demone@if.ing.unict.it

Who We Are and What We Do Brief Curricula of Prinzipal Investigators: Francesco Musumeci Antonio Triglia Agata Scordino Available Research Facilities Current Collaborations Short-Term Goals Internet Publications: Agriculture Communication Development Ecology Medicine Morphogenesis Stress and Recovery Interaction between the visible electromagnetic Field and the living Matter Biophysical aspects of the ultraweak Photon emission from the living systems during growth

Who We Are and What We Do

The Italian research group at the Physics Institute of the University of Catania
The research group at the Physics Institute of the University of Catania is working from 1990 on a broad range of biological phenomenon considered from a physical point of view.
The group is composed of three full time researchers and one technician; they are supported by part time researchers when the co-operation within specific research projects is required.
The group have developed skills and capabilities in the field of low level luminescence measurements.
On the basis of the research results they have been able to demonstrate the close connection existing between the ultraweak photon emission, both spontaneous and photoinduced and the physiological state of living systems; they were successful in underlining the extreme sensibility of some living organism to specific polluting substances and in discovering the possibility to estimate the vegetative vigour of some species of seeds in the sleeping state and to evaluate the state of maturation of the agricultural products measuring their ultraweak photon emission.
Another research project was carried out in order to check the possibility of non- chemical communication between living systems; the Gurwitsch experiment on the mitogenetic effect due to the self irradiation of the yeast cell was repeated and the results of the performed experiment show the occurrence of the effect with a reliability of 97.5%.
Moreover, in the framework of the interaction between the ionizing radiation and the biological systems, preliminary results have been obtained about the measurement of photoinduced luminescence on biological samples that has been irradiated by gamma rays, X rays and UV.

• The research projects were supported by several Italian Government Agencies: INFN, CNR, INFM and by the University of Catania.
• The results of the scientific activity are described on about 20 papers published on internationals journal or specialistic books.

Name: Francesco Musumeci

Born: March 16, 1949, Catania, Italy, Nationality: Italian Academic Qualification: 1973 - Degree in Physics at the University of Catania Present Position: Associate Professor of General Physics at the University of Catania Scientific Interests: Selective surfaces for the thermal conversion of the solar energy Theoretical limits of the concentrators for the conversion of the solar energy Algorithms for the study and the simulation of the thermal response of buildings Interaction between electromagnetic waves and rough metal surfaces Dielectric constant of water near metal surfaces Ultraweak photon emission from living systems Scientific Responsible on: "Influence of pollution on the in-vivo D.L. of Acetabularia" supported by C.N.R. "Photon emission from biological Matter" supported by I.N.F.M "Potential applications of D.L. from living systems" supported by University of Catania. Publications: about 40 papers on international journals and scientific books.

Name: Antonio Triglia

Born: March 12, 1949, Catania, Italy, Nationality: Italian Academic Qualification: 1974 - Degree in Physics at the University of Catania Present Position: Senior Researcher on Solid State Physics Discipline since 1982 Physics Lecturer at Faculty of Engineering, University of Catania, since 1992 Scientific Interests: Optical properties of surfaces for thermal conversion of solar energy. Interaction of electromagnetic waves and rough metal surfaces. Low-level luminescence emitted from biological systems. Scientific Responsible on: Italian Polish project on germination of seeds and ultraweak luminescence (CNR) EEC action for co-operation with Eastern countries (EC) Ultraweak luminescence from yeast cell (MURST) Ionizing radiation and ultraweak luminescence (INFN) Publications: about 30 papers on international journals and scientific books.

Name: Agata Scordino

Born: August 21, 1956, Catania, Italy, Nationality: Italian Academic Qualification: 1980 - Degree in Physics at the University of Catania Present Position: Senior researcher at Institute of Physics, University of Catania, since 1985 Physics Lecturer at Faculty of Engineering, University of Catania, since 1992 Scientific Interests: Optical properties of surfaces for thermal conversion of solar energy. Interaction of electromagnetic waves and rough metal surfaces. Diffraction gratings as generators of submillimeter waves. Low-level luminescence emitted from biological systems: determination of the correlation between the functional state of the biological sample and the features of the light emitted. determination of phenomenological relationship between parameters characterising the photon emission and external stimuli, in order to define a physical model of such an emitter. Participation: Contracts from European Space Agency on submillimeter generators. Scientific Responsible on: "Analysis of photoinduced emission from simple biological systems", supported by Ministry of University and Scientific and Technological Research of Italian Government. Publications: 31 papers on international journals and scientific books.

Available research facilities:

Basic laboratory apparatus for cell culture.
Three single photon counting measurement set up able to detect photons in the range 200 - 900 nm and to perform spectral and time resolved analysis.
Image analysis system.
Continuous (led, lamp 200-700 nm, laser 625 nm) and pulsed (flashes , N2 laser with dye laser ) light sources

Research facilities available in the next future:
OEM sources in the range 10 ¸ 30 GHz.
CCD camera for photometric measurements.

Current Collaborations:

- International Institute of Biophysics - Neuss - Germany.
- Institute of Physics - Pedagogical University - Kracow - Poland.
- Department of Biology - Open University - Milton Keynes - United Kingdom.
- Institute of Biology - Nicholas Copernicus University - Torun - Poland.
- Department of Physics - University of Modena - Italy.
- DI.VA.P.R.A. - University of Torino - Italy.
- Institute of Microbiology - University of Catania - Italy.
- Institute of Horticulture and Floriculture - University of Catania - Italy

Short-Term goals:

1. We intend to create a realistic model of DL emitter in Acetabularia . So we think it is necessary in the immediate future to analyse the behaviour of the D.L. in untreated and stressed systems, both in terms of the spectral characterisation of the emitted radiation and in terms of the temperature dependence of the process, with the idea to obtain a sufficient base of experimental data.
2. We intend to analyse the cross-connection between spontaneous and photoinduced ultraweak luminescence and electromagnetic waves in the microwave range.
3. We intend to demonstrate with a well reproducible experiment based on yeast cell the existence of cellular communication.