NanoBiotechnology laboratory

The main activity of the NanoBiotechnology Laboratory deals with Bio interface Engineering, Nanotoxicology and molecular detection applied in the field of life science. The group develops and characterizes different processes based on electro chemistry, Self Assembled Monolayers and plasma technologies for surface modification and patterning of materials at the nanometer scale. In parallel, detection and characterization techniques allow the precise study of the mechanisms of interaction of surfaces and biological entities such as proteins or cells.

Major topics of research are the following:

• Development of Bio-functional surfaces: surface functionalisation and controlled immobilisation of proteins for biomaterials and biosensors. 

• Surface patterning by soft lithography, UV and E- beam lithography and colloidal techniques for applications in the field of cell based biosensors and protein chips. 

• Biomaterials interfaces: plasma treatment of polymers and alloys for improvement of biocompatibility of implants

• Development of Microsystems for cell toxicology studies

• Nanotoxicology and interaction of cells with nanostructures and nanomaterials.

See also the NanoBiotech facility photo gallery.

Technical Installations of the laboratory

• Clean room facilities 150 m² class 1000 and 10000

Physical Vapour Deposition

• Magnetron Sputtering (DC, RF)
• Dual Ion Beam Sputtering
• Thermal evaporation

Plasma technology RIE

• 3 Capacitively coupled RF reactors (13.56 MHz + DC) for PECVD
• 2 Inductively Coupled Plasma reactors (13.56 MHz) for RIE and PECVD
• Distributed Electron Cyclotron resonance PACVD reactor (µW)

High Energy Beams

• High Flux ion implanter (200 keV)
  
  

Plasma Diagnostics techniques

• Quadrupole mass spectrometry
• Energy resolved Ion Mass Spectrometry
• Optical Emission Spectroscopy
• Langmuir probe
• Self Excited Electron Resonance Spectroscopy
• Retarding Field Analyser
  
  

Surface Analysis

• X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy  + UPS
• ToF SIMS (Bi gun)
  
  

Physico-chemical characterization

• Laser Doppler Velocimetry and Phase Analysis Light Scattering
• AFM
• SNOM
• Variable pressure SEM (equipped with e-Beam lithography set-up)
• FIB SEM with EDX
• TEM (200kV)
• FTIR
• Contact Angle
• Zeta potential
• Dynamic Light Scattering + Zpot
• Circular Dichroism
• Raman Confocal microscope
• ICP-MS

Detection/Characterisation

• Imaging Ellipsometry
• Quartz Crystal Microbalance in Dispersive Mode
• Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging
• Field Flow Fractionation
• Electrochemical instrumentation : Impedance analyser

Biology and Cell culture facilities

• Incubators at controlled CO₂ and temperature for cell culture growth
• Laminar flow hoods for sterile cell manipulation
• Optical microscopes
• Refrigerated centrifuge
• ECIS Suystem for cell toxicity studies
• Microcontact printing

Microfabrication

• Microcontact printing
• Mask aligner
• Maskless lithography

Imaging

• Confcal microscopy
• EPI-fluorescence microscope