Core Facilities are centralized research infrastructures within universities or research centers that provide access to advanced instrumentation, technologies, services, consulting, and other forms of scientific support. While primarily serving researchers from the host institutions, they are also accessible to external users through a dedicated booking system and a specific fee structure.

NICo (Italian Core Facilities Network) is the first Italian Network of Core Facilities; its goal is to establish a national network of shared infrastructures by fostering scientific and technological synergies, developing common management practices, and facilitating joint participation in research projects and funding initiatives.

Local Scientific and Organizing Committee

• Prof. Alessandro Cama, Dept. of Pharmacy
• Prof. Paola Lanuti, Dept. of DMSI
• Prof. Piero Chiacchiaretta, Dept. of DTIMO
• Prof. Piero Del Boccio, Dept. of Sciences
• Prof. Serena Veschi, Dept. of Pharmacy
• Prof. Laura De Lellis, Dept. of Pharmacy
• Dr. Rosalba Florio, Dept. of Pharmacy
• Dr. Anna Piro, Dept. of Pharmacy
• Prof. Federica Flamminii, Dept. of DTIMO
• Dr. Maria Concetta Cufaro, Dept. of DTIMO
• Dr. Francesca D’Ascanio, Dept. of DMSI

The poster session will highlight methodological and technological innovations supporting the continuum from fundamental discovery to translational and biomedical applications. Contributions should showcase advanced approaches, enabling technologies, integrated platforms, and innovative solutions that strengthen research capabilities and promote scientific excellence in the life sciences.

A maximum of 50 abstracts will be selected, evaluated based on scientific quality, relevance to the session theme, degree of innovation, and potential translational impact.

Institutions within the partnership are guaranteed a dedicated poster slot, provided a compliant abstract is submitted by the deadline. Remaining slots will be allocated based on the evaluation process to ensure broad representation of emerging methodologies and technologies across participating institutions and research sectors.

The session aims to foster knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary interaction, and the consolidation of a collaborative research ecosystem linking scientific discovery to its applications.

MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS: 100 cm (height) x 70 cm (width)

Deadline: July 19, 2026

Attendee Registration 

Alessandro Cama e Paola Lanuti, Delegati dell’Università “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti–Pescara nel CTS della Rete NICo

Liborio Stuppia, Magnifico Rettore dell’Università "G. d'Annunzio” Chieti – Pescara

Vincenzo De Laurenzi, Direttore del CAST - Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (Università "G. d'Annunzio” Chieti – Pescara)

Valentina Adami, Network Italiano delle Core Facilities NICo (Università di Trento)

Óscar Fornas (Centre for Genomic Regulation and Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain)

(Chairs: Paola Lanuti, Davide Brocco, Rebecca Piccarducci)

10:00- 10:15 EVIta society: Fostering Collaboration, Education, and Innovation in Extracellular Vesicle Research - Ilaria Giusti (University of l’Aquila)

10:15-10:30 Cell factories for scalable extracellular vesicle production in therapeutic applications – Mauro Di Ianni ("G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti – Pescara)

10:30-10:45 Extracellular vesicles derived from B7-H3 CAR-T cells: a promising strategy for Pancreatic cancer treatment - Anna Piro ("G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti – Pescara)

10:45-11:00 Biobanking Biofluids for EV Research: Towards Fitness for Purpose - Paola Gasperini (University of Trento)

11:00-11:15 Extracellular vesicle flow cytometry: calibration, assay design, and the dilution paradox - Joyce Rops (Amsterdam University Medical Center)

11:15-11:30 Proceedings in EVs and nanoparticle research: bridging Isolation and Quantification methodologies with functional and super-resolved single-particle interactions - Simone Vumbaca (Sponsored by Crisel Instrument)

(Sponsored by Scuola di Specializzazione in Patologia Clinica e Biochimica Clinica, "G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti – Pescara) and Sponsor Exhibition 

(Chairs: Maria Foti, Pasquale De Luca)

12:00-12:15 Multi OMICS investigations: pitfalls and opportunities for clinical research facilities -Andrea Urbani (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart)

