General vision

OncoLab group leads by Caterina AM La Porta is part of the Center for Complexity and Biosystems and located at the Department of Environmental Science and Policy of the University of Milan. Researches in the group focus on the understanding of basic phenomena in biological sciences from tumors to neurosciences combining molecular biology, cell biology and advanced microscopy with tools and ideas from complex systems, artificial intelligence and quantitative biology.

Big Data, Machine Learning-Deep learning and Biology

We developed new tools to predict critical biological functions starting from images or genomic/transcriptome information.

Microbiome in humans and soil

We developed the  STELLA algorithm to disentangle the complex network between microbes/viruses and humans (gut microbiome, skin microbiome etc). We use the same strategy to understand the complex network of the soil microbiome and determine the health of the soil

Physics of Cancer and personalized medicine

We developed new strategies and tools coming from complexity and artificial intelligence to understand  critical biological functions of tumors, using an interdisciplinary approach.

Collective cell migration

We study the switch between single and collective cell migration controlled by a physical and biochemical factors including the stiffness of the extracellular matrix and the stability of cell-cell junctions.

Extracting information from brain signals

We developed an algorithm based on a multilayer network representation for analysing and visualizing EEG. We use this strategy for both physiological and pathologcical conditions

Human well-being: One Health approach

Agenda 2030 has many goals which should bring to a One Health vision which includes human well being too. To achieve this challenging goal, we have started to develop strategies to analyze, using a BigData approach, the state of pollution in the environment and more recently we investigating  complex network of non-pathogenic and pathogenic fungi isolated in the soil on plant’s growth.

Urban sustainability and public health

The development of sustainable cities in the framework of One Health vision is becoming increasingly important in a world where climate change is taking place. Health is part of One health vision, and we started to investigate the complex relationship between inequality, wealth and well-being.