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

Review on super-resolved FRET measurements

nano_x7n4r02022-02-22T13:49:14+00:00November 1st, 2021|

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) form a well-established family of techniques that has provided unique tools to study the dynamic architecture and functionality of biological systems, as well as to investigate nanomaterials. In the last years, the integration of super-resolution methods with FRET measurements has generated [...]

Exciton diffusion and energy transfer in conjugated polymer nanoparticles

nano_x7n4r02022-02-22T13:43:57+00:00October 20th, 2021|

Energy transfer in conjugated polymers is a critical process that affects the performance of these materials in diverse applications such as biological–chemical–physical sensing, imaging, photovoltaics, and phototherapy. In this experimental and theoretical work led by Prof. Rodrigo Palacios (University of Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina), we performed an in-depth study of [...]

Farewell Alan and Lucho – best luck in Munich!

nano_x7n4r02022-02-22T12:58:46+00:00September 24th, 2021|

Dr. Luciano (Lucho) Masullo and Dr. Alan Szalai leave the group after several years of very productive work. Goodbye beer - 24.09.2021 Lucho joined our group in 2014 as an undergraduate student, and stayed with us for almost 7 years! During that time, he worked on STORM, developed pulsed-interleaved [...]

Colloquium by Prof. Philip Tinnefeld

nano_x7n4r02021-09-06T17:48:05+00:00September 3rd, 2021|

Today, Prof. Dr. Philip Tinnefeld, one of our closest collaborators, gave a great talk in the colloquium of CIBION, showing some of the wonderful applications of DNA-origami his group develops, ranging from nano-rulers for fluorescence nanoscopy, self-assembled optical antennas and single-molecule biosensing assays. Thank you Philip for sharing your most [...]

Congrats Dr. Luciano Masullo!

nano_x7n4r02021-09-06T17:08:38+00:00August 30th, 2021|

Today, Luciano Masullo defended his thesis "Photon-efficient fluorescence nanoscopy by scanning light intensity minima" and obtained the highest grade from the jury (Prof. Dr. Oscar Martínez, Prof. Dr. Valeria Levi, and Prof. Dr. Jorge Torga). Luciano joined our group in 2014, for his graduation thesis. At that time he worked [...]

Congratulations Florencia!

nano_x7n4r02021-05-21T14:56:20+00:00May 21st, 2021|

Today, Florencia Edorna obtained her degree in Physics from the University of Buenos Aires with the highest grade. Florencia came to our group wishing to work on 3D STED and MINFLUX nanoscopy, incorporating adaptive optics schemes to bring those methods to their maximum performance by correcting aberrations in the optical [...]

Congratulations Fernando Caprile!

nano_x7n4r02021-05-19T11:02:36+00:00May 18th, 2021|

Today, Fernando Caprile obtained his degree in Physics from the University of Buenos Aires with the highest grade. Fernando came to our group wishing to perform single-molecule experiments and to learn the latest advances in fluorescence nanoscopy, in particular about MINFLUX. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak made it impossible for us [...]

Divulgación – Viendo el interior de las neuronas

nano_x7n4r02021-04-13T17:40:17+00:00April 13th, 2021|

CONICET publicó una muy linda nota sobre el trabajo interdisciplinario que venimos llevando adelante con los grupos de neurobiología de los Dres. Alfredo Cáceres y Damián Refojo, destacando los últimos logros publicados en Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, Nature Communications y Nano Letters. En el artículo titulado "Viendo el interior [...]