SALERNO, Italy, Oct. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — AREA Science Park, Italy’s leading scientific research center, is opening a new branch that will engage in advanced genetic medical research in Salerno, in Southern Italy.

Sergio Paoletti, president of the Trieste-based AREA, said the move is part of a national strategy aimed at bringing together the best in advanced scientific research, both in pure and applied forms. He noted that “our strengths stem from our roots in advanced physics and they extend to applied research for industry, process innovation, the digital economy, and now our cutting-edge genomic research as well.”

“It is a historic moment for us,” added Paoletti, “because we are bringing together the university world and the world of research institutions, but we are also acting to foster a national network for more efficient technology transfer and innovation.”

During a press conference held at the university campus of Fisciano, a few kilometers north of Salerno, President Paoletti, together with Stefano Casaleggi, Managing Director of AREA, and Aurelio Tommasetti, the Provost of the University of Salerno, presented the new project.

The new branch of AREA in the South of Italy – one of the most depressed regions in Europe – is aimed at fostering scientific cooperation, particularly in the fields of genomics and epigenomics. The project also aims to provided skillsets to students who will be tomorrow’s leaders in genetic research.

“The cornerstone of our collaboration is the BioOpenLab project,” explained Paoletti, “which focuses on two main lines of research. The first one is related to structural biology and the second concerns the fields of genomics and epigenomics. The genome analysis capabilities today are monstrously amplified and at our headquarters in Trieste we employ a DNA sequencing machine that can analyze a human genome in just two days.”

Mr Casaleggi said the opening of the Salerno branch marked another milestone for AREA’s strategy of forging a series of alliances that help Italy’s top scientists to share and compare research data. AREA has already announced a string of joint ventures with institutions in Rome, Udine, Lecce, Bologna and Venice, and Mr. Casaleggi said more were on the way. “We will be particularly active in the field of genetics,” he added.

Area Science Park is a leader in public-private partnerships in fields as far-ranging as the digital economy, logistics, artificial intelligence and 5G, genomics and epigenomics, particle physics, and process innovation.

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SOURCE Area Science Park