Bio
Michele Penza, Degree in Physics in 1990 from University of Bari, Italy. In 1992-2001, he worked at CNRSM (S&T Park), then joined ENEA as Researcher in 2001 and Prime Researcher since 2023. He manages R&D projects on materials science, sensors and solid-state devices. His research interests include sensor materials, nanomaterials, advanced materials, gas sensors, portable sensor-systems, air quality network sensors, functional applications, environmental technologies and measurements. He co-authored 180+ papers, 3 Book Chapters, 1 Book, 14 Special Issues, 2 International Reports, 150+ Communications, 40+ Keynote Talks, 3 Patents. His H-index: 43 (Jan 2026). He served (2015-2024) as ENEA Head of Lab Functional Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Applications (45 persons) at Brindisi Research Center. Chair of European Network on New Sensing Technologies for Air Pollution Control and Environmental Sustainability (COST Action TD1105 EuNetAir, 2012-16). He is awarded National Qualification as Full Professor in Experimental Physics of Matter and Applied Physics. Adjunct Professor at University of Salento, Bachelor Program in Engineering for Sustainable Industry (2024-25). Top 2% World Scientist (2020-). Section Editor-in-Chief for Environmental Sensing in SENSORS (MDPI).

Bio
Elisa Michelini is associate professor in analytical chemistry at the Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician” of the University of Bologna (Italy). Her research activity deals with the development of optical biosensors, mainly relying on bio-chemiluminescence and colorimetric detection, for clinical diagnostics, water, environmental, and agro-food sectors. In the last ten years, her activity has been also focused on smartphone biosensors, paper sensors and biosensors relying on 3D cell models. She is author of more than 100 articles in high- impact journals (h-index 41) and her work has been cited more than 5500 times (Scopus). She has been the recipient of several awards including the Nanotech Applications Award (2009), Marlene DeLuca Prize (2012), Genelux Award (2014) and EPA Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge (first prize in 2022, and honorable mention in 2024). She coordinated a NATO-SPS project and has been deeply involved in projects funded by European Commission and PRIMA-Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area. She is Associate Editor for Biosensors & Bioelectronics is a and Member of the Advisory Board of the Sensors & Diagnostic Journal (Royal Society of Chemistry).

Bio
Paul Krause is Emeritus Professor at the University of Surrey. He has 49 years of experience in the theory and application of data science to a variety of domains, including geophysics, low temperature metrology, toxicology, healthcare, systems engineering and environmental monitoring. During his career he has worked at three internationally leading independent research laboratories: • The National Physical Laboratory (1980-87); • The Imperial Cancer Research Fund (1989-1996); • Philips Research Laboratories, UK (1996-2003). He transitioned to full time at the University of Surrey from 2003. This enabled him to develop further his interest in the research and application of data science techniques, especially their application to natural ecosystems. This linked his research to over forty years’ experience as a volunteer in practical nature conservation, monitoring and field studies in botanical hot spots around the world. As well as research papers, he co-edited with Fatos Xhafa IoT-based Intelligent Modelling for Environmental and Ecological Engineering: Next Generation EcoAgro Systems, published by Springer in 2021, and is Editor for the Section on Sustainable Land Management in the forthcoming (April 2026) Springer Handbook on Data Engineering.