Research activities in progress in pharmaceutical field:

• Preparation of conventional and innovative drug formulations;
• Formulation and characterization of micro-nanoparticles (lipid, polymeric and inorganic) for drug delivery (Figure 1);
• Development of innovative technologies for lipid and polymeric nanoparticles;
• Characterization of solid and liquid (i.e. nano- and microemulsions) colloidal systems;
• Design of dermal and transdermal systems
• Pharmaceutical technical procedures
• Technological strategy to improve drug solubility/stability/release (i.e. cyclodextrins, nanocrystals)
• Nanovescicle systems (i.e. nanobubbles and nanocapsules)
• Non-viral strategy for gene delivery

Research activities in progress in cosmetic field:

• Formulation and characterization of solid, semi-solid and liquid colloidal systems for topical application.

• Development of host-guest complexes with supramolecular structures (i.e. mesoporous silica-Figure 2) to improve the stability and the effectiveness of entrapped compound, and to modulate the release over time and the skin uptake.

• Interesting molecules in dermatological and cosmetic fields: natural antioxidants; vitamins; organic and inorganic UV-filters; photosensitizers; other drugs for skin disorders.

Main available technologies:

• Freeze drying
• Thermal analysis (DSC)
• Particle size and Zeta potential determination (DLS)
• Multi Flow FFF Separation
• Optical microscopy
• Rheology measurements
• In vitro permeation studies (synthetic membranes/skin slice/corneas) with Franz cells
• Photostability studies (sunlight simulators, Figure 3)
• Stability studies of disperse systems
• Conductivity and surface tension evaluation
• Non-invasive determination of physiological skin parameters (corneometer+sebumeter+ skin pH-meter, Figure 4).

Figure 1. Solid lipid nanoparticles

Figure 2. Host-guest complexes with mesoporous silica

Figure 3. Sunlight simulator

Figure 4. Corneometer+sebumeter+skin pH-meter