Education
2012 Qualification to teach at university Physics and Molecular Biology (France)
2007 International Ph.D. in “Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy”
European Laboratory for Non‐linear Spectroscopy (LENS)–University of Florence (Italy) & Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain)
Advisor: Prof. Francesco S. Pavone, Co-advisor: Prof. Jesús Santamaría
Ph.D. thesis title: “Biochemistry and mechanics of gene expression regulation by lacrepressor at the single-molecule level”
2003 Laurea – Master Science degree in “Physics”
Department of Physics –University of Florence (Italy)
Advisor: Prof. Francesco S. Pavone
Master thesis title: “Direct torque measurements on micro-systems”
2001 Erasmus student
Department of Physics, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
2007 International Ph.D. in “Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy”
European Laboratory for Non‐linear Spectroscopy (LENS)–University of Florence (Italy) & Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain)
Advisor: Prof. Francesco S. Pavone, Co-advisor: Prof. Jesús Santamaría
Ph.D. thesis title: “Biochemistry and mechanics of gene expression regulation by lacrepressor at the single-molecule level”
2003 Laurea – Master Science degree in “Physics”
Department of Physics –University of Florence (Italy)
Advisor: Prof. Francesco S. Pavone
Master thesis title: “Direct torque measurements on micro-systems”
2001 Erasmus student
Department of Physics, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Research experience
2014–present Research engineer
Cancer Research Centre of Marseilles (CRCM) – Marseilles (France)
Team: Homologous Recombination, NHEJ and Maintenance of Genomic Integrity
PI: Dr. Mauro Modesti
Biochemistry, mechanics, and cell biology of DNA-repair proteins-DNA transactions
2013–2014 Post-doctoral research assistant
Institut Curie, Unité de Physico-Chimie Curie – Paris (France)
Team: Light-based Observation and Control of Cellular Organization
PI: Dr. Maxime Dahan
Target search mechanisms and transport processes in living cells
2010–2014 Associate researcher
HHMI Janelia Research Campus – Ashburn, VA (USA)
Collaborative project: Transcription Imaging Consortium
PIs: Prof. Robert Tjian, Prof. Robert H. Singer, Dr. Xavier Darzacq & Dr. Maxime Dahan
Transcription factors spatio-temporal dynamics in the nucleus of living human cells
2009–2013 Post-doctoral research assistant
École normale supérieure (ENS) – Paris (France)
Laboratoire Kastler Brossel (LKB)
Team: Optics and Biology
PI: Dr. Maxime Dahan &
Institut de Biologie de l’ENS (IBENS)
Team: Functional Imaging of Transcription
PI: Dr. Xavier Darzacq
Transcription factors spatio-temporal dynamics in the nucleus of living human cells
2009 Visiting scientist [3 months]
FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University – Cambridge, MA (USA)
Team: Jun’s Lab
PI: Dr. Suckjoon Jun
Individual chromosomes properties probed inside micro-fluidics devices
2007–2009 Post-doctoral research assistant [NEST-EC “Bio-Light-Touch” European Network]
Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC) – Barcelona (Spain)
Team: BioNanoPhotonics
PI: Prof. Maria García-Parajo
Single-molecule analysis of adhesion receptors dynamics on lymphocyte plasma membrane
2004–2007 Ph.D. candidate [Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge Action]
European Laboratory for Non‐linear Spectroscopy (LENS) – Florence (Italy)
Team: Biophysics and Biophotonics
PI: Prof. Francesco S. Pavone
Single-molecule biochemistry and mechanics of LacI-mediated DNA looping
2003 Visiting student [4 months]
Instituto de Microelectrónica de Madrid (IMM-CSIC) – Tres Cantos (Spain)
Team: Biosensors Lab
PI: Dr. Javier Tamayo
AFM imaging of self-assembled DNA monolayer on gold surfaces
2001–2003 Master student
Department of Physics and LENS, University of Florence – Florence (Italy)
Team: Biophysics and Biophotonics
PI: Prof. Francesco S. Pavone
Light angular momentum transfer in optical tweezers experiments
Cancer Research Centre of Marseilles (CRCM) – Marseilles (France)
Team: Homologous Recombination, NHEJ and Maintenance of Genomic Integrity
PI: Dr. Mauro Modesti
