Back to The Team
About Massimo
Harnessing his dual expertise in molecular biology and digital communications, Massimo is a steadfast advocate for science, striving to weave it into the fabric of everyday life. As the founder and editor-in-chief of TheScienceBreaker, he is not just chasing a dream, but actively building a reality where society and science walk hand-in-hand. His aspiration is not one of distant admiration, but of close collaboration: empowering every individual with scientific understanding and fostering a collective enthusiasm for discovery. His vision is one of unity, where society acknowledges the integral role of science and technology in shaping our shared future.
Massimo is the editor of 352 Breaks:
The sudden sprints of evolution
The diversity of form in life on Earth is striking; we share the planet with animals as different as sea slugs and giraffes. However, we still know very little about how evolutionary forces operated on long timescales to shape biodiversity.
Aug 7, 2018 | 4 min readThe Lego bricks of the brain
The neocortex is the largest part of our brain and plays central roles in perception, body control, thoughts, and memory. We found that the neocortex contains small elementary circuits that repeat, just like modules in a supercomputer. These 'microcolumns' may be basic processing units of the neocortex.
Aug 3, 2018 | 2.5 min readDiscovery of high-order drug synergies – from impossible to dirt cheap
Imagine that a super-computer integrated multitudes of biological data and predicted that a certain 10-way drug combination will have synergy. Traditional methods have been too costly and impractical to verify or refute this hypothesis. Our research unlocks the study of high-order drug synergies, measuring the synergy among any number of drugs.
Aug 2, 2018 | 3.5 min readThe shape of the ocean: deep waters and their movement
Deep ocean waters hold enormous amounts of carbon, nutrients and heat. Their influence on Earth’s climate depends critically on the pace and pathways of their renewal. Contrary to conventional wisdom, researchers find that these pathways are intimately linked to the shape of the ocean.
Jul 31, 2018 | 3.5 min readKilling C. difficile with targeted strikes
C. difficile poses a huge threat to human health, but the friendly bacteria of the gut provide us with a natural resistance to infection. By reprogramming naturally occurring nano-weapons, we can specifically target C. difficile without hurting these friendly bacteria. However, C. difficile can become resistant to these weapons, but do these resistant mutants pose a threat to our health?
Jul 24, 2018 | 3.5 min readThe Poisoned Oasis: Neonicotinoid Spillover Harms Bees Near Corn
The by-effects of insecticides are a threat for pollinators and, in turn, for healthy ecosystems. The analysis of their impacts can lead to beneficial solutions, supporting simultaneously the environment and agricultural needs.
Jul 5, 2018 | 4 min read