The activities performed in this laboratory integrate expertise and methodologies related to nanotechnology, microscopy and advanced imaging, nanofabrication, biophysics, and multiscale molecular analysis. The research focuses on the development of techniques and instruments for the chemical, mechanical, and structural characterization of advanced and biological materials, focusing on the detection, visualization, and analysis of single molecules and structures at the nanoscale. The techniques available leverage the observation of phenomena not accessible through more established methods, opening new opportunities in both fundamental and applied research.

The laboratory is equipped with measurement systems based on non-destructive optical spectroscopy, such as micro-Raman spectroscopy, enabling applications in materials science as well as in biological research. The use of this technique in the biological field unlocks the analysis of the chemical and structural profile of entire cells and their subcomponents (DNA, RNA, proteins), along with their interactions. The confocal micro-Raman system is available with laser sources at different excitation wavelengths (532 nm and 633 nm).

The laboratory is equipped with an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) with a dedicated enclosure, to ensure acoustic isolation and environmental control while running the experiments. This setup is designed to avoid the contribution of external vibrations, to reduce scanning noise, and to maintain thermal stability. This design enables the access to the physicochemical properties of both biological and solid-state samples with nanometric resolution. Measurements can be performed on samples in air as well as in their liquid or hydrated environment, as needed in the case of cells or biomaterials studiees. The AFM allows the acquisition of multiple types of information on the topography and on the mechanical properties (e.g., Young’s modulus) of the sample.

The laboratory offers also an optical profilometer, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a dedicated area for the preparation, handling, and storage of biological materials to support spectroscopic analyses (micro-Raman) as well as imaging by electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) and AFM.