LA JOLLA -- UC San Diego is extending its science prowess to the field of high-tech art restoration and preservation, and it's bringing in an internationally renowned expert to lead the effort.

Maurizio Seracini, famed for his analysis of works by Renaissance painter Leonardo Da Vinci, has been named founding director of UCSD's new Center of Interdisciplinary Science for Art, Architecture and Archaeology.

The center will use technology to solve questions about the history of ancient pieces of art, find hidden facts and determine how much the pieces have changed from their original form. It's the kind of detective work that Seracini has performed on Da Vinci's "Adoration of the Magi," using imaging techniques to reveal other drawings underneath the final coat of paint.

Seracini's name has long been known in San Diego. Not only is he a 1973 graduate of UCSD, with a degree in bioengineering, his brother Massimo Seracini is a developer of high-end homes in North County. The name is also known to readers of the "Da Vinci Code," which mentions him.

The center will be tapping into the technology of the high-tech communications prowess of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (CalIT2), which jointly runs it with UCSD. CalIT2 is a state funded technology program at UCSD and UC Irvine.

More information on the center is on its Web site at: http://cisa3.calit2.net.

- Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at (760) 739-6641 or bfikes@nctimes.com.