FNIPday - NEUROIMAGING & PHOTONICS

Wednesday Mar 18, 2026, 8:30 AM → 5:30 PM Europe/Rome

Archivio Antico - Palazzo Bo

Anna Archetti (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova)

The FNIP day is a symposium on optical technologies and neuroscience. The invited speakers and attendees will discuss the current open challenges and state-of-the-art solutions necessary to further advance the study of neuronal functions or of other phenomena at the micro-nano scale through nondestructive optical techniques and novel analysis methods.  The event aims to catalyze dialogue between young UNIPD researchers from different scientific areas, promote the sharing of knowledge, and stimulate new research and collaboration perspectives in the fields of optics and photonics applied to advanced microscopy and neuroscience. The event is intended mainly for master's degree students, Ph.D. students, postdocs and young researchers working in the fields of physical and biological science. Organizing Committee: M. Bruzzone, F. Lorenzi, A. Vogliardi, G. Ruffato, L. Mariotti, F. Pisano, N. Plotegher, M. Brondi, A. Archetti Evaluation Committee for the Poster and Flash Presentation Contests: T. Cesca (DFA), M. dal Maschio (DSB), V. d’Andrea (DFA), M. Allegra (IN-CNR), L. Civiero (DiBio), S. Bonora (CNR, DEI)   IMPORTANT DATES March 3rd, 2026: Deadline for Poster and PhD Flash Presentation applications.  March 10th, 2026: Result of the selection of the 8 PhD presentations   Apply here for the Poster and Flash Presentation Contests Instructions for Flash Presentation: click on "Submit new abstract" and: - in the box named "Content", write your abstract (<1000 char) and your short biography (<1000 char) . - click on "Add myself" as author and click on the symbol "microphone" on the right. - in the box named "Attachments", upload your file with the slide you wish to present (remember: 1 single slide, 3 minutes of time, animation allowed; the file can be updated the day of the FNIPday) Instruction for Poster Presentation: click on "Submit new abstract" and - in the box named "Content", write your abstract (<1000 char) and your short biography (<1000 char) . - click on "Add myself" as author and click on the symbol "microphone" on the right. The poster session will begin at 10:50. Please set up your poster in the Sala delle Colonne within 10:40. The poster session will end at 13:30. Please remove your poster within 13:40.

 

 

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8:45 AM → 9:00 AM Introduction with Prof. F. Seno & Prof. L. Bubacco

Prof. F. Seno, Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Prof. L. Bubacco, Head of Department of Biology

9:00 AM → 9:30 AM T1 - International Speaker | Chair: G. Ruffato

T1 Session. Optical Technologies at the nano-micro scale (Photonics, Quantum optics, Optical manipulation, and Advanced microscopy) investigates how to control and manipulate the properties of light down to the nanometer scale. During the FNIP day we will explore how photonics is advancing the design and the control of optical elements and systems.

9:00 AM Liquid-crystal elements and spatial light modulators for light management

This talk will introduce optical elements displayed with liquid-crystal spatial light modulators (SLMs). These pixelated microdisplays are useful for encoding optical phase functions and controlling the polarization of light. Modern SLMs exhibit high spatial resolution and precise control of optical retardance, allowing them to display diffractive elements. They have become key components for the generation and control of structured light. Combined with geometric-phase elements or with metamaterials provide new schemes for imaging or optical processing. The talk will present the main SLM technologies, their advantages and limitations, as well as different examples of how light can be controlled with them.

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Ignacio Moreno is Full Professor of Optics at University Miguel Hernández (UMH), in Elche, Spain. He graduated in Physics (1992) and obtained the PhD (1996) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. After two years at the University of Valencia, in 1998 he joined UMH, where he leads the TecnOPTO Lab. His research is centered in the use of liquid crystal spatial light modulators in diffractive and polarization optics, being coauthor of more than 180 articles in peer reviewed journals. He has been guest researcher at San Diego State University (USA), Institut FEMTO (France), Universidad de La Frontera (Chile) and the Military University of Technology (Poland). He is Fellow Member of SPIE and of OPTICA. He received the EOS2012 Prize from the European Optical Society (EOS). He has been Associate Editor of the journal Optical Engineering (2013-22), and President of the Spanish Society of Optics – SEDOPTICA (2017-2020). Since September 2024 he is the EOS President-Elect.
More info: Grupo de Tecnologías Ópticas y Optoelectrónicas » Ignacio Moreno
TecnOPTO-Lab UMH. https://tecnopto.umh.es/

Speaker: Prof. Ignacio Moreno (UMH, ES)

9:30 AM → 10:30 AM T1 - UNIPD Speakers

9:30 AM Structuring light with metasurfaces

Structured light has revolutionized optical beam shaping, allowing for advanced control over phase, polarization, and orbital angular momentum (OAM). However, the generation and manipulation of non -separable spin–orbit states often rely on bulky and complex optical setups. Metasurfaces overcome these limitations, offering compact, planar devices with complete control of phase and polarization [1]. This talk outlines the design, fabrication and characterization of spin-decoupled metasurfaces (SDMS) able to tailor independently right- and left-handed circular polarizations leading to the compact and efficient generation and manipulation of structured beams [2,3].

