Biophysical Society Bulletin | January 2025

Biophysicist in Profile

the interphase related to cellular function is the biophysical side of my research.” One of the biggest challenges in his career has been dis covering more about how to fight cancer, as he promised his grandmother he would. He views the identification of aloe-emodin as a new type of anti-cancer agent by means of two-photon excitation microscopy and spectroscopy as his most important research, both scientifically speaking and as a human being. “Another challenge, today relevant for immunotherapy against solid tumors, was related to the understanding of the role of RAB5A and RAC in membrane fluidity using 2PE spa tially confined photoactivations. Endocytic trafficking of RAC is required for the spatial restriction of signaling in cell migra tion.” He continues, “On the microscopy research side, the first demonstration of super-resolution in thick objects combining single-molecule imaging and light sheet microscopy, the first realization of the 2PE window of photoexcitation of photo activatable fluorescent proteins, the original use of the very same wavelength for priming and depleting fluorescence under STED and 2PE conditions, the first paper on correlative nanoscopy using STED and AFM, the unprecedented use of liquid lenses in confocal laser scanning microscopy, and the first results combining circular intensity differential scattering and fluorescence to image chromatin in the nucleus are only a few of the most important accomplishments in my career.

My next challenge is the “artificial microscope,” an intelligent artificial molecular microscope combining the best I can do with an optical microscope and artificial intelligence.” Diaspro’s hope for the future of biophysics is that it will be considered what he views it as: “the best frontier in science.” For some reason it is a kind of Cinderella in physics and life sciences. The future of biophysics lies in its ability to affirm itself as a complete discipline without considering the “sirens” provided by bioengineering or biosystems to be more at tractive. Biophysics is attractive by itself in the idea of Mario Ageno : “Biophysics assumes as known starting data the gen eral principles of physics and all the consequences that derive from them by deduction, and aims to explain, on the basis of these, the complex phenomenology of living organisms.” “Being a member of the Society increases your chance of meeting inspiring people,” Diaspro says. “In my case, I was lucky to meet Enrico Gratton and his group many years ago; to listen to a poster presentation by Erwin Neher that had a very long queue at his poster board (after his Nobel recognition); to discuss science both before and after their Nobel Prizes with scientists and friends like Stefan Hell , Eric Betzig , and W. E. Moerner ; and to meet Carlos Bustamante , Laura Finzi , George Patterson , and many other key scientists in biophysics. Being a member of BPS is something that can change your research in a positive way.”

Call for Papers Special Issue: Mechanics and Thermodynamics of the Living Cell, Dedicated to Erich Sackmann Editors: Andreas Bausch, Rudolf Merkel, Joachim Rädler, and Alexandra Zidovska

Deadline for submission: May 31, 2025

To submit, visit www.cell.com/biophysj/special-issues/call-for-papers

January 2025

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