Curriculum vitae

Marie Curie Post-doctoral Researcher at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Uppsala (Sweden).

Researcher collaborator at the University of Trento, “Laboratory of Bio-inspired, Bionic, Nano, Meta Materials & Mechanics” (http://www.ing.unitn.it/~pugno/).

Founding and Vice-President member of
Aracnofilia – Italian Society of Arachnology (http://www.aracnofilia.org/)

01/01/2022 – 31/08/2023; Post-doctoral researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences under Wenner-Gren Foundation (PI, Prot UPD2021-0047)

01/05/2021 – 30/04/2022; Post-doctoral researcher at the University of Trento under Caritro foundation (prot. U1277.2020/SG.1130)

01/05/2020 – 30/04/2021; Post-doctoral researcher at the University of Trento under PRIN-20177TTP3S grant

01/11/2016 – 22/04/2020; PhD student at University of Trento and Italian Institute of Technology (“Center for Micro-BioRobotics”)

2020 PhD in Civil, Environmental and Mechanics Engineering cum laude.
Thesis: “Experimental nanomechanics of natural or artificial spider silks and related systems”
Special label “Doctor Europaeus”

2016 Master’s Degree in Physics. University of Ferrara. 110/110 cum laude.
Thesis: “Mechanical Properties of spider’s silk: investigation of nonlinear stress regimes under
Quantized Fracture Mechanics”

2014 Bachelor’s Degree in Physics. University of Ferrara. 110/110 cum laude.
Thesis: “I-V characteristic of nanocrystalline semiconductors for sensors application”

2010 High school graduate. Liceo Ariosto di Ferrara. 100/100 cum laude

Grants:
2023-2025, Principal Investigator of the HORIZON-TMA-MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships – European Fellowships, project: 101103616 — EPASS, Euro: 206 887.68. Score: 100/100.

2022, Principal Investigator of the Starting Grant Young Researcher University of Trento, “Expanding the properties of artificial spider silk”. Euro: 12 000

2022-2024, Principal Investigator of the project “Improving and expanding the properties of artificial spider silk fibres” under Wenner-Gren Foundation (Prot UPD2021-0047). SEK: 672 000 (Euro: 64 308)

2021-2023, Principal Investigator of the project
“Mechanics of natural or artificial silk and related systems” under Caritro foundations (prot. U1277.2020/SG.1130). Euro: 40 000

Prizes:

1^st place “MSCA Falling Walls Lab”, 2024

Audience prize in the “MSCA Falling Walls Lab” 2024

Trentino award for the Research, Young researchers 2022 euro: 5000

Trentino Science Communication Award, 2022 euro: 2000

Travel Grant:
ELLS Navigating Bruxelles 2022
2019 SEB Annual Meeting Travel Grant

To check the full list of publications, please visit the relative page: https://gabriele-greco.com/publications/

ACS Biomaterials Sciences and Engineering, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Journal of Experimental Biology, Journal of Biomaterials Science: Polymer Edition, Insects, Fibers, Materials, Polymers for Advanced Technologies, Integrative and Comparative Biology, Bioinspirations & Biomimetics, Advances in Materials & Processing Technologies, Journal of Polymers and Environment, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Soft Matter, Biology Letters, Acta Biomaterialia, ACS Nano, PNAS, Nature Communications

Expert evaluator for the call “HORIZON-CL4-2024-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-01: Bio-intelligent manufacturing industries (Made in Europe Partnership) (RIA)”

Expert evaluator for the call “Research and Development Grants Competition Regulations of the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis and the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center”

Review Editor in Frontiers in Materials

Associate Editor in Frontiers in Arachnid Science – Arachnid Genetics and Biomaterials

Guest Editor in Advance Functional Materials for the special issue “Spider Silk – from Genetic Blueprint to High-Performance Materials” (Submission period: 09 Feb – 30 May 2024).

