INSTM is a Consortium composed of 49 Italian Universities, in which research activity relating to advanced materials and relative technologies, is conducted. The number of involved individuals is over 2000 composed of professors, university researchers, research fellows and fellowship holders, PHD students, and still growing.

INSTM promotes research activities in Material Science and Technology done by the consortium of universities, giving them management, technical and financial support.

INSTM provides the appropriate management, technical and financial support to promote research activities in Material Science and Technology in the consortium universities, and efficently coordinates a “critical mass” of skills which enable handling of high levels of competition. Innovative research projects support the needs of Italian businesses and help  to develop technology transfer, offering significant and effective opportunities for interaction between the academia and industry.

In SENSOR, INSTM has designed and realized the nanostructured sensor by electrospinning.

Website: www.instm.it

The Nanosciences Institute is characterized by two centers, NEST-Pisa and S3-Modena. The research activities are:

• Synthesis and fabrication of nanostructures and nanodevices
• Experimental and theoretical-computational study of their properties, functionalities and their interfaces
• Their integration in functional complex systems

The acquired knowledge is used to further develop multidisciplinary applications in different areas, in particular in energy, in nano(bio)technology and nano-medicine.

In SENSOR, CNR-nano has designed and realized the functionalized nano balance (SAW sensor).

Website: www.nano.cnr.it

TECIP was born in Pisa in 2001 as a Center of Excellence for the Ministry of University and Scientific and Technological Research. The Institute's soul is the research and the training linked to communication, Information and perception technologies. Their principle research areas are:

• The optical communication networks utilising photonic technologies, also applicable in the fields of sensors and biophotonics
• The IT and telematics applications of real-time embedded systems and sensor networks for the Internet of Things (IoT);
• Virtual environments and robotic interface systems for the study of man-machine interaction and human perception;
• The scientific and technological research has an interdisciplinary nature and is conducted in Laboratories equipped with pioneering equipment and technologies.

The recent Quality Assessment of Research (VQR), conducted by the National Agency ANVUR, has seen the TeCIP Institute place 1st in the national ranking for Industrial Engineering and Information, among all Italian university departments of medium size.

In SENSOR, TECIP has desigend and realized the photon refractive index sensor.

Website: www.santannapisa.it

The Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery was born from the aggregation of teaching and technical staff previously belonging to various Departments of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. This has promoted multidisciplinary and translational activities in the biomedical field through the valorization of synergies between basic research and applied clinical research. The research activity of the Department is focused towards the study of morphological aspects, causes (genetic, environmental and social factors) and mechanisms related to the physiological processes of the human body or to their alteration in disease conditions. The research activity of the Department is therefore dedicated to the development of knowledge of the factors that affect human health. The aim is to make optimum use of diagnostic and therapeutic (both medical and surgical) tools and technologies and to develop innovative technologies in these fields.

In SENSOR, UNIPI has taken care of the definition of the pathogens to be monitored, the preparation of the samples for analysis, and the identification of the markers to be used in the sensors.

Website: www.medtrasl.unipi.it

The mission of the Biophysics Institute is the quantitative study of the mechanisms related to the functioning of biological systems through biophysical techniques and multidisciplinary methods (physics, physiology, mathematics, molecular biology, chemistry, structural biology, informatics, biochemistry)

The Biophysics Institute (IBF) of the National Research Council (CNR) is the result of the fusion of five CNR bodies interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms in living systems, after the reorganization of the CNR in 2002. The main branch of the Institute, originally established in Pisa, was moved to Genoa in April 2003.

In SENSOR, IBF has worked on the design and construction of the fluorescence sensor.

Website: www.ibf.cnr.it

The National Laboratory of Photonic Networks and Technologies (PNTLab) of CNIT is the laboratory of reference in Italy for the transfer of research and innovation of photonics applied to information and communication technology and sensors.

With over 30 employees including researchers and technicians and 50 university professors and researchers affiliated, mainly of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, PNTLab is the largest structured group operating in the field of photonic networks and technologies at the national academic level. The PNTLab is equipped with a fully equipped laboratory for experimental activities in the field of photonics and integrated photonics. Moreover, thanks to a collaboration with the technological platform present in INPHOTEC for the realization of optoelectronic photonic components and sensors, PNTLab carries out design activities and development of techniques and packaging processes for integrated optical circuits.

In SENSOR, the PNTLab has been responsible for packaging, and the realization of prototypies, for integrated photon sensors. These prototypes contain the photonic chip designed by the partner Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, a microfluidic cell designed ad hoc, mounted on a special card and with all the electrical and optical connections needed to query the sensor.

Website: www.cnit.it