A study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology clarifies, through clinical, tissue and laboratory data, why the risk of cardiovascular events is so high in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The research was carried out in collaboration between Giacomo Emmi, immunologist and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Trieste, and the research teams of Matteo Becatti, Claudia Fiorillo and Domenico Prisco at the University of Florence.

SLE is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect several organs. In Italy it affects more than 60,000 people, mostly women of childbearing age. For those affected, the risk of arterial and venous thrombosis can be two to ten times higher than in the general population. The underlying cause is not limited to cholesterol or blood pressure, but primarily linked to the chronic inflammation characteristic of the disease.

At the centre of this process is oxidative stress, the imbalance between oxidising substances produced by our cells and the antioxidant defences that should neutralise them. In SLE patients, certain immune cells – neutrophils – are abnormally active and fuel this imbalance. In such an oxidative environment, fibrinogen, the protein forming the network of the blood clot, behaves differently: the fibres become denser and less permeable, and the clots harder to dissolve. This mechanism directly connects inflammation to thrombotic risk.

The study involved 144 adult SLE patients and 90 healthy controls. Blood analyses documented higher oxidative stress in patients and its correlation with disease activity. Tissue observations confirmed the picture: in renal biopsies from individuals with active lupus nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys), the same mechanism was evident precisely where inflammation was most intense, demonstrating that it is not only a circulating phenomenon but also causes damage at the organ level.

To confirm the causal link, the team reproduced the phenomenon in the laboratory. When fibrinogen was exposed to an oxidative environment, the clots became more compact and resistant; when a reference antioxidant was added, the effect disappeared. The sequence is thus clear: more inflammation → more oxidative stress → altered fibrinogen → clots harder to dissolve.

‘These results provide a deeper understanding of the connection between autoimmune disease and cardiovascular complications,’ says Professor Giacomo Emmi, who teaches at the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences of the University of Trieste and is Head of the Clinical Medicine Unit and Scientific Coordinator of the local health authority (ASUGI).

‘Oxidative stress,’ explains Emmi, ‘emerges as a new potential therapeutic target. Alongside the management of traditional risk factors and disease activity, future therapies could aim to modulate these oxidative circuits to more effectively protect the heart and blood vessels of patients with lupus.’

Reference: ROS-induced modifications of fibrin clots connect immune responses to atherothrombosis in systemic lupus erythematosus, in Arthritis & Rheumatology. DOI: 10.1002/art.43371.

On 10th October, the University of Trieste joins the World Mental Health Day, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH). The 2025 edition focuses on mental health in humanitarian emergencies and, in particular, on access to services for people affected by crises and disasters.

According to the latest WHO data, almost one in seven people worldwide (around 1.1 billion) live with a mental disorder. Anxiety and depression are among the most common diagnoses. Despite the existence of effective prevention and treatment interventions, many people still do not receive adequate support and face stigma and discrimination. In this context, the University of Trieste reaffirms its commitment to promoting awareness, equitable access and early prevention.

The University’s contribution
To mark the Day, on Thursday 10th October in Pordenone, the Regional Congress of the Italian Society of Psychiatry – Friuli Venezia Giulia Section (SIP) will take place, focusing on the relationship between mental illness and addiction. The University of Trieste will be represented by Umberto Albert, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Head of the Psychiatric Clinic of the local health authority ASUGI, and regional president of SIP.

‘The frequent comorbidity between psychiatric disorders and addiction is of growing importance, particularly among young people,’ explains Albert, who teaches in the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences. ‘The onset of psychiatric disorders, their clinical presentation and treatment outcomes can be profoundly influenced by substance use, including new psychoactive substances. For this reason, mental health and addiction professionals are called to adopt integrated and coordinated care models based on the concept of dual diagnosis, thereby overcoming the traditional separation between pathways and services.’

The University of Trieste hosted the presentation of the results of 3FiRES – Research on BIPV Photovoltaic Façades for Fire Spread Mechanisms, Structural Failures and Resilience Improvement Methodologies, a project carried out by the University of Trieste in partnership with the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).

3FiRES is one of ten major projects selected under the Executive Programme of Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Italy and China, a bilateral initiative co‑funded by MAECI and MOST.

The two‑year collaboration, with total funding of €500,000, was coordinated by Prof. Chiara Bedon (UniTS) and Prof. Yu Wang (USTC).

Within the thematic area “Green Energy and related research”, 3FiRES investigated—through analytical, numerical and experimental methods—the behaviour of Building‑Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) façades subjected to extreme and accidental actions, in particular fire. These innovative electricity‑generating systems make a significant contribution to the sustainability of green buildings while being required to guarantee appropriate structural and architectural performance even under limiting conditions.