Gabriele Greco, Migali – Allevamento, cura e riproduzione, 2022, Vignate (MI), ISBN: 9788899341893, Castel Negrino

Gabriele Greco, Il Tempo della Fisica e della Biologia: una possibile congiunzione?, TEMPO TRA ESATTEZZA E INFINITO VOL.II, pag 324, 2019, ISBN: 9788832931990, Universitalia

Gabriele Greco, Diversamente cibo, ALMA – next generation chef: 90 prospettive per i professionisti dell’ospitalità, pag 416, 2018, ISBN: 9788864441504, PLAN Edizioni

Greco Gabriele, Towards the control of supercontraction in biomimetic artificial spider silk, https://devicematerialscommunity.nature.com/posts/towards-the-control-of-supercontraction-in-biomimetic-artificial-spider-silk?channel_id=1618-behind-the-paper

Greco Gabriele, La signora Darwin: dietro un grande uomo si nasconde una donna eccezionale, http://www.scienze-naturali.it/ambiente-natura/la-signora-darwin-dietro-un-grande-uomo-si-nasconde-una-donna-eccezionale

Greco Gabriele e Carlo Maria Legittimo, L’allevamento dei Theraphosidae, https://www.aracnofilia.org/i-ragni-esotici/lallevamento/

Gabriele Greco, Carlo Maria Legittimo e Matteo Gozzini, Gli Scorpioni, https://www.aracnofilia.org/gli-scorpioni/

SEM pictures in: L. Kundanati, M. D’Incau, M. Bernardi, P. Scardi, N. Pugno. A comparative study of the mechanical properties of a dinosaur and crocodile fossil teeth. JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS (2019)

Frontiers in Silk Science and Technologies, Trento, June 12-15th, 2019, Local Committee

Chair of the Gordon Research Seminars “Multiscale Mechanochemistry and Mechanobiology”, 2024.

Chair of the Gordon Research Seminars “Silk Proteins and the Transition to Biotechnologies”, 2025.

Organizer of the Seminar dedicated to Young Researchers: “Spider Silk: from basic concepts to material characterization”, Uppsala, September 3-6^th 2024.

25/04/2024, What can we learn from spiders?, Science is Wonderful, Brussels (Belgium)

18/04/2024, Breaking the walls of the textile industry, MSCA Conference 2024, Mons (Belgium)

11/07/2023, Micro-mechanical cutting of silk fibers, GRC – Silk Proteins and the Transition to Biotechnologies, Bryant University, USA, Invited Speaker.

29/09/2022, Experimental nanomechanics of natural or artificial spider silk, GIMC SIMAI YOUNG 2022, Pavia (IT), Invited speaker.

23/09/2022, Spider silks and webs: when biomechanics matters, VIII polish arachnological conference, Katowice, Invited Speaker.

6/09/2022, The mechanical properties of spider piriform silk, AIMETA Palermo 2022, Selected Speaker.

17/09/2019, Different spider silk junctions as a tool to improve the structure efficiency of spider’s orb web., AIMETA 2019, Roma (IT), Selected speaker.

04/07/2019, The mechanics of tangle and orb webs: the comparison of two hunting behaviours, SEB Seville 2019, Seville (ES), Selected Speaker.

05/07/2018, Weibull statistics applied to spider silk, EUROMECH 2018, Bologna (IT), Selected speaker.

05/07/2018, Spiders web: an example of structure composed by multi-functional Materials, EUROMECH 2018, Bologna (IT), Selected speaker

21/09/2017, Spider Silk and its Statistical Analysis, EUROMAT 2017, Thessaloniki (GR), Selected speaker

24/07/2017, Strength of spider web junction, Sheffield Silk Conference, Sheffield (UK), Selected speaker

15/06/2017, Il Tempo della Fisica e della Biologia: una possibile congiunzione?, Tempo tra esattezza ed infinito, Dipartimento di Lettere e Filosofia Tor Vergata, Roma (IT), Selected speaker

02/06/2017, Statistica alimentare: un approccio oggettivo per una scelta consapevole, Next Generation Chef, Alma-Scuola Internazionale di cucina italiana, Parma (IT), Selected speaker

TEDx talk, 14/05/2023, TEDx Verona, https://youtu.be/xDvuYQV6uHQ?si=ex2IyZXipGIxcjm4

CambiaMenti, Cosa ci insegnano i ragni?, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuI-V1k7vCc&list=PLX9PZTuqiRNOl7Gong1mUpOp_fXpdmCB-&ab_channel=FondazioneCaritroFondazioneCaritro

Spiders’ pills for deaf people, in collaboration with Counselis School, 

E.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO7QqV_IM68&ab_channel=CounseLis

07/03/2024, The importance of sharing, CARITRO foundation for Feltrinelli Education

09/01/2024, Spider silks are like potatoes: so many possibilities, University of Ferrara, Department of Physics

08/01/2024, Seta di ragno: il materiale che ha affascinato l’umanità, Università per l’Educazione Permanente di Ferrara — U.T.E.F.

