Research Interests

A fascinating aspect of all cells is their complex intracellular organization. Cells are subdivided in different compartments to organize cellular functions by physically separating biological reactions.

This compartmentalization is fundamental to regulate gene expression both in space and time. To understand how cells dynamically control gene expression to adapt to changing environments, we use single molecule mRNA imaging technologies both for fixed and living cells.  These methods allow us to follow the entire mRNA life cycle, from transcription to degradation and from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.  Using these tools, we measure, with high spatial and temporal resolution, each stage of gene expression and their coordination, to understand how single cells tune gene expression to improve their fitness. By looking at single cells, we assess how gene expression noise and cell-to cell variability affect cellular functions.

Contact information

Systems Biology Lab

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Room O|2 01E57

De Boelelaan 1108

1081 HZ Amsterdam

Education

• 2008-2013 Doctor of Philosophy, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

• 2008 Master of Science, Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Genoa, Italy.

• 2007 Bachelor of Science, Biotechnology, University of Genoa, Italy.

Professional Experience

• November 2022 –  : Tenured Assistant Professor, Systems Biology Lab, Vrije University Amsterdam, Netherlands.

• August 2019 – October 2022: Tenure-track Assistant Professor, Systems Biology Lab, Vrije University Amsterdam, Netherlands.

• 2014 – 2019: Postdoctoral fellow, Laboratory of Dr. Robert H. Singer Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.

• 2008 – 2014: Graduate Student, Laboratory of Dr. Françoise Stutz, Department of Cellular of Geneva, Switzerland.

• 2005 – 2008: Undergraduate work, Laboratory of Dr. Paolo Malatesta Department Of Developmental Biology, University of Genoa, Italy.

Fellowships and awards

• 2018    Travel award the RNA Society.

• 2017    Travel fellowship Swiss National Science Foundation: RNA society meeting, Prague.

• 2017    Travel award by the RNA Society .

• 2017    Poster prize RNA meeting 2017, RNA society.

• 2016    Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship, Swiss National Science Foundation, Dept. Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA

• 2015    Travel fellowship Swiss National Science Foundation: Eukaryotic mRNA processing meeting.

• 2019    Travel award by the RNA Society .

• 2014   Early Postdoctoral Fellowship, Swiss National Science Foundation, Dept. Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA

• 2011    Travel award by the RNA Society .

• 2011    Travel award to attend Mechanisms of Nucleocytoplasmic Trafficking, EMBO.

Patents

Robert H. Singer, Evelina Tutucci and Maria Vera “RNA TAGGING SYSTEM FOR VISUALIZATION OF SINGLE mRNA MOLECULES” Provisional application to the US Patent and Trademark Office (no. 62/487,058).