Capturing the dynamics of brain activity in its multifaceted components is a key challenge for neural interfaces, deciphering the complex electrical and chemical signaling exchanged by the different constituents of the brain tissue.
MINING aspires at generating a novel class of multifunctional neural endoscopes, able to trigger and detect electrical and molecular signaling with cellular resolution in vivo in a brain volume. The result will be the unprecedented ability to correlate multiple types of signals in the same volume, with spatial and temporal resolution at depth. The limitation of current state of the art will be surmounted by exploiting light-matter interactions in hybrid metal-dielectric metasurfaces and their synergistic integration with organic electrochemical transistors.
22 July 2026
A new PhD opportunity connected to the @MINING - ERC granted project is now open at the @Università del Salento.
The @Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies of the @Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (CBN-IIT) is funding one PhD position at the @Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione UniSalento (Department of Innovation Engineering). Among these positions, one PhD scholarship is funded by @MINING - ERC granted project, a project supported by the @European Research Council (ERC).
The research topics include:
• Photonic endoscopes based on multimode optical fibers and light–matter interaction
• Fabrication of multifunctional neural interfaces
• Advanced microfabrication for non-planar neural interfaces
The MINING-funded position is related to the development of advanced photonic and multifunctional neural interfaces.
Applications and further information:
https://lnkd.in/dWpbDXCb
Contacts: @Ferruccio Pisanello
ERCMINING ERC PhDPosition NeuralInterfaces Photonics Microfabrication Nanotechnology IIT CBNIIT UniSalento
The @Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies of the @Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (CBN-IIT) is funding one PhD position at the @Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione UniSalento (Department of Innovation Engineering). Among these positions, one PhD scholarship is funded by @MINING - ERC granted project, a project supported by the @European Research Council (ERC).
The research topics include:
• Photonic endoscopes based on multimode optical fibers and light–matter interaction
• Fabrication of multifunctional neural interfaces
• Advanced microfabrication for non-planar neural interfaces
The MINING-funded position is related to the development of advanced photonic and multifunctional neural interfaces.
Applications and further information:
https://lnkd.in/dWpbDXCb
Contacts: @Ferruccio Pisanello
ERCMINING ERC PhDPosition NeuralInterfaces Photonics Microfabrication Nanotechnology IIT CBNIIT UniSalento
16 July 2026
@Linda PISCOPO, researcher in the @MINING - ERC granted project @European Research Council (ERC) at @Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, delivered an invited talk at META 2026 entitled “Photonics on Multimode Fibers”.
Her work explores how multimode optical fibers can become advanced, minimally invasive tools for biomedical diagnostics. By combining photonics and fiber technology, this research is helping pave the way towards new approaches for probing and monitoring biological tissues from within the body, with reduced invasiveness and improved optical capabilities.
A further step in the @MINING - ERC granted project's mission to develop innovative photonic interfaces for biomedical applications.
ERCMINING Photonics OpticalFibers BiomedicalPhotonics META2026 Research Innovation
Her work explores how multimode optical fibers can become advanced, minimally invasive tools for biomedical diagnostics. By combining photonics and fiber technology, this research is helping pave the way towards new approaches for probing and monitoring biological tissues from within the body, with reduced invasiveness and improved optical capabilities.
A further step in the @MINING - ERC granted project's mission to develop innovative photonic interfaces for biomedical applications.
ERCMINING Photonics OpticalFibers BiomedicalPhotonics META2026 Research Innovation
15 July 2026
@MINING - ERC granted project @European Research Council (ERC) was featured at META 2026 through an invited talk by the project coordinator, @Ferruccio Pisanello.
The talk, entitled “Hybrid Photonic-Electronic Tapered Optical Fibers for Multimodal Neural Interfacing,” presented key research activities developed within MINING, focusing on advanced photonic and electronic interfaces for interacting with neural systems.
The contribution highlighted the potential of tapered optical fibers as multifunctional platforms for multimodal neural interfacing.
@Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
ERCMINING META2026 Photonics Neurotechnology NeuralInterfaces OpticalFibers CBNIIT
The talk, entitled “Hybrid Photonic-Electronic Tapered Optical Fibers for Multimodal Neural Interfacing,” presented key research activities developed within MINING, focusing on advanced photonic and electronic interfaces for interacting with neural systems.
The contribution highlighted the potential of tapered optical fibers as multifunctional platforms for multimodal neural interfacing.
@Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
ERCMINING META2026 Photonics Neurotechnology NeuralInterfaces OpticalFibers CBNIIT
14 July 2026
At the ICTON 2026 Conference in Prague, @Claudia Latte Bovio, researcher at @Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, delivered the invited talk:
“Integration of PEDOT:PSS-based biosensors on the edge of tapered optical fibers.”
Her presentation highlighted recent advances in the integration of optical fiber technologies and biosensing platforms for health-related applications, developed within the framework of the @MINING - ERC granted project .
