In this research line we took advantage of three-photon fluorescence microscopy (3PFM) to extend the access to neuronal activity information at deeper structures of the brain.

The use of light to stimulate and readout neuronal activity has several advantages, such as the noninvasiveness and the possibility to target with high spatial and temporal precision specific groups of neurons.

We make use of multi-modal optical imaging techniques to perform the functional mapping of zebrafish larvae physiological and pathological brain activity. In particular, we adopt an acute epilepsy zebrafish model to investigate aberrant neuronal activity underlying seizure onset and propagation, a typical sign of this widespread neurological disorder.

In this research line different imaging and spectroscopic methods are used to investigate the relation between morphology and molecular content in biological tissues, both in healthy and pathological condition in in-vivo and ex-vivo samples.

The Cardiac Imaging research line is about innovative imaging methodologies to increase the understanding of cardiac physiology.

The Optics of Complex Systems group focuses its research on how complex media interact with light, but also on how light can be used to manufacture new materials and design their functionalities.

The investigation of the dynamical properties of condensed matter remains one of the major topic in the material science. The dynamics processes we study span from the vibrational and electronic phenomena, taking place at the microscopic scale, to the structural/aggregation and transport processes covering the macroscopic scale of the materials.

This research line is dedicated to the development of experimental approaches for high-speed volumetric imaging and to their application to answer biologically relevant questions.

The research mainly concerns with the study of simple molecular systems under pressure, using the Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC) technique to compress the samples under equilibrium conditions up to 10⁶ bar.

This research activity focuses on the development and characterization of innovative semiconductors for applications to optoelectronic devices, photonics, photovoltaics, and sensors. Currently, the most part of the activities is focused on perovskites, a new class of materials with outstanding properties.

We leverage the intrinsic optical sectioning, high contrast and direct fast 2D image recording of confocal light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (CLSFM) to obtain with cellular resolution three-dimensional reconstructions of large intact neuronal networks for an improved understanding of the mice and human brain structure.

We are interested in how the brain processes and integrates information at the cortical level over multiple areas to produce behavioral responses and how these processes are altered in pathological conditions. To this end, we perform mesoscale functional imaging in awake mice expressing a fluorescent calcium indicator (GCaMP6f) in cortical excitatory neurons while animals are performing a behavioral task.

The Molecular and Cellular Mechanobiology research line is focused on the mechanisms underlying mechanical regulation of biological systems.

This research line is devoted at applying advanced microscopy techniques and imaging approaches based on fluorescence to tackle the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Light matter interaction at the nanoscale occurs in novel ways. Understanding these interactions is not only of fundamental importance but is also of interest for applications in optical sensing, optoelectronics, high performance integrated optics and quantum science. Our group investigates innovative light emitter and their integration in photonic structures capable to manipulate and confine light at the nanoscale.

Nanosensing research line aims at developing novel multifunctional optical sensors enabling for smart applications in chemical and biological sensing through the molecular screening of samples with improved sensitivity towards selective analytes.

Our main focus is currently the dissection of brain circuits involved in the formation and consolidation of fear memory.

Slow-wave oscillatory activity is critical for several fundamental processes from general brain homeostasis to memory consolidation. Further, there is increasing evidence in support of SW activity alterations in different brain diseases. In this project, the long-term goal is to correlate the delicate equilibrium between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, mirrored into patterns of propagating waves, and large-scale functional connectivity in different brain states (awake, anesthetized, natural sleep).

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques have become increasingly popular over the last decade, owing to the fact that they allow investigators to resolve details orders of magnitude smaller than the optical resolution limit, without having to resort to methods such as electron or scanning probe microscopy techniques.

The Tissue Biomechanics research targets the morphology, composition and biomechanics of biological tissues, trying to correlate the molecular and ultrastructural behavior with the properties observed at a macroscopic level.

We exploit the high-resolution and penetration depth achievable with Two-Photon Fluorescence Microscopy (TPFM) to perform both structural and functional analysis on different animal models, and mesoscopic reconstruction of human brain tissue.