PhD Welcome & Innovation Awards – 41st cycle of Italian doctorates Read more about PhD Welcome & Innovation Awards – 41st cycle of Italian doctorates Immagine Progetto senza titolo (71).png Data notizia Wed, 03/12/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research University and society Destinatari canale University Study Research Destinatari target Enroled students Graduates Business and Institutions Society Testo notizia 161 PhD students enrolled in the 41st cycle of UniTS doctoral schools, a growing trend also thanks to foreign students, who reach 20% of the total. The proportion of women/men is almost even, with the constant increase in the number of female students choosing this path.These are the numbers published during the welcome event for the new UniTS PhD students.After the welcome speeches of the Rector (Donata Vianelli), the FVG Regional Councilor for Employment, Training, Education, Research, Universities and Family (Alessia Rosolen) and the FVG Central Director for Higher Education (Ketty Segatti), the second edition of the PHD Innovation Award took place. Thanks to funding from the CRTrieste Foundation, the five PhDs who produced the best thesis in 2025 were awarded a prize of € 3000 each.Designed to celebrate the merit, innovation and creativity of young researchers, this year the award went to 5 young people evaluated among 70 candidates by a committee of experts from the three major sectors of the European Research Council (ERC): Physical Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences, and Social Sciences and Humanities.The winners describe their thesis as follows:Alice Biasin (Doctorate in Chemistry): ‘Incorporating experimental pharmacology to chemical and material engineering, I investigated the effectiveness of innovative drugs against liver fibrosis, a disease still untreated. A further distinctive element of the research lies in the development of advanced hydrogel-based in vitro models with viscoelastic properties that reproduce those of the healthy and fibrotic liver. The results obtained show that ubiquitinase inhibitors significantly reduce fibrosis in vitro.’Giorgia Nadizar (Doctorate in Applied Data Science and Artificial Intelligence): ‘I have studied how processes typical of natural organisms (e.g. neural plasticity and morphological development) can result in new mechanisms to increase the flexibility and performance of robots. In parallel, I designed transparent and easily understandable controllers that could match the performance of the most complex models. Finally, I have integrated these two directions for the first time, showing that it is possible to obtain robots that are both biologically plausible, adaptable and interpretable.’Francesco Piazza (Doctorate in Nanotechnology): ‘My thesis introduces agarose biomaterials with controllable mechanical properties to study how cells respond to mechanical signals. The most innovative result is the identification of viscoplasticity as a new key parameter regulating cell adhesion. This approach proposes a new paradigm in the field of mechanobiology and opens up new directions for the design of biomaterials and in vitro models.’Mattia Pozzebon (Doctorate in History of Societies, Institutions and Thought. From the Middle Ages to Today): ‘Through the study of scenarios ranging from the present to the farthest future and through the combination of ethical analysis, philosophical imagination and comparison with other disciplines, the aim of the thesis was to ethically assess whether the use of genetic modification techniques on animals can contribute to reducing their suffering and improving their quality of life.’Loris Luciano Viteritti (Doctorate in Physics): ‘My thesis explores new methods for understanding particularly complex quantum materials, in which interactions between particles give rise to “exotic” states of matter, such as quantum spin liquids. To overcome the limitations of traditional methods, an innovative approach has been developed that uses artificial neural networks to represent and study these systems. Thanks to a new optimisation technique, the research allows to analyse extremely difficult models, obtaining more accurate results than conventional methodologies.’The ceremony was chaired by Francesco Longo, Rector’s Delegate for Doctorates. Among the guests there were Francesco Peroni (Vice President of the Board of Directors of Fondazione CRTrieste), Maria Pia Abbracchio (University of Milan), Gianfranco Pacchioni (University of Milan-Bicocca) and Bernardo Balboni (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia). Abstract Fondazione CRTrieste funds the 5 best 2025 PhD theses Mostra nel diario Off
