LIVIA ANGELONI

Education

2009 - B.Sc. in Clinical Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, Thesis title: Morphological analysis of trabecular bone by computerized microtomography.
Internship: Italian National Health Institute, Rome, Italy (6 months).
2011 - M.Sc. in Nanotechnology Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy 110/110 cum laude. Thesis title: SPM characterization of magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical application.
2012 - Scholarship: Borsa di perfezionamento all’estero (Sapienza University). Research internship at the Laboratory of Biomaterials and Bioengineering (LBB), Laval University, Quebec, Canada (8 months). Project: Synthesis and characterization of Teflon-like and Diamond-like carbon ultrathin films for cardiovascular stents
2017 - Ph.D. in Mathematical Models for Engineering, Electromagnetics and Nanosciences (curriculum Electromagnetism)/Materials Engineering. Doctorate in international joint supervision between Sapienza University of Rome (Italy) and Laval University (Quebec, Canada) Ph.D. with honors (Laval University). Thesis title: Development of new AFM-based methodologies for the quantitative magnetic characterization of nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

Appointments

Academic Appointments

02/09/2024 - ongoing. Tenure track researcher. Department of Basic and Apllied Sciences for Engineering, Sapienza University (Rome, Italy)
15/05/2022 - 31/08/2024. Postdoctoral researcher/ ICMS fellow. Deprtment of Biomedical Enginerring,TU Eindhoven (Netherlands). Project: Macrophage mechanics in response to physical cues.
01/08/2019 - 20/11/2021. Marie Sklodowska Curie (LEaDing) Fellow (postdoctoral researcher), Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, TU Delft (Netherlands). Project: Harnessing microfluidic force microscopy and electron cryo-microscopy for structural cell biology).
01/08/2018 - 31/07/2019. Postdoctoral researcher. Department of Biomechanical Engineering, TU Delft (Netherlands). Project: Cell mechanics on nanostructured surfaces for orthopedic implants.

National Scientific Qualification (“Abilitazione scientifica nazionale” (ASN))

30/05/2022 02/B1 (Fisica sperimentale della materia) 30/05/2033
25/05/2022 02/D1 (Fisica applicata, didattica e storia della fisica) 25/05/2033

Part VII - Funding Information [grants as PI-principal investigator or I-investigator], Fellowships, Scholarships

2023. ICMS Fellowship. Project: “Probing macrophage mechanics in response to physical cues”. https://www.tue.nl/en/news-and-events/news-overview/11-04-2023-icms-fell... ICMS Fellow. Institute of Complex and Molecular Systems. TU Eindhoven (Netherlands)
2019 Marie Sklodowska Curie LEaDing Fellowship. Project: “Harnessing microfluidic atomic force microscopy and electron-cryo microscopy for structural biology”
https://leadingfellows.eu/meet-the-fellows/ Marie Sklodowska Curie (MSCA) LEaDing Fellowship (COFUND programme). Horizon 2020. European Union funding for Research and Innovation.
2014. Grant: Avvio alla Ricerca. Project: "Quantitative characterization of nanoparticles magnetic properties by Magnetic Force Microscopy". Sapienza University.
2012. Scholarship: “Borsa di perfezionamento all’estero”.
Project: “Synthesis and characterization of Teflon-like and Diamond-like carbon ultrathin films for cardiovascular applications”. Scholarship: “Borsa di perfezionamento all’estero”. Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). Internship at the Laboratory of Biomaterials and Bioengineering (LBB), Laval University (Quebec, Canada)