At the University of Trieste, the study brought together a multidisciplinary team from the Department of Engineering and Architecture (DIA), combining civil, electrical and architectural engineering expertise, with the involvement of Alessandro Massi Pavan, Vanni Lughi, Luca Cozzarini, Marco Fasan, and Adriano Venudo, alongside several early‑career researchers.

The activities included extensive experimental campaigns conducted in the DIA laboratories in Trieste and—above all—at the State Key Laboratory of Fire Science (USTC) in Hefei and the Fire Laboratory of the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG) in Logatec. The datasets enabled the development and refinement of finite‑element modelling strategies.

The results have been disseminated through numerous publications in leading international journals and presentations at major conferences, as well as two volumes published by EUT – Trieste University Press. A key outcome is a patent filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and granted in April 2025.

The patent concerns the prototyping of a device and experimental method for the fire testing of integrated photovoltaic glass panels, allowing multiple test parameters to be varied. Intellectual property is held by the following researchers: Prof. Yu Wang, Dr Haonan Chen, Dr Dezhi Ran, Dr Wei Chu, and Prof. Chiara Bedon.

Initial applications and results underlying the patent have been published in the International Journal of Thermal Sciences.

Studying for a Master’s degree at the University of Trieste has a highly positive impact on employability and career prospects. Analyses by the Talents Venture Observatory based on AlmaLaurea 2024/2025 data, published by Il Sole 24 Ore, show that UniTS graduates achieve employment rates that place the Trieste university among the national leaders.

These results stem from a combination of a constantly updated second-level course catalogue (two-year master’s degrees and five/six-year integrated master’s degrees) designed to meet the needs and developments of the professional world, and a placement system that guides and prepares students and recent graduates for entering the job market.

What counts, therefore, is not only the field of study but also the university where the qualification is obtained: for the same course, employment rate differences between universities can exceed 50-60 percentage points.

Five podiums, four first places
In the rankings by disciplinary area, UniTS ranks first in the economics area (master’s) with a 96% employment rate, first in the medical-health and pharmaceutical group (integrated master’s) with 95.6%, and first in Architecture and Civil Engineering for both master’s degrees and integrated master’s degrees, in both cases reaching 100% (national ex aequo). Completing the picture is second place in Law (integrated master’s degree) with 78.8%, just behind the top position.

These results cover professional fields that are crucial for development and innovation, ranging from technical-engineering and medical-healthcare areas to economics and law.

A university oriented towards the job market
Over the years, the University has consolidated a structured placement system coordinated by the University Career Service, which organises job@UniTS, the annual Career Day that hosts over 50 companies and involves around 700 students and recent graduates, confirming itself as a key meeting point between labour supply and demand.

The range of student services also includes placement workshops dedicated to CV writing, job interview simulation and soft-skills development, as well as the promotion of curricular internships, the activation of post-graduate placements, recruiting days with leading international companies, targeted employability projects and an Alumni network linking graduates with businesses and institutions.

The goal is to reduce the time required to enter the job market and to consolidate stable relationships with the productive sector. AlmaLaurea data also confirm salaries above the national average, with positive progression after five years.

Entrepreneurship and an innovation culture
Alongside placement initiatives, UniTS has developed an entrepreneurship pathway through the Innovators Community Lab (ICLab), which combines role-modelling, mentoring, company visits and project work to link academic skills with business culture and provide students with further professional development opportunities.

A constantly updated course offering
In the 2025/2026 academic year, UniTS continues to update its second-level course catalogue with an international and professional focus. Enrolment is now open for three new master’s degrees – Applied Social and Cognitive Psychology (non-clinical profiles, qualifying degree), Rehabilitation Sciences of Healthcare Professions (tele-rehabilitation, AI, robotics, sustainability) and PoSIG – Joint Master’s Degree in Political Science – Integration & Governance (taught in English, based in Gorizia, joint degree) – along with the Bachelor’s Degree in Earth Sciences for Sustainable Development (taught in English, focusing on geo-resources and geological risk).

The University of Trieste wishes to align itself with the position of CoPER – the Council of Presidents of Public Research Bodies – which in a statement ‘shares the feelings of horror, pain, indignation and anguish at the dramatic humanitarian crisis that the Palestinian population is suffering as a result of the military actions undertaken by the Israeli Government in the Gaza Strip. The brutal terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on 7th October 2023 cannot in any way justify what is being inflicted on Palestinian civilians, victims of continuous attacks, bombings and famine.

It condemns the actions that have caused, and continue to cause, thousands of civilian casualties, including a very high number of children. It also condemns the obstacles to the delivery of aid, in clear violation of international humanitarian law, and the destruction of essential civilian infrastructure. A tragedy for which the International Court of Justice has declared the risk of violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide – a position confirmed by a special United Nations commission which concluded that Israel’s war practices in Gaza ‘bear the characteristic elements of genocide’.

