Nanoscale Chemical and Structural Properties of Biological Systems from the Single Molecule to Living Organisms

Learn more about how Bruker's AFM-IR solutions support groundbreaking in-situ and single-molecule biological research.

Explore Advances in AFM-IR for Biological Materials

During this webinar, speakers discuss the ways that Bruker's photothermal infrared nanospectroscopy (AFM-IR) solutions support groundbreaking in-situ and single-molecule biological research. Their presentations include a brief introduction to Bruker's nanoIR instruments and innovative modes for nanoscale spectroscopy as well as an in-depth exploration of:

Why single-molecule nanoscale imaging is important to biological research
How AFM-IR supports cutting-edge biological research objectives
How Bruker's nanoIR technology has revolutionized in in-situ and single molecule AFM-IR

Webinar Recording Webinar Summary

Webinar Summary

During this webinar, guest speakers Dr. Francesco Simone Ruggeri (University of Cambridge) and Dr. Curtis Marcott (Light Light Solutions, Proctor & Gamble) take a closer look at the ability of cutting-edge and customized nanoIR technology to support the analysis of biological samples under physiological conditions and attain single-molecule sensitivity.

Dr. Ruggeri, a Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Cambridge and a leader in the field of nanoIR life science applications, discusses and demonstrates his research using infrared absorption nanospectroscopy to unravel the chemical and biophysical state of the biomolecules of life.

In his portion of the presentation, Dr. Ruggeri considers and discusses:

The limitations of traditional single-property mapping techniques for developing a complete understanding of the inner biophysical properties of heterogeneous biological samples — and how AFM-IR navigates or circumvents these challenges.
How his research leverages thermomechanical detection and AFM-IR to enhance the chemical and structural sensitivity of nanoIR instruments.
How his research demonstrates nanoscale chemical sensitivity in physiological environments.

This webinar was presented on: August 19, 2020

Find out more information about Bruker's solutions for AFM-IR Spectroscopy:

Speakers

Dr. Francesco Simone Ruggeri, Assoc. Prof. of Nanoscale Microscopy and Spectroscopy, Wageningen University and Research (WUR), Netherlands

Dr. Francesco Simone Ruggeri obtained a PhD in Biophysics in 2015 at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland. Following his doctorate, he completed an independent Jr. Research Fellowship at the Dpt. of Chemistry at University of Cambridge and at Darwin College (UK) where he also received a Master of Arts for his management role of the college. At WUR, he is also Chairman of the Nanoscopy Facilities for Analytical ChemisTry (NanoFACT).

Dr. Ruggeri's research lies at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and biology, with a particular emphasis on developing and applying transformative nano-analytical imaging and spectroscopy that allows multimodal mechanical and chemical characterization. His work has significantly advanced the field of AFM-IR, enabling chemical fingerprinting and structural analysis down to the single-molecule level and in liquid environments.

Dr. Ruggeri’s group applies these technologies to study biomolecular systems, focusing on the protein phase transitions underlying the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Their work also extends this approach to the study of functional biomaterials, perovskites, polymers, and micro-/nanoplastics. Dr. Ruggeri has authored over 80 peer-reviewed scientific articles, published in journals such as Nature, PNAS, and Science. He has an h-index of 45 and has been cited over 6,700 times.