[1] Vogliardi, A.,et al. (2023). Dual-functional metalenses for the polarization-controlled generation of focalized vector beams in the telecom infrared. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 10327.
[2] Vogliardi, A., et al. (2025). Azimuthally-variant perfect vector beams for the control of arbitrary phase and polarization ring patterns. Light: Science & Applications, 14(1), 183.
[3] Vogliardi, A., et al. (2024). Helico-conical vector beams for intensity and polarization 3D light shaping. Optica, 11(12), 1628-1631.

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Andrea Vogliardi received his PhD in Physics in 2025 from the University of Padua, where he is now a Postdoctoral Researcher. His work focuses on designing metasurfaces for telecommunications, microscopy, and quantum applications, with an emphasis on structured light, exotic beams, singular optics, and the (de)multiplexing of orbital angular momentum. He has published in leading optics journals, including Light: Science & Applications, Optica, and Laser & Photonics Reviews, and presented at international conferences receiving also the "Best Student Paper" award at SPIE Optics+Optoelectronics 2025. He is a member of SIOF and SPIE.

Speaker: Dr Andrea Vogliardi (QTECH, UNIPD)

9:50 AM Light as a Molecular Force Sensor: How Optical Tweezers Reveal Biomolecular Binding

Optical tweezers use highly focused light beams to manipulate microscopic objects and measure forces at the single-molecule level, enabling precise investigation of biomolecular structure and dynamics [1]. By applying controlled mechanical stimuli, this technique reveals elastic, kinetic, and energetic properties of DNA, RNA, and proteins as they undergo biochemical reactions. In this talk, we present the principles of optical trapping and its application to studying the interaction between human Thymidylate Synthase (hTS)—a key enzyme for cell survival and a major anticancer drug target—and its mRNA [2,3]. The results shed light on the molecular mechanisms of translational repression and offer insights useful to overcoming chemoresistance.

[1] C. Bustamante et al., Optical tweezers in single-molecule biophysics. Nat. Rev. Methods Primers 1, 25 (2021). 
[2] N.D. Brunn et al., Analysis of mRNA recognition by human thymidylate synthase, Bioscience Reports, 34(6), 2014.
[3] D. Cardinale et al., Protein–protein interfacebinding peptides inhibit the cancer therapy target human thymidylate synthase, PNAS, 108(34), 2011.

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Annamaria Zaltron is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Padova. She earned her PhD in Physics working on optically active materials for the development of light-driven devices capable of manipulating and sensing microscopic objects. Since 2018, her research has focused on biophysics, particularly on single-molecule force spectroscopy using optical tweezers. Her work explores allosteric mechanisms in DNA-based biosensors, protein folding, and RNA-binding enzymes, with the aim of unraveling their molecular free energy landscapes. She also carried out postdoctoral research at Université de Lorraine (France), the University of Münster (Germany), and the University of Barcelona (Spain). She is the co-author of more than 60
peer-reviewed articles in international scientific journals.

Speaker: Prof. Annamaria Zaltron (DFA, UNIPD)

10:10 AM Distributed Optical Fiber Sensing: Imaging the World Through Light Scattering

Optical fibers can act as continuous sensors, turning guided light into a tool to measure temperature, strain, and vibration along their entire length. Originally developed for large-scale monitoring of structures and the environment, distributed fiber sensing has recently advanced to millimeter-scale spatial resolution, opening the door to high-resolution, minimally invasive measurements in new contexts and previously inaccessible scenarios. This talk outlines the physical principles behind distributed optical sensing and discusses how concepts common to imaging, such as scattering, resolution, and signal-to-noise, reappear in this different but complementary optical framework.

