October 28th, 2015 – “I am very pleased with the results from this work and the participation in the conference will be an excellent opportunity to discuss with nanotechnology experts how to enhance our technique, using highly innovative piezoelectric materials,” comments Attilio Marino, the only Italian to have won a student “Travel Award”, to participate in one of the world’s most prestigious scientific conferences in the field of nanoscience, “Nano today 2015”. The event is scheduled in December in the UAE. Attilio Marino is a doctoral student in Biorobotics at the Sant’Anna School of Pisa and at the center of Microbiorobotica at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Pontedera. Marino will present the latest developments in non-invasive neural stimulation technology, based on ultrasound and piezoelectric nanomaterials, able to transform mechanical energy into electrical energy. The research is coordinated by Professor Gianni Ciofani and is the result of an international collaboration with researchers from Waseda University in Singapore. The research carried out in Pontedera could pave the way towards a new “wireless” and non-invasive neural stimulation, ie without electrodes attached to the patient, to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, and open new perspectives to cure deafness and to stimulate the muscles, including the heart. Early research gave very promising results, and more recent updates will be presented in Dubai during the course of the conference. (Gil)
