Following my degree in Chemistry, I completed my PhD at the Institut Químic de Sarrià in Barcelona in 2004 under the supervision of Prof. Santi Nonell. During that time, I studied the photophysical properties of phenalenone derivatives, with particular emphasis on singlet oxygen photosensitization, using a range of spectroscopic techniques.
In 2005 I moved to the laboratory of Prof. Johan Hofkens at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, to learn single-molecule and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. I investigated the photophysical properties of different molecules such as perylene diimide dendrimers and a range of fluorescent proteins. My most representative result from that period was the single-molecule characterization of the photoswitching properties of the fluorescent protein Dronpa and its mutants. Importantly, we showed how the thorough understanding of photophysics can help optimize super-resolution imaging (Flors et al, J. Am Chem. Soc. 2007). Having gained expertise in a new technique with great potential, I moved to the University of Edinburgh in 2008 to begin my independent research career, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and The Royal Society. I started a new research program to develop methodology for super-resolution imaging of DNA based on single-molecule localization (Flors et al, ChemPhysChem 2009; Curr. Op. Chem. Biol. 2011). In February 2012 I moved to IMDEA Nanoscience with a Ramón y Cajal fellowship, and I am now Research Professor. At IMDEA I continue working on the improvement of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy methods, most recently combining them with atomic force microscopy. In parallel to the super-resolution work, I am also interested in the photosensitizing properties of fluorescent proteins and their applications in advanced microscopy and phototherapy.
Dr. Felipe Vela obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry by Universidad de Zaragoza in 2012. In 2013, he received his Master's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology by the Universidad de Zaragoza and his PhD Degree in Biophysics "summa cum laude" by Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in 2017.
During his PhD, he worked on the fabrication of bioinspired polymer nanotopographies to control bacteria and stem cell response. He used nanoimprint lithography to fabricate these polymer surfaces and characterized their influence in cell biological functions. He found that these nanotopographies can induce bacterial death and influence stem cell functions such as proliferation, morphology or migration.
In 2017, he moved as a postdoctoral researcher to the laboratory of Prof. Yves Dufrêne at the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), who is a world leader in the application of force nanoscopy techniques to cellular interactions. There, he performed single cell and single molecule force spectroscopy experiments with atomic force microscopy to better understand celular adhesion. During his postdoctoral stay, he authored 16 papers (6 of them as first author).
More info on IDEAL Fellowhisp Programme https://idealcofund-project.eu/postdoc/
The IDEAL Fellowships Programme is supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND. Grant agreement ID: 101034431.
METALCOMIC
3. F. Viela, M. Mathelié-Guinlet, G. Pietrocola, P. Speziale, Y.F. Dufrêne. The molecular complex between staphylococcal adhesin SpsD and fibronectin sustains mechanical forces in the nanonewton range. mBio. 2020. 11:e00371-20