Part VIII – Research Activities

Keywords Description
Atomic force microscopy My research activity focuses on quantifying physical properties and biological processes at the micro- and nanoscale.
After my studies in Rome (B.Sc. in Clinical Engineering and M.Sc. summa cum laude in Nanotechnology Engineering, Sapienza University), I desired to do research in the biomaterials field. In 2012, I successfully applied for a postgraduate scholarship (“Borsa di perfezionamento all’estero”) that allowed me to move to Canada and do an internship at the Laboratory of Biomaterials and Bioengineering (LBB) of Laval University. Here, I acquired experience in surface engineering and started my research on plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processes to produce ultrathin films for cardiovascular stents.
I completed my Ph.D. in international joint supervision between Sapienza University of Rome (EMiNa lab, Prof. Marco Rossi) and Laval University, Quebec, Canada (LBB lab, Prof. Diego Mantovani). I took advantage of the complementary skills and facilities of the two groups to build up my multidisciplinary skill set in micro-nano characterization techniques, biomaterials, and surface engineering. I developed international networking skills and learned to define and manage my projects independently. I focused my research on developing atomic force microscopy-based techniques for the characterization of nanomaterials to be used for biomedical purposes. In this context, I worked on two main projects: i) the synthesis and characterization of ultrathin films to be used as coatings for cardiovascular stents and ii) the development of advanced atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques for the quantitative magnetic characterization of nanoparticles. I developed an oxidation process of ultrathin Fluorocarbon (CFx) coatings based on a methanol PE-CVD treatment. The modification of the surface oxygen content and the consequent variation of surface wettability was aimed to modulate the protein adsorption and improve the blood compatibility of CFx films without affecting their excellent mechanical and corrosion resistance properties [Materials Science Forum, 2018, 941, 2528-2533]. Developing and optimizing those ultrathin coatings required the comprehensive characterization of their mechanical properties to verify their suitability as stent coating materials. I used and developed AFM-based methodologies (HarmoniX™, contact resonance AFM (CR-AFM), small punch tests combined with AFM) to investigate the elastic, viscoelastic, cohesion, and adhesion properties of the films [Frontiers in Materials, 2020, 6, 1-13]. The most relevant scientific achievements of my Ph.D. came from my work on the quantitative magnetic characterization of bionanomaterials. I obtained the grant “Avvio Alla Ricerca 2014”, thanks to which I built a setup and developed a novel AFM-based technique (called “controlled tip magnetization- magnetic force microscopy,” CM-MFM) to remove electrostatic artifacts from magnetic force microscopy (MFM) measurements. [AIP Conference Proceedings, 2015, 1667, 020010; Scientific Reports, 2016, 6, 26293]. Using this technique, I quantified the magnetic properties (i.e., the magnetization curve, saturation magnetization, saturation magnetic field, and coercivity) of single nanoparticles (diameter lower than 30 nm) for the first time. [Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 18000-18011]. I also used CM-MFM to measure the thickness of non-magnetic coatings of core-shell magnetic nanoparticles [AIP Conference Proceedings, 2016, 1749, 020006, Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials, 2020, 516, 167299, AIP Conference Proceedings, 2020, 2257, 020005]. Other research activities during my Ph.D. were the morphological, magnetic and mechanical characterization of different kinds of nanomaterials by AFM [Biomatter, 2014, 4, e29507; JOM, 2015, 67, 849-857; Nanomaterials, 2018, 9, 1177] and the investigation of possible AFM methods to be used for subsurface imaging of nanomaterials in biological matrices [Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 5671-5676; Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, 2018. 10, 1-18].
After the end of my Ph.D., I worked as a researcher for Nanoshare s.r.l. During this period, I focused my research on developing Scanning Capacitance Microscopy (SCM) techniques for imaging and failure analysis of electronic devices (in collaboration with LFoundry s.r.l.).
