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

Presentations a the annual meeting of the Argentine Society of Biophysics (SAB 2022)

nano_x7n4r02023-08-28T14:47:30+00:00November 18th, 2022|

This year, the annual meeting of the SAB was held in Rosario. CIBION contributed with the folowing presentations: Gonzalo Escalante - "Super-resolution of membrane proteins in Trypanosoma cruzi" Santiago Sosa - "Determining the orientation of single molecules in a protein cage by fluorescence nanoscopy" Luis Marcano-García - "Determination of [...]

New international project funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to develop Napari plugin

nano_x7n4r02023-08-25T14:09:43+00:00November 12th, 2022|

We are excited to be among the international grantees of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for the program @napari_imaging This project is an international collaboration with our former member Dr. Luciano Masullo, now at the MPI for Biochemistry, Munich) and Prof. Andrea Bassi from the Politecnico di Milano. We will produce a [...]

Interviews to Luciano Masullo, Lucía Lopez and Fernando Stefani

nano_x7n4r02022-11-09T01:36:51+00:00November 3rd, 2022|

Focal Plane has made a series of interviews to latin american microscopy scientists. Three members of our lab were interviewed to tell about their experiences: An interview with Fernando Stefani - FocalPlane (biologists.com) An interview with Lucía López - FocalPlane (biologists.com) An interview with Luciano Masullo - [...]

Best thesis on experimental Physics of the Argentine Physics Association to Dr. Luciano Masullo!

nano_x7n4r02022-11-09T17:05:00+00:00September 29th, 2022|

Luciano Masullo has been awarded with the Juan José Giambiagi award of the Argentine Physics Association (AFA) for the best doctoral thesis on experimental Physics for the period 2020-2021. Luciano joined our group in 2014, for his graduation thesis. At that time he worked closely with Dr. Fede Barabas, learning [...]

Prof. Stefani visits friends and collaborators in Munich

nano_x7n4r02023-08-28T15:19:11+00:00September 20th, 2022|

During three weeks in September, Prof. Stefani visited friends and collaborators en the Munich area. He gave lectures and supervised ongoing projects in collaboration. Prof. Stefani visited: Prof. Philip Tinnefeld and his group at the Faculty for Chemistry and Pharmacy of the LMU Munich, where former members [...]

Dr. Lucía Lopez speaks at the Latin American Bioimaging meeting 2022

nano_x7n4r02022-11-08T22:27:14+00:00September 13th, 2022|

This year, the meeting of the Latin American Bioimaging network was held in Montevideo. Dr. Lucía Lopez gave an inspiring talk sharing her experience, as a woman imaging scientist in Latin America Dr. Lía Pietrasanta, coordinator of the National System of Microscopy [...]

Assembling single molecules with controlled orientation

nano_x7n4r02022-11-09T11:39:14+00:00September 7th, 2022|

An ideal nanofabrication method should allow the organization of nanoparticles and molecules with nanometric positional precision, stoichiometric control and well-defined orientation. The DNA origami technique has evolved into a highly versatile bottom-up nanofabrication methodology that fulfils almost all of these features. It enables the nanometric positioning of molecules and nanoparticles [...]

New laser thanks to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation!

nano_x7n4r02022-08-24T19:39:36+00:00August 24th, 2022|

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has granted us an Equipment Subsidy to purchase a new supercontinuum laser that will be used for future pulsed-MINFLUX experiments. Ph. D. candidate Florencia Choque already set it up and running. Thanks so much to the Humboldt Foundation for this great support!