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In Italy we often talk about brain drain. Young scientists who flee abroad to have better opportunities. There are also those who remain in Italy, and even manage to work for one of the most important organizations in the world: NASA. Andrew Alberini’s story seems like a dream, but it is reality.
Born in Populonia, now Florentine by adoption, Andrew is carrying out his doctorate at INAF, the Arcetri observatory, and for about two years he has been an official collaborator of NASA regarding the “Mars 2020” mission, i.e. a rover that he has been searching for traces of life on Mars for four years. “It seems absurd to tell it, but if I got to where I am today it’s because I’m a country boy” he explains with humility. “I was born in Populonia and I lived in a very dark place in terms of light pollution, and therefore I spent my evenings as a child observing the starry sky”.
A clear goal from an early age, that of discovering what lies beyond the sky. After high school Andrew graduated in physics from the University of Pisa, while he obtained a master’s degree in Astrophysics from the University of Florence, thanks to a research thesis on the Martian mission “Mars 2020”, which allowed him not only to win the doctorate, but to become its official collaborator. “When I talk about it I still don’t realize it. I participate in mission meetings, as well as making decisions about it. Something unthinkable until a few years ago. The goal is to try to look for life on Mars, which is the closest planet to the Earth, as 4 billion years ago it hosted liquid water on its surface, developing a habitable environment.”
The robot has been wandering around the red planet for four years in search of traces of life, such as fossils but also bacteria. And among the many scientists leading it there is also Andrew, who works closely with NASA directly from Arcetri. “Just a few months ago I was in Toulouse, in one of the laboratories managed directly by NASA. It was an incredible experience, I gave directions to the robot on where to go and which rock to analyze on Mars. One of the latest things we have discovered are signals that could be attributable to organic matter. A team effort in close contact between Arcetri and NASA’s laboratories in California, and it’s not always easy because there is a nine-hour difference between America and Italy, so some nights we get little sleep.”
Being a team is important in the world of science. For this reason Andrew, together with his colleague Christian Lorenz, also organized the First International School of Astrobiology on Italian soil. “Knowledge belongs to everyone. For this reason, together with my doctoral colleague, we organized this conference to bring together young researchers from all over the world in Astrobiology. Scientists from 25 different countries arrived in Florence. For me it’s important, because when it comes to the scientific community, there is a risk that people isolate themselves. Instead, we must strengthen the relationship between us and our colleagues, all this because the more brains collaborate together, the more science can benefit from it.”
In short, young Italians can also have their say in science, and Andrew’s story is proof of this. “We are often mistreated or not taken seriously, but one of my objectives is to give a signal. We are no less than abroad. The Astrobiology community in Italy is growing day by day. We will have our say, I’m sure of this.”
