Meet the Partner: INSTM, Project Coordinator of CLUSTREL

Behind the scenes of CLUSTREL, is a team of scientists, technical experts, clinical professionals, and experts from many different fields. Today, we are introducing the National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), the coordinator of CLUSTREL.

What does INSTM do?

INSTM is a prestigious public, non-profit university consortium based in Florence, Italy, dedicated to research in materials science and technology. Bringing together the expertise of multiple Italian universities, INSTM is an important research organisation anchors advanced scientific breakthrough development and bridges fundamental engineering research with high-impact translation into applied fields.

What is INSTM role in CLUSTREL?

Within the CLUSTREL project, INSTM acts as the Project Coordinator, overseeing the project's administrative, technical, and financial management. In this role, the coordinator is responsible for ensuring the smooth coordination of project activities and supporting the successful delivery of CLUSTREL's objectives.

But beyond that, INSTM is also involved in scientific and technological aspects in the project. Technologically, INSTM spearheads the early-stage chemical engineering and downstream device development. Under Work Package 3 (Nanotechnology & Pharmaceutics), INSTM focuses on the synthesis and non-covalent functionalization of graphene oxide complexes with targeted benzodiazepines, optimizing liquid formulations with specific excipients to guarantee stable, reproducible, and highly permeable mucosal delivery. Furthermore, under Work Package 4 (Prototype Development), the consortium coordinates the physical design and production of the electronic and mechanical hardware systems. This includes the microelectronics design, firmware creation for electro-actuated delivery, reservoir manufacturing featuring advanced nanofilters, casing encapsulation, and the fabrication of multi-stage biocompatible prototypes leading up to a clinical-ready, smart oral medical device.

Leading the project is INSTM, represented by Prof. Michele Giugliano, CLUSTREL's Project Coordinator. Michele is a professor from UNI MORE and he brings extensive expertise in computational neuroscience, neuroengineering, and experimental electrophysiology. He carried out postdoctoral research at the University of Bern in Switzerland, supported by the Human Frontiers Science Program Organization, where he specialised in experimental electrophysiology and neurobiology.

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Stay updated on the CLUSTREL research development and progress by following the project on LinkedIn.