1 Wilfried Blanc; Luca Schenato; Carlo Molardi; Luca Palmieri; Andrea Galtarossa; Daniele Tosi. Distributed fiber optics strain sensors: from long to short distance. Comptes Rendus. Géoscience, Glass, an ubiquitous material, Volume 354 (2022), pp. 161-183. doi: https://doi.org/10.5802/crgeos.129
2 Palmieri, L.; Schenato, L.; Santagiustina, M.; Galtarossa, A. Rayleigh-Based Distributed Optical Fiber Sensing. Sensors 2022, 22, 6811. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22186811

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Luca Schenato graduated with honors from the University of Padua in 2003 as the best engineering candidate of the year (awarded with the Sarpi Gold Medal 2002/2003) and obtained his PhD in Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering in 2007 from the same institution. Over the years, he has held several positions in academia, including postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Information Engineering at the University of Padua and Researcher at the National Research Council. He is currently an associate professor of Electromagnetic Fields in the Department of Information Engineering at the University of Padua. Throughout his career, he has published over 170 papers in peer-reviewed international scientific journals, presented at international scientific congresses, authored 4 book chapters, and held 2 patents. Schenato's research interests are broad, but his main areas include the development and application of optical fiber sensors, also for industrial and civil applications.

Speaker: Prof. Luca Schenato (DEI, UNIPD)

10:30 AM → 11:20 AM Coffee break

10:50 AM → 11:20 AM Poster Session: The poster session will begin at 10:50. Please set up your poster in the Sala delle Colonne within 10:40.

11:20 AM → 11:50 AM T3 - International Speaker | Chair: F. Lorenzi

T3 Session. Methods and Simulation. During the FNIP day we will explore state-of-the-art software tools and methods for: (i) neuroscience (e.g. neuronal activity and neuronal circuits analysis; (ii) classical, semiclassical and quantum optics simulations (e.g. beam propagation methods, beam shaping methods, structured light methods, nanoscatter response studies)

11:20 AM Dissecting the mechanisms regulating astrocyte function at the nanoscale with computational approaches

Astrocytes are cells in the central nervous system involved in numerous functions, from the regulation of neurotransmission to the maintenance of ionic and metabolic homeostasis, as well as memory and learning[1]. However, how astrocytes contribute to these diverse processes is still only partially understood. Here, I will illustrate how computational approaches are providing novel insights into this topic. Our results suggest that the nanoscale morphology of astrocytes leads to the compartmentalization and amplification of signals at synapses[2] and that the spatial properties of calcium stores finely tune local microdomain signals[3]. Our in silico experiments suggest that the altered morphology of astrocytes observed in Alzheimer's disease creates diffusional traps at the blood interface. Together, our results reveal mechanisms that regulate astrocyte communication with neurons and mural cells and contribute to the global effort to elucidate the roles of astrocytes in health and disease.

[1] Verkhratsky, A. & Nedergaard, M. Physiology of Astroglia. Physiol. Rev. 98, 239–389 (2018).
[2] Denizot, A., Arizono, M., Nägerl, U. V., Berry, H. & De Schutter, E. Control of Ca2+ signals by astrocyte nanoscale morphology at tripartite synapses. Glia 70, 2378–2391 (2022).
[3] Denizot, A., Castillo, M. F. V., Puchenkov, P., Calì, C. & De Schutter, E. The Ultrastructural Properties of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Govern Microdomain Signaling in Perisynaptic Astrocytic Processes. Glia 74, e70091 (2026).

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Audrey Denizot is a tenured research scientist in the AIstroSight team at Inria Lyon in France. After her training as a biologist at Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, she obtained her PhD in computational neuroscience at INSA Lyon, France, followed by a postdoc at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan. The main goal of her research is to better understand how astrocytes contribute to brain function in various (patho-)physiological conditions. She does so by developing computational models of astrocytes, in close collaboration with experimentalists. Her work has provided key insights into how the complex nano-anatomy of astrocytes dictates local signaling. Concomitantly, her lab develops open-access tools and codes to foster the application of the FAIR principles within the growing computational glioscience community.

Speaker: Prof. Audrey Denizot (INRIA, FR)

11:50 AM → 12:30 PM T3 - UNIPD Speakers

11:50 AM Brain diseases: a network story?

Neurological diseases such as neurodegeneration, stroke, and brain tumors are often studied as separate conditions, yet they share common neuroimaging features and biological mechanisms. This talk introduces the human brain connectome as a unifying framework to explain how molecular pathology, focal lesions, and structural damage spread across large-scale brain networks. Alterations in brain connectivity provide a direct link between underlying pathology and clinical symptoms across neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease, stroke, and glioblastoma. Evidence shows that network vulnerability, disconnection patterns, and both increased and decreased connectivity represent shared, transdiagnostic features of neurological diseases. These insights support a shift from region-based to network-based models and may inform the development of new tools for patient stratification, prognosis, outcome prediction, and clinical decision-making.

