Eleonora Torchia

I was born in Oristano on April 17, 1996, in Sardinia, with residence in Nurachi which currently represents a small, if not very small, reality on the west coast of our island.

I attended the Classical High School De Castro and immediately after graduating (2015) I decided to continue my studies at the University located in Oristano. Here I was able to pursue a mainly scientific path, without ever abandoning the humanistic approach and cultivating a deep interest in philosophy and literature.

Ever since I was little, I have always had a certain curiosity in "revealing", or partially uncovering that veil of mystery connected to the complexity of biological systems and life itself. This curiosity has been encouraged by important figures, among which I mention my brother and my Biology and Chemistry teacher at high school.

So I graduated in Industrial Biotechnologies in April 2019. At the same time, since I don't like to stand still, I worked part-time throughout my undergraduate years as a waitress. I always support and will support that working, especially in the restaurant industry, therefore in close contact with people, both customers and colleagues, has really helped me in personal growth and in the ability to manage certain dynamics that have often put me to the test. In truth, speaking generally, combining work and study is relatively difficult but extremely helpful if you love dynamism.

Briefly, the Industrial Biotechnology program includes, among other things, an initial approach to Physiology, Genetics, and Pharmacology: the theoretical principles and applications of various innovative molecular techniques then led me towards a predominantly biomedical field.

Furthermore, during the last year of my undergraduate studies, I won a scholarship from the Faculty that allowed me to carry out the training internship required by my degree program outside of my region. All of this was made possible thanks to the agreement between the UNO Consortium and the Center for Cellular, Computational and Integrated Biology (CIBIO) associated with the University of Trento. Therefore, in September 2018, I started the internship at CIBIO, specifically in the Cancer Biology and Genetics Laboratory. During these three months, I worked with various models, both in vitro and in vivo of prostate cancer, such as the growth of cell lines in 3D cultures and xenografts in zebrafish. I was also able to manipulate a non-tumorigenic prostatic cell line widely used as a primary tool for studying the genetic mechanisms underlying tumor development. This experience made me reflect on the need to find, experiment with, and characterize new models that are also effective for diagnostic and pharmacological studies in the field of oncology therapy.

After that, I decided to apply for the Master's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Trento: the program offers the opportunity to choose a specific path among

1. Neurobiologia
2. Microbi e Infezioni
3. Cancro

Having embarked on the Cancer program, I have decided to carry out the internship at the Laboratory of Biotechnologies and Nanotechnologies of CIBIO, building a thesis project around three concepts:

1. Stratification of patients affected by prostate cancer in order to tailor treatments based on the unique characteristics of each individual: this concept revolves around the deeper concept of precision medicine.
2. Potential use in relation to liquid biopsies (urine, plasma, saliva): in particular, during these months I had the opportunity to work with human urine samples to isolate, characterize, and analyze Extracellular Vesicles, small particles released by cells. These small particles have sparked interest in recent years as they contain small molecules and/or macromolecules inside (or outside) that can reflect the characteristics of the originating cell.
3. Diagnosis and discrimination between different stages of cancer: considering the two previous concepts, it is therefore possible to exploit liquid biopsies, which do not require painful surgical interventions that the patient may undergo, in order to isolate Extracellular Vesicles and discover and test new biomarkers for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of tumors.

Along with the interest in the prevention and early diagnosis of cancer, I have always had a deep respect for nature and everything related to the agricultural environment. For this reason, alongside the desire to work for a research institution/pharmaceutical company, I am studying to become a member of the National College of Agricultural Technicians and Graduates.