Biochemistry, mechanics, and cell biology of DNA-repair proteins-DNA transactions
2013–2014 Post-doctoral research assistant
Institut Curie, Unité de Physico-Chimie Curie – Paris (France)
Team: Light-based Observation and Control of Cellular Organization
PI: Dr. Maxime Dahan
Target search mechanisms and transport processes in living cells
2010–2014 Associate researcher
HHMI Janelia Research Campus – Ashburn, VA (USA)
Collaborative project: Transcription Imaging Consortium
PIs: Prof. Robert Tjian, Prof. Robert H. Singer, Dr. Xavier Darzacq & Dr. Maxime Dahan
Transcription factors spatio-temporal dynamics in the nucleus of living human cells
2009–2013 Post-doctoral research assistant
École normale supérieure (ENS) – Paris (France)
Laboratoire Kastler Brossel (LKB)
Team: Optics and Biology
PI: Dr. Maxime Dahan &
Institut de Biologie de l’ENS (IBENS)
Team: Functional Imaging of Transcription
PI: Dr. Xavier Darzacq
Transcription factors spatio-temporal dynamics in the nucleus of living human cells
2009 Visiting scientist [3 months]
FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University – Cambridge, MA (USA)
Team: Jun’s Lab
PI: Dr. Suckjoon Jun
Individual chromosomes properties probed inside micro-fluidics devices
2007–2009 Post-doctoral research assistant [NEST-EC “Bio-Light-Touch” European Network]
Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC) – Barcelona (Spain)
Team: BioNanoPhotonics
PI: Prof. Maria García-Parajo
Single-molecule analysis of adhesion receptors dynamics on lymphocyte plasma membrane
2004–2007 Ph.D. candidate [Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge Action]
European Laboratory for Non‐linear Spectroscopy (LENS) – Florence (Italy)
Team: Biophysics and Biophotonics
PI: Prof. Francesco S. Pavone
Single-molecule biochemistry and mechanics of LacI-mediated DNA looping
2003 Visiting student [4 months]
Instituto de Microelectrónica de Madrid (IMM-CSIC) – Tres Cantos (Spain)
Team: Biosensors Lab
PI: Dr. Javier Tamayo
AFM imaging of self-assembled DNA monolayer on gold surfaces
2001–2003 Master student
Department of Physics and LENS, University of Florence – Florence (Italy)
Team: Biophysics and Biophotonics
PI: Prof. Francesco S. Pavone
Light angular momentum transfer in optical tweezers experiments
Awards and grants
2016 Marseilles townhall grant for foreigner researchers, Marseilles (France)
2012 Prize René Descartes, 2nd prize. 8th Congress of Young Researchers in Biology, Paris (France)
2011 International travel award. 55th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, Baltimore (MD, USA)
2010 Two-years individual research fellowship. Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (France)
2009 One-year individual research fellowship. Fondation Pierre-Gilles De Gennes (France)
2008 Special honour mention for “Scientific relevance”. First Ph.D. thesis competition of the Florence University Press (Italy)
2006 Best poster award. First Gordon Research Conference on “Single Molecule Approaches to Biology”, New London (NH, USA)
2006 International travel award. OIST International Workshop on “Single Molecule Analysis”, Okinawa (Japan)
2012 Prize René Descartes, 2nd prize. 8th Congress of Young Researchers in Biology, Paris (France)
2011 International travel award. 55th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, Baltimore (MD, USA)
2010 Two-years individual research fellowship. Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (France)
2009 One-year individual research fellowship. Fondation Pierre-Gilles De Gennes (France)
2008 Special honour mention for “Scientific relevance”. First Ph.D. thesis competition of the Florence University Press (Italy)
2006 Best poster award. First Gordon Research Conference on “Single Molecule Approaches to Biology”, New London (NH, USA)
2006 International travel award. OIST International Workshop on “Single Molecule Analysis”, Okinawa (Japan)
Lab skills
Instrumentation: Optics. Lasers: solid-state, gas, and diode lasers; continuous and ps and fs pulsed lasers. Spectroscopy. Electronics. Remote devices-PC interfacing, DAQ board use. Data and images acquisition and processing. Clean-room micro-fabrication and photolithography
