Professor Luisa De Cola
Winner: 2024 Centenary Prize for Chemistry and Communication
Università degli Studi di Milano
For innovative studies on how photophysically active materials and nanostructures may be fabricated for deployment within active biological systems targeting future healthcare solutions, and for excellence in communication.
Celebrate Professor Luisa De Cola
My enthusiasm is definitely in the search of something that can one day save lives and improve the way we live and die.
Professor De Cola’s research lies at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine with the aim of finding new therapies, detecting pathogens quickly, and investigating processes activated by the aggregation of small molecules.
The De Cola research group is developing tiny (nano) containers to transport and release drugs and biomolecules in specific organs and eventually in tumours. These containers appear to break down in the body without leaving any harmful toxins behind. In some cases, the containers even act as a drug, eliminating the need for conventional drugs. This approach has the potential to kill cancer cells regardless of the type of tumour.
The group is also working on the diagnosis of diseases caused by pathogens by developing luminescent nanostructures to detect bacteria and viruses with exceptional sensitivity. For example, they can capture a single bacterium and light up the hundreds of light-emitting molecules around it. This ‘signal amplification’ allows for accurate diagnoses using simple, quick and cheap sensors.
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