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Lorenzo Pini is an Assistant Professor (RTD-A) at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, focusing on clinical and computational neuroscience. His work investigates brain connectivity in neurological disorders using multimodal neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation.
He completed his PhD in Biomedical and Translational Sciences at the University of Brescia (2019) and conducted postdoctoral research on structural and functional connectivity in neurological and neurodegenerative patients. He has collaborated with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, CHUV Lausanne, and maintains partnerships with the University of Verona, University of Brescia, and Karolinska Institutet. Author of 70 peer-reviewed publications, he is also co-inventor of a diffusion-based method for predicting survival in brain tumor patients.

Speaker: Dr Lorenzo Pini (DNF, UNIPD)

12:10 PM HD-MEA microstimulation for causal interrogation and control

A clear model - hence, a solid control - of the effects of microstimulation in neuronal networks is still lacking, hampering the great potential of this technique as a tool to probe the networks' structure and dynamics. Bridging computational modeling and an innovative experimental paradigm, we developed a model of the effects of single-site microstimulation in hippocampal cultures plated on high-density microelectrode arrays. A main result of our study is that the cultures' perturbome (stimulus-response map) is fundamentally shaped by recurrent connectivity and short-term adaptation. Leveraging our findings, we recently showed that one can design stimulation sequences to elicit specific activity states in the culture, in a controlled and repeatable way.

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Michele Allegra is a physicist with a broad interest for neuroscience. Upon completing a Ph.D in quantum physics at the University of Turin, he moved into neuroscience. He was PostDoc at SISSA, Trieste (2015-2021), where he worked on a data-driven analysis of dynamically changing brain networks, and at the Timone Institute for Neuroscience in Marseilles (2018-2021), where he worked on brain network disruption in stroke. Since 2021, he is a non-tenured researcher at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, where he focuses on analyzing and modeling the relation between spontaneous and evoked neural activity.

Elisa Tentori completed a Ph.D in Neuroscience at the University of Padova in 2025. She is currently a PostDoc in Prof. Vassanelli’s Lab at the Department of Biomedical Sciences in Padova. Her research focuses on the modeling of in vitro neuronal activity.

Speakers: Dr Elisa Tentori (DSB, PNC, UNIPD), Dr Michele Allegra (DFA, UNIPD)

12:30 PM → 1:30 PM Lunch

12:50 PM → 1:30 PM Poster Session: The poster session will end at 13:30. Please remove your poster from Sala Colonne within 13:40.

1:30 PM → 2:30 PM PhD Flash Presentation | Chair: N. Plotegher

The Evaluation Committee:
T. Cesca (DFA), M. dal Maschio (DSB), V. d’Andrea (DFA), M. Allegra (IN-CNR), L. Civiero (DiBio), S. Bonora (DEI, CNR)

1:35 PM Scalable nanostructuring of optical probes for neurochemicals detection using atmospheric plasma synthesis of gold nanoparticles

Measuring subtle variations of neurochemical concentrations in the brain is crucial to advance the diagnostic capabilities and treatments for brain disorders. Recently, nanostructured optical probes have emerged as a promising strategy to enable in situ monitoring of neurochemicals levels through surface enhanced vibrational spectroscopy [1]. We present an innovative approach for scalable nano-structuring of multimode optical fibers as enhanced neural probes using excitation-tuned plasmonic nanoparticles synthetized by atmospheric pressure plasma jets [2]. We show that our probes, that are both efficient in signal enhancement and biocompatible, enable an effective through-fiber SERS detection of target analytes at 0.1 micromolar concentrations (R6G), offering a potentially promising method for label-free detection of neurochemicals in deep brain regions.
[1] Lei et al, J. Raman Spectrosc  (2025): 10.1063/5.0258376
[2] Nam et al, Plasma Process Polym (2024): 10.1002/ppap.202400140

Anna Roccaforte is a PhD student at the Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC) and at the Department of Physics and Astronomy “G.Galilei” in the University of Padua. She earned her master’s degree in Physics with a thesis on the development and characterization of plasmonic nanostructures integrated on multimode optical fibers. Her current research focuses on the use of these fiber-based photonic probes to detect neurotransmitters in the brain. During her bachelor’s thesis, she studied nanostructured iron thin films with catalytic properties, and she also gained experience at the National Laboratories of Legnaro contributing to the development of a silver-based radiopharmaceutical. Her scientific interests bridge nanotechnology, biophotonics and neuroscientific research.

