Martin Hegner

Prof. Martin Hegner is a Professor of Physics at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and leads the Nanobio-Nanomechanics Group at the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN). He holds a PhD in Experimental Physics from ETH Zurich and has held academic positions at the University of Basel and UC Berkeley. His research focuses on bioanalytics at molecular and systems levels, including single-molecule manipulation with optical tweezers, nanomechanical diagnostics, and MEMS-based sensor development. Key areas include nucleic acid screening, thrombosis diagnostics, and translational medical applications.

Education: Studied Life Sciences at ETH Zurich (BSc 1984), earned a Diploma (MSc equivalent) in Cellular Biochemistry (1989) and a PhD in Protein Translocation (1994). Postdoctoral work included pioneering single-molecule techniques at UC Berkeley under Prof. Carlos Bustamante.

Research Themes:

• Single molecule mechanics and biosensing
• Nanomechanical diagnostic platforms for clinical use
• Protein translocation and ribosomal dynamics
• MiRNA/siRNA pharmacokinetics
• Collaborations with hospitals (St. James, Lund) and institutes (Swiss Tropical Institute)

Labs & Teams: Directs the Nanobio-Nanomechanics Group with ~2 researchers, emphasizing interdisciplinary innovation in nanobiotechnology. Current projects include next-gen in vitro diagnostics and label-free immunoassays for malaria and SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Teaching & Mentorship: Contributes to TCD's physics curriculum and supervises postgraduate research in biophysics, nanotechnology, and analytical instrumentation.