News
This is where I share the latest news about my research!
Last week, I had the honor of serving as both chair and speaker at the Planetary Science Congress 2025 in Pescara, Italy. It was an intense and rewarding week, and I can confidently say it was an incredible experience. I had the opportunity to connect with amazing people, forge new collaborations, and engage in inspiring discussions.
During my talk, I presented some of my latest findings from Scotland on the use of Sphingomonas desiccabilis for space exploration and in-situ resource utilization, highlighting its potential for future off-world applications.
I am currently immersed in the exciting process of writing a children’s book (in collaboration with the GiovannelliLab) about extremophiles, microbes that thrive in the most extreme environments on Earth. The goal of this project is to make complex scientific concepts accessible, engaging, and inspiring for young readers.
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This book represents my passion for bridging the gap between science and education, sparking curiosity in children and teenagers about the wonders of the natural world. I am open to feedback, suggestions, and even requests for similar projects. If you have ideas for other science-themed books for kids and young adults, or if you’re interested in collaborating, feel free to reach out. Together, we can make science both fun and meaningful for the next generation!
Some time ago, this photo was featured in National Geographic Italia. It was chosen because, despite being a terrestrial scene where a beetle rests inside an artichoke flower, it strikingly resembles an underwater world with vibrant anemones and colorful fish. The photo was taken during a fieldwork project funded by INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics), where I was sampling insects in agricultural areas. Being published in National Geographic is a huge milestone, especially when photography isn’t my main job (yet!).
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If you'd like to be photographed during your fieldwork, feel free to reach out!
The GRAVITAS team, which consists of me, Rita Carvalho Serra, Martina Ferrara, Jake Lowe, and Guillermo Climent Gargallo, has been invited to tour the facilities used by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) at the European Astronaut Training Centre (EAC) in Koln, Germany. The experience was incredible. There are some pictures in the gallery area!
Yesterday I had a super interesting talk for the Polish Astrobiological Society in the context of the Life and Space Congress 2024 (5-8 December).
Was super nice to talk about my research in Scotland at the UKCA in which I've studied the role of Sphingomonas desiccabilis in Asteroid Mining for a sustainable future in space.
Thanks everyone involved in the organization of this amazing congress and thanks for all the questions!
For my Italian friends, if you missed it, some time ago I was a guest on Ufficio Informazioni to talk about biomining in space and new frontiers of space exploration. A nice nighttime chat entirely on the theme of astrobiology and space microbiology!
Recently, I was interviewed by the very talented team at Astrobiology Buzz regarding the video game I created on the theme of the origin of life. It was fun, and some of the questions were very interesting. I thank them immensely for the opportunity. I also thank Carola Fasce for her help in producing the video and for her patience in recording the responses.
With the colleagues Bernardo Barosa (UNINA) and Mattia Esposito (UNINA) we will be part of the European Research Night at the Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory in Naples.
We will bring part of our personal minerals and rocks collections to talk about how life shaped our planet from a mineralogical point of view.
We will also talk about astrobiology, comets, meteorites, and other fancy stuff about geobiology.
With my colleagues we have been selected for the last step of the ESA Omic Hackaton 2024.
I really would like to thank Rita Carvalho Serra, Guillermo Climent Gargallo, Martina Ferrara and Jake Lowe for invitation to partecipate with them and for the magnificent journey that we had together!
At the end we won the third prize!
In May 2024 I was local organizing committee member for the first International Astrobiology School that we had in Italy. It was also the 10th birthday of the Astrobiology Graduates in Europe (AbGradE).
Great participation with students and scientists from all around the world!
My supervisor, Alessandra Rotundi, and I will be guests at Luiss University in Rome to hold a seminar for the course 'Exogeography, Astropolitics, Space Economy' by Prof. Alfonso Giordano. We will talk about space exploration and how microorganisms can help us achieve a sustainable future in space
Thanks to Prof Donato Giovannelli (my PhD thesis tutor) my research appears on Italian Television.
Specifically, He brings some of my bacteria (the orange bottles) during an small talk for KilimangiaroRai a documentary Italian series about animals, life, exploring, science, etc.
Check the full episode on YouTube!
The first Post Drilling Workshop about the ICDP-DIVE is gone!
Amazing experience with a lot of good geologist friends met during the last two years of drilling in the Ivrea-Verbano Zone searching for the MOHO!
Me and my girlfriend (Carola Fasce) went visit the Turtle Point from the Neapolitan Zoological Station in Portici (NA). Amazing experience in which researchers and volunteers are working to save marine turtle in the Mediterranean Sea.
I suggest to everyone to go visit this amazing place!
In summer I was invited speaker for the event "Mare di Storia" holded by the University of Naples Parthenope in collaboration with Marina Italiana and we appears also on TGR Campania
Recently I was visiting the Italian Space Agency main building in Rome for a workshop about the next ten year of space exploration in which there was also a small contribute made by me about space biomining and in-situ resources utilization for a sustainable development.
In the last Rosetta Comet Workshop in Naples me and some of my colleagues (thanks to our supervisor Prof. Alessandra Rotundi) had the opportunity to met one of the best scientist in the world and one of my celebrity scientist, Amalia Ercoli Finzi.
She is amazing, one of the best person I ever met. Immense knowledge and spirit!
My new Dungeon Synth - New Retro Wave album is out now!
Halloween release.
Inspired by the 80s dark fantasy movies such as Krull, Conan the Barbarian, Excalibur, Willow and many many more, this album try to recreate the fairy and obscure atmosphere of these cults.
During pandemic, me and Lorenzo Varriano were invited for an interview with Story Time to talk (in Italian) about the project "Astrobiologia Italia" the first Italian astrobiology outreach website.
Here we presented the idea behind the website and how we deal with this.