Luca Bertinetti
From the time of my PhD, I have been interested in studying molecular structure and interactions at the interfaces of biological materials.
Biological materials are constituted by chemically fairly simple molecular/supramolecular building blocks which are assembled over several hierarchical levels. This organization across different scales, together with possible small changes in chemical composition, endow the tissues with a variety of functionalities for which, in the last decades, biological materials became source of inspiration. However, independent of their function, these materials have evolved to optimize their interactions with water and ions, as these are ubiquitous in biological tissues. In many cases, changes in water and ions concentration even induce materials’ responses that are fundamental to achieve the desired functionality. Prominent examples are passive actuation in plants, hydration dependent force generation in collagen and crystallization of amorphous calcium carbonate. One of my goals is to describe and understand, from the molecular level upward, the interplay of water structure and interactions, ions nature and properties, and the molecular/supramolecular structure of the components of natural materials. For this, I strive to describe the thermodynamic of these interactions and to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed responses at the materials and tissues levels. Because of the various hierarchical levels of organization of biological materials, I have been developing (in collaboration with many groups and colleagues) in-situ, multi-technique approaches, allowing to obtain information from the molecular to the macroscopic level.
Because the physical chemistry of these interaction is fundamental also to the formation of biological materials, I lately I became more and more interested in describing and understanding the processes underlying tissues deposition. To this aim, I have been working to establish FIB/SEM based volume imaging, a technique that enables the imaging of three-dimensional volumes that are larger than typical eukaryotic cells with a voxel size down to 3-4 nm and in particular, Cryo-FIB/SEM, (i.e. FIB/SEM serial surface imaging in cryogenic conditions) that represents the most advanced method for tissue imaging in the quasi-native state.
In parallel, I’m highly involved in the development of 3D image processing, AI-based segmentation techniques and volume imaging analytical tools.
Professional career:
Since 2020 | Senior scientist at B CUBE, TUD, Germany |
2017 - 2020 | Group Leader of the ‘3D imaging of forming tissues’ group, Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany |
2010 - 2017 |
Independent researcher, Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Germany |
2006 - 2010 | Research technician, Department of Inorganic Physical and Materials’ Chemistry of the University of Torino, Italy |
2002 - 2006 |
PhD student and Postdoc, Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics (ISTEC) of the National Research Council (CNR), Faenza, Italy |
Education:
2006 | PhD in Chemistry, Title: " Nanomaterials for biomedical applications: synthesis and surface characterization", Supervisor: Prof. Dr. G. Martra, University of Torino, Italy |
2001 |
Master in Materials Science, Thesis title: " From solvated atoms to nanoparticles: a study on hydrogenation catalysts", Supervisor: Prof. S. Coluccia, University of Torino, Italy |
2021
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Sequence-specific response of collagen-mimetic peptides to osmotic pressure , Oct 2021, In: MRS bulletin. 46, p. 889–901, 12 p.Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
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The spider cuticle: a remarkable material toolbox for functional diversity , 20 Sep 2021, In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 379, 2206, 20200332Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
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Effects of moisture and cellulose fibril angle on the tensile properties of native single Norway spruce wood fibres , Sep 2021, In: Wood science and technology. 55, 5, p. 1305-1318, 14 p.Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
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3D Interrelationship between Osteocyte Network and Forming Mineral during Human Bone Remodeling , 8 Jun 2021, In: Advanced healthcare materials. 10, 12, 2100113Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
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Collagen Pentablock Copolymers Form Smectic Liquid Crystals as Precursors for Mussel Byssus Fabrication , 27 Apr 2021, In: ACS nano. 15, 4, p. 6829–6838Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
2020
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Hierarchically-structured metalloprotein composite coatings biofabricated from co-existing condensed liquid phases , Dec 2020, In: Nature communications. 11, 862Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
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Spatiotemporal Measurement of Osmotic Pressures by FRET Imaging , 14 Nov 2020, In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 60, 12, p. 6488-6495, 8 p.Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
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Cryo-FIB-SEM as a promising tool for localizing proteins in 3D , Jul 2020, In: Journal of Structural Biology. 211, 1, 107528Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
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Three-dimensional structural interrelations between cells, extracellular matrix, and mineral in normally mineralizing avian leg tendon , 23 Jun 2020, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America : PNAS. 117, 25, p. 14102-14109, 8 p.Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article
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Epidermal Cell Surface Structure and Chitin–Protein Co-assembly Determine Fiber Architecture in the Locust Cuticle , 10 Jun 2020, In: ACS applied materials & interfaces. 12, 23, p. 25581–25590, 10 p.Electronic (full-text) versionResearch output: Contribution to journal > Research article