Debora Ferrari

Ph.D. candidate in Bioingegneria E Scienze Medico-chirurgiche , 39th cycle (2023-2026)
Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT)

Profile

PhD

Research topic

Synthesis, characterization and functionalization of colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles for highly reproducible and robust bioanalytical applications.

Tutors

Research interests

Medical Innovation and Technology
Nanomedicine
Bionanotechnology

Biography

Debora Ferrari is a Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering at Politecnico di Torino under the supervision of Professor Laura Fabris. She is currently working on an ERC-funded research project that aims to detect genetic biomarkers of diseases through surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and liquid biopsy. Since 2023, her work has focused on synthesizing and advanced characterizing anisotropic plasmonic nanostructures, particularly six-branched gold nanostars, for highly reproducible and robust bioanalytical applications.

Her interdisciplinary research combines nanotechnology and statistical data analysis. She independently manages experimental design, nanoparticle engineering, and data interpretation. She has presented her work at major international conferences, including the Gordon Research Conference and the Seminar on Noble Metal Nanoparticles (South Hadley, Massachussets, USA). In 2024, she received the Best Poster Award at the DiSAT Research Day.

She is the first author of a 2024 Frontiers in Nanotechnology publication on the role of surfactants and polymers in the surface chemistry of plasmonic nanostars and a co-author of an Advanced Materials Interfaces paper exploring oligonucleotide–gold nanoparticle interactions beyond traditional models.

Debora is also part of Conception X (Cohort 8), a UK-based program that helps Ph.D. researchers transform their scientific work into deep tech startups.

With her background in materials and chemical engineering, she brings scientific rigor, innovation, and entrepreneurial drive to nanobiotechnology.

Research

Laboratories

Publications

Latest publications View all publications in Porto@Iris