Speaker: Anna Roccaforte (Department of Physics and Astronomy “G. Galilei”, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Centre, University of Padua, Padua, Italy)

1:40 PM UV-nanosecond laser hyperdoping for tuneable MIR Plasmonics

Metals are the plasmonic workhorse, but their response is largely fixed and metal/semiconductor interfaces are often defect-rich, constraining epitaxial integration. Here we demonstrate hyperdoped Ge:P as an epitaxial, semiconductor-compatible alternative whose plasma edge is dictated by the electrically active carrier density, enabling “metal-like” mid-IR reflectors with a tuneable optical response. In this context UV-ns pulsed laser melting (PLM) is used to drive ultrafast melt-recrystallization dynamics that enhance activation of in-situ Ge:P epilayers up to ~90% [1]. This high, reproducible activation renders the active density effectively adjustable via the incorporated P dose, shifting the plasma edge into the MIR [1]. Differential transport/optical analysis reveals abrupt, box-like active profiles, while laser energy density sets the activated thickness to match IR optical penetration depths [1]. Overall, in-situ growth followed by PLM delivers scalable, activation-tuneable epitaxial plasmonic layers that are overgrowth-ready for stacked absorbers, including multi-quantum-well architectures [2].
[1] G. M. Spataro et al., “Hyperdoping of Ge/Si and SiGe/Si epitaxial layers by UV-nanosecond laser processing,” Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, vol. 200, p. 109928, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.mssp.2025.109928.
[2] M. Faverzani, S. Calcaterra, P. Biagioni, and J. Frigerio, “Strong coupling in metal-semiconductor microcavities featuring Ge quantum wells: a perspective study,” Nanophotonics, vol. 13, no. 10, pp. 1693–1700, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.1515/nanoph-2023-0730.

Benedetta Scandolara is a PhD student in Physics in the Semiconductor Group at the Department of Physics and Astronomy “Galileo Galilei”, University of Padua. She received her M.Sc. in Materials Science, with a thesis focused on germanium hyperdoping via UV-nanosecond pulsed laser melting. Her current research investigates pulsed laser melting as a route to achieve highly doped p-type epitaxial layers using Al and Ga, with the long-term goal of accessing superconductivity in group-IV semiconductors. Her scientific interests include semiconductor epitaxy, ultrafast laser processing, dopant activation phenomena, and the electronic, optical, and emergent properties of hyperdoped materials.

Speaker: Benedetta Scandolara (University of Padua, Department of Physics and Astronomy “Galileo Galilei”)

1:50 PM From neuroinflammation to behavior: uncovering microglia role in perinatal stroke.

Perinatal stroke (1:2,300 births) occurs during critical plasticity windows, disrupting neurodevelopment. While microglia-driven inflammation is well-studied in adults, its role in the developing brain remains unclear. To address this, we induced a cortical lesion (MCAO) at P14, assessing recovery via longitudinal behavioral testing. MCAO mice reveal motor deficits and reduced NeuN+ cells. To dissect microglial contributions, we depleted this population using the CSF1R inhibitor, PLX-5622. Beyond immune surveillance, microglia regulate synaptic pruning and, potentially, E/I balance. We investigated via confocal microscopy the landscape of excitatory (vGLUT-PSD95) and inhibitory (vGAT-Gephyrin) markers, and perineuronal nets (PNNs) under microglial modulation. Finally, we correlated peripheral inflammatory markers with microglial activity and functional outcomes. Our findings will clarify microglial roles in neuro-immune crosstalk, providing a foundation for neuroprotective strategies.

Emanuela Beretta is a PhD student at the University of Padua at the Department of Biomedical Sciences. She earned her master’s degree in Biology Applied to Biomedicine from the University of Milan. After a professional experience in education during the covid pandemic, she returned to research as a fellow with a focus on neuro-immune crosstalk and brain plasticity, an area in which she recently published a first-author review. Her current work integrates developmental neuroscience and optical imaging to investigate the neuroimmune regulation of synaptic architecture, aim to uncover microglia-mediated neuroinflammatory mechanisms after perinatal stroke.

Speaker: Ms Emanuela Beretta (Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy)

2:00 PM Directional fluidity induced by asymmetric wall roughness

Microscale roughness can trigger local plastic rearrangements in soft glassy materials, effectively reducing their apparent viscosity and facilitating flow. Here we investigate how geometrically asymmetric, biomimetic surface patterns fabricated by 3D maskless photolithography can be used to control yielding and flow localization in microchannels. Two roughness geometries are considered: herringbone riblets and wedge-shaped ramps, introducing topological asymmetry along the flow direction. The flow of yield-stress emulsions is characterized using fluorescent tracer particles and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV), enabling spatially resolved velocity measurements across the channel cross-section. We show that asymmetric roughness enhances flow in distinct ways: herringbone patterns induce localized flow banding near the riblet tips, while wedge-shaped ramps promote directional flow enhancement across the channel. These results highlight the potential of combining maskless lithography and fluorescence-based velocimetry to design microstructured surfaces that actively control complex fluid flows

