XXXVI Congress of the Italian Association of Photobiology – SIFB
Brescia, 22–24 June 2026 | Scientific Programme
Invited lecture (30 min + 5 min discussion)
Oral presentation (20 min + 3 min discussion)
Young Investigator Award (20 min + 5 min discussion)
SIFB Fellowship holder
Oral presentation (20 min + 3 min discussion)
Young Investigator Award (20 min + 5 min discussion)
SIFB Fellowship holder
Programme Overview
| Monday, 22 June | Tuesday, 23 June | Wednesday, 24 June |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 – Opening Scientific Session | Session 3 – Photodynamic Therapy in Cancer Microenvironments | Session 6 – Photosensitizer Design and Photodynamic Strategies |
| Session 2 – Photosynthesis and Biohybrid Systems | Session 4 – Advanced Photosensitizers and Combination PDT Strategies | Session 7 – From Photo-immunomodulation to One Health Applications |
| SIFB General Assembly | Session 5 – Photodermatology: From Therapy to Imaging | Closing Session |
| Young Investigator Award Ceremony | ||
| Social Dinner – Osteria “L’Oste Sobrio” |
▸ Monday, 22 June 2026
| Time | Format | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13:00 | Registration | ||
| 14:00–14:30 | Opening | Greta Varchi & Valentina Rapozzi | Congress Opening and Welcome Remarks |
| Session 1 – Opening Scientific Session Chair: Carlo Matera | |||
| 14:30–15:05 | Invited lecture | Laia Josa-Culleré | Photoswitches and photocages to eliminate cancer stem cells under external light control |
| 15:05–15:25 | Oral | Ramona SantiniFrontiers Fellowship | Targeted covalent photoswitch for two-photon control of endogenous receptors |
| 15:25–15:45 | Oral | Giorgia Miolo | Photostability of therapeutic mAbs and ADCs under real-life light doses |
| 15:45–16:10 | Coffee break | ||
| Session 2 – Photosynthesis and Biohybrid Systems Chairs: Maya Dimova Lambreva, Francesco Milano | |||
| 16:15–16:50 | Invited lecture | Lorenzo Ferroni | Distinctive morpho-functional adaptations for photosynthesis in deep shade in the ancient vascular plant genusSelaginella(Lycopodiophyta) |
| 16:50–17:10 | Oral | Stefano Santabarbara | Evidence of bidirectional electron transfer in far-red light adapted Photosystem I |
| 17:10–17:30 | Oral | Francesco Milano | In-field tomato growth under blue-depleted sunlight from a semi-transparent perovskite panel |
| 17:30–17:50 | Oral | Maya Dimova Lambreva | Tiny diamonds, stronger cells: hydroxylated nanodiamonds mitigate oxidative stress inChlamydomonas reinhardtii |
| 17:50–18:10 | Oral | Rossella Labarile | Chromatophore-based biohybrid architectures for solar-pumped laser systems: role of scattering in optical characterization |
| 18:20–19:30 | SIFB General Assembly | ||
▸ Tuesday, 23 June 2026
| Time | Format | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 3 – Photodynamic Therapy in Cancer Microenvironments Chair: Rossella Labarile | |||
| 09:00–09:35 | Invited lecture | Valentina Rapozzi | Nitric Oxide, Nrf2 Signaling and Tumor Hypoxia: Interconnected Determinants of Resistance and Response in Photodynamic Therapy |
| 09:35–09:55 | Oral | Thenesia Govender | Development of Multimodal, Light-Activated NO-Based Conjugates for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment |
| 09:55–10:15 | Oral | Erna Tintor | CAIX-Targeted Inhibitor-Photosensitizer Conjugates for Enhanced Photodynamic Efficacy Under Hypoxic Tumor Conditions in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells |
| 10:15–10:35 | Oral | Cosmin Butnarasu | Lighting up mucins: development of polymethine dyes for mucin-responsive sensing in pancreatic cancer |
| 10:35–10:55 | Oral | Federica RandisiSIFB Fellowship | BODIPY-loaded liposomes enhance cellular uptake and PDT efficacy in 2D and 3D models |
