Research
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a sensitive and selective technique for studying the mobility of fluorescent species in a wide range of environments. On the one hand, we use FCS to measure the hydrodynamic radius, fluorescence brightness, and local concentration of fluorescent small molecules, colloids, and macromolecules (polymers, copolymers, proteins, or DNA). These measurements allow us to investigate conformational changes, mutual interactions, and aggregation processes. Such studies are particularly valuable for the characterization of drug nanocarriers in biological fluids, including blood plasma and whole blood. On the other hand, by monitoring the mobility of fluorescent tracers of known size, we obtain information about the properties of their surrounding environment, ranging from polymer gels to fluid–fluid interfaces.
Our other research topics include microscopy of sliding droplets, thermo-mechanical properties of polymer materials, and nonlinear photonic crystals.
