Contacts
Luca Nardo – luca.nardo@uninsubria.it | Tel.: +39 031 238 6272/6273
Marco Lamperti – marco.lamperti@uninsubria.it | Tel.: +39 031 238 6226
Research Focus
INSPECT carries out advanced fluorescence spectroscopy research at the Department of Science and High Technology (DiSAT), operating within the Photophysics and Biomolecules Lab and the Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) Lab. Our work focuses on applying cutting-edge techniques, including:
- UV-Visible absorption and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy.
- Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TCSPC) with hardware resolution down to 30 ps.
- Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (auto-, cross-, and dual-color) and photon counting histogram analysis.
- Single-molecule fluorescence techniques (smFRET, fluorescence burst analysis).
We apply these methods to investigate:
- Excited-state dynamics of pigments and dyes.
- Sub-nanometer resolution and single-molecule conformational dynamics of biomolecules.
- Aggregation kinetics of organic molecules, pharmaceuticals, and amyloid proteins.
- Spectroscopic properties of organometallic complexes for pollutant sensing and controlled drug release.
- Photoreactivity and photostability of active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulations.
- Excited-state dynamics of photoactive drugs (e.g., photosensitizers) for rational drug design.
- Validation of supramolecular systems (liposomes, cyclodextrins, micelles) for smart drug delivery.
- Characterization of medical imaging contrast agents.
- Stability assessments of electronic instrumentation over time.
- Biomolecular and ligand–biomolecule interaction studies.
Laboratories
- Photophysics and Biomolecules Laboratory
- Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting Laboratory
Lab Head: Luca Nardo
Equipment and Facilities
In addition to standard instrumentation (spectrophotometers, spectrofluorimeters, fiber spectrometers, etc.), INSPECT is equipped with:
- Two mode-locked ultrashort-pulse laser sources (<10 ps).
- Two additional picosecond-pulsed laser sources with tunable repetition rates up to 80 MHz.
- Three continuous-wave laser sources for confocal spectroscopy.
- A wide range of optics and mechanical components for building custom complex optical setups on demand.