Paolo Fornasiero elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts Read more about Paolo Fornasiero elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts Immagine Progetto senza titolo (49).png Data notizia Tue, 02/12/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research Destinatari canale University Research Destinatari target Business and Institutions Testo notizia Paolo Fornasiero, professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Trieste, has been elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, in the Technical and Environmental Sciences class.The election of Prof. Fornasiero recognises his pioneering contribution in the field of nanomaterials for environmental catalysis and energy, as well as his international leadership in research, innovation and the education of young people.This recognition by the European Academy of Sciences and Arts further highlights Prof. Fornasiero's achievements as a world-renowned scientist.The European Academy of Sciences and Arts is a European non-governmental association committed to promoting scientific and social progress. The Academy brings together 1,900 eminent scholars and professionals from across Europe, including 38 Nobel Prize winners. They are divided into seven classes: Humanities, Medicine, Arts, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Law and Economics, Technical and Environmental Sciences, and World Religions. Academy members are elected for their outstanding achievements in the fields of science, the arts and governance. Prof. Fornasiero is one of the few scientists to have been elected to the Academia Europaea, the European Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Abstract The award recognises his pioneering contribution to the field of nanomaterials for environmental catalysis and energy Mostra nel diario Off
Three UniTS projects funded by FIS for over 5 million euros Read more about Three UniTS projects funded by FIS for over 5 million euros Immagine Grant.jpg Data notizia Mon, 01/12/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research Destinatari canale University Research Destinatari target Business and Institutions Society Testo notizia Three UniTS projects have received funding of over 5 million euros from the Italian Science Fund (Fondo Italiano per la Scienza – FIS). This is an excellent achievement that consolidates the University’s role in innovative and quality research. Two projects were presented as Advanced Grants by the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, respectively by Paolo Fornasiero, full professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry and Vice-Rector for Research and by Federico Rosei, full professor of Industrial Chemistry. The third project, funded by the Starting Grant line, was presented by Matteo Marinelli of the Department of Physics. Rector Donata Vianelli pointed out: ‘These results confirm the quality of recruitment at our university and the commitment of researchers to attract funds that will bring innovation to our research facilities and enable quality research to be conducted internationally.’The FIS finances research projects of high scientific value conducted by junior researchers (Starting Grant), senior researchers (Consolidator Grant) and established researchers (Advanced Grant) within the ERC (European Research Council) sectors. The main objective is to promote the development of fundamental research as established at European level along the lines of the European Research Council (ERC).The third edition of this programme had a budget of 475 million euros and has allocated significant funding, between 1 and 2.4 million euros, to projects presented by Italian public and private universities and academic institutions, by special-law advanced schools, public research bodies, research hospitals (IRCCS) and legal entities with research purposes. Approximately 325 projects have been funded. Here are the winning UniTS projects:Prof. Paolo Fornasiero’s project (PhotoElectrocatalytic smart Systems for CHEmicals and FUels production) will receive funding of € 2.3 million to tackle an innovative study aimed at developing a tandem catalytic system in which the photocatalytic conversion of biomass derivatives into industrially useful products is coupled with an electrocatalytic process that can be tuned to the evolution of H2 or the hydrogenation of unsaturated organic molecules.Prof. Federico Rosei’s project (Study of model photocatalysts to optimize water splitting) will receive € 1.9 million in funding to study model systems that make it possible to understand the mechanisms of photocatalytic water splitting.Prof. Marinelli Matteo’s project (Tweezer-based quantum Repeater InterConnection) will receive € 1.1 million to develop a new experimental platform dedicated to next generation quantum networks. The project aims to create a modular architecture based on ytterbium atoms trapped in optical tweezers interfaced with an optical resonator for the creation of entanglement states between atoms and photons, a key element for the future quantum internet. Photo: prof. Fornasiero, Marinelli and Rosei Abstract Two Advanced Grants to the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and one Starting Grant to the Department of Physics Mostra nel diario On Periodo di permanenza in Magazine Fri, 19/12/2025 - 12:00 - Sat, 31/01/2026 - 12:00
ArQuS Laboratory: first italian observation of "trapped" single atoms Read more about ArQuS Laboratory: first italian observation of "trapped" single atoms Immagine Laboratorio ArQuS.jpg Data notizia Tue, 25/11/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research Destinatari canale University Research Testo notizia Researchers from the ArQuS Laboratory at the University of Trieste managed to trap and photograph individual ytterbium atoms for the first time in Italy. They extended imaging techniques to new regimens: by observing the light emitted with a microscope, the researchers were able to clearly distinguish each individual atom and accurately count the number contained in a single trap, a capability lacking in existing techniques, where measurements were so far limited to distinguishing only between zero and an atom. The results, published in the two prestigious international journals Quantum Science Technology and Physical