The Health Protection Technology Division (SSPT-TECS), with its labs housed in the Casaccia Research Center, performs innovation and research activities in the field of biotechnology, radiation biology and toxicology, with applications on biomedicine industrial development, and human health protection.
Main goals are:
to develop and apply methods, models and techniques aimed to the evaluation of radiation and chemicals effects, regarding agents related to production activities, life style and new technologies, in order to assess their potential health risk or benefit and to contribute to a sustainable economic development;
to elucidate the action mechanism at cellular and molecular level involved in the onset of diseases, in order to identify new targets for innovative therapies development;
to transfer products and diagnosis and treatment systems for high social impact diseases to the national health service and corporate environment;
to carry out training activities in biomedical sciences, hosting academic, doctorate and stage students in collaboration with national and international Universities and Research Institutions
The technical/scientific Division staff consist of about 60 persons, comprising researchers, technicians, collaborators (visiting scientists, fellowships/ scholarships grants) and students. Scientific production includes international journals publications (avg. 60 per year), patents, reviews and documentation for national and international bodies. Numerous joint projects and collaborations with other ENEA Units are currently ongoing. Along with lab research, TECS personnel joins scientific committees and Italian and International Boards.
The research activities in the Division are supported by national and international multi-year grants, funds coming from EU (Euratom, Framework Programs) and from National and Regional programs.
TECS division takes part in the TOP-IMPLART project, aiming to the realization of an advanced irradiation plant utilizing protons for tumor therapy, in collaboration with other ENEA units (FSN, Fusion and Nuclear Safety Dept., IRP Radioprotection Institute) and research institutions (ISS, National Health Institute, IFO Hospital Physiotherapy Institutes). The activity includes the development of in vivo and in vitro models  in order to characterize the biological response and the underling mechanisms involved in the proton treatment effects and improve the therapeutic protocols on a scientifically evidenced basis