I was born in Siena, a beautiful medieval city in Tuscany, mostly known for the wine produced in the surroundings. I completed my BSc and MSc studies in Chemistry and my PhD in Biomolecular Sciences in late 2017, working on the origin and catalytic activity of ancient proteins. Later, as a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellow, I joined the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, where I looked into the chemical origin of modern cells. After a short stay at the University of Cambridge as an 1851 Research Fellow, exploring prebiotic membrane signalling, ISIS welcomed me to start my independent career. In September 2024, with my group, I moved back to Cambridge to make the Department of Biochemistry our new home. We are currently working on the design and development of functional primitive cells capable of Darwinian evolution.