September 17th – 19th, 2025,
Genoa, Italy
Extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs): bridging the gap between computational and experimental research
From composition to structure, function, and biomedical applications
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The workshop aims to foster a much-needed dialogue between experimentalists and computational scientists at the intersection of biophysics, nanomedicine, and molecular modeling in the EVPs field. Its goal is to break disciplinary silos and establish common ground to address a key challenge: how the molecular composition of EVPs determines their structure, physical behavior, and biological functions, toward biomedical applications.
While EVPs are gaining attention as powerful therapeutic and diagnostic tools, the field remains fragmented. Viewed as both colloidal nano-objects and cargo-specific biological messengers, EVPs prompt divergent methods and conceptual frameworks.
This workshop brings together diverse, complementary expertise and perspectives to explore how computational tools — from multiscale membrane simulations to EVP digital twins — can support, interpret, and guide experiments, and vice versa. It will also foster forward-looking discussion on using this integrated approach to enable the rational design of synthetic analogs such as proteoliposomes, lipid nanoparticles, and hybrid constructs that transcend current nanomedicine and drug delivery paradigms.
This event is supported by several research projects funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR): v-EV (PRIN PNRR 2022, P2022EKHKL), NeuRaftAmyl (PRIN 2022, 20222YMAR5), MITHOS (PRIN 2020, 2020MHL8S9), and MNESYS (PE0000006, spokes 3 and 6) — a project of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), supported by #NEXTGENERATIONEU (DN. 1553 11.10.2022).
The event builds upon the scientific advances and collaborations developed within these projects.
Scientific Committee
Ester Canepa (CBNI, University College Dublin, IRL)
Davide Bochicchio (Università degli Studi di Genova, IT)
Valentina Cauda (Politecnico di Torino, IT)
Alberto Giacomello (Sapienza Università di Roma, IT)
Marco Milanese (Università degli Studi di Genova, IT)
Annalisa Relini (Università degli Studi di Genova, IT)
Valeria Rondelli (Università di Milano, IT)
Giulia Rossi (Università degli Studi di Genova, IT)
Local Organizing Committee
Physics Department, University of Genoa (IT)
Davide Bochicchio, Sonia Cambiaso, Ernesto Fedele, Anna Maria Pittaluga, Sthitadhi Maiti, Carola Torazza, Andrea Tagliabue, Annalisa Relini, Giulia Rossi
For further Information, please contact us via email:
davide.bochicchio@unige.it, andrea.tagliabue@edu.unige.it, sonia.cambiaso@edu.unige.it
List of confirmed invited speakers
List of confirmed invited speakers
Eva-Maria Albers
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (DE)
Alessandro Barducci
Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), CNRS (FR)
Paolo Bergese
Università degli Studi di Brescia (IT)
Antonella Bongiovanni
Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica (IRIB) - CNR (IT)
Benedetta Bussolati
Università degli Studi di Torino (IT)
Carlo Camilloni
Università degli Studi di Milano (IT)
Loredana Casalis
Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste (IT)
Kenneth Dawson
Centre for BioNano Interactions (CBNI), University College Dublin (IR)
Milka Doktorova
Stockholm University (SW)
Gonen Golani
Haifa University (IL)
Jochen Hub
Saarland University (DE)
Paola Luciani
University of Bern (SW)
Mattia Morandi
Czech Academy of Science (PL)
Giovanni Pavan
Politecnico di Torino (IT)
Anna Salvati
University of Groningen (NL)
Pieter Vader
University Medical Center Utrecht (NL)
Andrea Zendrini
ETH Zurich (CH)
Please use the links below to register and/or submit an abstract:
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: !!extended to July 25th
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: July 31th
registration fee: 120 €
Please note: enquiries about late abstract submission and/or registration may be sent via email to sonia.cambiaso@edu.unige.it and/or giulia.rossi@unige.it
Program
Program
Wednesday 17/9/2025
13:00 Registration
14:00 Workshop opening
14:15 Kenneth Dawson
tba
14:55 Paolo Bergese
The physico-chemical landscape of extracellular vesicles
15:35 Coffee break
15:55 Alessandro Barducci
Exploring the assembly and regulation of biomolecular condensates with molecular simulation at various resolutions
16:35 Eva-Maria Albers
