From planetary rocks to the first membranes
I work at the Mansy Lab (University of Trento, CIBIO) on one of the oldest questions there is: how did non-living matter become living? My research focuses on protocell membranes fatty-acid vesicles that may have been the first compartments to separate “inside” from “outside.” I study how nutrients crossed these membranes, how fluorescent probes like HPTS are encapsulated, and whether atmospheric aerosols could have seeded the first vesicles on the early Earth.
My path runs from Earth & climate sciences at IISER Pune, through a master's in Astrobiology at Naples Federico II, to bench work in prebiotic chemistry. Outside the lab, I read markets, tinker with home servers, and chase mountains.
- Current role
- Pre-doctoral Research Fellow
- Institution
- University of Trento · CIBIO
- Field
- Origins of Life · Protocells
- Based in
- Trento, Italy
Toolkit
Analytical techniques
Reading matter at every scale
Lab & bench
Where protocells get built
Programming & data
Where the data goes
Fields
The territory
Mission log
Transport of Nutrients across Protocells
Mansy Lab · University of Trento
Investigating encapsulation efficiency of the fluorescent probe HPTS in fatty-acid vesicles, and studying passive and facilitated nutrient transport across model protocell membranes. Building an experimental framework to test whether atmospheric aerosols could have transformed into vesicles on the prebiotic Earth, alongside a collaboration on RNA encapsulation.
Lipid Vesicles that Led to the First Life
Master's thesis · University of Trento
Explored how early life-essential molecules entered primitive lipid vesicles, and studied peptide-bond formation under simulated prebiotic conditions examining the factors that influence chiral selection in early-Earth environments.
Characterization of Thermophilic Enzymes
Summer intern · Naples Federico II
Worked on biochemical assays and protocol execution for thermophilic enzyme characterization, developing independence in a complex research environment.
Isotope & Carbon Analysis
Biogeochemistry Lab · IISER Pune
Measured organic and inorganic carbon in soil and water samples using EA-IRMS for δ¹³C determination, ion chromatography, and Coulometry fieldwork across the Western Ghats with full sample to instrument workflows.
Projects & beyond
KNOWBEL e-Magazine
Co-founded a science-communication magazine at IISER Pune. Served as Technical Head, building and maintaining its website.
cosmo5 Home Server
Self-hosted home lab Nextcloud, Immich, and a Telegram AI bot, served securely over Tailscale & Cloudflare.
Markets & Quant
A standing interest in financial markets backtesting, probability, and the mathematics of risk, pursued alongside research.
Current research
The supply problem of the first cells
Before enzymes, before transporters, before genes — how did nutrients get into the earliest compartments? My research approaches the origin of life as a transport problem:
- Encapsulation efficiency of HPTS and RNA inside fatty-acid vesicles
- Passive and facilitated nutrient transport across protocell membranes
- Atmospheric aerosols as the possible birthplace of the first vesicles
- Peptide-bond formation and chiral selection under early-Earth conditions
▸ Publications in preparation — this section will grow. Watch this space.
Field campaigns
06 · Contact
Let's talk origins.
Open to collaborations, PhD opportunities, and good conversations about how life began.