This research group is part of Health Science Department, Medicine and Surgery School, University of Milano-Bicocca, located in Monza. Group skills concern:

• Assessment in in-vivo and in-vitro particulate matter toxicity,in particular respiratory, cardiovascular and central nervous system toxicity; PM impact on physical and chemical properties of plasma membrane and lipid metabolism;
• Assessment of biocompatibility, uptake, intracellular trafficking and impact of “engineered nanoparticles” (NP) in cells and tissues;
• Assessment of engineered nanoparticles and ultrafine particulate matter translocation pathways from the lungs to extra-pulmonary organs and brain;
• In-vivo NP bio-distribution and pharmacokinetics studies;
• NP permeability studies in in-vitro models of blood-brain barrier

The Unit has different facilities:

– laboratory animal facility (wild type and transgenic);

– radiochemistry facility.

Moreover, biochemistry group is equipped with:

MicroSprayer® Aerosolizer- Model IA-1C FMJ-250 High Pressure Syringe (Penn Century, USA); ImageQuant LAS4000 (GE); Ultracentrifuge Optima L90K (Beckman Coulter); Spectrophotometer JASCO V-530 UV-VIS; Beta-Imager 2000Z (Biospace); Fluorimeter Cary Eclipse (VARIAN); Confocal microscope LSM-710 (Zeiss).