Program

Plenary Speakers

Laura La Niu is Director of the 2nd Physics Institute at the University of Stuttgart. She received her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Stuttgart and pursued postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, before leading a research group at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and serving as Professor at the Kirchhoff Institute of Physics at Heidelberg University. She has also held visiting professorships, including at Rice University in the USA.

At Stuttgart, her research focuses on nanophotonics and DNA nanotechnology. By combining DNA-origami with nanophotonic structures, her team seeks to create “nanofactories,” where artificial nanomachines can be built and coordinated to work in concert, closely resembling processes in natural biological systems.

Her scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including an ERC Advanced Grant (2025), election as Fellow of the American Physical Society (2023), and Fellow of the Optical Society of America (2020).

Prof. Dr. Ralf Jungmann
Maximilians University Munich
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (DE)

Ralf Jungmann is Professor of Physics and Chair for Molecular Physics of Life at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, as well as Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried. He obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from the Technical University of Munich and pursued postdoctoral research at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University before returning to Germany to establish his independent research group.

His interdisciplinary group Molecular Imaging and Bionanotechnology develops novel imaging tools for biological and biomedical applications. By integrating structural and dynamic DNA nanotechnology with single-molecule fluorescence methods, his team pioneers advanced super-resolution microscopy techniques. Their vision is to map and disentangle the positions and interactions of genes, RNAs, and proteins in single cells with unprecedented spatial resolution.

Jungmann’s achievements have been recognized with prestigious honors, including election as EMBO Member (2025) and an ERC Consolidator Grant (2021).

Alexey Gorshkov is a Physicist at NIST, a Fellow of the Joint Quantum Institute and the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland Department of Physics and Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University in 2010, working with Mikhail D. Lukin on quantum communication, computation, and simulation. After his doctorate, he held a postdoctoral position at the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter at Caltech, before joining NIST and the University of Maryland, where he has combined academic and research leadership roles.

His research lies at the intersection of quantum physics and information science, advancing the design, understanding, and control of large interacting quantum systems. These breakthroughs enable progress in quantum computers, quantum networks, and quantum sensors — with broad potential applications ranging from fundamental physics to future technologies in materials science and even biomedicine.

Gorshkov’s pioneering contributions have been recognized with many honors, including Finalist of the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists (2024), the IEEE Photonics Society Quantum Electronics Award (2024), and the Optica Fellowship (2022).

Aleksandra Radenovic is Professor of Biological Engineering at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and head of the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology. She studied physics at the University of Zagreb and earned her Ph.D. in 2003 at the University of Lausanne, where she worked on cryo atomic force microscopy. After postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, she joined EPFL in 2008 as Assistant Professor, establishing her laboratory, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2015.

Her research focuses on developing innovative experimental techniques to study molecular and cell biology at the nanoscale. By combining biosensors, advanced optical imaging, and single-molecule biophysics, her team explores fundamental biological processes with unprecedented precision. This interdisciplinary approach provides new insights into biomolecular dynamics and paves the way for next-generation nanobiotechnological tools.

Radenovic’s contributions have been recognized with several prestigious honors, including an ERC Advanced Grant (2021), election as Optica Fellow (2021), and an ERC Starting Grant (2010).

Karolien De Wael based in Antwerp, is currently Chairwoman of the Bioscience Engineering Department at the University of Antwerp. She obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Ghent University in 2005 as an FWO fellow, with a thesis on the electrochemical study of gold electrodes modified with transition metal ion phthalocyanines and porphyrins for catalytic applications. She joined the University of Antwerp as a tenure-track research professor in analytical chemistry in 2011 and was promoted to full professor in 2018. Her academic career combines fundamental, methodological, and application-oriented research across diverse analytical techniques.

Her current research focuses on the development of electrochemical and analytical sensor technologies for real-time detection of illicit drugs and chemical precursors. She coordinates the EU RIA BorderSens project, a consortium of 16 partners across eight EU member states, aiming to equip border authorities and police forces with rapid and accurate detection tools. In addition, her team is advancing the market-ready A-PECS electrochemical sensor platform. She has received recognition for her contributions to analytical chemistry and sensor innovation.

Prof. Dr. Karolien De Wael was honored with the Luigi Galvani Prize by the Bioelectrochemical Society in 2024 and served as an elected member of the Young Academy Belgium from 2014 to 2019.

Prof. Dr. Mohammed Zourob
Alfaisal University, Riad (SA)

Mohammed Zourob is Professor of Biosensors at Alfaisal University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Manchester in 2003 and pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Manchester and the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge. He has headed the biosensors division at Biophage Inc. and served as Director of R&D at GDG Environment Ltd, before holding academic appointments at INRS – University of Quebec and Cranfield University.

In his current role, he leads a biosensors lab with 35+ researchers working on projects in biomedical applications. His current research focuses on biosensors, recognition receptors, and lab-on-a-chip platforms, including aptamer-based electrochemical and optical/photonic biosensors for biomedical applications. 

Confirmed Invited Speakers

Short Talks & Posters

The Europtrode 2026 program offers a wide range of exciting program contributions. In keynote speeches, high-profile speakers will provide insights into their current research. In parallel sessions, all of the top topics at Europtrode 2026 will be discussed and debated in depth.

Young scientists were expressly invited to actively contribute their research work. By submitting an abstract, they had the opportunity to apply for a poster presentation or short talk and present their own research to an international audience.
Abstract submission is now closed; the deadline was November 30, 2025.

       
        Topics for Europtrode 2026

1. Molecular and Single-Molecule Detection Methods
2. DNA Nanotechnology and Bioengineered Sensors
3. Wearable, Implantable, and Miniaturized Sensor Systems
4. Plasmonics and Quantum-Enhanced Optical Sensing
5. Luminescence, Fluorescence, and FRET-Based Sensors
6. Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Sensing
7. Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip Technologies
8. AI and Data Analytics in Sensor Applications
9. Multimodal and Nonlinear Biophotonic Imaging Methods
10. Fiber- and Waveguide-based Optical Sensors

Program Structure