Speaker: Giacomo Guastella (Department of Physics)

2:10 PM Targeting connexin hemichannels in glioblastoma with the abEC1.1 monoclonal antibody

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains a devastating malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Emerging evidence highlights the role of connexins in tumor progression. In this study, we investigate the therapeutic potential of abEC1.1, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits connexin hemichannels (HCs), addressing the need for targeted therapies for GBM.
To evaluate the effects of abEC1.1 on patient-derived GBM cell cultures (hGBM-13), two assays of HC functionality were performed at single cell level: DAPI and $Ca^{2+}$ uptake (via GCaMP6s $Ca^{2+}$ indicator). Given that ATP and glutamate are two key factors contributing to glioma invasiveness, release assays of ATP, probed by luciferin-luciferase bioluminescence, and glutamate, by iGluSnFr fluorescence, were also carried out.
Compared to untreated controls, the uptake rate of DAPI was reduced by 47% in hGBM-13 cultures treated with abEC1.1. Antibody treatment reduced by 65% the cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ load triggered by an increase of the extracellular free [$Ca^{2+}$] from 0 mM to 2 mM. Incubation with abEC1.1 significantly limited ATP (by 18%) and glutamate (by 44%) release.
$Ca^{2+}$ signaling regulates key downstream pathways that drive proliferation, invasion, and resistance to apoptosis, while ATP supports tumor migration, and glutamate release promotes excitotoxicity. Therefore, by attenuating these signals, abEC1.1 has shown potential to directly impact the molecular mechanisms underpinning GBM aggressiveness.

Speaker: Mariateresa Panarelli (University of Padua)

2:20 PM Tracking EEG healthy neurodevelopment for clinical prediction

The spectral exponent (SE) describes the aperiodic, $1/f$-like background of the electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum. This study investigates the usefulness of the SE in establishing a normative maturation trajectory to track healthy brain development. Using EEG data from 97 infants aged 0–5 years, we analyzed the $1/f$ power distribution across age groups. We found that a cubic regression model best fits the SE as a function of age, accurately capturing rapid maturation changes during the first year of life, followed by a slower increase. Next, we evaluated the prognostic value of this normative SE trajectory using EEG data from a clinical cohort of 27 infants with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), some with favorable outcomes and some with adverse ones. Our findings reveal significant differences in SE-derived Z-scores between the two outcome groups ($p \leq 0.01$), supporting the use of early prognostic assessments in neonatal HIE.

Francesco Colussi is a Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering at the University of Padova under the supervision of Prof. Giovanni Sparacino and Dr. Maria Rubega. His research focuses on developing innovative bioengineering methods to automate the management and analysis of neurophysiological data in neonatal and pediatric populations, with an emphasis on typical neurodevelopment and neuropathological conditions.
Francesco earned his M.Sc. in Bioengineering from the University of Padova in 2024. Prior to beginning his Ph.D. studies, he was a postgraduate research fellow at the same university, where he started working on the development of EEG patterns in early childhood.

Speaker: Francesco Colussi (University of Padova)

2:25 PM Robust and versatile Refractive Index-Optical Detector for both monophasic and droplet-based microfluidics

Optofluidic technologies integrate optics into microfluidics for applications like refractive index (RI) sensing, but current platforms often demand complex optics limiting scalability and restricting them to monophasic flows. We introduce RIOD, a simple optical detector for RI measurement in sub millimetric capillaries supporting both monophasic and droplet-based flows. RIOD uses flexible light pipes aligned with a light-emitting diode (LED) and a photodiode by 3D printed parts. The device is controlled via Arduino. It delivers RI sensitivity matching some existing complex systems, distinguishing liquids and sucrose concentrations. Simulations confirm its principle, revealing impacts of light wavelength and construction misalignments on performance. RIOD enables real time droplet monitoring and is integrated into a proof-of-concept peroxidase fluorescent assay presented in this work, demonstrating the versatility of the same electronics across both continuous and droplet microfluidics.

My name is Beatrice Crestani. I got a master’s degree in Physics from the University of Padova and I am currently a PhD candidate in Materials Science and Technology. My research background combines microfluidics, microfabrication, and droplet-based technologies through several research projects and training experiences. My current PhD project focuses on the isolation of extracellular vesicles from biofluids for liquid biopsy applications. The approach relies on droplet microfluidics to split samples into microdroplets, enabling precise manipulation and analysis, and allowing the isolation of extracellular vesicles through chemical affinity on solid supports. To support droplet handling and characterization, we developed custom the optical sensors explained above for refractive index detection, relevant for microfluidic applications in bioanalysis technologies.

