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About Massimo
Massimo, molecular biologist, is constantly on a mission to inspire scientists and laypeople around him with his passion for science. During the time spent on the bench, he followed his natural all-around curiosity, investigating several topics from medical diseases to plant physiology. Head of TheScienceBreaker, Massimo proudly chases his naïve dream of an engaged society where scientists and citizens are facing together the upcoming challenges for human civilizations. At the University of Geneva, Switzerland, Massimo works for BiOutils – an academic and laboratory-based platform for outreach in life sciences.
Massimo is the editor of 229 Breaks:
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in East and West London public settings
High-frequency touched surfaces in public settings in London were found to have multidrug-resistant staphylococci. They pose a risk to public health as they can transfer their antibiotic-resistant genes to more severe infectious bacteria.
Feb 21, 2020 | 3.5 min readThe caterpillars who see through their skin to better blend in
Peppered moth caterpillars are masters of masquerade. They look and act like the twigs in their environment, even changing colour to create a closer likeness. Remarkably, they can still do this when blindfolded. This ability is suggestive of colour-sensitive visual machinery outside of the eye that allows larvae to stay camouflaged in rapidly changing environments.
Feb 20, 2020 | 3.5 min readAncient water harvesting practices can help solve modern problems
Ancient inhabitants worldwide have coped with seasonal rains, and flashy river flows by ‘sowing water’ during rainy seasons and ‘harvesting’ it during dry periods. We found that upscaling such a system developed by pre-Inca cultures in Peru can contribute to solving the ongoing water stress of arid coastal cities.
Feb 14, 2020 | 4 min readHumans are affecting the evolution of animals and plants
Species on Earth are interconnected to each other through ecological interactions. Human activities can erode those connections, leading to the loss of millions of years of evolutionary history, with unknown consequences for ecosystems’ functioning.
Feb 13, 2020 | 3 min readA connected ocean: drifting fish larvae bind nations' marine territories
Ocean currents carry fish in the early stages of their life cycle across international boundaries. As a result, international cooperation is crucial to maintaining marine fisheries sustainably.
Feb 12, 2020 | 3.5 min readHow machine intelligence helps in translating the neural code
What happens when visually responsive neurons in the primate brain are allowed to interact with artificial neural networks that generate images?
Feb 11, 2020 | 4 min read