Review Letters, offer important perspectives for the development of sciences and technologies based on quantum bits (or qubits), such as computers and quantum clocks: The ability to observe every single atom with great precision is, in fact, a fundamental element for the realisation of a system of atomic qubits. Francesco Scazza, associate professor of Physics of Matter at the University of Trieste and head of the ArQuS Laboratory, explains: ‘To photograph very dim light sources, such as celestial bodies or, indeed, individual atoms, long exposures are usually used in order to collect a fairly large signal (i.e. a large number of photons) and to be able to distinguish the objects photographed from the background. In our work we have used an alternative approach, similar to using a camera flash: by illuminating the atoms with a lot of light for a very short period of time, it is possible to obtain a signal sufficient to distinguish each atom very clearly, reducing the duration of the detection without compromising its performance.’ In the technique devised by the ArQuS Laboratory, the atoms, cooled to almost absolute zero (-273 °C) by a laser light and then captured in ‘optical tweezers’ are illuminated with a second laser, of which they absorb and re-emit part of the light thanks to the fluorescence phenomenon. Omar Abdel Karim, a researcher at the ArQuS Laboratory, explains: ‘One of the main challenges in observing individual atoms is not losing atoms during image acquisition. Because of the absorption and re-emission of light, atoms acquire energy and can escape the trap. We were able to compensate for this effect by using an additional laser to cool the atoms during the image’. This solution is based on a delicate balance between the fluorescence light and the cooling light to ensure that the atoms remain trapped, allowing them to clearly distinguish their presence and reuse them for subsequent experiments. Another important element of the measurements conducted is the speed of execution. Alessandro Muzi Falconi, researcher at the ArQuS Laboratory, comments: ‘In recent years, one of the industry’s goals has been to develop imaging techniques that can observe atoms faster and faster, and possibly without losing them during imaging. Thanks to a technique based on short and intense fluorescence pulses, we were able to observe the atoms, without inducing losses, in a few millionths of a second, about a thousand times faster than the typical acquisition times. Our technique is based on the fact that atoms acquire energy during the image, but not enough to escape from optical traps. In addition, by means of fast cooling pulses we can remove the excess energy after the image, and repeat the observation of the same atoms for dozens of images in succession’. Another important result of the research group is the first observation of individual atoms of the element ytterbium-173, a particular isotope (atom of an element that has different mass numbers and therefore different atomic mass) charactersed by six internal states at its fundamental level, which would allow the development of quantum circuits based on qudits and no longer just qubits, storing and exchanging information more efficiently. The ArQuS Laboratory was born in 2022 from a collaboration between the University of Trieste and the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and thanks to an ERC Starting Grant of €1.4 million granted by the European Commission. ***************************Comprehensive study published in Quantum Science Technology Single-atom imaging of 173Yb in optical tweezers loaded by a five-beam magneto-optical trap O. Abdel Karim1,2,4, A. Muzi Falconi3,4, R. Panza3,1, W. Liu1,5 and F. Scazza3,1,∗ National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council (CNR-INO), 34149 Trieste, Italy Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy Department of Physics, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy These authors contributed equally to this work. Present address: Institute of Laser Spectroscopy, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, People’s Republic of China. ∗ Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed. Comprehensive study published in Physical Review Letters Microsecond-Scale High-Survival and Number-Resolved Detection of Ytterbium Atom Arrays A. Muzi Falconi1, R. Panza1,2, S. Sbernardori1,2, R. Forti1,3, R. Klemt4, O. Abdel Karim2, M. Marinelli1,5, and F. Scazza1,2,* Department of Physics, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council (CNR-INO), 34149 Trieste, Italy Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., 34149 Trieste, Italy Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany Institute of materials of the National Research Council (CNR-IOM), 34149 Trieste, Italy *Contact author: francesco.scazza@units.it Abstract The fast-imaging technique devised by researchers makes it possible to clearly distinguish each individual atom and opens up important perspectives for the development of quantum sciences and technologies, such as computers and quantum clocks Mostra nel diario Off