23/06/2023, Le sete di ragno sono come le patate:infinite possibilità, PCTO Dietro le quinte della ricerca, Padova
24/05/2023, My experience in preparing a MSCA PF, Navigating Brussels (Brussels)
16/05/2023, My experience in preparing a MSCA PF, MSCA dedicated seminar SLU (Uppsala)
27/09/2022, Spider silks: the materials that have inspired humankind, CRC 1411 Design of Particulate Products, Nuremberg
15/03/2019, Mechanical properties of fibres: an experimental approach, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
01/12/2018, Spider’s diversity: the hidden beauty, Centro Antiveleni Ospedale Carreggi, Firenze.
7/11/2018, Silk and Hairs: A biomimetic approach, University of Ferrara, Department of Physics
27/06/2017, Spiders and Scorpions in medical issues, Baxter Biopharma, (private class)
04/29/2017, Insegnamento a 8 zampe: I ragni e l’approccio biomimetico; Museo di Storia Naturale di Trieste, (Associazione Italiana di Aracnologia).
30/01/2017, Which technologies can we learn from spiders?, University of Ferrara, Department of Physics
7/11/2016, Spiders’ hairs: biomimetic approach, University of Ferrara, Department of Physics
17/12/2015, Spiders’ hairs: biomimetic approach, University of Ferrara, Department of Physics

07/03/2024, L’insegnamento ad otto zampe, Brand&Soda (Trento)

11/01/2024, Tessere trame tra discipline diverse: parliamo di ragni, Liceo Pascoli (Bolzano)

10/01/2024, Quando la Fisica incontra la Biologia: Parliamo di ragni, Liceo Scientifico Evangelista Torricelli (Bolzano)

07/10/2023, I Ragni e le Dolomiti, Festival dell’Arrampicata inclusiva, Dorsino (TN)

04/02/2020, Tessere trame tra discipline diverse: ad esempio la seta, Liceo Scientifico Roiti, Ferrara

25/11/2019, Tessere trame tra discipline diverse: la seta ieri ed oggi, Liceo Classico Ariosto, Ferrara

15/10/2019, Tessere trame tra discipline diverse: ad esempio la seta, Liceo Classico Ariosto, Ferrara

21/09/2019, Il Fascino segreto dei Ragni, Entomodena, Modena

17/09/2019, Aperitivo ad 8 zampe: il fascino segreto dei ragni, ANVA, Guidonia Montecelio (RM)

26/05/2019, L’allevamento dei ragni: un approccio consapevole, Reptiles day, Longarone

23/05/2019, Il Fascino segreto dei Ragni, Scuola SSPG di Aldeno, Trento

22/05/2019, Il Fascino segreto dei Ragni, Istituto Sacro Cuore, Trento

7/11/2018, Tessere trame tra Fisica e Biologia: parliamo di Ragni, Liceo Scientifico Roiti, Ferrara 

20/10/2018, Il Fascino segreto di Ragni e Scorpioni, Petsfestival, Piacenza

19/10/2017, Tessere trame tra Fisica e Biologia: parliamo di Ragni, Liceo Scientifico Roiti, Ferrara 

17/10/2017, Tessere trame tra Fisica e Biologia: parliamo di Ragni, Liceo Classico Ariosto, Ferrara

Interview in Memex Doc – “L’uomo dei ragni” [in Italian], Rai Scuola, 17 September 2017. Link.

“Spider silk and webs” in Memex – Galileo [in Italian], Rai Scuola, 5 November 2018. Link [from min 21:25].

“Spiders” in Memex – Galileo [in Italian], Rai Scuola, 26 October 2018. Link [from min 19:35].

Spider silk in Linea verde [in Italian], Rai 1, 3 November 2018, Link [from min 1:40]. 

Interview on the Scientific news [In Italian]: TG Leonardo (Rai 3), march 2021 link 

Interview for Curiosity Stream in the documentary “Super Spider Silk”

Interview and participation for the documentary on BBC Earth: “Amaze me”

Interview live and participation in the program “La Banda dei Fuoriclasse” (Rai Gulp), 09/12/2021. 

