In recent years, a new quantitative microscopy based on Brillouin light scattering (BLS) has been proposed that uses the interaction of a laser light with picosecond timescale density fluctuations in the sample. BLS has been successfully used for mechanical phenotyping and imaging with a contrast based on the stiffness in single cells using spectroscopic and time-resolved implementations, and tissues. Because it is label-free, all-optical and non-destructive, BLS has gained interest in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields as a promising tool to investigate the mechanobiology of different pathologies, notably cancer. In our lab, we apply BLS to produce quantitative images of multicellular tumour spheroids (MCTS) and study the penetration of drugs within them. We also investigate the interface between dentin and adhesive restorations, and plant tissues. 

Biological composites are structural materials that can be highly ordered and shaped at scales from nano to macro. They are produced by insects, plants and animals, and are made from limited cheap base constituents such as sugars, minerals, proteins, all in ambiant conditions with minimal waste. Owing to their hierarchical complexity, these natural composites have been known to exhibit unusual and diverse functionalities that far exceed those of their constituents. Some examples include outstanding strength, increased flexibility, super-hydrophobicity, and structural coloration. In our lab, we study the phononic behavior of biological composites and investigate their interaction with laser-generated MHz to GHz elastic waves. By taking advantage of nature's capacity for rapidly self-assembling complex multi-scale structures, our aim is to develop sustainable and easily tunable, biobased phononic materials that can be grown en-masse, and ultimately serve as green materials in applications such as biosensing, piezoelectric energy harvesting, and ultrasonic imaging.