Stefano Toffanin

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Stefano Toffanin
Institute of nanostructured materials
Research Director

Nutrheff Thematic
Sensory and consumer sciences

Research Interest and expertise in the field of nutraceuticals and functional food
Portable miniaturized optical biosensors for the quantitative detection of inquinants and quality parameters in food chains such as milk, honey, beer, and aquaponics. The implementation of advanced ICT tools can help in assessing in a reliable and reproducible approach the added-values in nutraceuticals and functional food by determining the chemical and natural compounds of interest from farm to fork, even at consumer side.

Keywords: biosensors, functionalized sensing surface, optical, system-integration, nanoplasmonics, biorecognition elements, organic photonics, food quality, food security, food-waste reduction

Nutraceuticals and foods of interest
In general, both solid and liquid foods. In the case of solid foods, suitable sample preparation protocol must be integrated in the sensor. At the moment, the food of intersts are milk, honey, beer, and water in aquaponics. This portfolio can be easily extedned to wine, for example.

Fields of application
Food quality assessment, food security, farm-to-fork strategy, point-of-need, food-waste reduction, circular food chains.

Facilities and equipments
Clean-room endowed with glove boxes and vacuum-sublimation system for the single components and modules fabrication, and optical, optoelectronic and spectroscopic labs for the characterization of materials, operating devices and sensors.