The study, published in the prestigious journal Science Advances, presents a simple and innovative method for making new materials that combine the extraordinary properties displayed by single metal atoms with the strength, flexibility and versatility of graphene.

Graphene is a material consisting of a two-dimensional network of carbon discovered in 2004 that has had a huge impact on the scientific community, leading to its discoverers being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.

The proposed method consists of depositing metal atoms, such as cobalt, in a controlled manner during the formation of the graphene layer on a nickel surface. Some of these atoms are incorporated into the carbon network of graphene, creating a material with exceptional properties of strength, reactivity and stability even under critical conditions.

The new material can be detached from the substrate while retaining its original structure and is therefore potentially usable in applications in catalysis, spintronics and electronic devices.

The work presented is the result of an international collaboration between researchers from CNR-IOM (Materials Foundry), the University of Trieste, the University of Milan Bicocca and the University of Vienna.

Giovanni Comelli, UniTS: ‘The contribution of different and complementary skills was decisive in demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach, which is both simple and powerful at the same time.’

Cristina Africh (CNR-IOM): ‘It is still a preliminary result, but already very promising, the result of an original idea born in our laboratory that initially seemed unfeasible.’

Cristiana Di Valentin (University of Milan Bicocca): ‘We have applied this method to trap nickel and cobalt atoms, but our calculations say that the use could be extended to other metals for different applications.’

Jani Kotakoski (University of Vienna): ‘We have shown that this material survives even critical conditions, including the electrochemical environments used for fuel cell and battery applications.’

Published article

V. Chesnyak, D. Perilli, M. Panighel, A. Namar, A. Markevich, T. An Bui, A. Ugolotti, A. Farooq, M. Stredansky, C. Kofler, C. Cepek, G. Comelli, J. Kotakoski, C. Di Valentin, C. Africh. Scalable bottom-up synthesis of Co-Ni-doped graphene. Science Advances vol, issue (2024). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado8956

Prof. Stefano Borgani, Professor of Cosmology at UniTS, received the prestigious ‘Prof. Luigi Tartufari’ International Prize from the Lincean Academy (Accademia dei Lincei).

The prize is awarded to scholars in the physics, mathematics, and natural sciences who have distinguished themselves through innovative research and relevant activities.

This is the motivation: ‘His research in the field of cosmology ranges from the study of the large-scale structure of the Universe to bind models of dark matter and dark energy, to the description of the formation and evolution of cosmic structures through the use of numerical simulations based on high performance computing methodologies. His studies on the cosmological application of galaxy clusters were among the first ever to highlight the role of such objects for precision cosmology and, at the same time, highlighted for the first time the need to fully understand the physical properties of galaxy clusters in order to fully exploit their potential for cosmological applications.’

‘We are living in the golden age of cosmology. The amount and quality of data we are getting, primarily from ESA's Euclid Space Telescope, promises to revolutionise our understanding of the Universe. Questions about the nature of energy and dark matter, and the physical laws that describe the birth and evolution of the Universe, may finally be answered. The Italian community, thanks to the participation of INAF and various Institutes and Universities, is playing a leading role in the Euclid Consortium. In Trieste in particular, a close collaboration has been established between researchers from our University, INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Trieste and SISSA, precisely on the analysis of Euclid data and their interpretation through simulations based on high-performance computing,’ said Borgani. ‘I am very honoured to receive this award from such a prestigious institution as the Lincean Academy. I like to think that this is a recognition not only for myself, but also for my close collaborators, with whom I have shared so many research adventures, as well as for the young researchers I have followed over the years and who have enriched my scientific life.’

Trieste, November 6, 2024 – A new generation of plastic microsatellites, modular like interlocking structures, integrating electrical connections between the various operational boards inside, thus making them lighter, more spacious, and more efficient: this is the goal of the RISE (Resilient Integrated Structural Elements) project from the University of Trieste and the company PICOSATS.

Since (NET) 6th of November, the International Space Station has hosted a very special prototype designed by UniTS researchers and the university's spin-off company, PICOSATS.

It is a cube made of plastic material with conductive tracks (circuits) running through it, which connect the operational boards mounted on the sides of the object. The electrical component, essential for the satellite’s operation, is thus integrated into the structure, making it much more robust, cheaper, and easier to produce compared to the older generation.

The microsatellite structure, made of 3D-printed plastic and hollow inside, finally allows for the modular management of its geometry, as if assembling modular building blocks... but extremely high-tech!