12:15-12:30 Multimodal data analysis integration: from environment to health - Piero Chiacchiaretta ("G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti – Pescara)

12:30-12:45 Integrated Proteomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Dried Blood Spots in inherited rare Diseases - Ilaria Cicalini ("G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti – Pescara)

12:45-13:00 Three Visions, One Cell: Challenges and Successes of an Integrated FACS-HTS-NGS Facility Mode - Veronica De Sanctis/Alessandro Mattè (University of Trento) 

13:00-13:15 Droplet Digital PCR: Accuracy, Sensitivity, and Absolute Quantification to meet the most complex analytical needs across various application fields - Eugenia Pisano (Sponsored by BIORAD)

LUNCH/POSTER SESSION

(Chairs: Samantha Solito, Óscar Fornas)

14:30-14:45 Meeting Research Needs: Imaging and Spectral Flow Cytometry in Core Facilities - Silvia Bombelli (Human Technopole Foundation) (Sponsored by Aurogene/Cytek)

14:45-15:00 From blood to tears: high-dimensional immune profiling with CytoFLEX mosaic - Nicola Tumino (IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital) (Sponsored by Beckman Coulter)

15:00-15:15 Advancing Flow Cytometry Through Integrated Imaging: From Technology to Real World Applications - Benoit Vincart/Francesca D’Ascanio (European Scientific and Training Support, Waters Biosciences, EMEA, Belgium) / ("G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti – Pescara) (Sponsored by BD)

 with William Telford (National Institutes of Health, NIH) 

(Chairs: Simone Capaccioli, Piero Chiacchiaretta, Manuela Ferracin)

16:15-16:30 Next-Generation Metabolic Profiling: Dissecting Mitochondrial Activity Through Integrated Functional Platforms – Alessio Menga (University of Eastern Piedmont)

16:30-16:45 AI-driven 3D X-ray Microscopy for Multidisciplinary Research - Angelica Accorinti (Polytechnic University of Turin) (Sponsored by ZEISS)

16:45-17:00 Latest news from the volume EM world: a new era in the Life Science - Paolo Ferraina (Sponsored by JEOL)

17:00-17:15 Data, compute, trust: a new infrastructure model for core facilities - Stefano Diciotti (University of Bologna)

(Óscar Fornas, Joshua Welsh, Daniele Manganaro, Benoît Vincart, Florian Kern, Paola Lanuti, Davide Brocco, Isabella Pesce)

17:30-18:30 Poster session - Prize Prof. Agostino Consoli

Transfer for Chiusa Grande 

Parking Area:
Via Pescara, 94
Chieti

Prof. Agostino Consoli Award 
Brief presentation of the selected posters 
Prizes sponsored by Casale Paradiso

Chair: Valentina Adami (University of Trento)

9:30–9:45 NGS – Transcriptomics, Riccardo Scandino (University of Trento) 
9:45–10:00 MS – Proteomics, Piero del Boccio (G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara) 
10:00–10:15 Fluorescence Microscopy, Amanda Oldani (University of Pavia) 
10:15–10:30 Flow Cytometry – EVs, Isabella Pesce (University of Trento) 
10:30–10:45 Data Management – Michele Alderighi (University of Pisa)

COFFE BREAK 

Samantha Solito (University of Pavia)

(Moderators: Gerardo D’Errico, Veronica De Sanctis, Simone Capaccioli) 
 

Speakers: 
•    CRUI Delegate for Research, Rector of the “G. d’Annunzio” University, Prof. Liborio Stuppia 
•    CRUI Delegate for Research, Rector of the University of Eastern Piedmont, Prof. Menico Rizzi 
•    Coordinator of Human Technopole National Platforms, Prof. Eugenio Fava 
•    Director of BBMRI.it, University of Milano-Bicocca, Prof. Marialuisa Lavitrano 
•    Head of Office III, Directorate General of MUR, Dr. Michele Mazzola 
•    President of ARAN, Dr. Antonio Naddeo 
•    Director of the UdA-BIOBANK biobank, Prof. Assunta Pandolfi

 LUNCH

Technical Committee (CTS) NICo