Tracking of EV cargo delivery in CNS cell communication
17:15 Jochen Hub
Complex lipid compositions shape the free energy landscape of membrane fusion and membrane pore formation
17:55 Carlo Guardiani
Characterizing the mechanical properties of PC-3 and prostasome EVs through MD simulations
Thursday 18/9/2025
09:00 Benedetta Bussolati
Extracellular Vesicle-Based Systems for Therapeutic Applications: From Natural Carriers to Engineered Hybrids
09:40 Loredana Casalis
Fluidity Modulation by Cholesterol Controls Extracellular Vesicle Fusion with Model Membranes
10:20 Giovanni Maria Pavan
tba
11:00 Coffee break
11:20 Milka Doktorova
Bridging scales: A simulation-driven evaluation of experimental sensitivity
12:00 Antonella Bongiovanni
Microalgae-derived extracellular vesicles: from structural profiling to functional delivery in bone-targeted therapies
12:40 Lunch break and poster session
14:00 Paola Luciani
EVs and EV mimetics to treat chronic fibrotic diseases
14:40 Mattia Morandi
Membrane biophysics regulates the cellular entry of extracellular vesicles
15:20 Gonen Golani
Lipid Composition and Membrane Geometry as Determinants of EVP Fusion Efficiency
16:00 Coffee break
16:20 Marco Milanese
Beneficial effects of extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: future perspectives for synthetic nanocarriers therapies
16:40 Matilde Balbi
The role of iMSCs-EVs and their miRNAs content in modulating inflammation and redox balance in an in-vitro osteoarthritis model
17:00 Poster session
20:00 Social dinner
Friday 19/9/2025
09:00 Pieter Vader
Extracellular vesicle-inspired carrier systems for delivery of RNA therapeutics
09:40 Anna Salvati
Nanomedicine modifications in biological fluids, interaction with cell receptors and mechanism of uptake
10:20 Coffee break
10:40 Carlo Camilloni
Data-driven modelling of biomolecular self-assembly processes
11:20 Andrea Zendrini
Experimental Insights into architecture and dynamics of the Biomolecular Corona of Extracellular Vesicles
12:00 Andrea Lagomarsino
Mechanical Characterization of Glioblastoma Cell Membrane Derived Vesicles
12:20 Workshop closure
Venue
Grand Hotel Savoia, Via Arsenale di Terra 5, 16126 Genova
Google maps link
The workshop will be held at the Grand Hotel Savoia in Genoa, right in front of the main train station (Genova Piazza Principe) and just a short walk from the historic city center. The hotel offers a beautiful conference room, plenty of natural light, and great spaces for coffee breaks and informal chats.
It’s easy to reach by bus (AMT bus line: VLB, 15-20 min) or taxi (10 min) from the airport, and many restaurants, cafes, and landmarks are within walking distance — perfect for exploring after the sessions.
Hotel reservation
Hotel reservation
The workshop will take place in the same week as the 65th Genoa Boat Show, therefore we recommend booking your hotel as soon as possible to ensure room availability. Bookings should be arranged by contacting the hotels directly. Here, you can find a list of possible hotels (neither exhaustive, nor mandatory; just to help):
Grand Hotel Savoia Genova ***** (conference venue)
Hotel Continental **** (same block as Grand Hotel Savoia, the conference venue)
Here below are the codes that participants can use to access a 10% discount off the best available daily rate, subject to availability, at both Hotel Continental and Grand Hotel Savoia, for the event. Participants can visit the hotel websites and click on the “Book” section at the top right of the page. A menu will open, and it will be possible to enter the code in the box marked “Code”.
Here are the direct links to our websites:
https://www.grandhotelsavoiagenova.it
For Grand Hotel Savoia, the code to enter is: Eventisavoia
https://www.hotelcontinentalgenova.it
For Hotel Continental the code to enter is: Eventi
Hotel NOLOGO ** (good connection by bus n.20)
In Hotel NOLOGO 15 rooms have been reserved for workshop participants until 1 July 2025. Dates: Check-in: 16 September 2025 — Check-out: 19 September 2025, at the rate of €120.00 per night for a Deluxe Room (city tax not included: €2.50 per person per night; children under 12 are exempt). Free cancellation up to 31 days before arrival. Booking instructions: to book one of the reserved rooms, guests are welcome to contact the following addresses, referring to “ID 655273 HOTEL NOLOGO”: booking@hotelnologo.it
reservations@hotmahotels.it
Hotel Starhotels President (good connection by bus n.20)
Google Sites
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