One of the most important tools to investigate the chemical history of our Galaxy and our own Solar System is to measure the isotopic fractionation of chemical elements. In the present study new astronomical observations devoted to the study of hydrogen and nitrogen fractionation (D/H and 14N/15N ratios) of molecules, towards massive star-forming regions in different evolutionary phases, have been presented. Moreover, a new detailed theoretical study of carbon fractionation, 12C/13C ratios, has been done. One of the main results was the confirmation that the 14N/15N ratio increases with the galactocentric distance, as predicted by stellar nucleosynthesis Galactic chemical evolution models. This work gives new important inputs on the understanding of local chemical processes that favor the production of molecules with different isotopes in star-forming regions.

In this work the central area of Corsica island was studied in order to reconstruct the tectono-metamorphic history of the continental and oceanic high pressure units that occupy the structurally deeper levels of the tectonic stacking of Alpine Corsica and their stratigraphic and structural relationship with the European margin (Hercynian Corsica). The study includes the geological mapping, the mesoscale and microscale structural analysis, the acquisition of chemical analyzes and micromaps with the microprobe, thermobarometric estimation through specific methodologies for metapelites, U-Th-Pb dating of zircons and allanites. The results obtained allows to reconstruct the geodynamic model of this sector of the Alpine belt from the Permian to the Burdigalian.

Ground-based/terrestrial radar interferometry (GBRI) is a scientific topic of increasing interest in recent years. The GBRI is used in several field as remote sensing technique for monitoring natural environment (landslides, glacier, and mines) or infrastructures (bridges, towers). These sensors provide the displacement of targets by measuring the phase difference between sending and receiving radar signal. If the acquisition rate is enough the GBRI can provide the natural frequency, e.g. by calculating the Fourier transform of displacement. The research activity, presented in this work, concerns design and development of some advanced GBRI systems. These systems are related to the following issue: detection of displacement vector, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) and radars with 3D capability.

Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) result from a disruption in the process of the human brain cortex formation: currently, there are no pharmacological treatments for diffuse MCDs. Next-generation sequencing has accelerated the identification of MCDs causing genes: in some cases, functional studies are needed to clarify the role of genetic variants. The aim of this PhD project has been to apply a multidisciplinary approach to identify causative mutations in patients with MCDs, validate the pathogenic role of the identified mutations, and assess the effectiveness of novel in vitro treatment for mTOR pathway related MCDs.

This title discusses recent astronomical observations of molecules in various regions and eras of the Universe, and on describing the processes that determine the chemistry.