Speaker: Beatrice Crestani (University of Padova)

2:30 PM → 3:00 PM T2 - International Speaker | Chair: M. Bruzzone

T2 Session. Neuroscience studies at single cell level. Optical microscopy reveals the structure and function of specific players within and between cells with an optical and live-compatible approach. During the FNIP day we will investigate how optical techniques, combined with other approaches, can help study brain function at single cell level and how these approaches are advancing neuroscience.

2:30 PM Transcranial optical localization techniques for cortex-wide imaging of microcirculation and neurovascular coupling

Speaker: Prof. Daniel Razansky (ETH, CH)

3:00 PM → 5:20 PM T2 - UNIPD Speakers

3:00 PM How to use near-infrared spectroscopy to study the developing brain?

The brain undergoes radical changes during the first years of life, which lay the foundations for many essential perceptual and cognitive abilities, such as language use or face perception. Imaging these neural changes is thus highly relevant, but not easy, as infants are challenging research participants. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a relatively new brain imaging technique, which is quickly becoming the method of choice for many developmental applications due to its infant-friendly use, low cost, motion tolerance and wearability. This talk will describe how NIRS can be used to investigate newborns and young infants’ speech perception and language development abilities, illustrating technological, methodological and practical challenges and breakthroughs. I will show how NIRS can be used with typically and atypically developing infants in the lab, at the bedside and in home settings.

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Judit Gervain is a Full Professor of Developmental Psychology, University of Padua, Italy and a Senior Research Scientist, CNRS, France. Her research focuses early speech perception and language acquisition in typically and atypically developing infants. Her work is published in leading journals, such as Science Advances, Nature Communications, PNAS, Current Biology. She is an associate editor at Developmental Science, Annual Reviews of Developmental Psychology and Neurophotonics. Her work has been funded by the ERC, the Human Frontiers Science Program, as well as French and Italian national funding agencies. Since 2024, she has been serving as the President elect of the International Society for Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Speaker: Prof. Judit Gervain (PNC, UNIPD)

3:20 PM Break

3:40 PM Investigation of organelle coupling dynamics by a new set of chemogenetic reporters

The coordination of cellular activities relies on the close positioning of intracellular organelles at membrane contact sites (MCSs), which has been found altered in several diseases. However, MCS study has been hampered by the lack of tools allowing to track membrane proximity with high spatial and temporal resolution. To address this limitation, we developed reversible fluorescent probes that can detect MCSs between various intracellular organelles. These new reporters are based on splitFAST, a chemogenetic system originally designed to visualize dynamic protein-protein interactions in the green, red, or far-red spectrum. We found that the probe targeting ER-mitochondria (ER-mit) contact sites promptly detects transient interactions between these organelles with high resolution, permitting us to monitor how MCSs change in response to different cellular treatments. Interestingly, we observed that some ER-mit contacts are highly dynamic and undergo fusion and fission events. Additionally, by expressing the ER-mit reporter, we confirmed an increase in ER-mit MCSs in astrocytes, neurons, and fibroblasts derived from Alzheimer’s disease mouse models and human patients. Finally, by endowing these probes with calcium-sensing domains, we created a new set of reporters named PRINCESS (PRobe for INterorganelle Ca2+-Exchange Sites based on SplitFAST), allowing to simultaneously visualize MCSs and measure local Ca2+ dynamics. These probes will be helpful to better highlight the role of MCS dynamics in health and disease.

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Michela Rossini obtained her master degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnologies at the University of Padova, after completing her thesis at the University of Liège in Belgium, where she studied nanobodies for therapeutic applications. She earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Padova in the laboratory of Prof. Paola Pizzo, working on genetically encoded fluorescent probes and cellular signaling, with a focus on the study and modulation of intracellular membrane contact sites in Alzheimer’s disease. She also spent a few months at the Karolinska Institute, in Sweden, further strengthening her microscopy skills while working in the Division of Biophysics. For her postdoctoral training, she first received a CNR fellowship under the supervision of Dr. Riccardo Filadi, during which she continued to investigate key regulators of membrane contact sites in neurodegeneration. She recently joined the Department of Biology at the University of Padova, in the laboratory of Prof. Luigi Leanza, where she will study the role of membrane contact sites in cancer development and tumorigenesis.
[Michela Rossini, Paloma García Casas, Linnea Påvénius, Mezida Saeed, Hjalmar Brismar, Maria Ankarcrona, Arnaud Gautier, Paola Pizzo, Riccardo Filadi]

Speaker: Dr Michela Rossini (DiBio, UNIPD)

4:00 PM Optical probing of biomolecular alterations towards label-free detection of early stage brain disease

Brain disease is a major global health challenge, calling for new tools to probe the interplay between neural activity, neuromodulator dynamics, and molecular alterations. Understanding brain mechanisms requires both functional and biochemical measurements, yet current approaches largely rely on optical methods using genetically encoded reporters, which limit translational potential. Reporter-free Raman spectroscopy offers powerful local molecular sensing but remains underused in neuroscience research due to a lack of deployable platforms for small animals. In this talk, we present photonic approaches leveraging label-free light-matter interactions to capture molecular signatures in the mouse brain, combining vibrational tissue imaging with novel optical systems designed to enable deep brain recordings via vibrational photometry, laying the groundwork for future studies in basic and preclinical brain research.