My experience as a postdoctoral researcher at TU Delft (Netherlands) brought my research interests closer to the biology field. My expertise in AFM was a unique skill set to study the mechanics of live cells quantitatively and answer open questions that “conventional” methods cannot address. In 2018, I successfully applied for a postdoc on cell biomechanics at TU Delft and moved to The Netherlands. In TU Delft, I built cooperation with the “Biomaterials and Tissue Mechanics” and “Micro-Nano Engineering” groups at TU Delft. I acquired cell biophysics, bionanomechanics, micro- and nano-fabrication, and additive manufacturing skills. I investigated the interaction mechanisms between cells and nanostructured surfaces for bone implants, developing specific AFM-based techniques and procedures for the analysis of i) the mechanical properties of the surfaces at the nanoscale, ii) cell mechanics, and iii) cell adhesion. I have developed novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods based on contact mode and force spectroscopy to determine the mechanical characteristics of individual micro- and nanopillars as fabricated [Additive Manufacturing, 2021, 39, 101858]. These methodologies can enable otherwise impossible measurements, particularly when the specimens need to be tested under wet conditions, such as micro and nanostructures, for mechanobiological studies. For example, I used these techniques to determine the interaction forces between live cells and nanopatterned surfaces [Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 21988]. I also developed procedures based on the use of Quantitative Imaging (QI) mode to measure the morphology and the mechanical properties (e.g., the elastic modulus) of live cells interacting with nanopatterned surfaces [ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2020, 12, 200-208]. I developed specific setups and protocols based on the use of single-cell force spectroscopy (SCFS) and microfluidic-AFM (FluidFM) to measure the adhesion force of cells interacting with nanopatterns. These techniques allowed me to investigate the relationships between the adhesion process of cells to surfaces and their mechanics and long-term osteogenic differentiation [ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2021, 13, 33767−33781; Small, 2023, 19, 2204662; Small, 2021, 17, 2100706]
In 2019, I obtained the Marie Sklodowska Curie (MSCA-Cofund) LEaDing Fellowship, allowing me to continue my collaborative research at TU Delft, working on my independent projects. I developed a methodology to prepare samples for structural cell biology analysis using FluidFM. The proposed methodology consists of using microfluidic atomic force microscopy to prepare samples suitable for electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) analysis of subcellular structures in their near-native state. For this purpose, I built on and optimized a custom-designed prototype system developed by the Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering (PME) and the Department of Bionanosciences of TU Delft. Together with 2 master’s students I supervised, I also designed and fabricated novel polymeric hollow cantilevers to extract subcellular structures. This research resulted in publications [Lab On a Chip, 2020, 20, 311-319] and a patent [3D printing of suspended microfluidic devices. Patent WO2023/063820 A1].
Driven by my interest in macrophage mechanics, in 2022, I joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering at TU Eindhoven (Netherlands) in the ImmunoRegeneration group. Here, I am bringing new expertise in single-cell mechanics to a scientific community that perfectly complements my skills. I am developing a novel and independent research line on the mechanics of immune cells and setting up a new mechanobiology facility that allows for the correlative use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical techniques [5 papers submitted or in preparation]. For those activities, I was recently awarded the prestigious ICMS fellowship.
My ambition is to set up my research line on advanced micro-nano-characterization techniques for cells, tissues, and biomaterials at Sapienza University. I believe that developing methodologies and tools to investigate biophysical phenomena at the tissue, cellular, and subcellular level will advance the fundamental understanding of several (physiological and pathological) biological processes and pave the way for designing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, including instructive biomaterials.
Magnetic Force Microscopy
Fluidic force microscopy
Nanocharacterization
Cell mechanics
Cell adhesion

