B@R2026 Provisional Program
Last updated: May 10th 2026
Day 1

May 13, 2026

Venue: ArTov, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, Rome (IT)
Theme: Peace
09:00 - 9:20

Registration

Welcome desk and badge collection.

Check-in
09:25–09:30

Welcoming Speech

Dr. Simone Dinarelli (CNR-ISM)

Opening
09:30–10:00

Opening Speech - Scientists’ responsibility in a world at 85s from Doomsday Clock

Dr. Francesco Lenci (Unione Scienziati per il Disarmo)

Opening
10:00–10:05

Session: Challenges in Biophysics

Introduction by Chairs Dr. Valentina Mussi (CNR-IMM) and Dr. Marco Girasole (CNR-ISM)

10:05–10:45

Plenary Lecture - Challenges in Understanding the Synergistic Interactions of Antimicrobial Peptides in Membranes

Prof. Burkhard Bechinger (University of Strasbourg)

Plenary
10:45–11:15

Key Speaker - When a drop of blood meets biophysics: diagnosis of celiac disease with circulating microRNAs by Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical sensing

Dr. Andrea Masotti (Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital-IRCCS, Research Laboratories)

Keynote
11:15–11:45

Key Speaker - Not Junk, just Charme: dark matter rules muscle biology

Dr. Monica Ballarino (Sapienza Università di Roma)

Keynote
11:45–12:00

Open discussion

Moderated discussion with speakers, Chair and audience.

Discussion
12:00–13:30

Lunch

Lunch break.

Break
13:30–14:00

Flash talks

Selected poster highlights.

Nicole Marrocco — Multimodal Characterization of β-Amyloid Plaques: XPCT, XRF, and Raman Spectroscopy in Alzheimer's Mouse Model
Roma Tre University, Dip. Scienze, Italy

Francesca Mazzotta — CryoEM to exploring peptide self-assembly behavior based on LEGO-like interactions
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany

Giuseppe Giaquinto — Unraveling the Synergistic Mechanism of Magainin 2 and PGLa: A Biophysical Approach from Model Bilayers to Live E. coli Cells
Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, Tor Vergata University of Rome

Martina Pacifici — AZE-Induced Protein Misfolding in CHO Cells detected by FT-IR micro-spectroscopy
Dipartimento di Scienze Ecologiche e Biologiche, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo

Simone Bonacorsi — Channel-size enlarging strategy for liposome production scale-up: A simplified approach
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome

Flash talks
14:00–14:05

Session: Technology’s Impact in Biophysics

Introduction by chairs: Dr. Francesca Romana Bertani (CNR-IFN) and Dr. Luca Businaro (CNR-IFN)

14:05–14:45

Plenary Lecture - Probing biomolecules and their interactions with plasmonic nanosensors

Prof. Claudia Fasolato (Dip. di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma)

Plenary
14:45–15:15

Key Speaker - Digital Twins for All: Bridging Multiscale Simulation and Responsible AI in Precision Medicine

Dr. Davide Cirillo (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)

Keynote
15:15–15:45

Key Speaker - The Two AIs: From Single-Shot Hallucinations to Agentic Scientific Workflows

Dr. David Vagni (IRIB, CNR)

Keynote
15:45–16:00

Open discussion

Moderated discussion with speakers and audience.

Discussion
16:00–16:30

Flash talks

Selected poster highlights.

Angela Capocefalo — Molecular interface of gold nanoparticles drives amyloid fibril disaggregation
Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome

Cristian Brandi — Development of a microfluidic device for 3D-control of microparticles through dielectrophoresis (DEP)
Department of Civil Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tor Vergata

Domenica Musumeci — Inhibition of the pathological activity of the protein HMGB1 through the development of G-quadruplex DNA-based aptamers
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples

Ebin Joseph — A Bio-Electronic Hybrid Solid–Liquid Pixelated Color Image Sensor Array as a Direct-to-Display Artificial Retina Emulator
Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata

Giovanna Zimatore — Eye-tracking correlates of visual perception of vandalized cultural heritage and anthropized landscapes in young adults
Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Novedrate

Michael Di Gioacchino — Combining Ultrasound and Raman Data for Explainable Machine Learning-Based Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis from Cytological Samples
Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Roma

Tiziana Mancini — MOF-based IR optical platform as next-gen biosensors for sensitive and specific airborne pathogen monitoring
Physics Department of Sapienza University of Rome, Rome

Flash talks
16:30–18:00

Poster Session + Coffee Break & Beer

Networking and informal discussion.