Delegation from the six Centres of Excellence of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) – TWAS visits UniTS Read more about Delegation from the six Centres of Excellence of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) – TWAS visits UniTS Immagine Progetto senza titolo (48).png Data notizia Tue, 25/11/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research University and society Destinatari canale University Research International Destinatari target Business and Institutions Society Testo notizia A delegation of representatives from the six of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) – TWAS Centres of Excellence https://twas.org/cas-twas-centres-excellence visited UniTS, where they were welcomed by Rector Donata Vianelli, her Delegate for International, Elisabetta De Giorgi, Vice-Rector for Research Paolo Fornasiero, Head of the MIGE Department and Prof. Stefano Di Bella of the Department of Medicine. The delegation was accompanied by Prof. Knobel, Executive Director of TWAS.The CAS-TWAS CoEs represent an important opportunity for researchers to develop their activity in the laboratories of excellence located in Beijing.In addition to discussing future goals and possible extensions of their ongoing projects, the delegation was able to learn about the reality and opportunities offered by the University of Trieste and the SiS FVG network.These are the 16 members of the delegation visiting Trieste:Dongyao WANG, Deputy Director Division of International Organization Programs, Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of SciencesZhaohui LIN, Professor & Director CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Climate and Environmental Sciences (ICCES), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesXiaodong ZENG, Professor & Deputy Director, TWAS Young Affiliate Alumni, CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Climate and Environmental Sciences (ICCES), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesChenglai WU, Professor TWAS Young Affiliate, CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Climate and Environmental Sciences (ICCES), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesBo HAO, Program Officer for International Cooperation, CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Climate and Environmental Sciences (ICCES), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesChunshan LI, Professor & Director, TWAS Young Affiliate Alumni, The CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Green Technology (CEGT), Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of SciencesYang ZHOU, Program Officer for International Cooperation, The CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Green Technology (CEGT), Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of SciencesYanping ZHANG, Professor & Director CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Biotechnology (CoEBio), Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesLiu HE, Program Officer for International Cooperation, CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Biotechnology (CoEBio), Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesLikui Wang, Associate Professor CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Disease (CEEID), Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of ScienceWang Liang, Associate Professor CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Disease (CEEID), Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesQihui Wang, Professor CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Disease (CEEID)Deputy Director of the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesFang CHEN, Professor & Director Co-Chair of TWAS Young Affiliates Network, CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Space Technology for Disaster Mitigation (SDIM), Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of SciencesLei WANG, Professor CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Space Technology for Disaster Mitigation (SDIM), Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of SciencesBaiwen Ma, Professor & Director CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Water and Environment (CEWE), Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesJiaoqi Huyan, Program Officer CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Water and Environment (CEWE), Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Abstract Discussed possibilities for future collaborations Mostra nel diario On Periodo di permanenza in Magazine Thu, 27/11/2025 - 12:00 - Sun, 14/12/2025 - 12:00
Silver Plaque for the ‘Chini Memorial Lecture 2025’ to Paolo Fornasiero Read more about Silver Plaque for the ‘Chini Memorial Lecture 2025’ to Paolo Fornasiero Immagine Progetto senza titolo (69).png Data notizia Wed, 12/11/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research Destinatari canale University Research Destinatari target Business and Institutions Testo notizia The Silver Plaque for the ‘Chini Memorial Lecture 2025’ was awarded to Paolo Fornasiero, professor in the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Vice-Rector for Research at UniTS, for his ‘fundamental contribution to the study of the relationships between the structure and properties of inorganic materials and their impact on energy and heterogeneous catalysis’.The award was presented in Pisa during the 23rd National Congress of the Industrial Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society.Previous award winners include Nobel Prize winners Jean-Marie Lehn (Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France), Ernst Otto Fischer (Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany) and Geoffrey Wilkinson (Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, UK).At the congress, Paolo Fornasiero presented a plenary lecture entitled “The criticality of metal particle size speciation in sustainable catalysis”. Abstract The award was presented at the 23rd National Congress of the Industrial Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society Mostra nel diario Off
