Design e sperimentazione di tecnologie innovative per la diagnosi precoce e trattamento del CoDiRO (DFM.AD003.402)

Thematic area

Physical sciences and technologies of matter

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute of Nanotechnology (NANOTEC)

Project manager

GIUSEPPE CICCARELLA
Phone number: +393315319131
Email: giuseppe.ciccarella@unisalento.it

Abstract

Apulia Region has recently been a protagonist due to the spread of the pathogen Xylella fastidiosa, causative agent of the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS), named CoDiRO in Italy. The intensification of agricultural crops and the required productivity lead to intense chemical fight affecting environment and human health.
In this context, this proposal is focused on the experimentation of new technologies for early diagnosis and nanotechnological phytoiatric treatments for CoDiRO. The project activities provide the production of different nano-formulated agrochemicals.
The effective fight against the pathogen also presupposes the need to detect it in the earliest stages of the disease. The selected approach for early diagnosis is metabolomics, the study of small molecules expressed by the target pathogen or by the plant itself following the triggering of the defense response. The detection of metabolites allows identifying the presence of the pathogen even in the initial phases and regardless of the sampled area, minimizing false negatives. Previous reports have allowed the development of the new analytical method.

Goals

1. Sviluppo di una nuova metodica di diagnosi precoce che prevede un approccio innovativo basato sulla giovane disciplina della metabolomica. I ricercatori hanno sviluppato un metodo analitico basato su cromatografia liquida a elevate prestazioni, accoppiata alla spettrometria di massa ad alta risoluzione, adoperando un approccio metabolomico di tipo untargeted per delineare le differenze tra le piante sane e quelle malate.
2. Preparazione di agrochemical nano-formulati sfruttando la tecnologia dell'incapsulamento in nano-carrier che garantiscano un graduale rilascio del potenziale fitofarmaco. Il nano-materiale selezionato è il nanoCaCO3 (nano-cristalli di Carbonato di calcio).

Start date of activity

17/01/2019

Keywords

nano-formulated agrochemicals, metabolomics, early detection

Last update: 28/04/2025