Profile
Francesco Iacoviello
My CV
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Education:
When I was back in Italy I attended the scientific high school between ages 13-18.
During high school I was unsure about what to do with my life, as it should be, but I knew I enjoyed classical literature and science… two diametrically opposed topics, I know.
In the end, I realised I could have nurtured my passion for literature in the free time, while it would have been more difficult to deepen knowledge on science on my own.Therefore, for my bachelor’s I joined the course of Biotechnology in the university of Milan Bicocca, in Italy.
For those who don’t know it, the scope of a biotechnologist is that of using a biological product to create a commercial good or service. One example could be using bacteria to produce antibiotics, or using natural oils to produce cosmetics or even using fermentation to produce beer or green fuels!
I liked this course because besides giving theoretical knowledge about all the relevant scientific subjects, it also allowed me to gain practical experience with laboratory courses and engaging problem solving exercises.Finally, I attended the Master’s degree programme in Genetics and Molecular Biosciences, with a focus on Genetics and Genomics at the University of Helsinki.
I decided to apply for Master’s studies abroad to join one of the top 100 graded universities of the world. -
Work History:
In Italy I did my internship at the University of Milan Bicocca in the Molecular Biology Laboratories, during which I had the pleasure to work on yeast models (S.cerevisiae), and learn more about all the molecular tools that can be used to genetically modify microorganisms.
I did also work as a tutor for international students at the University of Helsinki, to show people around the campus and the city and to help new students settle-in into the faculty environment.
In Helsinki I did a second internship at the University of Helsinki in the Ville Hietakangas Lab. During this experience I learnt how to grow and modify fly fruit (D.melanogaster), how to collect samples from it and how to do full organ imaging with top notch microscopy equipment.
During this project, I was studying the effect of nutrients on intestinal stem cells functionality.In my last work position as a research assistant the Finnish Institute for Molecular Medicine I worked with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and early neuronal progenitors to model the insurgence of neurodevelopmental disorder in patients with rare neurodevelopmental disorders like Kabuki Syndrome.
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Employer:
Wellcome Sanger Institute
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About Me:
Hello everyone!
I am Francesco and I come originally from Manfredonia a small city in the South of Italy, however during my scientific carreer I lived in different cities, and now I am working in Cambridge.
When working in science life can be quite busy, but it is important to foster some extracurricular activities or feel-good hobbies.
Weekly in my spare time I enjoy cooking and singing, while during weekends I like travelling to explore natural landscapes, or to practice bouldering. And it’s even better when I share all my passions with friends!
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At my core I am a curios, friendly genuine person.
Since I was young I happened to spend loads of time in nature, exploring the wilderness with friends. During these occasion we would all cook together and sing around the fire and all these experience have formed the person I am right now.
The genuine magic that comes when you explore something unknown, the adrenaline you feel when you test yourself in something new or the warmth that comes from a shared meal or drink with friends is what makes this life worth it!
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My pronouns are:
My pronouns are he/him/his.
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My Work:
In my day to day work in the laboratory, I produce, grow and expand cellular material that is used to improve or develop new drugs to treat rare illnesses.
Besides the laboratory activities, my work also consists of reading scientific articles, take part to thrilling scientific seminars/conferences to deepen my knowledge and to collaborate with other scientist to improve scientific procedures.
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The project on which I am working at the moment is based on the study of inflammatory disorders of the intestinal tract. These disorders can be quite taxing on people life, therefore it is is important to find ways to develop effective drugs to treat these illnesses.
Luckily, healthy people and people with these inflammatory disorders have been donating small samples of their intestine to research and from these intestinal biopsies (small section of the intestinal trait) we are able to extract stem cells to grow in plates, and on which we can perform different tests.
Something peculiar about my work is that I grow these cells in a 3D shape, so that they can create what we call an organoid (which is a mass of cells or tissue that resembles an organ).
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My Typical Day:
My working schedule is pretty flexible.
Every morning I wake up between 6 and 7:30 am and I shower to wake myself up, before walking towards the company bus.
I get to work between 7:30 and 9, where I usually stop at the office for a quick check to my emails and my work schedule.Generally during the first half of the day we held meetings, or short catch-up to go through work necessities before going for a group lunch break.
After lunch it’s time to head to the laboratory to perform all my experiments.
Around 5 pm is time to leave the office, jump on the bus and do some quick grocery shopping before going back home. -
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Work schedules for scientists can be really flexible.
Some days I need to perform more experiments in different laboratories, so I might be spending more time in the laboratory to make sure that all the required experiments are completed at the right time.
Some days require less laboratory work, and in those days I spend more time in the office.
When in the office we scientist have free time to analyse the data obtained from our experiments, read new scientific articles or attend vibrant scientific talks presented in the auditorium of our campus or on Zoom if the talk is hosted from an international scientist. -
What I'd do with the prize money:
The Wellcome Sanger Institute is all about open communication and science engagement.
With the increase of living costs, some schools or organizations might have to reduce the frequency of attendance to science engagement projects therefore, I would like to devolve this prize money to the Wellcome Connecting Science.
Wellcome Connecting Science is always offering exciting opportunities for people of all ages and school of life to get to know more about science and the work that is ongoing here at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
With the prize money we could boost our engagement towards scientific communication, especially for activities like school visits at the campus, and guided tours with a scientist so that the students can meet in person with scientists, see the place where they work, and learn more about our projects and possible future career outcomes.
It might also be possible to organise scientific talks from members of the Wellcome Connecting Science team, and maybe myself too =). -
My Interview
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What did you want to be after you left school?
Singer, scientist, writer or all of them.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Had my rebellious phase during middle school.
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I would probably pursue music or open a cocktail bar.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Lauv, Jeremy Zucker, Ben Platt & Adele are high on the list.
What's your favourite food?
Anything with chocolate or nutella...
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