ESR12 – Claudia Scarpellini

Claudia Scarpellini

Host: KU Leuven
Supervisors: Prof. Jeroen Lammertyn (KUL), Dragana Spasic (KUL)

ESR 12: FO-SPR biosensor with electrically actuated nanoswitches

“What you practice grows stronger – has always worked for me.”

The research project is aimed at designing and studying a molecular nanoswitch-based fiber-optic (FO)-SPR. This includes the functionalization of the sensor surface through aptamer-based molecular nanoswitches, their electrical actuation and the demonstration of continuous biosensing with FO-SPR in biological fluids with good stability, specificity, and sensitivity.

What interests me the most about this research is that this new technology could bring a significant improvement in biosensing, especially important in intensive care units (ICU) and in the monitoring of drug delivery.

I am from a small-size city in Italy, called Forlì, but I’ve studied in Turin for my BSc and MSc. I’ve always been passionate about nanotechnology and I felt that it was extremely important that my work could potentially have a strong impact on society. Therefore, the field of research of bio-nanotechnology has attracted my attention and the CONSENSE project was the perfect match for me.

I received my BSc degree in Ingegneria Fisica (Physical Engineering) in 2019 and my MSc degree in Nanotechnologies for ICTs in 2021, both from Politecnico di Torino (Italy) with thesis project “Programmable matter: shape programming of 2D physical objects” conducted at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.