bios/biology = life/life sciences

+ photonics = science and technology of generation, manipulation, and detection of photons/light

= Biophotonics: encompasses all techniques that deal with the interaction between biological items like molecules, cells, and tissue and photons/light. The term is consequently used to describe the research and development of optical techniques, particularly imaging and spectroscopy, and their application in life science, medicine, agriculture, and environmental science. Examples for biophotonic techniques are microscopy techniques, e.g. based on two-photon fluorescence (TPEF), second harmonic generation (SHG) or coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), or spectroscopic techniques based on Raman-scattering and/or infrared (IR) absorption. In our research, we focus on spectroscopic techniques to measure and image biological molecules with high sensitivity and chemical selectivity.

We thus work at the interface between the natural sciences, engineering, and medicine & the life sciences. Our goal is to leverage interdisciplinary approaches to explore novel optical techniques for spectroscopy, sensing, and imaging that play a prominent role in modern health research.