GENERAL INFORMATIONS

Born in 2002 the IC was the fusion of two institutes: the Institute for the Research and Development of Crystallographic Methodologies, with seat in Bari and the Institute of Structural Chemistry ‘Giordano Giacomello’, with seat in the research area of Rome 1, Montelibretti. It was a spontaneous aggregation of two complementary institutes. The IC is seated in Bari, in the Veronico building in Via Amendola 122/O: to it belong the organizational units of support with seat in Roma-Monterotondo (situated in the Research Area of Roma 1, Montelibretti) and in Trieste, situated in the Park Science Area of Basovizza.

The IC merges two souls of Crystallography: the methodological and the experimental ones. It develops innovative crystallographic methods, applicable to inorganic and biological materials; it studies the structure of proteic molecules and small molecules of industrial and bio-pharmaceutical interest, it characterizes materials of technological interest as nano-crystals and quasi-crystals, it develops the instrumental research by introducing innovative scientific instrumentation in the international market, it is an important developer of software of international interest; it realises bio-sensors based on photosynthetic proteins, necessary to various ambient, alimentary and medical applications. The IC has strong interactions with national and international pharmaceutical industries, with industries working in the materials area of technological interest and with industries of scientific instrumentation.

Interaction with industry and market – The IC has strong connections with the industrial reality of the country and collaborates to its development and competitiveness. In collaboration with ASSING, an innovative model of portable diffractometer, able to perform fluorescence analysis, will be delivered onto international market in 2006. This diffractometer is particularly suitable for the study and characterization of materials in the field of Cultural Heritage. The IC institute has partnerships with pharmaceutical industries, i.e., BIOSINT (Sigma-Tau) and Angelini-ACRAF. In addition, in collaboration with Menarini Biotech a fibrinolytic of third generation, Amediplase, has been developed, which has completed the II clinic stage. In collaboration with Lay Line Genomics a neutralizing neuro-antibody has been developed to use in the chronic inflammation and in the pain therapy. In collaboration with Chiesi-Farmaceutici an anti-Alzheiner drug, for oral use, the ganstigmine, has been developed which has completed the clinic stage II. In the field of bio-sensors the IC collaborates with national companies [DAS (Lazio), Biosensor (Lazio), Enervit (Lombardia), Centro Laser (Puglia), Carso-Eidon (Friuli), Verdegiglio (Puglia)] and with european companies [Uniscan (Ingland), Neosens (France), EADS (Germany), Rigas (Grace)].

Service to the national and international community – The IC, through the organizing support unit of Trieste, is responsible of the XRD1 diffraction beamline in ELECTRA, contributing to the technological development of the beamline supplying assistance to the users in a large number of national and international projects. The IC, especially the seat of Bari, develops innovative crystallographic methodologies: the core of these new theories is implemented in software which is distributed, via licence agreements, to the national and international scientific community and, as well as, to big industries with interest in this scientific research. Until now, 3579 licence agreement have been signed with institutes and research groups.