New projects & Milestones
The electron microscopy unit focuses on the use of electron microscopy techniques for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology research and applications. The Unit’s main objective is to provide scientific-technical support to the ICN2 Research Groups and to other research centres and companies, as well as to develop and implement novel techniques.
During 2020 the METCAM-FIB project was granted. Led by the ICN2, it aims to acquire a double aberration corrected transmission electron microscope with monochromator and a focused ion beam. This equipment will be integrated in the Electron Microscopy Unit during 2021, thus improving the electron microscopy facilities offered to our scientific community.
Dr Ballesteros was granted the To the Mothers in Science Award by the BIST, aimed to support women leadership in science. Moreover, she secured a permanent position as a CSIC Research Scientist.
Besides continuing their daily fundamental activities, during 2020 the members of the Unit were involved in the organization of the second edition of the ICN2 ArtMeetsNano Photo Contest. The aim of this initiative, in which microscopy imaging plays an important role, is to engage the ICN2 community in connecting art and science.
In 2020 the Unit hosted Guillem Monsó, a student at the UAB who carried out his TFG project (Bachelor’s degree thesis) together with a new member of the group, Sergi Valero, a visiting undergraduate student from the UAB. On the other hand, Francisco Belarre joined for a secondment the Microsoft Delft Quantum Lab in The Netherlands to improve his skills in Focused Ion Beam (FIB) sample preparation.
As in previous years, the team actively participated in the BIST Winter School on Microscopy and Imaging Sciences, which is part of the BIST-UPF Master of Multidisciplinary Research in Experimental Sciences. Moreover, the Unit participated in the outreach activities organised at the ICN2, such as the Bojos per la Física programme.
The Unit devoted efforts to the NFFA-Europe infrastructure project, providing access to the ICN2 electron microscopy facilities to a number of researchers from other institutions.
Research-wise, the Electron Microscopy Unit continued to focus on the study of functional carbon nanomaterials for biomedical applications and the characterisation of single-layered inorganic nanotubes. For instance, we studied carbon nanocapsules filled with metals that can be turned into radioactive isotopes via neutron irradiation, which were shown to be effective for in-vivo imaging and tumour radiotherapy.