The base layer of modern skis is made from a substance called ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.

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Current detection tools using nanotechnology allow high-speed molecular detection of pathogens through analysis of their DNA in a matter of a few minutes where classical detection tools using regular PCR (polymerase chain reaction) would take over six hours.

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It was Mr Bertarelli's father, Fabio, who saw the future in high-tech production, and pushed the firm towards molecular biology.

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High-throughput screening uses robots to test the actions of thousands of compounds against a molecular disease target (itself identified by genomics).

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