Summary: Home of QuTech — one of Europe's top quantum research centres, jointly with TNO. Primarily known for quantum computing (superconducting qubits, spin qubits, topological qubits), but has substantial quantum sensing activity: NV-centre magnetometry and single-molecule NMR (Hanson group heritage), quantum network sensing nodes, and superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) relevant to astronomical instrumentation. The Kavli Institute of Nanoscience provides excellent shared cleanroom and cryogenic facilities. Strong for fundamental quantum sensing experiments and detector development.
Notes: Home of QuTech (jointly with TNO) — Europe's leading quantum research centre. Top European technical university. World-leading in superconducting and spin-qubit quantum computing. Key sensing-relevant groups: Hanson (NV-centre magnetometry, quantum networks), Zwerver/Veldhorst (spin qubits as sensors), Baas (SNSPDs for photon counting). Kavli Institute of Nanoscience provides cleanroom and nanofabrication. Member of European Quantum Flagship.
Kristin Grußmayer (Assistant Professor, BioNanoscience, 2021) develops super-resolution microscopy tools. Research: (1) SOFI (super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging) — camera-based super-resolution using photon statistics; (2) multi-plane super-resolution and quantitative phase imaging — combined modalities for 3D sub-diffraction imaging; (3) new fluorescence probe classes for SMLM; (4) AI-driven smart microscopy for automated phenotype detection. Marie Curie Fellow (EPFL, Lasser group). Group established 2021.
Jacob Hoogenboom develops integrated correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) and molecular nanophotonic imaging. Research: (1) 3-in-1 microscopy combining light, electron beam, and ion beam for precise biological sample sectioning and protein localisation; (2) integrated CLEM for mapping proteins in cellular context; (3) single-molecule nanophotonic sensing using fluorescence. Relevant to advanced single-molecule biosensing approaches.
Timon Idema (Associate Professor, BioNanoscience) develops theoretical models of cell biophysics. Research: (1) membrane shape theory — analytical and computational models of membrane curvature, budding, and fission driven by proteins; (2) cytoskeletal self-organisation — theoretical description of how microtubules and actin form functional structures during cell division; (3) synthetic cell theory — physical constraints and design principles for minimal cells. Collaborates closely with Dogterom and Koenderink labs on comparing theory with single-molecule experiments.
Arjen Jakobi (Associate Professor, BioNanoscience) uses cryo-electron microscopy and tomography for structural cell biology. Research: (1) cryo-ET in-cell structural biology — resolving protein complexes at near-atomic resolution inside vitrified cells; (2) autophagy and membrane remodelling — structural mechanism of autophagosome biogenesis; (3) integrin signalling complexes. Develops algorithms for sub-tomogram averaging and de-novo model building.
Chirlmin Joo (Full Professor, BioNanoscience) uses single-molecule fluorescence to study RNA dynamics and CRISPR-Cas. Research: (1) single-molecule FRET and direct RNA imaging — visualizing RNA folding, ribozyme catalysis, and mRNA translation dynamics; (2) CRISPR-Cas mechanism — real-time observation of Cas9 and Cas13 target search and cleavage; (3) nanopore-based protein sensing integration with optical tools. ERC Grant.
Jeroen Kalkman develops optical tomography and spectroscopy methods for biomedical imaging. Research: (1) Fourier-domain OCT including spectroscopic OCT for tissue structural and functional imaging; (2) novel light sources and detectors for skin cancer detection (NWO KIC project NextDeLights); (3) scattering media imaging. His work is relevant to advanced biosensing with optical coherence.
Gijsje Koenderink (Full Professor, BioNanoscience) investigates active and passive mechanics of the cytoskeleton. Research: (1) active matter — motor-filament composite networks generating spontaneous mechanical activity; (2) cell mechanics — cytoskeletal contributions to cell shape, migration, and division; (3) biomaterials — designing synthetic cytoskeletal analogues; (4) optical tweezers and AFM rheology of reconstituted networks. Spinoza Prize 2021. ERC Advanced Grant.
Kobus Kuipers' lab develops and applies near-field optical microscopy to study nanophotonic phenomena with sub-wavelength spatial resolution. Research: (1) near-field imaging of topological photonic states (topological edge and interface modes in photonic crystals); (2) near-field microscopy of plasmonics and nanophotonics; (3) visualizing light transport at the nanoscale. Borderline for quantum sensing but directly relevant to nanophotonic quantum sensing platforms.
David Maresca's lab pushes the boundaries of biomedical ultrasound imaging. Research: (1) functional ultrasound imaging of the brain at cellular resolution (vascular signal decoding, brain-computer interface applications); (2) engineering gas vesicle and microbubble acoustic contrast agents as genetically-encoded biosensors; (3) ultrafast ultrasound for cardiac imaging. The lab aims to image individual cells deep inside living organs using next-generation ultrasound. NWO Vici Grant (2026); Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Dynamic Imaging grant.
Menzel's group develops computational scattered-light imaging methods, principally 3D Polarized Light Imaging (3D-PLI) and coherent Fourier scatterometry, to reconstruct the crossing-fiber architecture of unstained brain tissue at micrometer resolution without labeling. The lab combines birefringence/diattenuation measurements with finite-difference time-domain light-scattering simulations to push orientation resolution of nerve-fiber tracts beyond what diffusion MRI or standard histology can achieve, and is actively recruiting postdocs to extend the technique to new tissue types and label-free contrast mechanisms.