“Dream, be courageous, and be willing to try new ideas.”
Aleksandra Radenovic is a Swiss and Croatian biophysicist and a world leader in the field of nanotechnology. She is a full professor of Biological Engineering at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where she leads the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology.
Born in Croatia, she studied Physics at the University of Zagreb and graduated with a Ph.D. in cryo atomic force microscopy at the University of Lausanne. After postdoctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, she joined EPFL as an assistant professor and established the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology in 2008. She was promoted to associate professor in 2015 and full professor in 2021.
As an experimental physicist, her research focuses on the development and application of novel nanomaterials and experimental methods to study fundamental questions in molecular and cell biology. In particular, she is interested in single-molecule biophysics. Her laboratory develops techniques and methodologies based on optical imaging such as single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), biosensing, and single-molecule manipulation to study the behavior of individual biological molecules and complexes in vitro and in live cells. One of the main directions of her research is studying how proteins and nucleic acids interact, using force-based manipulation single-molecule techniques, in particular optical tweezers, optical wrench system, Anti- Brownian Electrokinetic (ABEL) trap, and combination of nanopore/nanocapillaries with optical tweezers. One of her major innovations has been the fabrication of solid-state nanopores for single-molecule analysis, osmotic power generation, and DNA sequencing.
She filed six patents and was awarded highly competitive grants, including the Starting (2010) and Advanced Grant (2021) of the European Research Council (ERC), and the Swiss SSNF-ERC Consolidator Grant (2015). Adapted from Aleksandra Radenovic EPFL
Keywords: Biophysics and Bioengineering. Nanoscale biology. Single-molecule biophysics. Solid State Nanopores. Super-resolution microscopy.
Lausanne – October 12th, 2022
How did you (decide to) become a scientist? I would say that it’s the unpredictability of life that drove me into science. Initially, when I grew a bit older than the phase when you’d like to be a princess, I wanted to become an archeologist. Mostly because I wanted to discover new things, things that no one had seen before. I studied Greek and Latin in high school and I really thought that one day I would become an archeologist. However, at one point I realized that most archeological sites have been found already and that there is very little left to be discovered, though of course there are still places where archeologists pursue their research. On the other hand, I discovered that physics was an area in which a lot of discoveries were taking place. Because my passion for discovery is what drives me, I decided to pursue a career in physics. I like building [research] instruments and being involved in the development of new methods, sometimes adjusting and adapting existing equipment/methods, and some other times also being a pioneer.
EPFL is a School of Engineering where many researchers can independently pursue their ideas and are not constrained by disciplines. Therefore, we can have a transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach, we can work in teams, and create collaborations. Our work is driven by scientific questions, not by certain policies or disciplinary or departmental boundaries. Indeed, nobody has ever asked me what bioengineering is and if it refers to life sciences, physical sciences, math, or engineering. So, I’m really happy at EPFL to have this freedom to do the science I like in the way I like. The reason why I became a scientist is perhaps because of this freedom that I have. But with freedom comes also responsibility.
Unfortunately, Switzerland was excluded from Horizon Europe 2020 in 2014 - that year I was awarded the Swiss Consolidator Grant SSNF- ERC – and is currently not associated with Horizon 20221-2027 (the European Union's research and innovation measures package). I’m very sad again that I’m not part of Horizon, but I hope this will change because I believe that science should not have boundaries in Europe. Moreover, we’re very interdisciplinary in Switzerland and we have a very high number of foreign researchers. Coming from Croatia, I’m a foreigner as well.
What is your drive and excitement in science and in doing what you do now? Sharing my passion for science, that’s what I like and what drives me. Transmitting this passion for science to others and seeing the same spark that drives me in my students.
Would you have one word to give as a gift to other women and more in general to young aspiring scientists, women or men? I believe that along with passion, one also needs to be patient. You should be able to pursue your goals long-term, because abandoning them very quickly may not pay off. Also, starting too many things at the same time is not effective. You need to find a balance. [It is very important to understand which of your passions [and interests] are worth pursuing. In this, I believe that discussing with your peers and your students and listening to their feedback is helpful. My short message is: Be courageous and try something new.
Science is my passion… in your mother tongue. Znanost je moja strast