‘During the four months in which we will test our idea, we will find out if the device can function in microgravity and withstand the stresses from the launch of SpaceX's CRS-31 mission aboard the Falcon 9 rocket,’ explains Stefano Seriani, professor of Robotics at UniTS and scientific coordinator of RISE. ‘If so, we will have laid the groundwork for a real revolution in the microsatellite market.’

These space objects lend themselves to extremely versatile applications, ranging from Earth observation to telecommunications, to astrophysics and planetary exploration.

The RISE project took its first steps in 2018 when the founding team won the challenge sponsored by ICE Cubes within the ‘Space Exploration Masters’ competition organised by the European Space Agency (ESA), placing second in the ESA & Commercial Partners challenge.

The project thus secured a ‘ticket’ to the International Space Station provided by Space Applications Services, a Belgian aerospace company..

Now, in the year of the University of Trieste’s 100th anniversary, it has become a reality, thanks also to the contribution of ASI, the Italian Space Agency, which financed its development.

‘We wanted to bring this important anniversary into space,’ concludes Seriani. ‘Inside the cube, we included the UniTS 100th anniversary logo which, together with the PICOSATS logo, will float in microgravity, sending very special greetings to our ground command centre.’

Francesco Dattilo, a PhD student in Environment and Life at the University of Trieste and the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), won the title of Italian champion at FameLab Italia 2024, held in Genoa on 27th October as part of the Festival of Science.

Dattilo was awarded for ‘having clearly and charismatically presented a very recent scientific result, at the same time highlighting the path of discovery by showing how science proceeds and how one can arrive at a discovery even through a failure and a wrong hypothesis’. During his presentation, the young physicist outlined in three minutes the research that recently led to an explanation of the flow and abundance of oxygen in the ocean floor. A challenge that lasted thirteen years, a journey studded with trial and error and concluded with the announcement of the discovery of how certain rocks on the ocean floor cause processes of electrolysis and the consequent abundant presence of oxygen.

‘I am really happy that the message I wanted to convey was appreciated. Beyond the result, it was a wonderful experience, I met a lot of scientists with stories to tell,’ said Dattilo, who will represent Italy in the FameLab international online final on 29th November. Together with him, Federica Moretti, a PhD student in nanotechnology at the University of Trieste, also made it onto the national podium, once again demonstrating the value of the city's research.

In 2024 FameLab Italia, coordinated by Cheltenham Festivals and Psiquadro Perugia, reached the milestone of its thirteenth edition, after having visited 25 cities throughout Italy over the years and involved over 1,000 young researchers. The event was made possible thanks to a collaboration with more than 100 cultural partners including, for the selection of Trieste, the Immaginario Scientifico Science Museum, the University of Trieste, the University of Udine, SISSA and the Municipality of Trieste, as part of the Trieste City of Knowledge System.

An international research team coordinated by the University of Trieste's Department of Physics has synthesised a potential bifunctional catalyst, mimicking the functionality of vitamin B12, i.e. one capable of promoting two distinct chemical reactions, each supported by a different oxidation state of the metal. Also known as cobalamin, a molecule to the centre of which is bound a single cobalt atom, vitamin B12 is in fact capable of catalysing different reactions depending on the context. The results of the study, with important application implications in the field of energy storage and transport, have been published in the scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials.

The study involved the collaboration of the Materials Laboratory Institute of the National Research Council (CNR-IOM), Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste and the Laboratory for Surface Nanostructures of EPFL in Switzerland. The activities were funded in the context of the PRIN 2022 and PRIN NRRP projects.

'Energy storage and transport are today's most strategic applications; however, from the point of view of available technologies, they are still far from optimal. Think, for example, of rechargeable batteries and the need to use two separate catalytic agents to support the opposing reactions of oxidation and reduction in reversible charge and discharge processes', explains Erik Vesselli, professor of experimental matter physics at the Department of Physics, University of Trieste. ‘The result we have obtained shows, however, how we can be inspired by nature to create new materials of extreme applicative interest in the field of green energy, i.e. bifunctional catalysts, capable by themselves of promoting different chemical reactions.’

Cobalt is one of the strategic metals in the periodic table, already particularly used in catalysis. Its functionality can be controlled by defining the way it coordinates and calibrating its oxidation state. In nature, vitamin B12 - also known as cobalamin, as it is characterised by a single cobalt atom - in its various forms and through complex mechanisms, is itself able to regulate the oxidation state of this single cobalt atom, thus changing its reactivity and stability.

