Thomas van Zanten Lab

The research interests of the van Zanten team lie at the intersection of biology, nanotechnology, optics, and advanced microscopy, with the goal of quantitatively understanding the organising principles of the plasma membrane. Local control of membrane composition—and the resulting changes in physico-chemical properties—are central to receptor-mediated signalling and the formation of functional cellular interfaces.

To address these questions, the lab combines state-of-the-art optical microscopy, quantitative image and data analysis, and nanophotonic devices. Advanced fluorescence microscopy and nanoscopy are used to visualise molecular organisation and dynamics in living cells, while nanophotonic platforms provide confined, sub-diffraction observation volumes to quantify molecular dynamics on nanometre length scales and measure extremely weak interactions down to the single-molecule level.

1. Protein dynamics characterisation using photonic antennas We exploit the confined sub-diffraction resolution and exquisite sensitivity of photonic antennas to quantify dynamics at the nanoscale and very weak protein-protein interactions.
2. Spatio-temporal organisation of the plasma membrane Using a battery of optical methods and tools we wish to understand how the plasma membrane of living cells processes information.
3. Advanced nanoscopy methods for quantitative cell biology We combine our expertise in optical microscopy with quantitative image analysis to address fundamental questions in cell biology.