Microscopy: Bright field, DIC, and phase contrast microscopy. Epi-fluorescence microscopy, TIRF, HILO, FRAP, FLIP. Scanning, spinning disk, and Airyscan confocal microscopy. FLIM, FRET, and FCS using TCSPC detection. Two-photon microscopy and FCS. Super-resolution Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy: PALM/STORM in 2D and in 3D by adaptive optics-induced astigmatism and multi-plane detection with diffraction gratings. Single-Particle-Tracking. Near field microscopy: AFM, NSOM
Micromanipulation of single (DNA) molecules: Optical and magnetic tweezers. Tethered Particle Motion assay. Microfluidics and laminar flow devices. Molecular combing
Molecular biology – Biochemistry – Chemistry: DNA amplification (PCR and bacteria preps), purification, digestion, ligation and recovery from gels. Cloning. DNA and proteinselectrophoresis and mobility shift assay (EMSA). Recombinant proteins expression and purification. Chromatography (HPLC). Spectrophotometry and Spectrofluorimetry. Isothermal titration micro-calorimetry (ITC). Biacore assay. DNA and proteins labelling with organic dyes, quantum dots and colloids. Surfaces treatment and passivation. Self-assembly monolayers and chemical vapor deposition. PDMS chemistry
Cell biology and microbiology: Adherent and suspension mammalian cell lines and primary cells culturing (U2OS, HEK 2-9-3, HeLa, CHO, MEF, HDFa, THP-1, Jurkat, Dendritic cells). Live cells drug delivery via micro-injection and pinocytosis. Protein expression in cells. Bacteria (E. coli,Bacillus subtilis) culturing and transformation. Intact bacterial nucleoids extraction
Microscopy: Bright field, DIC, and phase contrast microscopy. Epi-fluorescence microscopy, TIRF, HILO, FRAP, FLIP. Scanning, spinning disk, and Airyscan confocal microscopy. FLIM, FRET, and FCS using TCSPC detection. Two-photon microscopy and FCS. Super-resolution Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy: PALM/STORM in 2D and in 3D by adaptive optics-induced astigmatism and multi-plane detection with diffraction gratings. Single-Particle-Tracking. Near field microscopy: AFM, NSOM
Micromanipulation of single (DNA) molecules: Optical and magnetic tweezers. Tethered Particle Motion assay. Microfluidics and laminar flow devices. Molecular combing
Molecular biology – Biochemistry – Chemistry: DNA amplification (PCR and bacteria preps), purification, digestion, ligation and recovery from gels. Cloning. DNA and proteinselectrophoresis and mobility shift assay (EMSA). Recombinant proteins expression and purification. Chromatography (HPLC). Spectrophotometry and Spectrofluorimetry. Isothermal titration micro-calorimetry (ITC). Biacore assay. DNA and proteins labelling with organic dyes, quantum dots and colloids. Surfaces treatment and passivation. Self-assembly monolayers and chemical vapor deposition. PDMS chemistry
Cell biology and microbiology: Adherent and suspension mammalian cell lines and primary cells culturing (U2OS, HEK 2-9-3, HeLa, CHO, MEF, HDFa, THP-1, Jurkat, Dendritic cells). Live cells drug delivery via micro-injection and pinocytosis. Protein expression in cells. Bacteria (E. coli,Bacillus subtilis) culturing and transformation. Intact bacterial nucleoids extraction
Information technology expertise
Operating systems and basic IT: Very good knowledge of Windows, MacOS, Office and LaTeX. Basics of Unix/Linux
Scientific tools: Software development for instrumentation control with LabVIEW.
Image acquisition with MicroManager, MetaMorph, NIS Elements, Zen, and LabVIEW.
Data/images analysis, processing, and representation with Origin, ImageJ/FIJI, MatLAB, Mathematica, LabVIEW, Igor,Prism, Imaris, and ViSP.
Plasmids and primers editing, and DNA browsing with ApE and Clone Manager. DNA sequences analysis with 4Peaks. Basics of DNA deep-sequencing analysis and alignment with IGV. Basics of Phyton
Drawing, multimedia, CAD, and web tools: Very good knowledge of CorelDraw, Inkscape, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere, 3D Studio Max, and SolidWorks. Basics of Flash, Java, HTML, Dreamweaver, and WordPress
Scientific tools: Software development for instrumentation control with LabVIEW.