‘We did the same’, Vesselli continues: ‘That is, we synthesised a matrix of two-dimensional molecules and single cobalt atoms, using a single sheet of graphene as a worktable. By controlling the co-ordination, we were able to modulate the oxidation states of cobalt just as occurs in vitamin B12, and were also able to obtain phases in which several oxidation states are co-present in the material.’

In conclusion, the researchers succeeded in synthesising and characterising a new material whose properties are determined by long-range electronic and magnetic interactions between different reaction centres, i.e. individual cobalt atoms. This was achieved by combining state-of-the-art experimental techniques using laser sources, synchrotron light and microscopy techniques, combined with numerical simulations.

Full study published in Advanced Functional Materials 

Co(III), Co(II), Co(I): Tuning Single Cobalt Metal Atom Oxidation States in a 2D Coordination Network

The University of Trieste today proclaimed 133 new PhDs, the highest number ever, during the Graduation Day ceremony held in the Main Hall of Building A in Piazzale Europa.

The 36th-cycle PhDs, who celebrated their proclamation with the traditional ‘tossing of the academic cap’, registered a further increase in the international presence – one in five is in fact from abroad – and witnessed the perfect gender balance achieved among PhD students. 

‘Graduation Day,’ says Prof. Alessandro Baraldi, Deputy for scientific research and Doctorates at the University of Trieste, ‘does not only celebrate the achievement of an extraordinary milestone for our young researchers, but it is also the moment when the University wishes to express its gratitude to the PhD students, who represent a fundamental part of our research activity. 

It is a recognition,' Baraldi concludes, ’that will culminate on 2nd December, with the awarding of the PhD Innovation Awards in the centenary year.’

The University of Trieste's initiative – an absolute novelty – will celebrate through the awarding of five prizes to young scholars a century of research, excellence, creativity and ingenuity, rewarding innovation in thought, knowledge, research methodologies and technologies.

The guest of honour at Graduation Day was Marco Gori, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Siena, who delivered a lectio magistralis entitled ‘Intelligent Machines that do not Accumulate Data’, in which he proposed a new approach to artificial intelligence and machine learning that is not based on the massive accumulation of data. 

Gori suggested that, as happens in nature, machines can develop cognitive skills through interactions with the environment, thus avoiding the centralisation of large collections of data. This approach would reduce privacy risks and concentration of power.

The project ‘Stelutis Alpinis. The Cosmos from the mountains of Carnia’, named after the Friulan word for the alpine star-shaped flower Edelweiss, is nearing its conclusion. The initiative has been promoted by the University of Trieste to bring public engagement in science together with the enhancement of the mountainous region. Until 19th October, the initiative will offer activities for schools and a public conference at the observatory in Zuglio (Udine), bringing the project’s rich programme of events and achievements to a close.

The project has actively involved the local community and engaged a number of participants, demonstrating how science can contribute to revitalising an area, both culturally and in terms of tourism. Coupled with the ‘Celestial Lights/Terrestrial Roots’ festival, it has offered a varied programme, with art installations, shows and specially designed stargazing routes, enriching the visitors' experience.

During the week of 14th to 18th October, local schools will be the focus of activities. Classes IV and V of the ‘Linussio – Matiz’ Comprehensive Institute of Arta Terme and Paluzza will take part in the creation of an ‘Almanac of the New Poetic Astrophysical School’, under the guidance of artists from the L'Amalgama Collective, with a special contribution from the poet Bruno Tognolini.

The project will culminate on Saturday 19th October with a lecture by the professor of astrophysics at the University of Trieste and scientific lead of the project, Prof. Alexandro Saro, followed by an observational astronomy event which is open to the public.

‘Stelutis Alpinis’ was realised thanks to the support of the University of Trieste, with the Physics Department as lead partner, within the framework of the call for public and social engagement.

The paper ‘The potential of histories as a form of counter-accounting’, published in 2023, has won the prestigious ‘Best 2023 International Scientific Paper’ award by the Italian Society of Professors of Accounting and Business Economics (Società Italiana dei Docenti di Ragioneria e di Economia Aziendale – SIDREA). It was written by Eleonora Masiero, Lecturer and Researcher in Business Economics at UniTS, and Riccardo Stacchezzini and Alessandro Lai, Full Professors at the University of Verona.

This study explores the unconventional accounting activity carried out by the director and accountant of a late 19th-century children's home. The activity challenged dominant discourses and highlighted their weaknesses. The study thus contributes to critical accounting research by revealing the potential of genealogical enquiry as an alternative and meaningful tool for analysing and questioning prevailing assumptions, shedding light on the historical and discursive foundations of controversial issues.