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Chiara Guidolin is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padua. She earned her PhD in Physics from Université Paris-Saclay in 2022, where she studied pressure-driven coarsening in complex foams, uncovering how liquid-phase elasticity impacts foam structure and bubble dynamics. From 2022 to 2025, she conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Milan, extending her expertise to active matter physics and collective cell migration in tumorigenic cell assemblies, combining advanced image analysis with soft-matter-inspired theoretical models to shed new light on the mechanisms behind breast cancer metastasis. Building on her background in soft, active matter and quantitative biophysics, in 2025 she joined the Neurolidar group at the University of Padua, developing new neurophotonic technologies for label-free bio-molecular optical sensing in deep regions of the living brain.

Speaker: Dr Chiara Guidolin (DFA, UNIPD)

4:20 PM Integrating imaging and quantitative analysis to study neuronal morphology and synaptic organization

The development and function of neuronal circuits depend on the precise organization of neuronal morphology and synaptic architecture. These processes are shaped by intercellular communication mechanisms, including astrocyte-derived signals influencing neuronal growth, branching and synapse formation[1]. Although advanced microscopy provides detailed structural information, extracting robust and reproducible quantitative descriptors of neuronal organization remains challenging[2]. This talk presents an integrated imaging and analysis framework to investigate how defined extracellular cues modulate neurite complexity and synaptic organization in primary neuronal cultures. This approach highlights the value of combining confocal imaging with machine learning-guided quantitative analysis to generate reproducible morphological and synaptic readouts that can be integrated with molecular datasets to link structural phenotypes to underlying cellular programs and intercellular communication.

[1] Allen NJ, Eroglu C. (2017). Cell Biology of Astrocyte-Synapse Interactions. Neuron, 96(3), 697-708. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.09.056
[2] Bagheri N, Carpenter AE, Lundberg E, Plant AL, Horwitz R. (2022). The new era of quantitative cell imaging-challenges and opportunities. Molecular Cell, 82(2), 241-247. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.12.024

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Giulia Favetta is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biology, University of Padova (Italy). She obtained her PhD in Biosciences (Cell Biology and Physiology) in 2025, investigating D1 receptor signaling in striatal astrocytes and how astrocyte-derived cues shape neuronal maturation and synaptic organization. Her work integrates primary neuron/astrocyte cultures and astrocyte-conditioned media (ACM) paradigms with quantitative confocal microscopy, proteomics and transcriptomics, supported by robust image-analysis pipelines for reproducible quantification across batches and large datasets, linking cellular phenotypes to underlying molecular programs. She received the University of Padova Graduate Alumni Award (2022), has co-supervised BSc/MSc students, and served as a teaching assistant in BSc and MSc courses. She authored a Progress in Neurobiology review (2025) and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications in international journals.

Speaker: Dr Giulia Favetta (DiBio, UNIPD)

4:40 PM From light to circuits: using Danio rerio to dissect neural circuits

Neural circuits underpin behavior, yet dissecting their function at single-cell resolution remains challenging due to complexity and inaccessibility in vivo. In this talk, I will show how larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) enables optical approaches that connect brain-wide activity to circuit organization and behavior. Leveraging volumetric calcium imaging, I will present experiments probing experience-dependent plasticity through manipulations of sensory input and neuromodulatory state, combining recordings of spontaneous and visually evoked activity to reveal circuit reorganization during development. I will then discuss ongoing work on disease models created using CRISPR, using imaging-based measurements of visual responses and retinotopy to characterize how genetic perturbations impact circuit development. Finally, I will outline future directions toward more complex behaviors, including social interactions in juvenile fish.

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Marica Albanesi is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Padua, where she also completed her PhD in Neuroscience in 2024, investigating how psychoactive drugs affect neural plasticity during development. Her work is centered on linking behavior to neural activity, with a focus on multiphoton calcium recordings and virtual reality to record and perturb behavior.

Speaker: Dr Marica Albanesi (DSB, UNIPD)

5:00 PM Pulse Prize Awards (SPIE Chapter, Optica) and Closing remark