ISOCORE is an academic spin-off of the Campania University L. Vanvitelli based on the expertise of researchers active since many years in basic and applied nuclear physics. The Company performs R&D activities and supplies technological services in several domains, matching sector demand with its techno-scientific skills and infrastructures that are continually undergoing further development.

ISOCORE performs since 2005 high-precision radiocarbon dating measurements of samples (such as wood , charcoal, seeds, shells, forams, bones, teeth , textiles, paper, peats, paleo soils, soil organic matter, tree-rings).¹⁴C measurements by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, for example, allowed to date the Artemidorus papyrus and the wooden support of a self-portrait attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.  Proper evaluation of the reservoir effect was the base of a paper published on Nature: 23 December 2020 (A GENETIC HISTORY OF PRECONTACT CARIBBEAN).  Recently, a new sample-treatment protocol has been developed for unbiased mortar dating.

ISOCORE, during its activity on AMS ¹⁴C dating, achieved high precision measurements opening the opportunity to forensic applications and authentications using bomb ¹⁴C. The “bomb spike” method was used to investigate the court case of the JIGSAW SKELETON (Mystery of Rome’s jigsaw skeleton, The Telegraph 15/07/2010).

In the framework of a study promoted by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (MIPAAF) in collaboration with the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) aiming to identify nitrate contamination sources by means of the application of isotope techniques, the apportionment of nitrate contamination sources in shallow groundwater (GW) has been evaluated by means of an integrated approach measuring nitrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios of dissolved nitrate and isotopic ratios of Boron.

In collaboration with SOGIN, we performed an investigation carried out on the structural materials of the Garigliano Nuclear Power Plant aiming to determine the abundance of nuclear wastes, and in particular ^235,236,238U, in the various compartments of the plant buildings under decommissioning.

Our team is made up of leading experts in the fields of applied physics, nuclear physics, and mass spectrometry, with a deep commitment to advancing research and technology in cultural heritage, environmental studies, and beyond. Together, we bring decades of experience in academia, research, and industry, contributing to groundbreaking projects that merge scientific innovation with practical applications. Meet the founders and key members of our team: