the overall efficiency of the process, researchers also expect significant economic and environmental benefits, such as reduced operating and maintenance costs of industrial catalysts, drastically reduced catalyst reactivation/replacement cycles, reduced waste and platinum use.

The international research group involves Professor Paolo Fornasiero, Professors Haibo Zhu and Xiaojun Bao and their collaborators from the University of Fuzhou (China), Professor Jean-Marie Basset at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia), with contributions from the Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory (China) and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (China).

The publication comes just a few days after another publication on the same topic, by the same research group which appeared in the prestigious journal Science on 1st May 2025.
 

The bloody and brutal terrorist attack of 7th October 2023 has set in motion a spiral of tragic events whose end is still not in sight. The relentless cruelty of the grave humanitarian crisis afflicting Gaza has left an indelible mark on the civilian population. A particularly unbearable burden weighs on the younger generations exposed to unparalleled traumas and deprivations, generations who represent our collective future.

Rooted in its founding principles – such as freedom of thought serving as a beacon of knowledge, interaction between cultures as an antidote to intolerance, and the role of research as a tool for progress and connection between communities – the University of Trieste wishes to express profound solidarity with all the innocent victims of this prolonged conflict.

The University of Trieste confirms its ongoing commitment to actively promoting peaceful conflict resolution for the sake of mutual respect and human dignity, and to offering support to victims through the expertise of the academic community.

Over 7,000 girls and boys from Friuli Venezia Giulia will face the summer with a greater awareness of the importance of sun protection: this is the outcome of the Occhio al Sole project, which took place during the 2024-2025 school year, involving 138 first-grade secondary schools across the entire regional territory.

The project, entitled “Occhio al Sole! Buone pratiche per stare bene all’aria aperta”, was created by FondoSviluppo FVG (the mutual fund of Confcooperative FVG) and promoted by the Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, with the patronage of the University of Trieste and the University of Udine. The activities were carried out in schools with the support of the Immaginario Scientifico, aiming to promote, from an early age, conscious behaviors to protect skin health.
Through interactive workshops lasting two hours, students explored the topic of ultraviolet rays, analyzing their effects on the body and the risks associated with unprotected sun exposure. Particular attention was given to the role of climate change, which increases the intensity and danger of UV rays. The program included experimental activities and moments of discussion, focusing on the skin and the correct use of sun protection.
The initiative saw a high level of participation: around 80% of first-grade secondary schools in Friuli Venezia Giulia – distributed across the four provinces – chose to participate. This result reflects the interest and value of the initiative and led to the confirmation of the project for the 2025-2026 school year.

Prof. Iris Zalaudek, Director of the Dermatology Clinic at the University of Trieste and the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliana Isontina, emphasized: “Educational campaigns like the ‘Occhio al Sole’ project are essential for promoting healthy behaviors from childhood, reducing the risk of skin damage such as premature aging or the increased risk of skin cancer in the long term. Several studies show that targeted school interventions significantly increase the use of sun protection and the habit of staying in the shade among children. In Australia, melanoma is one of the most common forms of cancer, particularly among young adults aged 15-25. However, in recent years, a decline in the incidence of melanoma in this age group has been observed for the first time, thanks to various public health initiatives, including the early education of young people on sun protection.”
Given the high level of participation and the success of the initiative, a second edition of the project has been confirmed for the 2025-2026 school year.

Ensuring public funding for providing home care to older adults with limited self-sufficiency could prove not only to be a welfare measure, but also an effective strategy for improving seniors’ mental health, reducing psychiatric care costs, and easing the burden on families.

This is the conclusion of an international study published in the prestigious journal Health Economics, led by Ludovico Carrino, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Trieste, in collaboration with Erica Reinhard of King’s College London and Mauricio Avendano of the University of Lausanne.

The study, among the first in the scientific community to empirically examine the socio-economic impact of public home care for older adults, analysed data from four European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain), and highlighted the many potential benefits of publicly supported Long-Term Care (LTC) programmes.

