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

Asymmetric bifunctional protein nanoparticles through redesign of self-assembly

nano_x7n4r02021-03-21T12:09:24+00:00February 28th, 2019|

We have been using DNA self-assembly for a while now. DNA-origami is a wonderful technique to build nanoscopic optical breadboards for our experiments. While DNA is highly versatile, it has the disadvantage of being fluffy... In fact, life uses proteins to build stuff, not DNA. So why not trying to [...]

Visiting Professor Marcelo Nollmann

nano_x7n4r02021-03-21T12:58:03+00:00October 30th, 2018|

We are glad to welcome Dr. Marcelo Nollmann from the Center for Structural Biochemistry in Montpellier (CNRS/INSERM) as visiting Professor at the Physics Department of the University of Buenos Aires During his stay, Dr. Nollmann will give a course for graduate and undergraduate students of the Faculty of Exacts [...]

Dr. Mariano Barella visits Imperial College London

nano_x7n4r02021-03-22T01:20:56+00:00October 20th, 2018|

As part of our collaboration with the group of Prof. Stefan Maier, Dr. Mariano Barella travelled to London for a research stay at Imperial College. During his stay, Mariano will discuss and perform kick-off experiments for a new project with Dr. Julian Gargiulo, an ex-member of our lab currently working [...]

Julián Gargiulo: best doctoral thesis on Experimental Physics of Argentina 2016-2017

nano_x7n4r02021-03-22T01:31:50+00:00September 22nd, 2018|

The Argentine Physics Association (AFA) has elected the thesis of Julián Gargiulo as the best doctoral thesis on Experimental Physics of Argentina for the period 2016-2017. Every year, the AFA awards the Juan José Giambiagi Prize to the best doctoral thesis on Physics carried out in Argentina. Alternately, one year [...]

11ᵗʰ Advanced Scientific Programming in Python

nano_x7n4r02020-05-20T18:50:13+00:00September 5th, 2018|

Luciano Masullo participated in the 11ᵗʰ Advanced Scientific Programming in Python, taking place in Camerino, Italy, from 3rd to 8th of September The school focused on advanced Python programming for scientific application and was aimed at scientific investigators, not professional programmers. Among other topics, the participants learned strategies and methods [...]

8th Single Molecule Localization Microscopy Symposium

nano_x7n4r02020-05-20T18:51:17+00:00August 27th, 2018|

Cecilia Zaza and Luciano Masullo participated in the 8th Single Molecule Localization Microscopy Symposium, presenting the software Gollum for the automated quantification of periodic protein structures The meeting took place at the beautiful Harnack Haus of the Max-Planck Society in Berlin, Germany. More information about the symposium at https://2018.smlms.org/ More info [...]

Super-resolution imaging at the cell membrane of breast cancer cells

nano_x7n4r02021-03-22T11:32:52+00:00July 8th, 2018|

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) is expressed in tissues as diverse as brains and mammary glands. In breast cancer, ERα is a key regulator of tumor progression. Therefore, understanding what activates ERα is critical for cancer treatment in particular and cell biology in general. In this interdisciplinary work, a [...]

1st Summer School on Photothermal Effects in Plasmonics

nano_x7n4r02020-05-20T18:57:27+00:00June 25th, 2018|

Dr. Ianina Violi and Cecilia Zaza obtained a travel grant to attend the 1st Summer School on Photothermal Effects in Plasmonics, taking place in Porquerolles’ Island, France, and they made the sacrifice to represent the group... The school gathered more than 60 researchers from around the world, including our [...]