DLVSystem is proud to announce its participation in the national research initiative “I-NEST – Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem”, under Spoke 2 – Health, Food and Lifestyles, with a project focused on the development of thermo-responsive biopolymeric proteins.

This forward-looking initiative, funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR – Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.5), aims to design and produce novel thermo-responsive recombinant proteins with transformative potential in diagnostics and precision medicine.

At the core of the research are Elastin-Like Peptides (ELPs)—especially the Human Elastin-Like Peptides (HELPs)—which demonstrate a fully reversible, temperature-sensitive phase transition. This unique behavior enables their application as intelligent carriers for functional proteins and facilitates innovative purification techniques based on thermal cycling.

The project’s applications focus on:

  • Targeted antimicrobial therapies (e.g., HELP-hBD1)
  • Tissue regeneration solutions (e.g., HELP-hEGF)
  • Advanced diagnostic systems (e.g., bilirubin detection using HELP-UnaG)

“By integrating artificial intelligence into molecular biology, we aim to accelerate the design of next-generation biomedical solutions with unprecedented precision.”

— DLVSystem

As a spin-off of the University of Calabria, DLVSystem plays a strategic role by leading Work Packages 4 and 5, dedicated to the development of Artificial Intelligence models for prediction and integration within the system.

Our AI team will focus on:

  • Building specialized datasets, including from extensive scientific literature repositories (e.g., PMC Article collections)
  • Applying advanced AI methodologies, such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
  • Developing a Machine Learning model to accurately predict optimal plasmid and bacterial strain combinations, aimed at improving protein yield and system efficiency

The initiative—referred to as HELP for Health—is the result of a close and dynamic collaboration with the University of Calabria, which is responsible for the experimental workflows involving protein production, purification, and sub-cloning.

DLVSystem is excited to bring its deep expertise in AI and logic-based systems to a project that stands to significantly impact the future of biomedical research and technology. The initiative perfectly aligns with the broader vision of the PNRR to strengthen Italy’s innovation ecosystem through cutting-edge research and effective technology transfer.