The first start-up focused on intelligent humanoid robotics “made in Italy” is being launched at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa, supported by an investment round of 70 million euros—one of the most significant in Europe in the deep-tech sector. The start-up, called Generative Bionics, stems from the Institute’s research on humanoid robotics and is preparing to establish itself as a key reference point in Europe. The round was led by the Artificial Intelligence Fund of CDP Venture Capital, with the participation of AMD Ventures, Duferco, Eni Next, RoboIT and Tether.

Synaptic plasticity — the brain’s ability to modify the connections between neurons to support learning — is one of the neural functions profoundly altered in Huntington’s disease, with a direct impact on brain function. Researchers at the University of Barcelona used an innovative optogenetic tool to show that astrocytes, a type of brain cell traditionally considered to play a supporting role, also influence this plasticity and are themselves altered in Huntington’s disease. These results, obtained in animal models, open up new avenues for addressing this genetically driven neurodegenerative disease in patients.