The Leonardo Committee (Italian Quality Committee), in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), has decided to promote a Special Start-up Prize, to be added to the other honours already awarded by the Leonardo Committee: the Leonardo Prize, the Leonardo Italian Quality Prizes, the International Leonardo Prize and the Career Prize.

The prize will be awarded to an innovative Italian start-up that has made an outstanding contribution in these areas: (a) innovation, in the sense of advancement of knowledge; (b) success, qualified in terms of rapid company growth and positive repercussions on the rest of the production system; (c) internationalisation, measured by its capacity to reach out and offer its products or services in overseas markets; (d) employment, especially of young people; and (e) social impact, namely its contribution to solving citizens’ problems.

The final choice, to be made by the Leonardo Committee (Italian Quality Committee), the Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Trade Promotion Agency (ICE), will opt for the most outstanding start-up in terms of innovation, contribution to improving Italy’s image around the world, and inspiration and witness for future generations.

The prize will be awarded by the President of the Republic on the occasion of the Italian Quality Day.

2019 – BIOSCIENCE GENOMICS s.r.l. – Chairman Giuseppe Mucci 

Bioscience Genomics s.r.l. is an academic spin-off, participated by Bioscience Institute spa of San Marino and the Tor Vergata University of Rome, created with the aim of sequencing the cell-free fetal DNA present in the blood of pregnant women from the 10th week, in order to assess the existence of any chromosomal abnormalities in the foetus. Subsequently, Bioscience Genomics has developed and patented the algorithm that identifies the initial phase of the development of solid tumors which is characterized by the progressive accumulation of DNA lesions that are not repaired by the organism (somatic mutations).

The accumulation of mutations, if progressive, is an indicator of the body’s inefficiency in repairing the damage that the DNA undergoes daily and is representative of the prodromal phase (when the person is healthy and has no symptoms) of the development of solid tumors. The test is carried out through a simple peripheral blood sampling from which the free circulating DNA (DNA fragments present in the blood) is extracted and sequenced. This is the only biological resource that can provide information on the damage acquired over time by the DNA. This test, and the related algorithm, have been validated with a scientific study published in the journal Cell Death & Disease. Together with somatic mutations, Bioscience Genomics also analyzes the physiopathological conditions that favor their progressive accumulation and that are: chronic inflammation, intestinal dysbiosis and immuno-deficiency.

This innovative model of cancer control aims at identifying and treating the DRIVERS conditions of the disease in order to delay or avoid its development. The data collected following the execution of the tests, being longitudinal and multi-target/biomarker, are analyzed by artificial intelligence for the development of predictive algorithms and new chemopreventive products. Already present in the Italian and UAE markets, Bioscience Genomics has planned an IPO in 2022 on the NASDAQ of New York in order to finance international commercial development.