“What does happen differently with small things?”

Glass Tip
What happens when we heat up an interface/contact?
Cryo-force spectroscopy
Seeing the jiggling (mechanics) of atoms with unprecedented resolution. A step beyond cryogenic structural characterization.
Hold your breath
Changing a handful of atoms can block protein vibrations controlling vital functions (respiration, photosynthesis, ...)
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, asked Feynman in a talk that would mark the birth of nanotechnology. In our group, we meet this challenge by connecting novel exotic phenomena emerging at the nanoscale with the corresponding “jigglings and wigglings of atoms”. Remarkably, this quest’s interdisciplinary interest (biology, chemistry, physics, … ) allows tackling issues apparently unrelated as: deciphering a hidden physical code in DNA; up to uncovering the atomic origins of the phenomenon that controls earthquake dynamics i.e. static friction.

Join us! There are several positions available (see Job Openings).