Poster Break
Day 2

May 14, 2026

Venue: ArTov, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, Rome (IT)
Theme: Cooperation
09:30–09:25

Registration and welcome coffee

Welcome desk and badge collection.

Check-in
09:25–09:30

Wecoming speech -

— Dr. Annamaria Gerardino (CNR-IFN)

Opening
09:30–10:00

Opening Speech -

“EMBL - Europe's Life Sciences Research Institution” — Prof. Cornelius Gross (EMBL)

Opening
10:00–10:05

Session: Future Directions in Biophysics

Intoduction by Chairs: Prof. Daniela Roversi (Univ. Rome Tor Vergata) and Prof. Blasco Morozzo (Univ. Rome Tor Vergata)

10:05–10:45

Plenary Lecture - Bridge over troubled waters - overcoming the gap between biophysical membrane models and biological function

Prof. Heiko Heerklotz (University of Freiburg)

Plenary
10:45–11:15

Key Speaker - From macro to nano stimulation: controlling activity in the cerebral cortex

Prof. Mavi Sánchez-Vives IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer) Barcellona - Spagna

Keynote
11:15–11:45

Key Speaker - Insights into planetary habitability through laboratory simulations and space exposure experiments

Prof. Daniela Billi (Università di Roma Tor Vergata)

Keynote
11:45–12:00

Open discussion

Moderated discussion with speakers and audience.

Discussion
12:00–13:30

Lunch

Lunch break.

Break
13:30–14:00

Flash talks

Selected poster highlights.

Federico Ortenzi — The mechanobiology of an ancient cyanobacterium after ultrasound pulsing in the S-PBR: spectrofluorimetric and AFM scanning of Trichormus variabilis
Yeastime Srl, Guidonia Montecelio

Giada Corti — Structural and Functional Modification of the Osteoblast Niche by Osteomimetic Breast Cancer-Derived Vesicles
Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome

Francesca Romana Frangipani — Albumin-coated liposomes as a biomimetic model of protein corona-coated extracellular vesicles: a focus on the corona topology and its effects on the vesicles’ biophysical properties
University of Rome Tor Vergata, Department of Experimental Medicine

Nunzia Maisto — Amyloid-beta fibrils as active contributors to synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease
School of Pharmacy, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata

Nicole Langiano — Metabolic profiling of glioblastoma tissues using high‑resolution 1H MR spectroscopy to guide novel therapeutic approaches
Sciences Department, Roma Tre University

Flash talks
14:00– 14:05

Session: Innovative Approaches for Biophysics

Chairs: Prof. Velia Minicozzi (Univ. Tor Vergata) and Prof. Paolo Callegari (Univ. Rome Tor Vergata)

14:05–14:45

Plenary Lecture - Crowding, Nonequilibrium, and Biological Function: New Challenges for Theoretical Biophysics

Prof. Francesco Piazza (Università di Firenze)

Plenary
14:45–15:15

Key Speaker - Coarse-grained modelling of proteins: success, failure, and challenges ahead

Prof. Raffaello Potestio (Università di Trento)

Keynote
15:15–15:45

Key Speaker - In-cell NMR in human cells: from protein maturation to real-time ligand screening

Prof. Enrico Luchinat (Università degli studi di Firenze)

Keynote
15:45–16:00

Discussion

Moderated discussion with speakers and audience.

Discussion
16:00–16:30

Flash talks

Selected poster highlights.

