News & updates
Latest developments from our institute
Stay informed about new research results, awards, events, and collaborations across our scientific community.
New measurement technology to further sensing capabilities
The research teams of Femius Koenderink and Lyuba Amitonova (ARCNL) investigated new optical detection strategies to efficiently measure perturbations at the nanometer scale. For their experiments they used metasurfaces, which are artificial surfaces configured with carefully shaped nanoparticles that interact with light. Inspiration for the project came from a collaboration of AMOLF, ARCNL and industry partner ASML, focused on finding new ways to monitor potential errors that might arise during computer chip fabrication. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Communications on December 10.
Immune cells regulate themselves through a newly discovered molecular interaction
Immune cells can regulate their own activity through a previously unknown molecular interaction on their surface, according to new research published in Science Signaling on December 9, 2025. Researchers from the Physics of Cellular Interactions group at AMOLF, together with collaborators, discovered that two proteins, MARCO and LAIR-1, can interact on the same immune cell to control inhibitory signaling. This main finding reveals a new way in which immune cells fine tune their behavior and helps explain how immune responses can be either restrained or released when needed.
Rhythm contains important information for the cell
AMOLF researchers discovered a mysterious interplay of insulin signals in the worm C. elegans. The insulin-driven protein DAF-16 does not only move in and out of the cell nucleus in a complex rhythm, it does so at exactly the same moment in all cells of the body. Because of the many similarities between C. elegans and humans, the research may contribute to a better understanding of diseases such as diabetes, cancer and of ageing. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Communications on December 11.
A solar cell that thinks: new device processes light similar to the human brain
Imagine a camera that cannot only see light but also understand what it sees without a computer, and even without being plugged in. AMOLF PhD student Jeroen de Boer from the Hybrid Solar Cells group has developed the first step towards such a device: a tiny light sensor that also processes information, inspired by how the human brain works. His findings were published in the journal Device on December 17.
A smart new way to study mobile ions in perovskite solar cells
Researchers in the Hybrid Solar Cells group have developed a simple new method to study mobile ions in perovskite solar cells. These ions play a key role in the degradation of the cells, so understanding them is essential to make more stable solar devices.
A new view on state switching in materials
AMOLF researchers in the group of Martin van Hecke working on theoretical models for disordered materials, discovered how these systems can start switching between states in unexpected ways. The results open new ways to model materials that show memory effects and could influence fields ranging from soft robotics to biophysics. They published their findings in the journal Physical Review Letters on November 13.
Kevin Peters receives prestigious physics thesis prize
Kevin Peters is the winner of the Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa physics thesis prize 2025. He carried out his research in the group of Said Rodriguez at AMOLF and successfully defended his PhD at Utrecht University on September 4. His thesis, entitled A Symphony of Noise in Nonlinear Optical Resonators, describes his research which combines photonics, nonlinear dynamics, statistical physics, and related fields.
Start of METAPIC project building metasurface pixels
Together with collaborators, AMOLF group leader Femius Koenderink has received funding for the METAPIC project from the Photon Delta call of the Dutch Research Council (NWO).