Nano- and bio- systems
Thanks to a development of nano-resolving techniques, primarily scanning probes in 1980’s, nanotechnology discoveries in academic laboratories are rapidly transferred to applications and commercial products. Recent breakthroughs in nanotechnology regard graphene and related new 2D materials which have the potential to make a profound impact on society as a whole in the short and long term. At the same time, understanding of biological functionality and mechanisms of molecular regulation at the nanoscale within the full complexity of living cells through visualization, molecular manipulation, and ultra-sensitive bio-sensing bring new solutions for application such as the treatment, drug delivery or preventive diagnosis of diseases, including targeted nanomedicine.
In CALT, optical properties of 2D materials such as graphene and follow-up dichalcogenide materials (MoS2), will be investigated with the goal to understand the electronic, mechanical and optical properties of 2D materials and connect it with their structure. Particularly interesting are the optical properties of such materials, which can lead to new applications in photovoltaics, optical sensing or optoelectronics.
Super-resolution microscopy will be used to study the living matter (cells) as a complex system. From the perspective of physics, DNA and proteins are nano-machines that work in the densely populated district of the interior of cells. For technological applications, it is necessary to allocate parts of cells and to limit them to a device – and thus form a hybrid system.