The findings show that access to home care services:

• reduces the risk of clinical depression by 13 percentage points, compared to an observed average of 28% in the study population;
• lowers the risk of loneliness by 6.7%;
• improves perceived quality of life by 14%.

Ludovico Carrino, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Trieste, commented: ‘In addition to the health benefits for individuals, the study highlights the potential economic impact of such measures. Late-life depression has high healthcare costs: studies conducted over the past decades show an annual extra cost of $3,225 per person aged 65–74 in the UK, while in Germany the figure is $2,840 annually for those over 75. Reducing the incidence of mental health disorders through an efficient home care system therefore means not only improving the quality of life for older people, but also decreasing the need for medication, psychiatric care and hospitalisation, with positive effects on the sustainability of national healthcare systems.’

Another key finding of the research relates to the role of informal caregivers. Care provided by family members, such as children or relatives, is often the main source of support, with a significant impact on the work and personal lives of those providing care. Widening access to home care services could relieve caregivers from what is often an all-consuming role, returning human resources to the labour market with potentially positive outcomes for productivity and household income. In Italy, where the development of public Long-Term Care lags behind that of other European countries, the findings of the Health Economics study may offer concrete guidance for shaping public policy and updating welfare strategies. 

‘Legislative initiatives in recent years have sparked reflection on the need to strengthen funding and broaden access to home care services, drawing attention to a highly relevant issue in a country where an ageing population will inevitably lead to a rise in the number of people requiring care,’ concluded Ludovico Carrino.

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Full study published in Health Economics
There Is No Place Like Home: The Impact of Public Home‐Based Care on the Mental Health and Well‐Being of Older People

The University of Trieste’s Botanical Garden on Via Licio Giorgieri, with an area of 2,400 square metres, houses around 400 species from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. These also include species endemic to the Karst, Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Mediterranean, with a small section dedicated to pteridophytes. 

The Botanical Garden boasts a two-century-old downy oak (quercus pubescens), the only tree preserved during wartime deforestation. Beyond its perimeter, but still an integral part of the Botanical Garden, is the Monte Valerio Nature Trail, which features informative signs explaining the flora and fauna encountered by visitors.

A botanical garden, the hortus vivus of antiquity, is an institution that keeps living plants, documented, labelled, arranged and ordered according to scientific criteria. It is open to the public in order to educate visitors about the plant species and provide recreational activities, while also carrying out research and conservation projects.

Created in 1963 by Prof. Sandro Pignatti, the botanical garden of the Botany Institute at the University of Trieste was conceived as a collection mainly dedicated to Karst and regional flora, with several specimens native to the Western Balkan area. After its conception, budget cuts, lack of personnel and diverging research activities led the garden to significantly deteriorate, reducing it simply to a green space between the buildings of the UniTS Campus. Despite its state of neglect, the garden became a special area for research and teaching and a new greenhouse was constructed, the first in Europe to be equipped with interactive plant identification tools used by students on the Systematic Botany course. Since 2022, thanks to the impetus of Prof. Andrea Nardini, Professor of Plant Physiology, and Prof. Mauro Tretiach, at the time Head of the Department of Life Sciences, the garden has made a comeback after numerous exotic species were purchased and large areas for research activities were newly designated.

The two local institutions Giardino Botanico Carsiana (dedicated to the flora of the Karst) and Trieste’s Civico Orto Botanico, both with cultivars and exotic plants, inspired the small university garden to redefine its goals as not just an exhibition space but a place to strengthen its functionality as a teaching location: a garden serving as an extension of the classroom or laboratory, a space for observing the characteristics of plants and thus providing first-hand knowledge and in-depth information in university lessons.
The University Botanical Garden continues to be a recreational space for students but also a place for meetings and gatherings in keeping with plant conservation requirements.

Andrea Moro, curator of the Botanical Collections, and Marinella Perosa, author of the book “Botanica&Erbario” (Quaderni Visionari, Effigi editions) spoke at the inauguration.