Interview live and participation in the program “Geo” (Rai 3), 03/02/2022

Interview in the transmission Buongiorno Regione – Trentino Alto Adige (Rai), 18/10/2022, from minute 24:00, link

Curator of the project “A scuola di interdisciplinarità”, Liceo Classico Ariosto, A.A. 2019-2020.

PhD student (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) Viktoria Langwallner, co-supervision

Sara Residori, “Mechanical properties of different chitin-based structures: the example of spiders”. 

Andrea Fiorese, “Interaction between a spider and an artificial Kevlar® web, the cutting phenomenon”.

Mattia Cipriani, “Design and realization of artificial spider orb webs”. 

Massimo De Nardi, “Morphology and soil characteristics of a tarantula tunnel”.

Matteo Colombo, “Spider lifting mechanics”. 

Erik Caldart, “Did spiders invent the concrete?”.  

Jacopo Tagliapietra, Sharpness and morphology variation of more than 100 spider species teeth.

2023 – Current – Invited lecturer for “Bioinspired Engineering” course at the Indian Institute of technology Madras, Chennai, India

2022 – Current – Invited lecturer for “Biomaterials and Biomedical technologies” Master course at University of Trento 

2021 – Organizer and lecturer in the PhD curse “Introduction to mechanics of soft materials” at Graduate School for Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences).

2016 – Current – Invited lecturer at the course Surface Physics and Nanostructures, Master Degree in Physics, University of Ferrara.

04/13/2017-07/16/2017 Trappole e Veleni – Il fascino segreto di ragni e scorpioni, organized with Aracnofilia (Associazione Italiana di Aracnologia)

Related to the paper Greco & Pugno, J. R. Soc. Interface, 2021: 

Science: link, Science News: link, New Scientist: link, Inverse: link, Smithsonian magazine: link, Telegraph: link, Svenska Dagbladet: link, Il Dolomiti: link, L’Adige: link, other citations: link.

In the “Scholastic Science World”

Related to the paper Arndt et al., Adv. Funct. Mater., 2022: 

Nature Italy: link

July 31 – August 5, 2022, High performance magnetic artificial spider silk fibres, Multiscale Mechanochemistry and Mechanobiology Gordon Research Conference, Ventura (CA)

12/06/2019 The mechanics of tangle and orb webs: the comparison of two hunting behaviours, Frontiers in Silk Science and Technologies, Trento (IT)

Co-author of:

12/06/2019 Mineralizing Spider Network: A New Promising Hybrid Biomaterial for bone tissue engineering, Frontiers in Silk Science and Technologies, Trento (IT)

12/06/2019 Magnetic and mechanical properties of spider dragline silk covered with a magnetostrictive layer, Frontiers in Silk Science and Technologies, Trento (IT)

12/06/2019 Modulating the mechanical properties of silk fibres through different degumming protocols based on the use of NaCO3, Frontiers in Silk Science and Technologies, Trento (IT)

I believe that communication is a crucial tool to improve awareness of science in the society. 

I have spent a lot of time in schools of every levels, organizing laboratories or simply giving lectures. Schools are the future of our society, it is thus very important to grasp every occasion to collaborate with them.

English C2, German B1, Swedish B1, Italian mother tongue.

Windows, the Office’s package (Word, Excel, Power Point) and LateX, intermediate knowledge of C programming language, Ubuntu, Matlab, Mathematica, FreeFem, Gimp, Inkscape, Gwyddion, Image J., 3dSlicer, and R statistical software.

Nanotensile machine Agilent 150TM, 5940 Series Single Column Table Frames (Instron), Universal Testing Machine Midi Series (10-), MessPhysik, The iNano Nanoindenter (Nanomechanics, Inc.), Sputtering coating (Quorum150 ES), FT-IR (Perkins Elmer), SEM (Zeiss supra – 40), Optical Microscope (Jenavert, Olympus, Leica), Confocal Microscopy (Nikon), AFM (WorkShop TT-2, NT-MDT Solver pro, Bruker – Nanoscope 9.1).

Professional graduate “Sommelier” by AIS (Associazione Italiana Sommelier) in 2016

Sommelier at “Il serraglio” (FE)

Lecturer of Physics, Math and Financial Mathematics and for “Centro Multiservizi Febo” (FE)

Beach Tennis’s instructor in “Circolo Sportivo Frescobaldi” (FE)