Universita Degli Studi Di Firenze

Short Name: UNIFI

Country: IT

Website: www.unifi.it

Organization description:

Scientific research is one of the strengths of the University of Florence. The research projects are supported by external funding (EC and public funds, as well as private sponsorships) besides state funding from the Ministry of University and Research (MIUR), which accounts for one-tenth of the total. The University of Florence is one of the most active Italian universities in term of projects and related grants within the Technology Research and Development Framework of the European Union. Applied research is another aspect of the activities. It is carried out predominantly in cooperation with the industry, through individual agreements signed with the various Departments, mainly for industrial research as well as biomedical, technological and natural science experimentation. The University of Florence works together with the National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) according to a framework agreement for common research programs.

Expertise:

The UNIFI team brings expertise in molecular and cellular biology applied to the oncology field with specific interest in the molecular analysis of the Liquid Biopsy (Circulating Tumor Cells and circulating cell-free nucleic acids), pharmacogenetics and pre-analytical phase for in vitro diagnostics in blood and other body fluids.

Facilities:

Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) (Sequencing Detection System 7900, Rotorgene Q); Sanger Sequencing (AB 310) and NGS (Ion S5); MassARRAY® (Sequenom® Inc); automatic DNA/RNA extraction (QIAcube and QIAymphony from Qiagen); Immunoassays (full automation); Laser Microdissection (PALM); Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer (a microfluidics-based platform for the analysis of DNA, RNA, proteins and cells.

Facilities for CTC isolation and enrichment: filtration-based technologies for Circulating Tumour Cells (CTC) and Circulating Tumour microemboli (CTM) (Rare Cells; Screen Cell Immunomagnetic- based technology (Adnagen); Dielectrophoretic method for CTC sorting (DEPArray, Silicon Biosystem).

Other European projects:

  • PUSH2001
  • EQUAL
  • SPIDIA
  • SPIDIA4P

Role in the project:

UNIFI will contribute to

  • Creation of specific calls for tenders
  • Definition of the functional specifications and assessment criteria for the PCP
  • PCP launch
  • the design of the new innovative NGS modules, specific modules to be adjusted and full integrated NGS workflow
  • the design and development of NGS EQA
  • testing of the new developed NGS module
  • the comparison of the new modules with Ion S5 platform

 

Key personnel:

 

Prof Pamela Pinzani

Prof Pamela Pinzani, (Female) Associate Professor, Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy.

Pamela Pinzani is a molecular biologist involved in cancer research with a focus on circulating tumor

cells (CTCs), also at the single cell level, and cell-free DNA in a variety of tumors.

She is an expert of pre-analytical procedures for in vitro diagnostics for blood and other body fluids and participates to the CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) /TC140 In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices WG3: Quality management in the medical laboratory.

Her scientific work is presented in more than 100 scientific papers.

She also contributed to the development of new European and ISO standards and norms for pre- analytical processing of blood samples for molecular testing (DNA, RNA cell free DNA) and she is currently involved in the development of European standards on Circulating Tumor Cells molecular in vitro diagnostic pre-examination for isolated DNA, RNA and staining.

Prof Pamela Pinzani is a chief of a scientific group at University of Florence focused on the analysis of liquid biopsy (CTCs, cell free nucleic acids), on pharmacogenetics and on pre-analytical and analytical standardisation.

Prof. Mario Pazzagli

Prof. Mario Pazzagli, Adjunct Professor at the Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy

 

Main publications and awards:

Publications:

Oncotarget. 2017; 8:65525-65533

Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18. pii: E1350

Oncotarget. 2016;7:26107-19

Front Mol Biosci. 2016;2:76

Mol Oncol. 2015;9:749-57

Cancers (Basel). 2014;6:323-32

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;98:3731-8

PLoS One. 2012;7:e49843

Clin Chim Acta. 2011;412:2141-5

Clin Chim Acta. 2010;411:1319-24

Hum Pathol. 2006;37:711-8.

Standards:

Pamela Pinzani co-authored

ISO 20186-1, Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre-examination processes for venous whole blood – Part 1: Isolated cellular RNA

ISO 20186-2, Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre-examination processes for venous whole blood – Part 2: Isolated genomic DNA

ISO 20186-3, Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre-examination processes for venous whole blood – Part 2: Isolated cell free DNA

CEN/TS 16835-1:2015 (WI=00140092) Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre-examination processes for venous whole blood – Part 1: Isolated cellular RNA                                       published CEN/TS 16835-2:2015 (WI=00140096) Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre-examination processes for venous whole blood – Part 2: Isolated genomic DNA                                                              published CEN/TS 16835-3:2015 (WI=00140091) Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre-examination processes for venous whole blood – Part 3: Isolated circulating cell free DNA from plasma               published CEN/TS 17305 (WI=00140116) Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre- examination processes for saliva – Isolated DNA

CEN/TS 140 (WI=00140123) Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre-

examination processes for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in venous whole blood – Part 1: Isolated

RNA

CEN/TS 140 (WI=00140125) Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre- examination processes for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in venous whole blood – Part 2: Isolated DNA.

CEN/TS 140 (WI=00140124) Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations – Specifications for pre-

examination processes for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in venous whole blood – Part 3: Preparations for analytical CTC staining