The University of Padua's Equal Opportunities Committee (CUG) has awarded UniTS researcher Giovanna Gilleri the Prize for Research on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation for her work entitled ‘Women, and All of Us: Article 5(a) CEDAW as a Protection for All Gendered Individuals’.

CEDAW stands for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979.

The committee has awarded the prize to Giovanna Gilleri for her innovative interpretation of Article 5(a) of the CEDAW Convention, in which through detailed legal analysis and dialogue with feminist and queer thought she demonstrates how the fight against gender stereotypes, by extending protection to all gender identities, can promote an inclusive vision of anti-discrimination law.
 

Friday 23rd May saw the conclusion of the on-site visit of the expert panel (CEV) of the Italian national agency for the evaluation of universities and research institutes (ANVUR) for the Periodic Assessment of the University of Trieste.

The final meeting took place in the Main Hall of Building A and was attended by the entire academic community.

During the presentation, the key strengths and areas for improvement identified through the analysis of documents and consultations with staff and students were communicated. 

The Preliminary Report, in accordance with ANVUR assessment procedures, will be sent to the University within 90 days.

A persistent inflammation affecting blood vessels and potentially leading to serious thrombotic complications, even in young individuals with no known risk factors – this is the reality of systemic vasculitis, a group of rare autoimmune diseases which, if not promptly recognised and treated, can compromise vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, lungs and brain.

These conditions are the focus of a study published in Nature Reviews Rheumatology, one of the world’s most prestigious journals in the fields of immunology and rheumatology. The study is coordinated by Professor Giacomo Emmi, immunologist, lecturer in Internal Medicine at the University of Trieste, Head of the Department of Clinical Medicine and Scientific Coordinator of ASUGI (local health authority).

The article, the result of a coordinated review effort involving leading research centres in Italy, Sweden, Russia, Turkey and Australia, provides an overview of the thrombotic and cardiovascular manifestations associated with vasculitis. It also proposes new treatment strategies based on an anti-inflammatory approach.

The topic will be the subject of a presentation by Professor Emmi during the European Vasculitis Society (EUVAS) congress, being held for the first time in Trieste from 21st to 24th May, and bringing together over 400 specialists from across Europe. The congress is a key event for clinicians and researchers working in this area and is noted for its strongly multidisciplinary approach. Emmi is a member of the society’s board and part of the organising committee for the event.

"Our work," explains Emmi, "shows that in many forms of vasculitis, thrombosis is not an isolated event, but a direct consequence of vascular inflammation. In such cases, anticoagulants alone may be insufficient and must be combined with immunological therapy. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying these findings changes the therapeutic approach and may open new avenues for other chronic inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases as well."

Among the types of vasculitis examined in the review are:

• Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis – a disease primarily affecting the respiratory tract, heart and peripheral nervous system;
• Behçet’s syndrome, which involves blood vessels of varying calibre and is characterised, among other things, by inflammatory thrombotic events.

The publication focuses on:

• the differences between arterial and venous thrombotic events;
• therapeutic management at different stages of the disease;
• and the various pathogenetic mechanisms that can inform clinical decision-making.

The study, available online via the Nature platform, represents a significant contribution to the international discourse on systemic autoimmune diseases, a constantly evolving field of medicine.

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Full Study Published in Nature Reviews Rheumatology         
Arterial and venous thrombosis in systemic and monogenic vasculitis
Federica Bello¹˒¹⁵, Filippo Fagni²˒³˒¹⁵, Giacomo Bagni⁴, Catherine L. Hill⁵˒⁶, Aladdin J. Mohammad⁷˒⁸, Sergey Moiseev⁹, Iacopo Olivotto¹˒¹⁰, Emire Seyahi¹¹ & Giacomo Emmi¹²˒¹³˒¹⁴

1. Cardiomyopathy Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
2. Department of Rheumatology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
3. Department of Clinical Sciences, Rheumatology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
4. Department of Rheumatology and Inflammatory Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
5. Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
6. Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
7. Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
8. Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
9. Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
10. IRCCS Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation, Florence, Italy
11. Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
12. Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
13. Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Trieste, Italy
14. European Reference Network ReCONNET, Trieste, Italy
These authors contributed equally: Federica Bello, Filippo Fagni

The Urology Department of the Cattinara Hospital has also received the bollino rosa (pink stamp) from Fondazione Onda – the national observatory on women’s and gender health – which recognises healthcare facilities committed to promoting women’s health and integrating gender-specific medicine.