In these dramatic days, UniTS also recalls that its actions are inspired by respect for constitutional principles, with specific reference to Article 11 of the Italian Constitution, which states that ‘Italy repudiates war as an instrument of aggression against the freedom of other peoples and as a means of resolving international disputes’; and Article 33, which affirms that ‘the arts and sciences are free, and free is their teaching’, thereby forcefully asserting the value of freedom of research; as well as to the values enshrined in its Statute and in its Code of Ethics.

The UniTS community shares and makes its own the concern and distress of the entire italian academic community regarding all the wars currently underway in the world, with particular reference to the crisis in Gaza, expressing its sorrow for the immense suffering inflicted on the civilian populations involved.

In a groundbreaking achievement, researchers from CNR – Istituto Officina dei Materiali (CNR-IOM), the University of Trieste, Italy, and Innsbruck, Austria, and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste have successfully synthesized a novel two-dimensional crystalline form of diboron trioxide. This new crystal, composed entirely of structural units previously seen only in its disordered, glassy state, marks a significant scientific milestone. Published in the prestigious journal Science, the study confirms the existence of a structure previously predicted only in theory, and opening exciting possibilities for future applications of this innovative material.

Boron oxide is a critical component in the production of ultra-durable glasses, such as Pyrex, and high-performance enamels. The addition of boron trioxide enhances glass’s resistance to thermal shock and chemical reactions, making it ideal for demanding industrial and scientific applications. However, the vitrification process of boron oxide remains poorly understood, exhibiting unique anomalies compared to other oxides, like silica, which can exist in both crystalline and amorphous forms.

“The key distinction between a crystal and a glass lies in the ordered arrangement of atoms in the former, which is absent in the latter,” explains Alessandro Sala, a CNR-IOM researcher and the project’s lead designer. “Both materials typically share a basic structural unit of a few atoms, repeated throughout. In crystals, this “building block” is arranged in a precise, repeating pattern, while in glass, it is disordered. Boron oxide is an exception: its glassy phase contains a structural unit called boroxine – a ring of three boron and three oxygen atoms – that have never been observed in a crystalline form until now. Our team has achieved a world-first by creating a two-dimensional crystalline phase made entirely of these boroxine units.”

The international research team not only devised a method to synthesize this material, using platinum as a substrate, but also conducted detailed analyses of its physical properties. Maria Peressi, a professor at the University of Trieste, elaborates: “Our numerical simulations reveal that this porous material, formed by a lattice of boroxine rings, is extraordinary flexible – ten times more elastic than graphene, making it the most elastic single-layer material ever reported. This remarkable flexibility arises because the rigid boroxine rings are connected by a single oxygen atom, acting as a hinge that allows them to rotate in the plane. Experimental and simulation results also show that the material interacts weakly with its platinum substrate, suggesting it could be easily separated using conventional techniques for using in cutting-edge devices.”

Laerte Patera, a professor of University of Innsbruck, adds: “using advanced scanning tunneling microscopy in Trieste and Innsbruck, we visualized the crystalline structure of this two-dimensional material down to its individual atoms. This unprecedented resolution enables us to pinpoint the position of each atom in the lattice, offering valuable insights into how atoms reorganize during the transition from crystalline to glassy states. This capability will be transformative for future studies of material transformations.”

Andrea Locatelli, head of the Nanospectroscopy beamline at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, emphasizes the mix of advanced technology: “Synchrotron light was instrumental in confirming the material’s elemental composition, purity and crystallinity. We can now produce homogeneous crystals spanning tens of square microns. The synergy between experimental techniques and numerical simulations was pivotal to this project’s success. With its unique properties – a wide-bandgap semiconductor that is both highly flexible and porous – this material holds immense potential for application in fields ranging from electronics and catalysis to quantum technologies.”

Adding to the significance of this achievement, the study’s first authors, Teresa Zio and Marco Dirindin, are PhD students from the University of Trieste, specializing in experimental and theoretical research, respectively. Their contribution highlights the University’s commitment to fostering excellence in advanced research training. 

The 14th edition of Trieste Next opened today, Friday 26th September, dedicated to the theme ‘Life Within. Dialogues between Science and Technology.’ The University of Trieste is a central player in the festival, with a programme designed for the general public: from today until Sunday 28th September, UniTS will organise 18 events (six today, nine on Saturday, and three on Sunday), featuring more than fifty speakers, alongside the UniTS stand in Piazza Unità with ten interactive spaces and the ‘UniDiversitas’ information point.

Two international headline events are on the programme: David Quammen this evening at Teatro Verdi, and Nobel Laureate Brian K. Kobilka tomorrow evening on the same stage.