Everest Seismological Station (EvK2CNR): new instruments to study seismic events of glacial origin Read more about Everest Seismological Station (EvK2CNR): new instruments to study seismic events of glacial origin Immagine Progetto senza titolo (68).png Data notizia Mon, 10/11/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research Destinatari canale University Research Destinatari target Business and Institutions Testo notizia The seismological station on Everest installed by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), together with the EvK2CNR association and the Nepalese Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), has been upgraded with new instruments. Located at an altitude of 5,050 metres, the IO.EVN station is located at the Italian Piramide Observatory/Laboratory of EvK2CNR, 5 km from Mount Everest base camp. ‘A new accelerometer has been added, to be paired with the existing seismometer for measuring local and global earthquakes, and an infrasound sensor to record environmental noise, including rock and ice falls and noises associated with glacier movements,’ explains Franco Pettenati, geophysicist at the OGS CRS and representative of the EvK2CNR Seismological Station. He adds: ‘This upgrade will allow us to further our ongoing research into “icequakes”, i.e. earthquakes caused by seismic waves generated by ice movements; these investigations are particularly useful for studies on climate change.’ Other work has been carried out on the GPS station: ‘We replaced the Master GPS station's data acquisition device, i.e. the device that acquires and determines the geographical position,’ continues Pettenati. ‘A commercially available device was installed, alongside a low-cost device designed by David Zuliani, an engineer at the OGS Seismological Research Centre (Receiver GNSS LZER0 NET S/N #1013)’. The GPS will be used in conjunction with the University of Trieste, which owns the antenna, to study the geodynamics of the region. Finally, a new Wi-Fi bridge was installed to connect the IO.EVN seismological station and the new GPS system to the server of the Piramide Observatory/Laboratory. The new Wi-Fi system will thus replace the previous underground cable connection system. The seismological station was inaugurated on 19th May 2014. Since then, it has been operating continuously at 100, 20 and 2 Hz sampling frequencies with 24-bit Guralp digitisers. From the Piramide server, the signals are sent via satellite to a server in Kathmandu and then to the OGS acquisition centre in Italy. On 7th January 2025, the seismological station recorded the Mw 7.1 earthquake in central Tibet, being the closest broadband station to the epicentre of the earthquake (approximately 70 kilometres away). Abstract A latest-generation GPS will be installed on the station's antenna, owned by UniTS, to study the geodynamics of the region Mostra nel diario Off
Euclid peers through a dark cloud’s dusty veil Read more about Euclid peers through a dark cloud’s dusty veil Immagine Progetto senza titolo (45).png Data notizia Thu, 06/11/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research Destinatari canale University Research Destinatari target Business and Institutions Testo notizia This shimmering view of interstellar gas and dust was captured by the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope. The nebula is part of a so-called dark cloud, named LDN 1641. It sits at about 1300 light-years from Earth, within a sprawling complex of dusty gas clouds where stars are being formed, in the constellation of Orion.In visible light this region of the sky appears mostly dark, with few stars dotting what seems to be a primarily empty background. But, by imaging the cloud with the infrared eyes of its NISP instrument, Euclid reveals a multitude of stars shining through a tapestry of dust and gas.This is because dust grains block visible light from stars behind them very efficiently but are much less effective at dimming near-infrared light.The nebula is teeming with very young stars. Some of the objects embedded in the dusty surroundings spew out material – a sign of stars being formed. The outflows appear as magenta-coloured spots and coils when zooming into the image.In the upper left, obstruction by dust diminishes and the view opens toward the more distant Universe with many galaxies lurking beyond the stars of our own galaxy.Euclid observed this region of the sky in September 2023 to fine-tune its pointing ability. For the guiding tests, the operations team required a field of view where only a few stars would be detectable in visible light; this portion of LDN 1641 proved to be the most suitable area of the sky accessible to Euclid at the time.The tests were successful and helped ensure that Euclid could point reliably and very precisely in the desired direction. This ability is key to delivering extremely sharp astronomical images of large patches of sky, at a fast pace. The data for this image, which is about 0.64 square degrees in size - or more than three times the area of the full Moon on the sky - were collected in just under five hours of observations.Euclid is surveying the sky to create the most extensive 3D map of the extragalactic Universe ever made. Its main objective is to enable scientists to pin down the mysterious nature of dark matter and