Elettra Highlights 2024–2025 172 Figure 2. Drinking vessel in shape of Bes head; El-Fayūm Oasis, Egypt; Ptolemaic-Roman period (4th century BCE −3rd century CE), (courtesy of the Tampa Museum of Art, Florida – picture adapted from Tanasi et al., 2024). 2. Multianalytical investigation reveals psychotropic substances in a ptolemaic Egyptian vase, D. Tanasi, B.F. van Oppen de Ruiter, F. Florian, R. Pavlovic, L.M. Chiesa, I. Fochi, C. Stani, L. Vaccari, D. Chaput, G. Samorini, A. Pallavicini, S. Semeraro, A.S. Gaetano, S. Licen, P. Barbieri, E. Greco, Scientific Reports, 2024, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78721-8 Facts & Figures Figure 1. The lipid nanoparticles, after incorporating DNA, are engineered and coated with an outer layer, which allows to evade the immune system. Credits: NanoDelivery Lab. 1. Structuring lipid nanoparticles, DNA, and protein corona into stealth bionanoarchitectures for in vivo gene delivery, Renzi S., Digiacomo L., Pozzi D., Quagliarini E., Vulpis E., Giuli M.V., Mancusi A., Natiello B., Pignataro M.G., Canettieri G., Di Magno L., Pesce L., De Lorenzi V., Ghignoli S., Loconte L., Montone C.M., Capriotti A.L., Laganà A., Nicoletti C., Amenitsch H., Rossi M., Mura F., Parisi G., Cardarelli F., Zingoni A., Checquolo S., Caracciolo G., Nature Communications, 2024, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53569-8 CERIC Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium OPEN ACCESS Between the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025, CERIC published two calls for proposals for access to the instruments and techniques available in its offer. Research groups from 35 countries submitted 280 applications, equivalent to 361 single-instrument proposals. 181 proposals from 28 countries were allocated instrument time to 230 single-instruments. Below is a selection of papers published by CERIC users in 2024-2025: CERIC users developed and studied nanoparticles with incapsulated large DNA molecules, and further engineered and coated with a biomolecular crown made of DNA and plasma proteins: following this modification, lipid nanoparticles became a true biological nano-architecture capable of evading the immune system, increasing the effectiveness of gene therapy, and providing tools for the fight against cancer and other diseases that are difficult to treat with the methods currently used in clinical practice. State-of-the-art analytical techniques make it possible to uncover details invisible to the naked eye in archaeological artefacts, revealing practices from the past, such as the ritual use of psychotropic substances in ancient Ptolemaic Egypt. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, researchers analysed the content of a ritual vase, dating back over 2,000 years, showing the use of psychotropic substances of plant origin, as well as fermented liquids, honey or royal jelly and human fluids, such as blood and mucous membrane proteins. This information opens a window on hitherto unexplored cultural procedures from the ancient past. CERIC-ERIC (in the following, CERIC) integrates and provides open access to some of the most advanced analytical facilities in Europe to help science and industry advance in all fields of materials, biomaterials and nanotechnology, with a focus on energy materials and life sciences. It enables the delivery of innovative solutions to societal challenges in the fields of energy, health, food, cultural heritage and more. The Consortium is an ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium) - a distributed research infrastructure based on Council Regulation 723/2009. Its statutory seat is in Italy and is hosted by Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste. In addition to Italy, CERIC’s members include Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. Other associated facilities are located in France and the Netherlands.
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