In the opening panel, Rector Donata Vianelli, taking part in her first Trieste Next as head of UniTS, reaffirmed the importance of a systemic and open approach:
 ‘Innovation does not come from individuals alone; it comes from the system – universities, institutions and businesses working together in open networks, with multidisciplinarity and both national and international openness. Only in this way does research stop being self-referential and translate into real solutions for the territory and for society.’

The first day’s programme includes events on cities in transition and inclusive tourism, followed by sessions on nuclear fusion and safety in research. In the evening, the stage will host the performance ‘Storie dentro’ and the encounter with David Quammen at Teatro Verdi.

On Saturday 27th September, the schedule covers generative artificial intelligence and algorithmic transparency, energy between myths and realities, dialogue between African traditional medicine and research, advanced microscopy (All-Micro), the ‘environmental plate’ (an interdisciplinary round table that, starting from the leftovers of a dinner, brings together statistics, economics, psychology, viticulture and Slow Food to balance taste, sustainability and health), glaciers and life between science and mountaineering, through to space robotics, culminating in the special evening event with Brian K. Kobilka at Teatro Verdi.

Sunday 28th September will close the programme with sessions on community justice, neuroscience and music, and ‘care-based tourism.’

At its stand in Piazza Unità, UniTS presents a showcase reflecting the breadth of its expertise: from journeys into space with ASTREO to quantum science; from health – with a focus on chronic pain and digital rehabilitation – to restorative justice; from comparative law to marine sciences and geosciences; from ‘Rogue AI’ (distinguishing safe from deceptive generative AI) to the chemistry of future materials; and from merit and community with Collegio Fonda to the UniDiversitas information point.

In this light, Trieste Next is the ideal environment for the University of Trieste to put this approach into practice:
 ‘Trieste Next is our ideal training ground: three days of dialogue and debate to analyse problems from different perspectives and build shared solutions. A research festival that is also a multicultural and multidisciplinary crossroads, where each participant contributes an essential part to improving people’s lives and our future,’ concluded Rector Vianelli.

All UniTS events

Federico Rosei, professor of Industrial Chemistry at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Trieste, recently elected Member of the Italian Academy of Engineering and Technology, has been elected Foreign Member of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering - ATSE.

The election of prof. Rosei recognises his pioneering contribution in the field of nanomaterials and his international leadership in research, innovation and training of young people. The ATSE Class of 2025 brings together 35 leading scientists and engineers who represent the cutting edge of technological progress and applied sciences worldwide. Among them, Federico Rosei is the only Foreign Member.

This recognition by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering further highlights prof. Rosei's achievements as a world-renowned scientist.

The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) is an independent academy founded in Melbourne that brings together over 900 of Australia's leading engineers, technologists and scientists.

On the night of 22nd September, UniTS will turn off the lights on its façade to firmly condemn all ongoing wars.

At a time when the role of universities as builders of peace and bridges of collaboration between peoples is under threat, the University wishes to reaffirm the strategic importance of the free sharing of knowledge in improving international relations and addressing global challenges.

The statue of Minerva beside the grand staircase in Piazzale Europa – a symbol of knowledge – will remain in darkness tonight, not only to highlight this concern but also to express mourning for the victims of the conflicts underway.

On 21st September, the 32nd World Alzheimer’s Day will be observed. In Italy, more than 600,000 people live with the disease, a number that ISTAT estimates will exceed two million by 2030.

The University of Trieste is taking part in the 2025 campaign promoted by Alzheimer’s Disease International: ‘Ask About Dementia. Ask About Alzheimer’s.’ On Sunday 21st September 2025, the façade of Building A will be illuminated in purple, the colour of the forget-me-not, the flower symbol of the disease.

‘In the field of applied clinical research,’ recalls Paolo Manganotti, professor of Neurology at the University of Trieste and Director of the Neurology Clinic at the local healthcare provider ASUGI, ‘the frontier is represented by the forthcoming availability of monoclonal antibodies, which appear to slow the progression of the disease, and by new forms of brain neuromodulation. These minimally invasive approaches modify the activity of neurons and neural circuits with the aim of correcting abnormal signals and treating neurological and psychiatric disorders.’

To mark the occasion, the Italian Alzheimer’s Federation has presented the World Alzheimer Report 2025, drafted by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI). The document highlights rehabilitation as an effective and sustainable intervention, in line with new guidelines from the Italian National Institute of Health, and calls attention to two priorities: the provision of accessible telerehabilitation services throughout the country and the training of rehabilitation therapists, both of which are essential to improving the quality of life of people with dementia and their caregivers.

World Alzheimer’s Day offers an opportunity for the academic community to express solidarity and closeness to people with dementia, to their families and to

their caregivers, whose contribution remains invaluable and irreplaceable in ensuring continuity of care.

Across its institutional channels, UniTS will use the hashtags #AskAboutDementia and #AskAboutAlzheimers to connect with the international campaign and guide the public towards reliable information.