dark energy.Yet the mission will also deliver a trove of observations of interesting regions in our galaxy, like this one, as well as countless detailed images of other galaxies, offering new avenues of investigation in many different fields of astronomy.The Euclid Consortium involves several UniTS professors from the Department of Physics (Stefano Borgani, Matteo Costanzi, Marisa Girardi, Anna Gregorio, Pierluigi Monaco, Alexandro Saro), as well as postdocs and PhD students (Lucie Baumont, Yousry Elkhashab, Roberto Ingrao, Marius Lepinzan) with responsibilities ranging from coordinating the Instrument Operation Team to participating in the Euclid Consortium Publication Group - Science, as well as significant involvement in the Science Working Groups on Galaxy Clustering and Clusters of Galaxies and in the Science Ground Segment. These activities, carried out in close collaboration with researchers from INAF-Trieste Astronomical Observatory and SISSA, make Trieste one of the focal points of the Euclid Consortium. Abstract The European Space Agency's telescope captures a new image of deep space. UniTS is also involved in the Euclid Consortium Mostra nel diario Off
BluEcho Project: mid-term meeting on noise pollution in the seas Read more about BluEcho Project: mid-term meeting on noise pollution in the seas Immagine Progetto senza titolo (67).png Data notizia Wed, 05/11/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research Destinatari canale University Research Destinatari target Business and Institutions Testo notizia The mid-term meeting of the European BluEcho project, dedicated to the study of noise pollution in the marine environment, was held in Trieste. Co-funded by the European Union through the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership and coordinated by UniTS, BluEcho addresses issues ranging from numerical noise modelling to the impact on marine fauna, as well as economic models for defining mitigation strategies.In addition to Italy, the international consortium involves partners from Sweden, Norway and Germany.Summary of mid-term results A year and a half after its launch, the project has achieved significant results in the three main areas of research: numerical modelling, biological impacts and socio-economic analysis. In the field of numerical modelling of underwater noise, new source models based on CFD simulations have been developed and tested, with particular attention to the noise generated by cavitating propellers and marine turbines.Acoustic modelling has so far focused on single sources, wind turbines or marine propellers, allowing for detailed analysis of the interaction between the various components and noise generation mechanisms. The next step will be to extend the analysis to the propagation of multiple sources, in order to more realistically represent the acoustic impact of entire offshore wind farms and shipping traffic.In parallel, in the field of acoustic propagation modelling, comparative studies on different solvers have been launched and the first reference case studies have been defined, based on accurate collection of environmental and ‘source’ data (bathymetry, seabed characteristics, source types, etc.).One of the main cases analysed concerns sound propagation in the Gulf of Trieste, chosen as a representative site for the validation of numerical models.In addition, a measurement campaign was organised in the Bracciano lake, involving ISPRA, CNR and Hydra Ricerche. The data collected will be used to calibrate the acoustic maps and metrics used.In the area dedicated to biological impacts, a review of the state of the art has been completed and a monitoring campaign has been carried out by the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) at two sites of particular interest: a floating wind farm (Hywind Tampen) and an area subject to intense shipping traffic (LoVe Ocean observatory).Through the combined use of hydrophones and echosounders, it was possible to correlate environmental noise levels with the abundance and behaviour of different marine species, providing preliminary indications of the influence of anthropogenic noise on local ecosystems.In the research area dedicated to economic modelling, a review of the most relevant methodologies for the assessment of ecosystem services and mitigation measures has been completed.An international questionnaire and interviews with maritime stakeholders are being prepared to assess the costs, benefits and preferences associated with noise reduction policies.Finally, with regard to data management, the infrastructure for standardisation, quality control and sharing of acoustic datasets via the OPUS platform has been implemented. Abstract Funded by the EU and coordinated by UniTS Mostra nel diario Off
Jellyfish surprise researchers: memory and curiosity even without a brain? Read more about Jellyfish surprise researchers: memory and curiosity even without a brain? Immagine Progetto senza titolo (66).png Data notizia Wed, 05/11/2025 - 12:00 Categoria notizia University Press releases Research Destinatari canale University Destinatari target Business and Institutions Society Testo notizia 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 knownas 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.Leggi lo studio Abstract A collaborative study between the University of Trieste and the University of Padua suggests that even ‘diffuse’ nervous systems can support complex behaviour and interest in novelty Mostra nel diario Off