Read the full paper 

The University of Trieste is proud to be a part of the international research team that has discovered a mechanism that could open up new avenues for the treatment of glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive brain tumour. The study, conducted in collaboration between SISSA, IOM-CNR, the University of Trieste, the University Hospital of Udine and GlioGuard S.r.l. and recently published in the journal Molecular Cancer Research, highlights the importance of chloride ion fluxes in the proliferation of tumour cells.

Specifically, the research identified that so-called ‘calcium-dependent chloride channels’ are involved in the regulation of chloride ion fluxes in and out of the cancer cell. These channels act as ‘gates’ and directly influence the division of tumour cells, promoting their proliferation. By using specific substances to block these fluxes, the researchers were able to stop the replication of lab-grown cancer cells, thus identifying a potential target for future therapies.

As part of this project, the group led by Prof. Fabrizia Cesca of the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste studied the effect of specific inhibitors of chlorine channels, such as niflumic acid and carbenoxolone, on cancer cell replication. Experiments have shown that these substances can significantly slow down cell division, paving the way for new therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of glioblastoma.

This research therefore suggests that ionic currents could be an effective target for the development of innovative drugs against glioblastoma. However, given the complexity and heterogeneity of this tumour type, further studies will be needed to verify the effectiveness of such therapies in patients.

The full article is available on the AACR Journals site here.

Researchers from the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste, in collaboration with the Sapienza University of Rome, have discovered that the preference of animal species, both human and non-human, for consonant sounds would be partly physiologically determined. The hypothesis at the origin of the study, conducted on one hundred and thirty hatchling chicks, is that the constituent elements of musical abilities - of humans and animals - have a biological root, shared between species that are also phylogenetically distant, and do not depend solely on culture and musical experience.

‘Previous research by the University of Trieste had already led to the discovery that chicks, like other species, prefer so-called consonant musical intervals. The latter, in fact, are those that most resemble the sound produced by living beings, while the dissonant ones recall the lesser harmony of environmental sounds,’ explains Andrea Ravignani, professor of general psychology at the Department of Human Neuroscience at the Sapienza University of Rome. ‘At the time, we did not know the reasons for this; today, however, we know – thanks to studies conducted together, the University of Trieste and the Sapienza University of Rome - that consonant intervals are produced in acoustic social signals.’

The research was carried out on one hundred and thirty hatchling chicks; once hatched, the chicks – which do not require any parental care, neither to develop their vocal repertoire nor to walk – were reared for four days, in pairs, in rectangular cages at controlled room temperature. 

The following calls were recorded for each chick in soundproof pens: contact calls emitted by the chick when it feels discomfort because, for example, it is separated from the hen, brooding calls emitted in pleasant situations and food calls emitted when the chick identifies a profitable food source. These calls are part of a complex vocal code that chicks develop from hatching to adulthood to communicate their needs to other conspecifics and to express the positive or negative nature of a situation they are experiencing. 

The researchers stimulated the production of each type of call by the chicks by gradually recreating the natural situation associated with each one. Specifically, they recorded: contact calls, leaving the chicks alone in the empty pen after separating them from their rearing mate and the imprinting object; brood calls, placing an imprinting object in the centre of the pen after initial isolation; food calls, placing a dish of food in the centre of the pen after removing the imprinting object.

After analysing the minimum and maximum peaks of the fundamental frequencies and calculating their ratio, the study revealed a prevalence of perfect consonance in all types of calls, confirming the idea that consonant sounds are intrinsically present in animal communication. The only recorded dissonances were found in situations of particular distress, such as isolation contexts.

‘This research could open up promising applications: a chick that emits a sound with a certain frequency is probably indicating a certain type of situation, and we now know that the most harmonious calls are those emitted in the most pleasant situations,’ explains Cinzia Chiandetti, associate professor of psychobiology at the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste. ‘Depending on the dominance of consonances or dissonances, we will be able to understand the emotional status of the animal associated with the context in which it finds itself: we are not so far from being able to imagine devices capable of recording the calls and returning the level of comfort or stress of the animal in front of us, even of chickens that, as the writer Andrew Lawler would say, are the birds that have nurtured civilisation’ concludes the expert.

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Full study published in Biology Letters

Chicks produce consonant, sometimes jazzy, sounds

Gianmarco Maldarelli1,2, Andrea Dissegna1, Andrea Ravignani3,4,5 and Cinzia Chiandetti1

1Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

2Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universitat

Bochum, Bochum, Germany

3Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

4Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

5Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy