Luisa TORSI
full professor of Chemistry
DIPARTIMENTO DI CHIMICA
e-mail: [email protected]
tel /fax +39-080-5442092
www.luisatorsi.info
Curriculum Vitae
 PERSONAL INFORMATION
Torsi Luisa; ResearcherID: G-9065-2011; Nationality: Italian; Date of birth: 08.Oct.64;
Married (1991) and mother of Alessandro (1993) and Vincenzo (1997).
URL web site: www.luisatorsi.info
 EDUCATION
1993
PhD in Chemical Sciences/Department of Chemistry/University of Bari, Italy
1989
Laurea Degree (Master) in Physics/Department of Physics /University of Bari, Italy
 CURRENT POSITION
2005Full professor of Analytical Chemistry/Department of Chemistry/University of Bari,
Italy
 PREVIOUS POSITIONS
1998 – 2004 Associate professor of Analytical Chemistry/Department of Chemistry/University
of Bari
1993 – 1998 Assistant professor of Analytical Chemistry/Department of Chemistry/University
of Bari
 FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
2015
Elected President of the European Material Research Society. To start on Jan 1st ,
2016 - First women to hold this role
2015
2014 Nominated for the “Material Research Society Fellow” award by three MRS
fellows
2013
Best Italian Inventor Women/ Italian Women Inventors & Innovators Network
(Italy)
2010
Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award /Merck (Germany)/First woman to win this prize
2010
Rosamarina Prize to recognize excellences in the Italian region of Apulia/ Brindisi
(Italy)
2008
Second best lecture at the Italian Physical Society Meeting/Italian Physical Society
(Italy)
2006 Jun-Jul Visiting professor /Department of Chemistry/ University Denis Diderot, Paris VII
(France)
2005.Jun
Visiting professor/Department of Chemistry/University of Angers (France)
2000 Jul-Aug Consultant for Bell Laboratories Lucent Technologies / Murray Hill -NJ (USA)
1994 – 1996 Post-Doc Fellowship, Bell Laboratories Lucent Technologies / Murray Hill -NJ
(USA)
 SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
1998 –
Number of Postdocs (6)/ PhD (13)/ Master Students (34)/ all @ University of Bari
 PRINCIPAL TEACHING ACTIVITIES
1998 –
In charge of the course /Spectroscopic Analysis/BD in Material Science/Physics
Department
1998 –
In charge of the course/Surface Analysis/MD in Material Science
&Tech./Chemistry Department
 ORGANISATION OF MAJOR SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
2015 General Chair of the forthcoming Material Research Society Fall Meeting /USA
2012 General Chair of the European Material Research Society Spring Meeting /France
2008- Chair and Program Committee member for the organization of a number of Symposia and
Conference for E-MRS, MRS and SPIE
 COORDINATION OF NATIONAL & EUROPEAN PROJECTS
2014Coordinator of the “Sense-of-Care” ITN-European Industrial Doctorate FP7-People 2012
2012Scientific Coord. /Structural Reinforcement Project “Lab SISTEMA” of the Univ. of Bari
2011-13 National Coord. “Biosensori Elettronici ed Elettrochim. ”/Italian PRIN-2009AZKNJ7
2009-13 Coordinator of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) “FlexSMELL “FP7-Peopl
2006-08 National Coordinator “Plastic bio-FET sensors” /Italian PRIN-2006037708 (152 K€)
 INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
2015- Elected President for 2016 of the European Material Research Society/First woman to hold
this role
2014- Vice-President of the European Material Research Society
2013- Member H2020 Programme Committee of the Italian Ministry for Education and Research
2013- President of the Patent Committee at the University of Bari
2011-13 Coordinator of the Scientific Commission of the Italian Chemical Society
2010Elected member of the Board of Delegates of the European Material Research Society
2010Elected member of the Analytical Division Council of the Italian Chemical Society
2010Coordinator of the Council - Undergraduate Programs (BD+MD) in Materials Science
/UNIBA
 COMMISSIONS OF TRUST
2014
Official Nominator for the “Japan Prize”
2014
Member of the ICT review panel/Swedish Research Council/Sweden
2014
Member of the ICT review panel/Research Council - Academy of Finland/Finland
2013
Member of an European Research Council panel for the evaluation of consolidator grants
2012
Guest Co-Editor of the Analytical& Bioanalytical Chemistry (Springer) Special Issue on
“Surface Architectures for Analytical Purposes”.
2012
Panel vice-chair for the Italian National Evaluation Agency (ANVUR)
2012
Referee for a Full Professor position in Analytical Chemistry/Dep. Chem. /Abo
Akademi/Finland
2011Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the iPack Swedish Excellence
Centre/Sweden
2010-12 Evaluation Panel Chair / European Commission - Marie Curie Actions –Research
Fellowships
2007-10 National Coordinator of the Working Group “Sensors” of the Italian Chemical Society
2009-12 European editor of “Science of Advanced Materials" American Scientific Publishers (IF:
3.308)
2009-12 Member of the Scientific Council /VINN Excellence Center FunMat/Linköping
Univ.(Sweden)
2006
Guest Editor of the Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry (Springer) Special Issue on
“Organic thin-film transistors as analytical and bio-analytical sensors”.
2006-07 Director of the Bari Unit/ INSTM national consortium for material science and
technology
 SELECTED PATENTS (Overall six granted international patents)
- F. Babudri, G.M. Farinola, H.O: Hassan, F. Naso, F. Palmisano, M. C. Tanese, L. Torsi*, L. Valli,
P. G. Zambonin; Organic Thin Film Transistors, Compounds and Procedures for their realization
and their use gasseous phase sensors . FT/TS/GV/ds/06578D53 (07.02.07) – International extension
No. WO 2008/096239 – European Patent No. 2121647 granted on 24.09.2014
- L. Torsi*, G. Palazzo, D. Angione, N. Cioffi, M. Magliulo, S. Cotrone, G. Scamarcio, L.
Sabbatini, A. Mallardi;. Field effect transistors based on multilayers of self-assembled biological
systems covered by an organic semiconductor layer: processes for their realization and use as
sensors; European Patent. EP 10425146.7 – European Patent application no. EP 10425146 filed on
03.05.2010 and Search Report submitted in November 2011.
- L. Torsi*, G. Palazzo, D. Angione, N. Cioffi, M. Magliulo, S. Cotrone, G. Scamarcio, L.
Sabbatini, A. Mallardi. Method to realize electronic field-effect transistor sensors. Intern. Patent
Application no. PCT/IT2011/000364 filed on October 2011.
*Reference Author for the University of Bari.

SELECTED INVITED PRESENTATIONS (Overall more than 120 invitations to give
lectures worldwide)
- Plenary Lectures: 30th, CAS International Semiconductor Conference – Sinaia (2007); 6th
conference on Analytical Sciences - Dublin (2011); Euroanalysis XVI “challenges in modern
analytical chemistry”– Belgrade (2011); Spanish Society for Analytical Chemistry XVIII Meeting
(2013) ; Organic Photonics + Electronics Symposium Plenary Session at the SPIE Optics +
Photonics Annual Meeting, San Diego (2014); 8th ECNP International Conference on
Nanostructured Polymers and Nanocomposites, Dresda (2014), 8th International Conference on
Molecular Electronics and Bioelectronics (M&BE8) Tokyo, Japan (2015); Fpi12 meeting.
University of Washington in Seattle – USA (2015); 4th Zing Electrochemistry Conference –
Portugal (2015).
- Selected Key-note and Invited Lectures: Gordon Conference “Electronic Processes in Organic
Materials” (2014); Faraday Discussion 174 “Organic Photonics & Electronics” (2014) ;
International Conference on Science and Technology of Synthetic Metals (Atlanta 2012, Turku
2014); 12th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors (USA, 2008); 9th and 11th international
Symposium on Functional  Systems (2011, 2013). Several times at symposia of the European
Material Research Society, Material Research Society and International Society for Optic and
Photonics.
- Selected invited lectures to universities, research centers and companies: CNR-Istituto delle
Macromolecole (I); CNR-Istituto di Spettroscopia Molecolare (I); CNR-Istituto Lamel; Dipatimento
di Chimica Inoganica-Università di Padova; Microelectronics Research Center - University of
Texas at Austin; Institut des Sciences et Technologies Moléculaires d'Angers; Dipartimento di
Chimica – Università di Pisa; School of Materials Engineering - Nanyang Technological
University; Institute of Material Research and Engineering, A*Star- Singapore; ITODYS-Paris VII;
Department of Chemistry - University of California; Istitut of Hydrochemistry – Technical
University of Munich; University of Groningen - The Physics Colloquium; University of
Cambridge CAPE-CIKC Advanced Technology Lectures; Frontiere della Chimica, Seminari,
Scuola Normale Supferiore, Pisa (Italy); Headquarters of the Merck Group, Merck KGaA,
Darmstad.
