Learn more about Giuseppe through the following quick questions:
Hi Giuseppe. What do you do at GenomSys and what are you currently working on?
I am a senior backend developer which simply means that my work deals with issues behind the scenes of an app or software. Overall I make sure that whenever you press a button in your device, the following processes are aligned and working correctly together. It is a world made of many, many pieces (microservices) that need to play together like the gears of a clock for example. Besides the backend, I work from time to time on the frontend as well.
What is the greatest benefit of MPEG-G in your opinion?
The first thing that comes to my mind is standardization and the possibility to build a whole ecosystem of portable, scalable, reusable solutions around it. Having a world of scientific and clinical tools speaking the same unambiguous language, but with the possibility to show and extract only what you want and a very efficient way to store the information. Everything becomes easier, more efficient, and in the long run probably more affordable.
Your take on personalized medicine and what role does GenomSys play in that?
Personalized medicine is something that can make a difference for many people in the near future. For example, using pharmacogenetics. By quickly testing for tolerability, patients can be provided with the right medicine based on their genetic profile, without the risk of prescribing a drug with many side effects. The optimal solution can thus be found as quickly as possible, thus improving the quality of life for everyone. This is simply amazing to me.
Why did you join GenomSys?
Mostly the MPEG-G concept and the enthusiastic people that I found at GenomSys. I think we can be part of a change that can improve people’s life. And we are doing this, by developing technologies that can provide these improvements. For me, this is one of my favorite combinations and I can see it in GenomSys.
Genomic data and data privacy challenges. What is in your opinion a way to solve this issue?
I am not an expert on this topic, but still, I feel the urgency to protect the data that is basically the blueprint of one person’s life. On one side avoiding any kind of abuses that may come from disclosing your genome and all the health issues a person may be subject to in his life. On the other, I think that once security is not an issue anymore, it may be even easier to share part of one person’s genome for scientific purposes.
When you’re not programming for GenomSys, what do you do in your free time?
It depends a lot on the period. I like to listen to rock/metal music, at the moment I miss all the live concerts very much. Besides music I like to work out in the gym, or practice martial arts, play with my cat, read fantasy books or watch movies. Sometimes I rediscover the idea of learning to play guitar, but I’m doing it in a very modest, some may say inefficient, steps. And then all the activities I can plan with my girlfriend and my friends, of course!
What code language do you prefer?
If I must pick one: C++ at its latest versions! But I think each language has its own role, especially the high-level ones. So, I code Python whenever the project risks becoming a nightmare in bare C++. JavaScript I use when I want to build a nice interface.
You mentioned you like to read fantasy books. What was one of the best ones you read in the last year?
Let’s start from the fact that among my favorite reads I always put: Tolkien, King, Gaiman. Last year decided to solve a huge lack with “his dark materials” series from Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass). And it’s been a great choice!
Finally a biology question for the physicist who used to work at CERN. What is your favorite base in the DNA (adenine, guanine, cytosine or thymine)?
Well, GC are my initials, so I cannot say either Guanin or Cytosine is my favorite. Then again I am not a biologist and this might not be a good enough reason for choosing any of them. [He said with a very big grin on his face]
If you have any further questions for Giuseppe or about GenomSys please feel free to contact us.