Part IX – Summary of Scientific Achievements

#co-first-author,
Product type References
Papers [international] 27. Angeloni L, Popa B, Nouri-Goushki M, Minneboo M, Zadpoor A A, Ghatkesar M K, Fratila-Apachitei L E, Fluidic force microscopy and atomic force microscopy unveil new insights into the interaction of preosteoblasts with 3D-printed submicron patterns, Small, 2023, 19, 2204662.
26. Modaresifar K, Ganjian M, Angeloni L, Minneboo M, Ghatkesar M K, Hagedoorn P-L, Fratila-Apachitei L E, Zadpoor A A, On the Use of Black Ti as a Bone Substituting Biomaterial: Behind the Scenes of Dual-Functionality, Small, 2021, 17, 2100706.
25. Nouri-Goushki M#, Angeloni L#, Modaresifar K, Minneboo M, Boukany P E, Mirzaali M J, Ghatkesar M K, Fratila-Apachitei L E, Zadpoor A A, 3D-Printed Submicron Patterns Reveal the Interrelation between Cell Adhesion, Cell Mechanics, and Osteogenesis, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2021, 13, 33767−33781.
24. Angeloni L, Ganjian M, Nouri-Goushki M, Mirzaali M J, Hagen C W, Zadpoor A A, Fratila Apachitei L E, Ghatkesar M K, Mechanical characterization of nanopillars by atomic force microscopy, Additive Manufacturing, 2021, 39, 101858.
23. Ganjian M, Angeloni L, Mirzaali M J, Modaresifar K, Hagen C W, Ghatkesar M K, Hagedoorn P L, Fratila-Apachitei L E, Zadpoor A A, Quantitative mechanics of 3D printed nanopillars interacting with bacterial cells, Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 21988.
22. Reggente M#, Angeloni L#, Passeri D, Chevallier P, Turgeon S, Mantovani D, Rossi M, Mechanical Characterization of Methanol Plasma Treated Fluorocarbon Ultrathin Films Through Atomic Force Microscopy, Frontiers in Materials, 2020, 6, 1-13.
21. Modaresifar K, Kunkels L B, Ganjian M, Tümer N, Hagen C W, Otten L G, Hagedoorn P L, Angeloni L, Ghatkesar M K, Fratila-Apachitei L E, Zadpoor A A, Deciphering the roles of interspace and controlled disorder in the bactericidal properties of nanopatterns against Staphylococcus aureus, Nanomaterials, 2020, 10(2), 347.
20. Nouri-Goushki M, Mirzaali M J, Angeloni L, Fan D, Minneboo M, Ghatkesar M K, Staufer U, Fratila-Apachitei L E, Zadpoor A A, 3D Printing of Large Areas of Highly Ordered Submicron Patterns for Modulating Cell Behavior, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2020, 12, 200-208.
19. Mirzaali M J, Herranz de la Nava A, Gunashekar D, Nouri-Goushki M, Veeger R P E, Grossman Q, Angeloni L, Ghatkesar M K, Fratila-Apachitei L E, Ruffoni D, Doubrovski E L, Zadpoor A A, Mechanics of bioinspired functionally graded soft-hard composites made by multi-material 3D printing, Composite Structures, 2020, 237, 111867.
18. Kramer R C L N, Verlinden, E J, Angeloni L, Van Den Heuvel A, Fratila- Apachitei L E, Van Der Maarel S M, Ghatkesar M K, Multiscale 3D printing of microfluidic AFM cantilevers, Lab On a Chip, 2020, 20, 311-319.
17. Angeloni L, Passeri D, Scaramuzzo FA, Schiavi PG, Francesca Pagnanelli F, Rossi M, Magnetic force microscopy characterization of core–shell cobalt-oxide/hydroxide nanoparticles, Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials, 2020, 516, 167299.
16. Angeloni L, Passeri D, Schiavi PG, Pagnanelli F, Rossi M, Magnetic force microscopy characterization of cobalt nanoparticles: A preliminary study, AIP Conference Proceedings, 2020, 2257, 020005.
15. Ganjian M, Modaresifar K, Ligeon M R O, Kunkels L B, Tümer N, Angeloni L, Hagen C W, Otten L G, Hagedoorn P-L, Apachitei I, Fratila-Apachitei L E, Zadpoor A A, Nature Helps: Toward bioinspired Bactericidal Nanopatterns, Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2019, 6, 1900640.
14. Rinaldi F, Del Favero E, Moeller J, Hanieh P N, Passeri D, Rossi M, Angeloni L, Venditti I, Marianecci C, Carafa M, Fratoddi I, Hydrophilic silver nanoparticles loaded into niosomes: Physical–chemical characterization in view of biological applications, Nanomaterials, 2018, 9, 1177.
