In our lab we employ a range of techniques, to study dynamics events in cells and proteins:
Ultrafast laserspectroscopy:
Pump-probe spectroscopy allows the detection of absorption changes over a time window from tens of femtoseconds to nanoseconds, over wavelength regions from the UV to the midinfrared.
Time-resolved fluorescence measurements on a (sub)picosecond to nanosecond timescale with the use of a multiwavelength streakcamera system.
- Photon-echo experiments on a femto- to picosecond timescale allow the study of electronic dephasing processes.
Steady-state techniques:
Absorption, linear dichroism, circular dichroism, (polarized) fluorescence, fluorescence line narrowing and Stark spectroscopy.
Microscopy
Confocal microscope
Multiphoton microscope
Experiments are often performed at cryogenic temperatures, down to 4.2 K. Fundamental research in this field requires highly purified, sometimes genetically engineered, biological material with
well-defined physical, chemical and biological properties. Thus, a multi-disciplinary approach involving several disciplines (physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, genetics) is absolutely essential for competitive research in this branch of science.