ABOUT GIANLUCA MARIA FARINOLA

Professor Gianluca Farinola is a synthetic organic chemist and materials chemist who develops new methods to produce photo- and electro-active molecules, supramolecular structures and materials for applications ranging from organic photonics and electronics to biology.

In recent years, his research has opened intriguing directions by exploiting photosynthetic microorganisms (e.g. algae and bacteria) and biological polymers (e.g. melanin, polydopamine, lignin and silk fibroin) as sources of sustainable materials for future optoelectronics and biomedicine. His work has shown how it is possible to use silica microstructures extracted from algae to obtain nanomaterials for photonics, biomedicine and smart nanodevices. Similarly, photosynthetic bacteria can be incorporated into electronic devices, envisaging a new generation of biohybrid and living electronic systems.

​​

Selected research highlights

• https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/biodegradable-glitter-and-pollution-eating-microalgae-new-materials-inspired-nature

• https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cplu.201500128

• http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/11274769/Silk-Supported_Pd_Catalyst_for_Cross-Coupling_Reactions.html

​

Interviews and profiles

• https://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/11144950/Great_People_Dont_Need_to_Show_Off.html

• https://www.chemistryviews.org/new_president_of_the_italian_chemical_society/

 

He is the author of 196 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, several international patents and six book chapters, and has delivered more than 120 invited lectures at national and international conferences and schools, universities and research institutes.

​

He has coordinated and served as PI of numerous national, international and industrial research projects.
 

Current and recent research projects as PI of research units

• Innovation in Medicine for Personalized Care and Therapies / The Southern Technopole for Personalized Medicine – MUR, PN Research, Innovation and Competitiveness (2026–2029)

• GREENS – Responsible Microrobots – MSCA-ITN (from 2024)

• PhOLcs – Photosynthesis for Organic Light-Powered Electronics – PRIN National Project (2024–2026)

• National Quantum Science and Technology Institute (NQSTI) – PNRR, National Partnership on Quantum Science and Technologies (2023–2026)
   

Selected European research projects

• BEEP – Bio-inspired and Bionic Materials for Enhanced Photosynthesis – H2020-MSCA-ITN (2020–2023)

• HyPhOE – Hybrid Electronics based on Photosynthetic Organisms – H2020 FET Open (2018–2021)​

• XF-ACTOR – Xylella Fastidiosa Active Containment Through a Multidisciplinary-Oriented Research Strategy – H2020-SFS, Project ID 727987 (2017–2021)

​

He has also led research projects and collaborations with industrial partners, including Philips Research and ENI, focused on the development of advanced photo-active materials for optoelectronics.