Founded in 2005, Fondazione Onda awards the stamps based on clinical requirements, the quality of care and welcome, attention to gender differences, and training and communication activities.

This is the third accreditation awarded to the facility of ASUGI and the University of Trieste: following the bollino arancione (orange stamp) for excellence in the treatment of kidney diseases, and the bollino azzurro (blue stamp) for pathways dedicated to male and prostate health, the Urology Department in Trieste is the first in the region to earn the full trio of Onda certifications.

This recognition also extends to the educational aspect: specialist trainees begin working in a clinical environment that adopts a gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory approach to care from the outset.

‘Gender-specific medicine is not a separate field,’ says Prof. Giovanni Liguori, Head of the Urology Department of ASUGI and Professor of Urology and Andrology at the University of Trieste, ‘but an integral part of an approach to treatment that considers each person in their full complexity.’

‘Accreditations such as this confirm the value of the path we have taken together with Prof. Paolo Umari, Professor and Head of the Robotic Surgery Unit, Dr. Gianluca D’Aloia, Head of the Prostate Unit, and Dr. Francesca Vedovo, Head of Functional Urology.’

Educate, connect, inspire. With these words, the first edition of the Innovators Community Lab (ICLab) was launched—the renewed program of the University of Trieste that guides students through the discovery of innovation and entrepreneurial culture.

An evolution of the Contamination Lab, which over more than ten editions provided entrepreneurial background to around 300 UniTS students, the ICLab is designed to equip students with tools to develop business projects in emerging sectors.

The program will once again take place in the renovated spaces of the former Military Hospital, now transformed into an environment open to education, co-working, and collaboration between university, industry, and the local community. The 2025 edition kicked off with an official event attended by institutions, companies, and the 29 selected participants from bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs.

During the event, Salvatore Dore, Head of ICLab and Head of the Technology Transfer and Business Relations Office, also presented the main novelties of the 2025 edition: the recognition of curricular academic credits, individual mentoring programs, training and networking events with entrepreneurs and managers, and a visit to the Marcegaglia Group’s industrial plants, where students will meet the company’s top management. At the end of the program, the five best projects will be awarded scholarships of 5,000 euros each, funded by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The renewed program will also feature an international dimension, which will be presented in the coming weeks.

In his opening remarks, Professor Rodolfo Taccani, Rector’s Delegate for Technology Transfer and Business Relations, reflected on the value of the work done over his six-year term, now nearing its conclusion:
“The Contamination Lab has for years been a living lab of ideas, but also of people. We have seen skills, relationships, and initiatives grow, capable of going beyond the boundaries of the university. This path has accompanied six years of work in which we focused on the connection between education, youth, and business. The future also starts here.”

A central moment of the event was the keynote speech by Gianluca Bisol, President of the winery Bisol 1542. His talk, “Innovating within tradition,” recounted the story of a family business able to combine territorial identity and transformation across generations.

The 29 students selected for the new ICLab training program—18 enrolled in bachelor's degrees, 10 in master's or single-cycle master’s degrees, and 1 in a doctoral program—concluded the meeting with a brief individual presentation, sharing their motivations, goals, and expectations for the journey ahead.

Women account for more than a third of the group. Reflecting the program’s ability to attract diverse skills and interests, this year’s cohort also includes students from humanities programs, such as Philosophy, Psychology, and Law.

With the ICLab, the University of Trieste reinforces and structures its commitment to innovation training, creating real spaces for dialogue between academia and the production system and promoting, within the university path, a vision of business as a tool for growth, connection, and impact.