Giulia Bastianello (IGM-CNR) Awarded the Maga Prize
| During the Annual Conference of the CNR Department of Biomedical Sciences, the Giovanni Maga Prize—a distinction dedicated to young researchers who have distinguished themselves through the quality and originality of their scientific contributions in the research areas pertaining to the Department- was awarded. The initiative aims to promote emerging talent and to support the development of new generations of scientists in the spirit of scientific excellence. The evaluation criteria included originality, international relevance, potential applications, and the overall quality of the candidates’ scientific curricula.
The 2026 Edition Winners In Memory of Giovanni Maga The Prize Awarded by IGM
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IGM GUEST SEMINAR SERIES: Mariano Barbieri, 01/16/2026
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
On January 16, 2026, at 02:30 PM, the seminar titled “Systematic in-silico reconstruction of altered genomic landscapes in cancer” will be held in the Falaschi Lecture Hall at the Institute of Molecular Genetics “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza” of the CNR in Pavia.
Speaker: Mariano Barbieri, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Pathology
University Medical Centre, Göttingen, Germany
Biography
Mariano Barbieri has a long-standing experience and publication record in the field of genome structure-to-function relationships. During his PhD in Fundamental and Applied Physics at Napoli University “Federico II” (2010–2013) and his post-doctoral period at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin (2013–2016), he applied tools from the Statistical Mechanics of Polymer Solutions to the study of chromatin–protein interactions with Prof. Mario Nicodemi (“Federico II”) and Prof. Ana Pombo (MDC & Humboldt University Berlin), in order to investigate the connection between genome spatio-temporal organization and transcription regulation in mESC and through differentiation (Barbieri et al. PNAS 2012; Barbieri et al. Nat Str & Mol Bio 2017).
Thanks to funding from the Berlin Institute of Health, their jointly experimental and computational approach provided one of the first mechanistic models of the formation of regulatory contacts in terms of spontaneous phase separation driven by chromatin’s epigenetic state (e.g. histone and RNAPolII post-translational modifications).
Since 2021, he has joined Prof. Argyris Papantonis’ team at the Pathology Department of the University Medical Centre in Goettingen (UMG), to continue the study of genome organization and dynamics from the perspective of aging, pathology, and cancer in human and patient-derived cells (Zhang et al. Nat Gen 2023; Xie et al. Nat Comm 2023; Karpinska et al. Nat Str & Mol Bio 2025).
In the period 2017–2020, he paused his academic career to experience the R&D industry environment, working as a Credit Risk Associate and Risk Analyst at Morgan Stanley Inc., where he applied the theory of stochastic processes to pricing projections of financial products. This experience also strengthened his attitude towards risk and project management (and had him married along the way).
Recently, he secured funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation (EKFS) for the study of the relationship between genome structural variants and altered cis-regulatory element interactions in cancer.
IGM GUEST SEMINAR SERIES: Giuseppe Antonacci, 12/11/2025
On December 11, 2025, at 12:00 PM, the seminar “Noncontact Brillouin Microscopy for 3D Biomechanical Imaging” will take place in the Falaschi Lecture Hall at the Institute of Molecular Genetics “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza” of the CNR in Pavia.
Speaker: Giuseppe Antonacci, Ph.D.
CEO and Scientific Director of Specto Photonics
Milan, Italy
BIO
Giuseppe Antonacci earned his PhD from Imperial College London in 2015 with a project titled Brillouin Scattering Microscopy for Mechanical Imaging. He later conducted research as a postdoc and PI at the Italian Institute of Technology, advancing optical methods for biomechanical imaging. He then joined Imec and Ghent University as a Project Leader of the EU pilot line PIXAPP, developing advanced integrated solutions for bio and gas sensing. Currently, he is CEO and Scientific Director of Specto Photonics.
IGM GUEST SEMINAR SERIES: Antonio Musio, 11/26/2025
On November 26, 2025, at 12:00 PM, the seminar titled “Transcriptomic Signatures and Readthrough Therapy Rescue in SMC1A-Related Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy” will be held in the Falaschi Lecture Hall at the Institute of Molecular Genetics “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza” of the CNR in Pavia.
Speaker: Antonio Musio, Ph.D.
Director of Research
Institute of Biomedical Technologies (ITB), Pisa
Biography
Dr. Antonio Musio received his degree in Biology from the University of Pisa, followed by a Ph.D. in Genetic Sciences from the University of Ferrara and a specialization in Human Cytogenetics from the University of Pavia. His research centers on the molecular functions of the cohesin complex, with a particular focus on SMC1A-related disorders such as Cornelia de Lange Syndrome and DEE85. He integrates transcriptomic, structural, and biochemical approaches to investigate how cohesin dysregulation contributes to altered gene expression, and disease pathogenesis. In addition to his work on rare neurodevelopmental syndromes, he explores the role of cohesin in genomic instability and tumorigenesis, aiming to uncover how cohesin mutations promote cancer development. He is deeply committed to translational research and international collaboration, contributing to the advancement of precision medicine. His work bridges fundamental biology and clinical relevance, offering insights into therapeutic strategies for both rare genetic diseases and cancer.
Giovanna Lattanzi Awarded the De Sanctis Prize for Research 2025
On October 23, 2025, at Sapienza University of Rome, Giovanna Lattanzi — Research Director and Head of the Bologna Branch of IGM-CNR — received the De Sanctis Prize for Research, established by the De Sanctis Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Universities and Research.
The prize celebrates Italian scientific excellence and featured eight outstanding researchers. Dr. Lattanzi was honored for her pivotal contribution to the study of laminopathies, a group of rare genetic diseases linked to mutations in nuclear membrane proteins. Her work has had a significant impact on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying conditions such as progeria, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, and familial partial lipodystrophy, opening new perspectives in precision medicine.
During the ceremony, a posthumous award was also presented to Sammy Basso, biologist and science communicator, for transforming his illness into a universal message of strength and love for science. Sammy, who passed away in 2024, was for years a point of reference for the scientific community and for IGM, with which he actively collaborated in research on progeria. His determination inspired the development of innovative technologies such as SAMMY-seq, created at IGM by Dr. Francesco Ferrari, to study DNA alterations in laminopathies. In addition to Giovanna Lattanzi and Sammy Basso, other leading figures in the scientific world were honored during the event: Silvio Garattini (Lifetime Achievement Award), Roberto Burioni, Maria Leptin, Domenica Lorusso, Maurizio D’Incalci, and the PTA Lab research group from the University of Bologna.
Prostate Cancer: DNA Organization Holds a Key to Distinguish Low- and High-Risk Cases
An interdisciplinary Italian team, composed of researchers from the CNR, the National Institute of Molecular Genetics (INGM), the Institute of Molecular Oncology IFOM, and the Policlinico di Milano Hospital, has published a study in Nature Communications proposing a new method to distinguish low-risk prostate tumors from aggressive ones.
Using the 4f-SAMMY-seq technology, researchers analyzed the three-dimensional organization of chromatin in tumor biopsies, identifying two subtypes: one with minimal reorganization and one with extensive alterations, surprisingly associated with a better prognosis. The study led to the identification of an 18-gene molecular signature, validated on over 900 patients, useful for risk stratification and guiding personalized therapies.
Francesco Ferrari, researcher at IGM-CNR and Director of the Computational Genomics Laboratory at IFOM, co-coordinated the study together with Chiara Lanzuolo (ITB-CNR; INGM).