13. Angeloni L, Reggente M, Passeri D, Natali M, Rossi M, Identification of nanoparticles and nanosystems in biological matrices with scanning probe microscopy, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, 2018, 10, 1-18.
12. Rinaldi F, Hanieh P N, Chan L K N, Angeloni L, Passeri D, Rossi M, Wang J T, Imbriano A, Carafa M, Marianecci C, Chitosan glutamate-coated niosomes: A proposal for nose-to-brain delivery, Pharmaceutics, 2018, 10, 38.
11. Montaño-Machado V#, Angeloni L#, Chevallier P, Klak M C, Turgeon S, Rossi M, Mantovani D, Oxidative plasma treatment of fluorocarbon surfaces for blood-contacting applications. Materials Science Forum, 2018, 941, 2528-2533.
10. Misiti V, Cavallo A, Natali M, Angeloni L, Reggente M, Bettucci A, Passeri D, Mura F, Vlassak J J,Rossi M, Nanomechanical characterization of K-basalt from Roman comagmatic province: A preliminary study, AIP Conference Proceedings, 2018, 1990, 020009.
9. Angeloni L, Passeri D, Corsetti S, Peddis D, Mantovani D, Rossi M, Single nanoparticles magnetization curves by controlled tip magnetization magnetic force microscopy, Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 18000-18011.
8. Reggente M, Passeri D, Angeloni L, Scaramuzzo F A, Barteri M, De Angelis F, Persiconi I, De Stefano M E, Rossi M, Detection of stiff nanoparticles within cellular structures by contact resonance atomic force microscopy subsurface nanomechanical imaging, Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 5671-5676.
7. Angeloni L, Passeri D, Natali M, Reggente M, Anelli E, Bettucci A, Mantovani, Rossi M, In Situ control and modification of the probe magnetization state for accurate magnetic force microscopy, AIP Conference Proceedings, 2017, 1873, 020008.
6. Angeloni L, Passeri D, Reggente M, Mantovani D, Rossi M, Removal of electrostatic artifacts in magnetic force microscopy by controlled magnetization of the tip: application to superparamagnetic nanoparticles, Scientific Reports, 2016, 6, 26293.
5. Angeloni L, Passeri D, Scaramuzzo F A, Di Iorio D, Barteri M, Mantovani D, Rossi M, Measurement of the nonmagnetic coating thickness of core-shell magnetic nanoparticles by controlled magnetization magnetic force microscopy, AIP Conference Proceedings, 2016, 1749, 020006.
4. Reggente M, Rossi M, Angeloni L, Tamburri E, Lucci M, Davoli I, Terranova M L, Passeri D, Atomic force microscopy techniques for nanomechanical characterization: a polymeric case study, JOM, 2015, 67, 849-857.
3. Angeloni L, Passeri D, Reggente M, Rossi M, Mantovani D, Lazzaro L, Nepi F, De Angelis, F, Barteri M, Experimental issues in magnetic force microscopy of nanoparticles, AIP Conference Proceedings, 2015, 1667, 020010.
2. Passeri D, Dong C, Reggente M, Angeloni L, Barteri M, Scaramuzzo F A, De Angelis F, Marinelli F, Antonelli F, Rinaldi F, Marianecci C, Carafa M, Sorbo A, Sordi D, Arends I WCE, Rossi M, Magnetic force microscopy. Quantitative issues in biomaterials, Biomatter, 2014, 4, e29507.
1. Passeri D, Dong C, Angeloni L, Pantanella F, Natalizi T, Berlutti F, Marianecci C, Ciccarello F, Rossi M, Thickness measurement of soft thin films on periodically patterned magnetic substrates by phase difference magnetic force microscopy, Ultramicroscopy, 2014, 136, 96-106.
Book chapters [scientific] 2. Passeri D, Angeloni L, Rossi M., Magnetic Force Microscopy and Magnetic Nanoparticles: Perspectives and Challenges. In: Peddis D, Laureti S, Fiorani D. New Trends in Nanoparticle Magnetism. SPRINGER SERIES IN MATERIALS SCIENCE, 2021.
1. Passeri D, Angeloni L, Reggente M, Rossi M, Magnetic Force Microscopy, In: C.S.S.R. Kumar. Magnetic characterization techniques for nanomaterials, 2017, 209-259.
Patents 1. Ghatkesar M K, . Kramer R C L N, Verlinden, De Winter J, Manzaneque Garcia T, Angeloni L, 3D printing of suspended microfluidic devices. Patent WO2023/063820 A1 - 2023, IPC No. A61M, B81C, B82B, B29C, B33Y, Priority date 13 Oct 2021, Priority No. NL2029397