Image acquisition with MicroManager, MetaMorph, NIS Elements, Zen, and LabVIEW.
Data/images analysis, processing, and representation with Origin, ImageJ/FIJI, MatLAB, Mathematica, LabVIEW, Igor,Prism, Imaris, and ViSP.
Plasmids and primers editing, and DNA browsing with ApE and Clone Manager. DNA sequences analysis with 4Peaks. Basics of DNA deep-sequencing analysis and alignment with IGV. Basics of Phyton
Drawing, multimedia, CAD, and web tools: Very good knowledge of CorelDraw, Inkscape, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere, 3D Studio Max, and SolidWorks. Basics of Flash, Java, HTML, Dreamweaver, and WordPress
Outreach and presence in the media
2015–on Funder, organizer, and sponsorof the “Premio Achille Normanno”, a biannual national contest for high schools to foster non-transmissive and participated scientific teaching (Italy)
2016 Interview for“User stories” by JPK corporation
2016 Press release image selected by the CNRS Photo Library and used on the web site of GDR BIM
2015 Featuring in the documentary “Traces de lumière” directed by Guillaume Hennenfent and produced by the CNRS (France)
2006–2007 Responsible and teacher of the IT module of the European project EQUAL (by AssIndustria of Florence) to support non-European citizens to open economical activities, Florence (Italy)
2004–2007 Scientific coordinator and tutor of OpenLAB, an outreach project devoted at performing lab experiments with students of primary to high schools, 220h, University of Florence (Italy)
2003–2007 Organizer and teacher of computer science alphabetization courses for refugees, 240h, NGO “Gli Anelli Mancanti”, Florence (Italy)
2003–2007 Responsible of the European project PAAS (by E.U. & Regione Toscana) to provide assisted free access to the Internet, 180h, NGO “Gli Anelli Mancanti”, Florence (Italy)
2016 Interview for“User stories” by JPK corporation
2016 Press release image selected by the CNRS Photo Library and used on the web site of GDR BIM
2015 Featuring in the documentary “Traces de lumière” directed by Guillaume Hennenfent and produced by the CNRS (France)
2006–2007 Responsible and teacher of the IT module of the European project EQUAL (by AssIndustria of Florence) to support non-European citizens to open economical activities, Florence (Italy)
2004–2007 Scientific coordinator and tutor of OpenLAB, an outreach project devoted at performing lab experiments with students of primary to high schools, 220h, University of Florence (Italy)
2003–2007 Organizer and teacher of computer science alphabetization courses for refugees, 240h, NGO “Gli Anelli Mancanti”, Florence (Italy)
2003–2007 Responsible of the European project PAAS (by E.U. & Regione Toscana) to provide assisted free access to the Internet, 180h, NGO “Gli Anelli Mancanti”, Florence (Italy)
Community work and collective responsibilities
Supervisor of 8 master students
Co-supervisor of 6 Ph.D. students
Member of the Biophysical Society(USA) and of the American Society for Cell Biology(USA)
Reviewer for “Lab on a chip”, “International Journal of Molecular Sciences”, and “BMC Research Notes”
Member of the working groups 3 and 5 (WG3, WG5) of the COST action Comulis (CA17121)
Candidate panellist of the European Commission Horizon2020 external experts
Co-supervisor of 6 Ph.D. students
Member of the Biophysical Society(USA) and of the American Society for Cell Biology(USA)
Reviewer for “Lab on a chip”, “International Journal of Molecular Sciences”, and “BMC Research Notes”
Member of the working groups 3 and 5 (WG3, WG5) of the COST action Comulis (CA17121)
Candidate panellist of the European Commission Horizon2020 external experts
Languages
Italian Mother tongue
English Fluent (Cambridge Language School Certificate)
French Fluent
Spanish Fluent (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Certificate)
Catalan Basic comprehension
English Fluent (Cambridge Language School Certificate)
French Fluent
Spanish Fluent (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Certificate)
Catalan Basic comprehension