 EXTERNAL FUNDING ID
^ “OFET biosensors for point-of-care applications – sense-of-care” ITN-EID Initial Training
Network, European Industrial Doctorate FP7- People 2012 (Years 2012- 2016)- Project
Coordinator; Total Grant: 470 K€
^ "Laboratorio per lo Sviluppo Integrato delle Scienze e delle Tecnologie dei Materiali Avanzati e
per dispositivi innovativi" "LABORATORIO SISTEMA" Italian MIUR ministry project PON
Ricerca e Competitività 2007-2013 - Sostegno ai mutamenti strutturali-Potenziamento delle
strutture e delle dotazioni scientifiche e tecnologiche-Rafforzamento strutturale (Years 20102014)– Scientific Coordinator; – Total Grant: 13 M€
^ “Biosensori elettronici ed elettrochimici” Italian MIUR ministry PRIN 2009 Project 2009AZKNJ7 (Years 2011- 2013)- Project Coordinator; – Total Grant: 454 K€
^ “Gas Sensors on Flexible Substrates for Wireless Applications - FLEXSmell” Marie Curie Initial
Training Network FP7 PITN-GA-2009-238454 (Years 2010- 2013). Project Coordinator; – Total
Grant: 4 M€
Completed
^ “Electrolyte-Gated Organic Field-Effect Biosensor – BioEGOFET Strep project FP7 - ICT-20093.3-Flexible, Organic and Large Area Electronics (Years 2010- 2012). Research Unit Principal
Investigator;
- Grant for the Unit: 485K€
^ “Studio e sviluppo di materiali polimerici innovativi per applicazioni in chirurgia laser della
cornea” - Strategic Project of the Apulian Region CIP: PS_046 (Years 2009-2012). Research Unit
Principal Investigator; – Grant for the Unit: 233 K€
^ “Tecnologie per il Packaging Bioattivo di Prodotti Lattiero Caseari Freschi PugliesiAgroBioPack” – Italian MIUR-MEF ministry project for the Apulian Region DM 29040 (Years
2009-2012). Research Unit Principal Investigator;– Grant for the Unit: 119 K€
^ “Sensori e Micro-Lavorazioni Laser per Applicazioni Motoristiche e Manifatturiere” Project
DM01 connected with the Apulian Technological District on Mechatronics – MEDIS (Years 20092012). Research Unit Principal Investigator; - Grant for the Unit: 205 K€
^ “Plastic bio-FET sensors” Italian Ministry MIUR PRIN 2006 Project – 2006037708 (Years
2007-2008). Project Coordinator. - Total Grant: 152 K€.
^ "Characterization of the factors that influence the lapping of ceramic materials surfaces by means
of diamond based abrasives" SAM Abrasivi srl industrial research project (Years 2006-2007).
Project Coordinator; – Total Grant: 15 K€
^ “Appointment of low impact chemical methodologies” - Caripuglia Bank Foundation Project
(Year 2006). Project Coordinator; - Grant: 70 K€.
^ “Organic Thin Film Transistor Based Sensors - Detection of toxic gas sensors (NOx, CO and
H2S) at the 20-50 ppm level” - Singaporean Defense Science Organization, Temasek Labs - JPP
MD-NTU/06/0 (Year 2006)- Co-Principal Investigator; - Total grant: 120 K$.
 BIBLIOMETRIC INDICATORS
Author of almost 150 ISI papers, including contributions published in Science, Nature Materials and
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Co-inventor of 6 patents, a number of them
awarded at the international level. More than ca. 5400 ISI (ca. 7100 in Google Scholar) citations
resulting in an ISI h-index of 37 (42 in Google Scholar). More than 130 invited lectures (including
plenary and key notes) at European, USA and Asian universities, companies, international
conferences, workshops.
 MAJOR SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS (with collaborators & co-workers)
- Capacitance modulated transistor detects odorant binding protein chiral interactions. (Nature
Communications, 2015, 6, 6010)*.
- Interfacial electronic effects in functional biolayers integrated into organic field-effect transistors
(PNAS 2013)*.
- Part per Trillion Label-Free Electronic Bioanalytical Detection (Analytical Chemistry 2013).
- A solid-state device capable of chiral differential detection at the part-per-million concentration.
State-of-the-art detection limit improved by three orders of magnitude (Nat. Mat 2008)*.
- Demonstration of field-effect amplified electronic responses. The current variation upon exposure
to an analyte is seen to depend upon the gate bias and to increase by several orders of magnitude
when the device is driven to the on-state (Nat. Mat. 2008)*.
- Electronic sensing of vapors with organic transistors. The device are shown to have a response
repeatable within few % over 400 subsequent exposures (Appl Phys Lett 78,2229,2001).
- Multi-parametric response in OFET sensors. Changes of the OFET characteristic figures of merits
(field-effect mobility, current amplification ratio, threshold voltage and off-current) exploited as
different parameters in sensing determinations (Sens. Act., B67, 2229, 2000)*.
- Demonstration of two dimensional field-induced conductance in organic-field-effect transistors.
The current flowing in the OFET channel region demonstrated to be independent of the thickness of
the organic semiconductor (Science, 268, 270, 1995).
- Bi-polar organic field effect transistor. A p-type and n-type organic semiconductor stacking layers
showing both electron and hole field-effect transport (Science, 269, 1560, 1995).
- An analytical model for short channel field-effect transistor. For the first time a comprehensive
model is proposed for transport in organic FET. (J. Appl. Phys. 78, 1088, 1995)*.
