Micromachines Webinar | Glass and Micro/Nano Devices (G-MIND)—WGM Spherical Microresonators: Fundamentals and Biosensing Applications
Micromachines Webinar | Glass and Micro/Nano Devices (G-MIND)—WGM Spherical Microresonators: Fundamentals and Biosensing Applications
10 June 2026
Glass Microdevices, Whispering Gallery Modes, Optical Microresonators, Microspheres Fabrication, Biomolecular Analysis, Nanosensors, Quantum Biosensing
Welcome from the Chair
Micromachines Webinar
Glass and Micro/Nano Devices (G-MIND)—WGM Spherical Microresonators: Fundamentals and Biosensing Applications
Welcome to the second event of the G-MIND (Glass and Micro/Nano Devices) webinar series. Our goal with these sessions is to create a vibrant forum for discussing the frontiers of micro and nano devices, while connecting researchers with the Topical Collection and Special Issues hosted by D4 Section of Micromachines.
Today, we dive into the world of whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical cavities. These resonators are at the forefront of micro-optics, prized for their ability to 'trap' light with incredibly high-quality factors, allowing for powerful light–matter interactions at a microscopic scale.
We are privileged to be joined by two leading experts in the field:
Simone Berneschi (IFAC CNR, Florence, Italy) will demonstrate how the unique characteristics of WGM microresonators serve as a foundation for devices with unprecedented performance in optical communications, nonlinear optics, sensing, and biosensing. His presentation will cover fundamental operating principles as well as the critical technological aspects of fabrication and characterization.
Frank Vollmer (University of Exeter, UK) will provide an overview of WGM microcavities in biomolecular analysis, with a particular focus on glass microspheres. He will explore advanced techniques such as plasmon-enhanced single-molecule sensing and thermo-optoplasmonic absorbance detection. Furthermore, Prof. Vollmer will discuss the use of membrane-coated microspheres for studying neurotransmitters and small molecules like glyphosate. Highlighting the versatility of the field, he will also introduce WGM microlasers for atomic ion detection via laser beatnote analysis. Finally, he will describe enzyme attachment to cavities to probe mechanisms and thermodynamics, as well as outline integrated photonic platforms for biosensing, synthetic biology, quantum, and precision measurement applications.
Date: 10 June 2026
Time: 3:00 pm CEST | 9:00 am EDT | 9:00 pm CST (Asia)
Webinar ID: 821 5949 6586
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Event Chairs
"Nello Carrara" Institute of Applied Physics (IFAC), National Research Council, Florence, Italy
Physicist, fellow of EOS, OPTICA, SIOF, SPIE, and meritorious member of the Italian Physical Society (SIF), he has worked for almost 40 years at CNR, the National Research Council of Italy, and is now senior associate at Nello Carrara Institute of Applied Physics (IFAC CNR) in Florence. He is author or co-author of over 300 papers in JCR journals, mostly focused on photonic glasses, integrated optics, microresonators, and, recently, on cosmic rays’ detection. He has been co-editor of some books on photonics and editor or guest editor of various journals. He was co-founder and president of the Italian Society of Optics and Photonics (SIOF); vice-president of International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and of International Commission on Optics; secretary of European Optical Society (EOS); and member of the Board of Directors of SPIE. He was recipient of the ICG Turner Award. He is editor-in-chief of the D4 Section of Micromachines, and honorary chair of the series of PRE (Photoluminescence in Rare Earths) Workshops.
Keynote Speakers
WGM Microresonators: Principles & Technologies
Simone Berneschi received his MS and PhD degree in Telecommunication Engineering from the University of Bologna, Italy, in 2003 and 2007, respectively. He is currently a senior researcher at the "Nello Carrara" Institute of Applied Physics (IFAC) of the National Research Council (CNR) and contract professor at the Department of Information Engineering of the University of Florence. His research interests range from the study of optical materials to the development of devices for integrated optics (e.g., waveguide-based devices), micro-optics (e.g., WGM optical microcavities), and lab-on-a-chip/point-of-care devices for applications in optical communications, nonlinear optics, and sensing.
WGM Technologies for Nano and Quantum Biosensing
Frank Vollmer is Professor of Biophysics, Molecular Nano and Quantum Sensing at the University of Exeter, Living Systems Institute. He holds a PhD in “Physics and Biology” from the Rockefeller University (2004). He was a Rowland Fellow at Harvard University from 2004 to 2009, Scholar-in-Residence at the Wyss Institute at Harvard in 2010, Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light from 2011 to 2016, and Instructor in Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School from 2011 to 2016. He has been a Professor at Exeter since 2016. He was the recipient of the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2017 and the Rosalind Franklin Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics in 2021. He is pursuing a multi-disciplinary initiative that brings together the research streams of nanophotonics, nanoplasmonics, quantum optics, and molecular mechanics.
Program
|
Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST |
Time in CST (Asia) |
Time in EDT |
|
Dr. Giancarlo C. Righini Chair Introduction |
3:00 – 3:10 pm |
9:00 – 9:10 pm |
9:00 – 9:10 am |
|
Dr. Simone Berneschi WGM Microresonators: Principles & Technologies. |
3:10 – 3:50 pm |
9:10 – 9:50 pm |
9:10 – 9:50 am |
|
Prof. Frank Vollmer WGM Technologies for Nano and Quantum Biosensing |
3:50 – 4:30 pm |
9:50 – 10:30 pm |
9:50 – 10:30 am |
|
Q&A |
4:30 – 4:45 pm |
10:30 – 10:45 pm |
10:30 – 10:45 am |
|
Closing of Webinar Dr. Giancarlo C. Righini |
4:45 – 4:50 pm |
10:45 – 10:50 pm |
10:45 – 10:50 am |
Registration
This is a FREE webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Certificates of attendance will be delivered to those who attend the live webinar.
Can’t attend? Register anyway and we’ll let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Relevant Topical and Special Issue
Topical Collection:
Microdevices and Applications Based on Advanced Glassy Materials
Editors: Dr. Giancarlo C. Righini, Dr. Luigi Sirleto and Dr. Francesco Enrichi
Special Issues:
Nanostructured Glasses and Composites: Innovations in Properties, Microfabrication and Applications
Editors: Dr. Dragana Marinković and Dr. Maurizio Ferrari
Laser-Based Fabrication of Glassy and Hybrid Micro/Nano Devices for Biomedical Applications
Editors: Dr. Ana Gomez-Varela and Prof. Dr. Carmen Bao-Varela
Sponsors and Partners
Organizers