| 10:55–11:20 | Coffee break | ||
| Session 4 – Advanced Photosensitizers and Combination PDT Strategies Chair: Sonja Visentin | |||
| 11:20–11:40 | Oral | Francesca BiancoSIFB Fellowship | Orai1 inhibition and PDT: novel combination therapy for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma |
| 11:40–12:00 | Oral | Sara Cascone | Development of Anionized Albumin Formulations for Macrophage-Selective Photoimmunotherapy |
| 12:00–12:20 | Oral | Melisa Ciglaric | Synthesis of cationic AB3meso-(4-(N,N-diethylamino)phenyl)porphyrins for in vitro studies on melanoma cells |
| 12:20–12:40 | Oral | Giulia Giugliano | Machine learning-driven discovery of novel photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy |
| 12:40–13:00 | Oral | Martina Mušković Lukić | Impact of melanin pigment and hypoxic conditions on (photo)cytotoxicity of amphiphilic N-methylated tripyridiniumporphyrins with alkyl chains of different length on melanoma cell lines |
| 13:00–14:30 | Lunch | ||
| Session 5 – Photodermatology: From Therapy to Imaging Chair: Marina Venturini | |||
| 14:40–15:15 | Invited lecture | Piergiacomo Calzavara Pinton | A lifetime in science: reflections on light-based therapies and dermatological research |
| 15:15–15:35 | Oral | Isacco Cattaneo | Real-life experience from a tertiary phototherapy center on solar urticaria: clinical features, management, and long-term outcomes from a twenty-year cohort |
| 15:35–15:55 | Oral | Mariateresa Rossi | Photoprotection in Inflammatory Dermatoses |
| 15:55–16:15 | Oral | Gaia Maridati | Frontiers in Photobiology |
| 16:15–16:40 | Coffee break | ||
| 16:40–17:15 | Invited lecture | Luigi Spiazzi | Physics in photodermatology: quantitative imaging and AI |
| 17:15–17:25 | Oral | Alessandro Franzini | Light and Edema: An Unexpected Association |
| 17:25–17:45 | Oral | Marina Venturini | Photodynamic Therapy with Topical Zinc Phthalocyanine RLP068/Cl for Moderate-to-Severe Papulopustular Acne: A Pilot Study |
| 17:45–18:15 | Award Ceremony | Alessio Colleoni – Young Investigator Award | Photoswitchable Glycomimetics Enable Precision Targeting of LecB inPseudomonas aeruginosa |
| 20:30 | 🆎Social Dinner– Osteria “L’Oste Sobrio” | ||
▸ Wednesday, 24 June 2026
| Time | Format | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 6 – Photosensitizer Design and Photodynamic Strategies Chair: Enrico Caruso | |||
| 09:15–09:50 | Invited lecture | Mathias O. Senge | Molecular and Formulation Strategies for Photosensitizer Design |
| 09:50–10:10 | Oral | Nika Skokic | Impact of Zn(II) and Cu(II) chelation with methylated tetrakis pyridinium-3-yl porphyrin on antimicrobial properties and photodynamic inactivation |
| 10:10–10:30 | Oral | Nataliia Emashova | Infrared light-based antimicrobial approach |
| 10:30–10:50 | Oral | Chiara Di DonatoSIFB Fellowship | Phage Platforms for Targeted Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy |
| 10:50–11:10 | Oral | Giuseppe NocitoSIFB Fellowship | A photo-antimicrobial hydrogel based on a tetracationic porphyrin and Captisol®assemblies for wound management |
| 11:10–11:30 | Coffee break | ||
| Session 7 – From Photo-immunomodulation to One Health Applications Chair: Mariateresa Rossi | |||
| 11:30–11:50 | Oral | Marialaura Giannaccari | Green-Synthesized Prussian Blue Nanoparticles for Synergistic Breast Cancer Therapy |
| 11:50–12:10 | Oral | Emanuela Peluso | Multilayer of Prussian Blue Nanoparticles with Photothermal Antibacterial Effect |
| 12:10–12:30 | Oral | Giovanni Romano | Unify, Align, and Educate: Promoting Photodynamic Inactivation within the One Health Framework by COST Action CA24127 PanEuCOPTion |
| 12:30–13:05 | Invited lecture | Serena Lembo | Light and skin: photoimmunomodulation |
| 13:10 | Closing Remarks | ||