Research activity

My scientific career so far has developed in the field of laboratory planetology and astrobiology in support of remote sensing infrared data interpretation.

I worked with FT-IR spectroscopy and µIR microscopes to investigate chemical and physical properties of mineral and molecules in simulated astrophysical environments. I collaborated also with gas phase Mass spectrometry in Ultra-High Vacuum.

My expertise focus in analogs samples creation and handling: I worked with meteorites, minerals and organic molecules and I acquired good knowledge on adsorption and interaction processes between biomolecules and mineral matrices.

I have also experience in remote sensing data analysis, in particular infrared spectra and datacube. I worked with several astrophysical data analysis tool.

MAIN CURRENT PROJECTS

MMX - Martian Moons eXploration mission

Sample return mission are the new frontier of planetary science. The possibility of enhanced analysis on Earth of pristine material from a planetary body will increase our knowledge on the evolution of the Solar System. MMX mission on one hand will increase our knwoledge on the two moons of Mars, Deimos and Phobos, on the other hand will collect a sample from the Phobos, the bigger one, bringing it back to Earth.

I'm CO-I of MMX mission as mission scientist of MIRS spectrometer. I'm working in support of instrument development contribuiting to calibration and laboratory measurements support. I partecipate in several develompemnt phase of the instrument flight model including the calibration of the detector. I served as Radiometric Calibration manager during the thermo-vacuum test campain at the end of 2023.

I'm also working on scientific analysis of Mars' moons in preparation of MIRS scientific activity. I participate in the development and characterization of a reliable spectroscopic simulant of the moons. I also investigate how physical properties (grain size and composition) affect the infrared spectrum to support remote sensing data interpretation.

DART-LICIAcube and Hera mission

DART is the first mission to test our ability in planetary defense. The spacecraft will try to deflect the orbit of a small companion in a binary asteroid system. A piggyback cubesat named LICICube will perform scientific analysis during the test.

As mission scientist of LICIAcube and collaborator DART, ASI/NASA space mission, I collaborate in laboratory studies of analog material in support of in situ science of the mission. I analyse effect of composition and grain size in VIS-NIR spectra of meteorites and minerals to help identification and science made from ground spectroscopy and remote sensing camera observations.

At the end of DART and LICIACube mission I was accepted in the ESA Hera mission team to continue the adventure in the exploration of Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid. I'm part of the Data analysis, exploitation, interpretation working group.

Mars analog laboratory studies and rover exploration

Laboratory simulations of Martian are not only key for identification of potential molecular biomarkers, but also for selection of sampling sites on Mars for future exploration missions, correct interpretation of data collected on the ground, and development of suitable life detection methods and technologies for in situ analysis.

Specifically, I collaborate in several project on photochemistry of molecules adsorbed on minerals under Martian-like / space-like conditions through UV irradiation processing. The degradation kinetics is inspected taking into account possible catalytic and/or protective effects of minerals. The aim of this project is ground support to biomarker search by mission on Mars such as orbiter and rovers. I'm also involved in analog mineral analysis in support of Mars surface studies.

I'm member of Mars2020 Perseverance science team since January 2020 as collaborator of the Participating Scientis Teresa Fornaro to analyse data from Scherloc and SuperCam instruments to look for the possible presence of organics.
From 2024 I'm also member of ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Mission as collaborator of the Interdisciplinary Scientist John Brucato participating in the Rover Science Operations Working Group (RSOWG) both the 'Macro' and 'Micro' sub-groups to prepare the scientific activity of the mission.

OTHER Collaborations and PROJECTS

OSIRIS-REx Sample Return mission

OSIRIS-REx mission is aimed to bring back to Earth a sample from the surface of the carbonaceous asteroid Bennu. The mission after two years of orbital phase around the asteroid, collected succesfully a sample from the surface and now is on the cruise back to Earth.

As member of the "asteroid phase" of the mission between 2018 and 2023, I joined several working groups collaborating on spectroscopy and thermal analysis. I also performed several laboratory studies to support the interpretation of OVIRS and OTES the two spectrometers on board the spacecraft. I was visiting student at the OSIRIS-REx Science Operation Center at the University of Arizona (Tucson, USA) for two months working on analysis of the global survey dataset and participating actively in the selection of the sampling site.

Astrobiology instrument developing

I was involved in several proposal and project for developing and spazialization of new technologies for astrobiological analysis in space. I was member of ABCS AstroBiology CubeSat space mission for testing lab-on-chip technology in Earth Orbit. I worked on functional test and payload development.
Currently I'm Product Assurance manager for TASTE cubesat mission for the exploration of Deimos. I'm also involved in scientific objective definition and laboratory analysis in preparation of data interpretation.

Meteorite characterization

I collaborate with the Department of Geology of the University of Pisa to study meteorites and characterize their structure using infrared spectroscopy and microIR spectroscopy. We study the alteration process and evolution of meteorite matrix as comparison of asteroidal evolution.

Mercury surface analyses

I collaborate in several pubblication on Mercury geology, carried out by INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Padova, provinding spectroscopical interpretation of spectrophotometric data from MESSANGER mission. These work are aimed to be a base for future BepiColombo mission currently on its way to reach the planet.

PAHs photochemistry for Mars and Early Earth

I collaborated in several projects involving PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and their interaction with minerals in space-like conditions through UV irradiation processing. PAHs are very abundant in the Solar System and are believed to be a fundamental in early earth biomolecular chemistry. The study of this compounds is a key point in understanding chemistry in our universe.

Planetary formation laboratory studies

I collaborated in studies on planet formation and ground observation support. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of space relevant molecules is a challenging field complementary to interstellar medium observation to understand the physical process of creation and sublimation of interstellar complex molecules (iCOMs).

Icy moons exploration support

I work on biomarker survival and analog studies in support of icy world missions. I study biomolecules survival in icy mixture simualting outer Solar System environment evaluating possibility of positive detection from in situ analysis. I collaborated with JPL-NASA scientist supporting astrobiology objectives of NASA Europa Clipper space mission toward the icy moon of Jupiter and future Enceladus missions.

SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION

In my master thesis carried out in the Astrobiology Laboratory of INAF-Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri (Firenze) I worked on ultraviolet photoprocessing of glycine adsorbed on various space relevant minerals in space conditions to evaluate how solar weathering can affect the survival of amino acids on the surface of Near Earth Asteroids.

My PhD project was carried out in the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Florence with the supervision of John Robert Brucato from INAF - Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri. I worked on thermal modification of mineral spectra in space conditions and grain size effects with a direct application to the interpretation of infrared remote sensing data. I worked also on ultraviolet photoprocessing of biomolecules adsorbed on various space relevant minerals in astrophysical simulated conditions to investigate biomarker survival and the possibility of identification by present and future space missions.

PhD project

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