Congratulations to Claudia for sharing this work with the international photonics community!
ICTON2026 Photonics OpticalFibers Biosensors PEDOTPSS HealthTechnologies ERCMINING IIT
“Integration of PEDOT:PSS-based biosensors on the edge of tapered optical fibers.”
Her presentation highlighted recent advances in the integration of optical fiber technologies and biosensing platforms for health-related applications, developed within the framework of the @MINING - ERC granted project .
Congratulations to Claudia for sharing this work with the international photonics community!
ICTON2026 Photonics OpticalFibers Biosensors PEDOTPSS HealthTechnologies ERCMINING IIT
04 May 2026
In this new paper, a deep-learning (DL)-powered paradigm is introduced that surpasses conventional imaging and spectroscopic capabilities. This transformative achievement, a new imaging-DL integrated approach, enables reproducible nanoplasmonic applications and, more importantly, fundamentally reshapes optical characterization workflows and extends their reach. A great work by @MINING - ERC granted project @European Research Council (ERC). Thanks to @Mohammadrahim Kazemzadeh, @Gonzalo Álvarez Pérez, @Huatian Hu, @Ferruccio Pisanello, from @Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and other colleagues.
23 April 2026
Congratulations to our colleagues, @Huatian Hu and @Ferruccio Pisanello, coordinator of the @MINING - ERC granted project @European Research Council (ERC) on their paper on capturing molecular dynamics in nanoconfined channels into a microfluidics platform at high spatiotemporal resolution.
21 April 2026
Congratulations to Stella Aslanoglou, PhD, and colleagues for this very interesting review about "interfacing of Neuron with optoelectric devices". This review increasingly allows readers to focus on the cutting edge of "Multimodal Sensing". It is at the very forefront of the neural interfacing and it will be very precious for the @MINING - ERC granted project @European Research Council (ERC) community.
20 April 2026
Congratulations to @Muhammad Fayyaz for his achievements on APL Photonics, a very interesting article about a novel multifunctional plasmonics fiber probe for biomedical applications. That collaboration with @郑迪 @Linda PISCOPO @Liam Collard @Antonio Balena @Huatian Hu @Massimo De Vittorio and @Ferruccio Pisanello from @Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia belongs to @MINING - ERC granted project @European Research Council (ERC) research activities.
08 October 2025
Our coordinator @Ferruccio Pisanello and collaborators @Cinzia Montinaro and @Massimo De Vittorio participated to this paper led by @Nicole Byron, PhD and @Shuzo Sakata. Optic fibers were exploited to track Alzheimer's plaques.
06 October 2025
The coordinator, @Ferruccio Pisanello and collaborators, paved the way for a new vision about nanomaterials-integrated neural probes for the next generation of neural interfaces for diagnoses and brain researches.
16 September 2025
A new paper is out from our PIs, Ferruccio Pisanello and Massimo De Vittorio, and collaborators. They present a simple, scalable way to grow all-gold hierarchical nanoislands (HNIs) directly on optical fiber tips for enhancing SERS performance.
12 September 2025
@MINING - ERC granted project coordinator @Ferruccio Pisanello is attending a meeting with the President of the @EIC - European Innovation Council in Lecce today. The "Bridges of Innovation" meeting highlights the importance of scientific research in building Europe. Our project is actively participating in this process.
17 July 2025
A new paper from our project results. Congratulations to @Antonio Balena about this novel method for the deterministic fabrication of metallic nanostructures with controlled geometry and composition on suspended, single-mode tapered optical nanofibers. This work establishes a versatile nanofabrication approach for functional photonic architectures on fragile substrates, with direct applications in quantum photonics, nano-optics, and on-fiber plasmonic sensing.
02 July 2025
MINING project is funding one PhD position at @Università del Salento in the PhD school in "Engineering of Materials, Structures and Nanotechnologies" at @Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione UniSalento and at @Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies in Lecce. For further information, contact the PI, @Ferruccio Pisanello. The @European Research Council (ERC) project MINING is devoted to the development of multifunctional photonic endoscopes to study brain functions. For more information please visit our website (https://ercmining.eu/) or contact the PI (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) if interested in a PhD with us!
11 May 2025
@Ferruccio Pisanello, the PI of MINING project, and @Massimo De Vittorio, collaborator in the project, were among the chairs of this great conference. A bunch of researchers working in MINING participated in this great conference. Go to see the profiles of @Fellin Tommaso, @Stella Aslanoglou, PhD, @Claudia Latte Bovio, @Giulio Mastrototaro, @Stefania Milanese, @Michele Petracca, @Linda PISCOPO, @Sneha Pottekkad, @Francesco Rizzi and @Barbara Spagnolo for further news.
23 April 2025
23 April 2025
We are glad to open this page about the ERC-funded project MINING - Multifunctional nano-bio INterfaces wIth deep braiN reGions. Here you'll find job posts and update about research activities.
LinkedIn