Core Facilities
Research Infrastructures for Precision Medicine
The HEAL Italia Core Facilities constitute a national network of advanced scientific infrastructures dedicated to the development of precision medicine.
Objectives
Promoted and coordinated by the HEAL Italia Foundation, they connect an integrated system of laboratory networks, AI platforms, technologies, equipment (with primary reference to those acquired thanks to participation in the PNRR Program), and expert personnel, with the aim of strengthening models and protocols in the field of precision medicine and supporting research and researchers’ access, in order to promote the transfer of innovation to the healthcare sector and the biomedical industry, especially with reference to the need to generate impacts in the territory of Southern Italy.
The objective is to create an integrated ecosystem capable of supporting the entire cycle of biomedical research: from understanding disease mechanisms to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
The Framework Agreement for the establishment of the HEAL Italia Core Facilities network is currently being defined, which will regulate the coordination and governance of the technological infrastructures of the partner entities.
The HEAL Italia Infrastructure in Numbers
The HEAL Italia network brings together a national ecosystem of scientific infrastructures dedicated to precision medicine.
100+
Research laboratories
Distributed among universities, IRCCS, and partner research centers.
15
Biobanks
Facilities dedicated to the collection, storage, and management of biological samples and associated data.
5
GMP Cell Factories (Good Manufacturing Practice)
Infrastructures for the production of advanced therapies, such as cell and gene therapies.
These infrastructures operate in an integrated manner to support the development of translational research and personalized medicine.
What are Core Facilities
Core Facilities are research infrastructures that make advanced instrumentation, specialized technologies, and highly qualified personnel available to the scientific community.
These are platforms organized as centralized laboratories or shared services, which enable the use of complex scientific technologies while ensuring high standards of quality and reproducibility.
In the field of life sciences, they make it possible to:
- share advanced scientific infrastructures
- optimize the use of large research equipment
- promote collaboration between research centers and clinical facilities
- accelerate the development of new diagnoses and therapies.
Why HEAL Italia Core Facilities are unique
The HEAL Italia Core Facilities stand out for an organizational model that integrates advanced technologies and multidisciplinary expertise.
National multicentric network
Infrastructures distributed among universities, research centers, IRCCS, and industrial partners.
Integration along the precision medicine value chain
The network connects basic research, translational research, and clinical experimentation.
Integrated scientific and digital infrastructures
Advanced laboratories are complemented by platforms for biomedical big data analysis and artificial intelligence tools.
Shared access and coordinated governance
The infrastructures operate according to transparent and shared access procedures.
Integration with the clinical system
The presence of hospitals and IRCCS makes it possible to directly connect scientific research and clinical applications.
Openness to industry and innovation
The infrastructures foster collaborations with biotech companies and startups.
The infrastructures of the HEAL Italia network
The Core Facilities promoted by the HEAL Italia Foundation cover the entire cycle of biomedical research and precision medicine: from the generation and analysis of biological data to the development of new therapies and clinical experimentation. The network integrates different types of precision medicine laboratories and technological platforms distributed among universities, IRCCS, hospitals, and partner research centers.
Biobanche e gestione dei campioni biologici
Structures dedicated to the collection, storage, and distribution of biological samples according to standardized protocols, fundamental for translational research.
Coordinated by Istituto superiore di Sanità
Bio-imaging platforms and advanced diagnostics
Molecular and cellular imaging technologies used for the study of diseases and the identification of biomarkers.
Coordinated by Università La Sapienza di Roma
Laboratories for biomarkers and precision medicine
Facilities dedicated to the identification and validation of molecular biomarkers for diagnosis and personalized therapies.
Coordinated by IRCCS -IFO di Roma
Infrastructures for Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
Digital platforms for the analysis and integration of large amounts of biological, clinical, and imaging data.
Coordinated by Università di Bologna
Preclinical experimentation platforms
Services dedicated to the preclinical validation of new drugs and therapeutic strategies.
Cell factories and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) facilities
Laboratories for the production of advanced therapies, such as cell and gene therapies, in accordance with international quality standards.
Coordinated by Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Clinical trial services
Facilities located in partner hospitals and IRCCS that enable the conduct of clinical studies and the validation of new innovative therapies.
How to access HEAL Italia Core Facilities
The HEAL Italia Core Facilities are designed as shared research infrastructures, accessible to the national and international scientific community.
Access procedures will be governed by specific operational regulations and service request procedures, with the aim of ensuring:
- support for collaborative research projects.
- transparency in access procedures
- efficient use of available technologies
At the same time, HEAL Italia is developing a catalog of the technologies and services available within the Core Facilities, which will enable researchers, clinicians, and industrial partners to easily identify the infrastructures and expertise present within the network.