Giulia Zanetti

Giulia Zanetti is a Professor of Structural Biology at Birkbeck, University of London's School of Natural Sciences. She specializes in studying membrane trafficking mechanisms, particularly focusing on COPII coat assembly and cargo recognition in the secretory pathway. Her research employs advanced imaging techniques like cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging to visualize molecular complexes in situ.

Her key research interests include structural biology, protein-protein interactions, and the dynamics of membrane-associated protein complexes. Notable contributions include elucidating the structure of the COPII transport vesicle coat and its role in membrane shaping, as well as advancements in cryo-EM data processing methodologies.

Zanetti has supervised two doctoral students: Evgenia Markova (2021) and Joshua Hutchings (2020), both focusing on COPII-related studies. Her recent work (2025) explores mechanisms of COPII coat assembly and cargo recognition, while earlier studies (2013-2021) provided foundational insights into COPII structure and function.

Her publications span high-impact journals like Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Nature Communications, and eLife, reflecting her expertise in structural biology and molecular imaging. She also contributes to teaching advanced cell biology and molecular biology modules at Birkbeck.