Home - Applied nanoPhysics Group

Center for Bionanoscience Research (CIBION), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET)
Physics Department, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Buenos Aires (UBA)

Using optical methods, we explore the properties and technological applications of nanoparticles, single molecules, nanostructured materials, supramolecular assemblies, biological and hybrid nanosystems.

The Applied nanoPhysics Group was launched in October 2009 at the Physics Department, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA)

In 2012 we moved our labs to the Center for Bionanoscience Research (CIBION) of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), while Prof. Stefani still holds his position at the Physics Department of the University of Buenos Aires.

CURRENT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Fluorescence nanoscopy.

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, also known as fluorescence nanoscopy, has revolutionized biological imaging because they provide deep sub-wavelenght spatial resolution while keeping the low-invasiveness of far-field optical interrogation. We apply and optimize well-established methods like STED and STORM, and develop new ones, such as MINFLUX, and open-source software for fluorescence nanoscopy. With them, we address questions of cellular and neuronal biology.

Optical printing colloidal nanoparticles.

Colloidal chemistry enables the fabrication of nanoparticles of different shapes, sizes and material compositions, that exhibit unique physical and chemical properties, inexistent in bulk materials. In order to make use of those properties in devices and circuits, it is necessary to develope methods to bring the colloidal nanoparticles from the liquid phase to specific locations of solid substrates. We address this challenge using optical forces.

Self-assembled Nanophotonic Devices.

Semiconductor-based devices are approaching intrinsic limits of speed and heat dissipation.
Optical devices are faster and practically loss-less, but their size miniaturization is limited by the wavelength of light. Nanophotonics and Plasmonics deals with the manipulation of light at the nanoscale. We investigate light-matter interaction between single-photon emitters and metallic nanoparticles organized in nanodevices by self-assembly.

LATESTS NEWS

Collaboration with Uni Fribourg – Nature Communications: Single fluorescente molecules on a smartphone

nano_x7n4r02025-10-23T15:38:47+00:00October 10th, 2025|

Detecting single molecules is the ultimate detection limit. Among other applications it enables measurements beyond ensemble averaging, ultraprecise analytics and super-resolution imging. Typically, detecting single fluorescent molecules has required costly, research-grade equipment. In our latest publication we present an inexpensive setup that leverages current smartphone technologies to detect single [...]

PicoQuant 30th International Workshop on “Single Molecule Spectroscopy and Super-resolution Microscopy”

nano_x7n4r02025-10-23T15:07:14+00:00September 29th, 2025|

Since 1995, the company PicoQuant GmbH from Berlin organizes the annual Single Molecule Spectroscopy (SMS) Workshop, which brings together the top researchers in the field, interested scientists from other fields and potential users from life and materials science or industry. This year, for the 30th edition, more than 250 [...]

Red Federal de Micoscopía de Super-Resolución : comienza la construcción y el entrenamiento para los dos primeros microscopios

nano_x7n4r02025-10-23T15:56:54+00:00September 5th, 2025|

En Rodrigo Vena y Juan Etchart, ambos profesionales de la Carrera de Personal de Apoyo del Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) vinieron a CIBION en junio para comenzar a entrenarse en microscopía por ubicación de moléculas individuales y construir sendos microscopios para luego instalar en sus [...]

Day of the Department of Physics at Buenos Aires´ Planetarium

nano_x7n4r02025-10-23T14:48:58+00:00August 15th, 2025|

On August 14, we participated in the Day of the Department of Physics, a tradition for the past 13 years where the entire Physics Department of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) gathers in a venue outside the University. This is a wonderful opportunity to continue building the community [...]

New group member – wellcome Lourdes Simó

nano_x7n4r02025-10-23T14:33:48+00:00August 5th, 2025|

Lourdes Simó has joined our team as undergraduate student of the Physics Department of Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires. She will work on establishing a robust protocol for SIMPLER 3D nanoscopy. Wellcome Lourdes and good luck with your project! [...]

12th Weber Symposium – Genoa, Italy

nano_x7n4r02025-10-22T18:32:48+00:00June 22nd, 2025|

The 12th International Weber Symposium on Innovative Fluorescence Methodologies in Biochemistry and Medicine was held in Genoa, Italy from June 15-20, 2025. The "Weber Symposium" honors the fundamental and far-reaching contributions of Professor Gregorio Weber. It provides an overview of modern fluorescence methodologies and applications in the biological and [...]

Visit to the Vicidomini Lab at the Istituto Italiano de Tecnologia (IIT) Genoa

nano_x7n4r02025-10-22T18:46:49+00:00June 13th, 2025|

On the way to the 12th Weber Symposium, Florencia Choque, Gonzalo Escalante and Dr. Lucía Lopez visited the group of Prof. Giuseppe Vicidomini at the Istituto Italiano de Tecnologia (IIT) Thank you Giuseppe for receving us and showing us the wonderful work you and your team are [...]

PNAS: super-resolution imaging of sperm capacitation

nano_x7n4r02025-10-23T16:22:58+00:00June 10th, 2025|

The protein kinase A (PKA) is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of diverse cellular processes, so advances in understanding its function are impactful. In mammalian sperm, PKA modulates motility and plays a critical role in capacitation, a postejaculation maturation step that enables sperm to fertilize an oocyte. This process depends [...]