A biobank stores human tissue for transplantation. There are several of them in Italy, but the one in Treviso is special because it deals with all the phases from donation to transplant.
The samples are cryopreserved, immersed in a solution, and wrapped in nitrogen vapour at a temperature of minus 180 °C, guaranteeing their viability for about five years.
In the photo I am immersing the tissues in their containers. It is one of the most fascinating moments of my work, because in that instant you realise that a new opportunity for a cure is materializing.
When we talk about tissue, we mean, for example, heart valves, arteries, saphenous veins, bones, tendons, skin, dermis, nerves, eye tissue. But if I had to name my favourite one, I would say the placenta. The reason is twofold: it is donated on one of the happiest days of a person's life, and it has a high potential for application.
Becoming the director of the Treviso tissue bank was the culmination of a journey that began at the end of high school. After graduating in biology from the University of Padua, I won a scholarship to attend the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris and specialise in the research laboratory at the Hôpital Saint-Antoine in the same city. The experience abroad was challenging. There was no shortage of personal sacrifices, which over time led me to go back to Italy, where in 2013 I was hired by the Treviso institute.
Until 2011 it had been a simple hospital unit. Then, in less than 10 years, it became the biggest tissue bank in Italy, assisting more than 6,000 operations in a year.
We deal with all phases related to tissue donation, starting in the operating theatre with the collection of tissues, continuing with the selection and evaluation of donors, and ending with the processing, storage, and distribution of samples. The aim is to provide human tissue to restore a lost function in the recipient.
We receive donations from facilities where transplant operators work, proposing donation to patients. After the samples have been taken and checked, they are either cryopreserved in nitrogen vapour, or frozen and freeze-dried. These are particularly delicate phases, and a single mistake could jeopardise the entire procedure. I am lucky to coordinate a competent team who tackle even the most complex tasks with grit. We are also often called out in the middle of the night for urgent heart or vascular surgery. With air transport, we can distribute tissues throughout Italy as quickly as possible.
I am also president of the Italian Association of Tissue Banks, and former president of the European Association of Tissue and Cell Banks. My work occupies a large part of my days and leaves me little free time. Whatever time I do have left, I dedicate to walking in nature, reading, and listening to music. At the top of my playlist is Snow by Red Hot Chili Peppers, and on my bedside table is Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac. To all those girls out there who want to invest in a science career, I would say don’t wait for someone else to open a door for you. Just go ahead and push it hard.
