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
New group member – wellcome Lourdes Simó
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
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
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
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 [...]
Dr. Alan Szalai visiting Prof. Acuna in Fribourg
Dr. Alan Szalai traveled to Switzerland for a research stay at the group of our collaborator Prof. Guillermo Acuna at the University of Fribourg. Alan will work on finalizing experiments on DNA-PAINT based nanothermometry together with our former member Dr. Mariano Barella, and performing multi-lab SIMPLER measurements. [...]
Taller de Óptica y Fotónica (TOPFOT) – Encuentro de Estudiantes de Óptica y Fotónica (EEOF)
We participated in the Taller de Óptica y Fotónica (TOPFOT), an annual workshop organized by Argentina's Territorial Optics Committee (CTO), serves as a crucial forum for discussing the link between Optics and Photonics and other fields of knowledge, featuring national and international speakers who present open problems. Held concurrently [...]
Second round of hands-on training for FOMISUR participants
Last December, we organized the first edition of our training workshop on super-resolution microscopy (FOMISUR). We were pleased to receive many more applicants than we could accommodate for the lab practices. As a result, we assigned the available slots by prioritizing participants from more distant regions and scheduled a [...]
Group asado and farewell to Giovanni
It was a great plasure to have Giovanni Ferrari working with us for the last 4 months. We have advanced our projects and had a lot of fun in the way. Now it is time to go back to Munich, but there is still a lot to [...]
THE GROUP
COLLABORATORS
STEFAN HELL
Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Göttingen, Germany)
THOMAS JOVIN
Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Göttingen, Germany)
ALFREDO CÁCERES
Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Biomédidas de Córdoba (Córdoba, Argentina)
PHILIP TINNEFELD
Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (Germany)
GUILLERMO ACUNA
University of Fribourg (Switzerland)
ANDRÉS ZELCER
Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
ANDREA BRAGAS
University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
DARÍO KRAPF
Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR – Santa Fe, Argentina)
SABRINA SIMONCELLI
University College London (UK)
DAMIAN REFOJO
Biomedicine Research Institute of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
RODRIGO PALACIOS
Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto (Córdoba, Argentina)
OSCAR CAMPETELLA
Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
SPONSORS
We highly appreciate the support by