- Glucose fast-response amperometric sensor based on glucose oxidase immobilized in an
electropolymerized cond. polymer film. The one step electrochemical enzyme immobilization
results in a sensor with the lowest response time (Anal. Chem., 62, 2738, 1990).
* L. Torsi first and/or senior author
 SCIENTIFIC TRACKS AND RESEARCH INTERESTS
Torsi’s contributions are mostly in the field of organic bio-electronic sensors. Besides the analytical
applications, she has always paid attention to the fundamental understanding of sensing mechanisms.
She has proven capable to span different fields by contributing to topics such as: electronic and
electrochemical sensors, organic semiconductors, analytical chemistry, solid-state device physics,
material chemistry and physics, bio-chemical interactions, gathering insights through the crosscontaminations from all these fields. This attitude stems directly from the interdisciplinary education
path pursued. After the degree in physics (curriculum involving courses in spectroscopy, electronics
and solid-state physics) she decided to get enrolled into a PhD course in Chemical Science. In 1989
this was an uncommon choice but, as a young physicist, she was attracted by the study of conducting
polymers and their use as electrochemical sensors. As a methodological approach, while learning
chemical disciplines such as Analytical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, she always leveraged on her
physics background to get an interdisciplinary view. This was the starting point to study, by means of a
combined electrochemical and electronic approach, the semiconducting, rather than the conducting,
properties of conjugated polymers (mostly p-type materials) as well as of metal oxides such as
titanium dioxides (n-type materials). In fact, the PhD thesis involved the study of the electrochemical
and electronic rectifying properties of polymer(p-type)/Titanium-dioxide(n-type) semiconductor
hetero-junctions (L. Torsi et. al., Surface Science 273 L409 1992, L. Torsi et. al., Advanced
Materials 7 417 1995), eventually proposed also as sensors (L. Torsi et. al., J Electrochem Soc 141
2608 1994). During the PhD she spent some months at the Bristol University working in the lab of
Prof. R.A. Hillman to learn the use of electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance applied to
semiconductor hetero-junctions (L. Torsi et. al., Journal of the Chemical Society-Faraday
Transactions 89 3941 1993). After the PhD she wanted to have a strong international experience and
thanks to her interdisciplinary background, she managed to be hired as a post-doc in a world-renowed
place such as Bell Labs (NJ-USA) was in 1994, under the supervision of Prof. A. Dodabalapur. Here,
already mother of Alessandro born in 1993, she joined a starting effort to study organic field-effect
transistors (OFETs) electronic properties, contributing to the demonstration of the two-dimensional
(A. Dodabalapur, L. Torsi and H.E Katz, Science 268 270 1995) and bi-polar (A. Dodabalapur,
H.E. Katz, L. Torsi and R. C. Huddon. Science 269 1560 1995) transport in such devices. Back in
Bari she decided to engage OFETs for sensing applications and in 2000 her group pioneered the use of
OFETs as multi-parametric chemical sensors (L. Torsi et. al. Sensors & Actuators B 312 67 2000, B.
Crone et al., Applied Physics Letters 78 2229 2001). Afterwards, the OFETs were exploited for
ultra-sensitive molecular assay by means of devices capable to perform chiral differential detection at
unprecedented low concentration (L. Torsi et. al., Nature Materials 7 412 2008). Lately she engaged
in her new frontier studying how to integrate fully functioning bio-recognition elements into OFET
devices to study the properties of bio-organic interfaces by means of an extremely sensitive electronic
tool capable to detect subtle changes. Thus her interests now are more devoted to the investigation bioelectronic interfaces (Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 109, 6429, 2012, Nature
Communications, 2015, 6, 6010).
 TEACHING & TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE:
She teaches a basic course of Spectroscopic Analysis to the students of the BS in Materials Science
and a course on Surface Analysis to the Chemistry and Material Science MS students. She regularly
gives lessons on electronic properties of organic semiconductor and electronic devices to the PhD
students in Chemical Science. So far she has been supervising over 34 master, 13 PhD and 6 post
doc students with different backgrounds (Chemists, Physicist, Material Scientists, Biotechnologists,
Pharmaceutical Chemists). The overall gender balance larger than 50% female students, clearly
above average probably because of a positive emulation effects.
 OUTREACH
The PI has given numerous TV, radio and several press interviews about electronic sensing and the
potential societal impact of disposable strip-tests capable of delivering an electronic output. She
explained how this could change the perspective in the screenings of large populations against
infections such as malaria, HIV and even Ebola. She also gave a number of dissemination talks to
local cultural associations such as Rotary and Soroptimist.

CURRENT MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES
Material Research Society, European Material Research Society, International Society for
Optics and Photonics, Società Chimica Italiana
 CAREER BREAKS
1993 & 1997 On maternity leave for five months each.