WELCOME
Welcome to the Metabolic Intelligence Lab
Unlocking the mysteries of Metabolism
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Our Mission
Metabolism is a complex and dynamic network of biochemical reactions that transform and manage energy to sustain vital cellular and physiological functions. In nature, it represents one of the most elegant and efficient systems of clean energy production.
Our ultimate vision is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of metabolism, from the cellular level to the whole organism. By integrating cutting-edge technology with biological insight, we aim to uncover the hidden dynamics that drive metabolic processes and open new frontiers in health, diagnostics, and personalized interventions.
Our Research
We merge advanced imaging, AI modeling, and wearable innovation to reveal how metabolism shapes health—from cells to everyday life.
Tap or click the icons below to explore each research area in detail.
Metabolic Imaging
AI-based imaging techniques exploit metabolic contrast to visualize real-time molecular transformations, going beyond structural information to capture functional energy dynamics.
Metabolic Modeling
Data-driven models of human metabolism are developed through the integration of physiological and nutritional parameters, enabling predictive and adaptive simulations of metabolic processes.
Wearable Devices
Advanced wearable systems are designed and prototyped to provide continuous, non-invasive monitoring of physiological signals, leveraging AI and sensor fusion for real-time health assessment.
The lab in short
The Metabolic Intelligence Lab is a research group at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome, headed by Prof. Giuseppe Maulucci. It studies how metabolism works in cells, tissues and people, and how to measure it, model it and act on it.
What we measure
Optical imaging turns light into quantitative metabolic readouts: the endogenous autofluorescence of NAD(P)H and FAD for the redox state, membrane fluidity and phase for lipid organisation, spectral confocal imaging for single-cell metabolism, and PET and optoacoustic tomography in the clinical setting. No dyes, no biopsies, and measurements repeatable over time.
What we model
The Metabolic Avatar is a digital replica of an individual metabolism, built from wearable and dietary data: calibrated on the person (PMA), extended to population scale without calibration (GMA), and rebuilt on quantum echo state networks (QMA), which cut prediction error by up to 76 per cent in noisy conditions.
What we build
Four devices carry the models to the user: Chewing for masticatory activity, SKID for skin analysis, ReaCT for cardiovascular training and Byo-me for nutrition. Three of them are covered by patent applications under examination.
More than a hundred peer-reviewed papers stand behind this work, each with its DOI on the Publications page. Thesis students, PhD candidates and collaborating groups are welcome: see Work with Us.