Francesca Vallese

Francesca Vallese was born in San Donà di Piave, province of Venice, on July 31, 1984. She attended the Liceo Scientifico in her city and then continued her studies in Padua where she obtained a Master's Degree in Biotechnology. In Padua she obtained also her PhD in Bioscience and Biotechnology and from there her love for Biochemistry and the characterization of protein complexes was born. She is passionate about studying proteins starting from their cloning, the expression in heterologous systems to purification, using always different tools and cutting-edge techniques. Her postdoc in Padua at Professor Zanotti's Laboratory gave her the opportunity to use my biochemical knowledge for structural purposes by making her specialize in Structural Biology in the field of X-ray crystallography. Initially her target of interest were Helicobacter Pylori proteins linked to the onset of stomach cancer, she has indeed solved and published numerous protein structures from this organism. Her interest then shifted to membrane proteins linked in particular to the transport of ions, opening up to numerous collaborations in Italy and abroad that immediately made her understand the importance of a broad international breath of science especially linked to collaborations between different institutes. In particular she has been involved in the study of the complex of proteins that regulate the MCU channel and the PMCA, the plasma membrane calcium ATPase involved in the calcium homeostasis inside cells. The growing interest in the use of CryoEM for structural purposes, a type of transmission electron microscopy technique in which the sample is studied at cryogenic temperatures, led her to move to New York at Columbia University, one of the top center for electron microscopy where it operates and works also Joachim Frank, 2017 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his contribution in the field of CryoEM. Here she works in the laboratory of Oliver Clarke, a young professor with experience in structural analysis in of membrane proteins. She arrived in New York only a few months before the beginning of the pandemic which practically blocked all ongoing projects but gave her the opportunity to pool her knowledge to try to make a contribution in the fight against this virus. She started this project focused on the structural characterization of the E-protein, one of the most important SARS-CoV-2 proteins linked to its replication and virulence. During the months of lockdown she was also involved in the development of an ELISA test for the screening of CoVid antibodies to be used at the New York Presbyterian Hospital in order to quickly check the positivity of medical personnel and patients, then continuing in the following months to test department staff and people potentially exposed to the virus. This work allowed her to feel useful in the difficult months of the pandemic in which she was worried about herloved ones in Italy and she was in a city that was in a very difficult moment. In addition to the academic aspect, she is a very active person in the social field, for more than 25 years she was a member of the Scout group of her city, leaving her position as group leader only last year due to the transfer to the US. She was also a volunteer of Emergency. She loves adventures and the mountains, she takes great walks and she has completed 5 marathons, the next one will be the one in New York when conditions will allow it. And last, but no least,  she loves her peeculeenow, that is good, capable and gentle, as she is.