The University of Trento is a research-intensive institution consistently ranked among the most dynamic universities in Italy, with a strong track record of collaboration with industry, startups, and innovation ecosystems. Its infrastructure supports advanced experimental work across multiple disciplines, making it a natural environment for bridging laboratory research and applied technology development.
Within BRIGHTIR, UNITN will serve as the primary site for sensor validation, leveraging its facilities and expertise to test the technology in relevant real-world conditions.
The experimental work will be led by the Laboratory of Miniaturized Sensing and Biochemical Monitoring, headed by Prof. Silvia Holler, whose research focuses on compact sensing systems and non-invasive biochemical analysis, a profile that aligns directly with the goals of BRIGHTIR's sensor testing phase. This work will be supported by the collaboration with the Laboratory of Artificial Biology, led by Prof. Martin Hanczyc
Silvia Holler
Silvia Holler is a PI in the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology at the University of Trento. She received her PhD in 2018 and has since built her research career at the intersection of analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and biomedical sensing. She leads the Laboratory of Miniaturized Sensing and Biochemical Monitoring at the University of Trento, where her group focuses on the validation and application of compact sensing technologies for the detection of clinically and biologically relevant molecules — working in close collaboration with engineering, photonics, and clinical partners to ensure that emerging platforms are assessed against real-world performance criteria.
Throughout her career, she has been consistently involved in ambitious European research initiatives. She currently serves as Scientific Coordinator of OMICSENS, an EIC Pathfinder project developing miniaturized nano-photonic platforms for lung cancer biomarker detection, and the project from which BRIGHTIR directly originates.
Martin Hanczyc
Martin Hanczyc is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology at the University of Trento, Italy and a Research Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque USA. He formally was an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, Chief Chemist at ProtoLife and Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark. He received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Pennsylvania State University, a doctorate in Genetics from Yale University and was a postdoctorate fellow under Jack Szostak at Harvard University. He has published in the area of droplets, complex systems, evolution and the origin of life. Currently he heads the Laboratory for Artificial Biology, developing novel synthetic chemical systems based on the properties of living systems. He recently coordinated an EU project on artificial cells (ACDC) and an ERAMSUS project on Art and Science education (ABRAx). Martin is now coordinating the OMICSENS and the Bio-HhOST EIC Pathfinder projects.
