Thesis Project Form

Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures represent fundamental tools for the comprehension of cellular phenomena both in normal and pathological conditions. In the field of cancer disease, these clinically relevant in vitro models could help understanding tumor pathogenesis and cells chemoresistance, as well as predicting the outcome of pharmacological treatments

The goal of this thesis is to acquire and analyse a series of microscopy images of breast cancer cells with different aggressivness embedded in 3D gels (tumor models), to evaluate how these cells can organize and proliferate in a in vivo-like environment. The student could partecipate to the process of gel manufacturing and cells culture. The work will be constituted by a major experimental part (optical microscopy, fluorescence confocal microscopy) and consequent images post-production and data analysis.

Gli obiettivi sono quelli di acquisire le capacità di portare a termine un progetto sperimentale affrontando sia le problematiche in ambito biologico, sia gli aspetti prettamente ingegneristici e di validazione. Durante la tesi verranno toccate le seguenti tematiche:
• Optical microscopy
• Fluorescence confocal microscopy
• Cell culture
• Image analysis