Biological Physics Lab
Short description
The Biological Physics Lab is an interdisciplinary research group focusing on single-cell analysis, biomimetics, and image analysis supported by custom-developed AI software. Our methodologies include advanced optical microscopy for visualization, optical tweezers for laser-based manipulation of materials and cells, and microfluidic systems designed both to control the cellular environment and to mimic organ-like microstructures (organ-on-chip).
Data analysis combines AI-assisted networks and numerical signal processing with conventional biochemical assays and functional cell studies. Ongoing projects address cellular communication in insulin-secreting pancreatic cells, phenotypic specialization of renal proximal tubule cells, and physiological liver function, with the goal of elucidating how tissues respond to environmental cues in health and disease.
Collaborative projects focus on quantitative imaging of individual cells, the analysis of dynamic structures at the nanoscale, as well as large-scale proteomics analyses using clinical cohorts focused on aging.
Active research projects
ImAgE-D
The European Union’s Horizon research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101119613
Website: https://uit.no/research/image-d
Who’s the boss?
Outlining the regulatory network of insulin-secreting beta-cells
The Swedish Research Council (grant number 2024-05172)
Sabbatical to UiT, Norway
Isolation of primary LSECs for on-chip cultures and super resolution imaging
Faculty funding 2025
Current group members
Charlotte Hamngren Blomqvist (specialist engineer)
Daniela Guerrero (PhD student)
Anqi Lyu (PhD student)
Chinmay Hemant Khanolkar (PhD student)
Elisa Ortiz Rivero (externally funded postdoc)
Jesus Antunez Dominguez (associated postdoc)
Norma Palmero Cruz (associated PhD student)
External research partners
Jacky L. Snoep
Dawie Van Niekerk
Katriina Aalto-Setälä
Pasi Kallio
Hannu Välimäki
Anna Chiara De Luca
Guiseppe Coppola
Hossein Khadem
Bartlomiej Zapotoczny
Carlo Manzo
Financier
The Swedish Research Council, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, Carl Trygger Foundation, Adlerbertska, Lars Hierta
Previous research projects
ActiveMatter-ITN
The European Union’s Horizon research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 812780
Website: ActiveMatter ITN
HepVisage
Liver-on-chip for drug discovery and personalized medicine
SSF Works; Instrument, Technique, and Method Development Projects 2017 (Grant number ITM17-0384)
DeLiver-ITN
The European Union’s Horizon research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 766181
Microfluidic Tools for Drug Screening and Single Cell Analysis
Development of custom-made microfluidic tools to mimic physiological environments for complex biological investigations.
The Swedish Research Council (Grant number 2015-04155)