As a physicist, I am interested in searching for answers to the fundamental questions of nature. In 1991, I was the first scientist in Italy to achieve atomic resolution in Ultra High Vacuum by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy. Even today, I am still fascinated by the fact that we are able to look at, and move, individual atoms on surfaces. I love to see how they arrange in ordered structures and form materials with incredible properties, when we set the right growth conditions. I study their microscopic composition and their chemical bonds with a range of spectroscopy techniques using laboratory sources and synchrotron radiation. My dream is to create materials to improve our environment, using our powerful nanotechnology tools to develop new solar cells, energy storage devices, and gas sensors.