I was born in Bologna (Italy). I attended the University of Bologna for my undergraduate studies in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and then went to the University of Pennsylvania (USA) for my Master’s thesis. Later I obtained a PhD from the University of Birmingham (UK) investigating the physical bases of dihydrofolate reductase catalysed reaction.  After a short spell in a biophysics group at the university of Leuven (BE), I moved to the University of Oxford for a post-doctoral position in DNA nanopore sequencing where in 2008 I received an Oxford University Merit Award. In 2010 I received an ERC Starting Research Grant with which I initiate my independent research at the University of Leuven (BE). 

In 2014 I moved to the University of Groningen (NL) as assistant professor, and became full professor in 2021. My independent research has been recognised by several prestigious research grant award. In 2016 I received an ERC Consolidator Research Grant for Top Researchers, in 2020 a VICI Talent Research Grant, and in 2022 as sole applicant a NHRGI-NIH protein sequencing grant. 

My research interests include nanopore biophysics, single-molecule enzymology, single-molecule proteomics and sensing, and designing artificial transmembrane machines. 

After a long-lasting scientific and funding collaboration with Oxford nanopore technology for developing next-generation nanopore sensors, in 2021 I setup a start-up company – Portal Biotech - for the commercialisation of nanopore technology.