Matteo Bottacchiari — The interplay between transmembrane lateral pressure and curvature elasticity of lipid vesicles
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome

Dario Buonomo — The case of sibling inhibition in Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria
Science Department, Roma Tre University

Ilaria Genovese — Drug Repurposing for Juvenile Huntington’s Disease: A Combined Computational and Cellular Approach Targeting the Sigma-1 Receptor
Unicamillus International University, Rome

Cesare Gruber — Shotgun Metagenomic Analysis of CSF Samples for Viral Pathogen Detection and Characterization
INMI Lazzaro Spallanzani IRCCS, Rome

Domingo Francesco Iacoviello — Magnesium Ions Invert Selectivity and Electroosmotic Flow for Pristine Cation Selective Nanopores
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata

Mariateresa Panarelli — Structural mechanism of connexin 43 hemichannel inhibition by the monoclonal antibody Cx43(M1): Insights from AlphaFold and molecular dynamics
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua

Matteo Riboli — Exploring tetraspanin behavior in asymmetric membranes through MD simulations
Sapienza University of Rome

Flash talks
14:00–16:00

Parallel Satellite Event: META-BRAIN

MagnetoElectric and ultrasound Technology for Advanced BRAIN modulation.

14:00 - 14:20 -- Magnetoelectrics and their Biological Applications — Elric Zhang ETH, Switzerland

14:20 - 14:40 -- Nanotechnologies for cortical neuromodulation — Alex Suárez IDIBAPS, Spain

14:40 - 15:00 -- A Digital Twin Framework for Neuromodulation — Marta Bonato CNR Milan, Italy

15:00 - 15:20 -- Graphene Transistors for Neural Interfaces — Marc TudelaCIBER, Spain

15:20 - 15:40 -- Cellulose-Based Biocompatible Platforms for Biointerfaces: Toward Flexible Devices with ZnO Nanorod Sensing — Elena Palmieri CNR Rome, Italy

15: 40 - 16:00 --  Multiscale Model for Ultrasound Neuromodulation — Agisilaos Matalliotakis CING, Cyprus

Satellite
16:30–18:00

Poster Session + Coffee Break & Beer

Networking and informal discussion.

Poster Break

 

Day 3

May 15, 2026

Venue: Aula Magna Sogene, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, Rome (IT)
Theme: In memory of Prof. Lorenzo Stella
11:00-12:00

Opening Cerimony

@Seminar Room of the Dept. of Chemical Science and Technologies
Unveiling of the plaque dedicating the Seminar Room to Lorenzo

 

Official Greetings:

Rector of the University Prof. Nathan Levialdi Ghiron
Head of the Department: Prof. Roberto Paolesse

 

Institutional

@ Aula Gismondi

12:00–12:30

Antimicrobial peptides in the era of resistance: killing, selectivity and inoculum effect

Maria Luisa Mangoni

Tribute Talk
12:30–12:50

Size matters - membrane interactions of antimicrobial peptides and their mimetics

Burchard Bechinger

Tribute Talk
12:50–13:10

A rigorous researcher, but above all an empathetic person

Fernando Formaggio

Tribute Talk
13:10–14:10

Lunch

Lunch break.

Break
 
14:10–14:30

Impedance cytometry, antimicrobial peptides, and much more

Federica Caselli

Tribute Talk
14:30–14:50

Lorenzo Stella's role in promoting a chemical-physical approaches to the study of biomembranes

Gerardino D'Errico

Tribute Talk
14:50–15:10

A biophysics journey with the AMPs - from pipettes to GPUs

Manuel N. Melo

Tribute Talk
15:10–15:30

Two decades of gene discovery and structural insights in developmental disorders: a shared journey

Marco Tartaglia

Tribute Talk
15:30–15:50

Fluorescence spectroscopy and protein-ligand interactions: a shared journey of frustration

Marco van de Weert (Università di Roma Tor Vergata)

Tribute Talk
15:50–16:10

The Dancing Enzyme: bridging science and music

Giorgio Ricci (Università di Roma Tor Vergata)

Tribute Talk
16:00–16:3

Coffee Break

 

Break
16:30–17:00

Live Concert

Closing session and final notes.

Closing
17:00–18:30

Remembering Lorenzo

Sharing personal memories & reflections

Closing