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