Gardner's group develops infrared and Raman microspectroscopy for biomedical diagnostics and disease sensing. Research directions: (1) FTIR synchrotron microspectroscopy — using Diamond Light Source synchrotron IR beam for high-spatial-resolution chemical mapping of biological tissues for cancer diagnosis; (2) Raman microspectroscopy — label-free chemical imaging of cells and tissue for disease classification using machine-learning chemometrics; (3) SERS probes — developing gold nanoparticle SERS labels for targeted cancer biomarker detection; (4) Breathomics — on-chip photonic sensors for exhaled breath analysis for early disease detection. The infrared and Raman methods provide label-free molecular sensing with potential for quantum-enhanced sensitivity.

Gruetter leads the Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (LFMI) at EPFL and co-directs the CIBM (Centre for Biomedical Imaging). Research directions: (1) Ultra-high-field in vivo MR spectroscopy — developing 1H, 13C, 31P, 23Na MRS at 14.1T animal and 7T human systems to measure metabolite concentrations (glutamate, GABA, lactate) in brain with unprecedented sensitivity; (2) Quantum coherence effects in NMR — exploiting J-coupling evolution and JPRESS sequences for quantum-selective metabolite editing; (3) Hyperpolarization — DNP-enhanced metabolite sensing in vivo for tracking metabolic flux in real time; (4) Neuroimaging — quantitative BOLD fMRI calibration and cerebral blood flow mapping. The 14.1T magnet is among the world's most powerful for biological NMR spectroscopy.

Waigh's group applies advanced optical and biophysical techniques to study complex biological fluids and single molecules. Research directions: (1) Microrheology — diffusing wave spectroscopy and optical trapping microrheology to measure viscoelastic properties of biopolymer networks and cytoplasm; (2) Antibody / protein dynamics — tracking single-molecule diffusion of antibodies and receptors in complex biological environments using fluorescence; (3) Non-linear flows of antibodies — studying anomalous diffusion and aggregation of therapeutic antibodies; (4) Neutron and X-ray scattering — structural characterization of complex biofluids at PSI facilities. Bridges soft matter physics and single-molecule biosensing.