Presentations at international conferences 18. Atomic force microscopy and fluidic force microscopy for cell mechanics, Invited oral presentation at Nanoinnovation 2023, Rome (Italy), 18-23 September 2023.
17. Atomic force microscopy for cell mechanics and cell-biomaterial interactions, Invited oral presentation at BioAFM workshop (Bruker) 2023, Eindhoven (Netherlands).
16. Investigating cell mechanics and cell-biomaterials interactions by AFM. Invited oral presentation at the Workshop: “Introduction to Atomic Force Microscopy and recent advances (Asylum Research)” 2023, Eindhoven (Netherlands).
15. Atomic force microscopy and fluidic force microscopy to probe cell mechanics in response to physical cues, Oral presentation at the 9th Multifrequency AFM Conference – 3rd Symposium on Cell and Soft Matter Nanomechanics, Madrid (Spain), 14-16 June 2023.
14. Cell mechanics in response to submicron patterned surfaces, Oral presentation at Dutch Biophysics 2020, Veldhoven (Netherlands), 5-6 October 2020.
13. Cell mechanics on nanopatterned surfaces for bone implants, poster at Dutch Biophysics 2019, Veldhoven (Netherlands), 7-8 October 2019.
12. Investigating cell mechanics on nanopatterned surfaces by Atomic Force Microscopy, Invited oral presentation at Nanoinnovation 2019, Rome (Italy), 11-14 June 2019.
11. AFM-based methods for Elastic Measurements, oral presentation at Nanoinnovation 2019, Rome (Italy), 11-14 June 2019.
10. Nanomechanical characterizations of biomaterials using atomic force microscopy, oral contribution at BioM&M, Milan (Italy), 27-29 June 2018.
9. Removing electrostatic artifacts: towards truly quantitative MFM, invited oral contribution at AFMeeting 2016, Rome (Italy), 24 February 2016.
8. Methanol plasma treatment of fluorocarbon ultra-thin coatings for stents applications, Oral presentation at 10th World Biomaterial Congress (WBC 2016) Montreal (Canada), 17-22 May 2016.
7. Oxidation plasma treatment of fluorocarbon ultrathin films for cardiovascular applications, poster at 30th Conference of the European Colloid and Interface Society (ECIS 2016), Rome (Italy), 4-9 September 2016.
6. Magnetic force microscopy with controlled magnetization of the tip: toward truly quantitative nanomagnetometry, oral presentation at StSPM’16, Bologna (Italy), 20-21 October 2016.
5. Advances in Magnetic Force Microscopy: application to superparamagnetic nanoparticles, Oral presentation at Nanoitaly 2015, Rome (Italy), 21-24 September 2015.
4. Magnetic Force Microscopy: applications and open issues, Oral presentation at Nanoforum 2014, Rome (Italy), 22-25 September 2014.
3. Characterization of magnetic nanoparticles properties by magnetic force microscopy, poster at 18-th International Microscopy Congress, Prague (Czech Republic), 7-12 September 2014.
2. Bacterial adhesion force measurements by microbial cell probe atomic force microscopy, poster at 18th International Microscopy Congress, Prague (Czech Republic), 7-12 September 2014.
1. Surface treatments of SS316L substrates for plasma-based Diamond Like Carbon coatings: study of the surface properties, Oral presentation at 4th International Symposium on Surfaces and Interfaces for Biomaterials (ISSIB 2013), Rome (Italy), 24-28 September 2013.
Organization of international conferences Responsible for the local organizing committee, Nanoinnovation 2019 – 11th -14th June 2019 - Rome, Italy
Member of the local organizing committee, Nanoinnovation 2018 – 11th-14th September 2018 - Rome, Italy
Member of the local organizing committee, Nanoinnovation 2017 – 26th-29th September 2017 - Rome, Italy
Member of the local organizing committee, Nanoinnovation 2016 – 20th-23rd September 2016 - Rome, Italy
Member of the local organizing committee (chief volunteer), 10th World Biomaterial Congress – 17th-22nd May 2016 - Montreal, Canada
Member of the local organizing committee, Nanoitaly 2015 – 21st-24th September 2015 - Rome, Italy