Research Interests

Daria Ioana Stoia is a PhD student in Physics and a member of the NLMC group for 6 years, where she has realized both her bachelor's and master's thesis. Her ongoing research interest is focused on two different topics. The first one is based on the development and implementation of an efficient antibacterial smart-wound patch based on antimicrobial peptides-functionalized gold nanoparticles, promoting soft tissue and wound healing. Secondly, her latest research interest focuses on the development and implementation of a gold nanoparticle-based aptasensor, able to act both as SERS-based and MEF-based biosensors for specific cardiac biomarker detection.

Expertise

• Synthesis, optimization and spectroscopic characterization of protein-based nanoparticles, hybrid polymeric microcapsules and graphen-based nanomaterials.
• Biofunctionalization of Nanoparticles/Microcapsules for targeted delivery, dual therapy and fluorescent contrast agents.
• Design of gold nanoparticles with tunable LSPR response as efficient phototherapeutic agents. 
• Spectroscopic techniques: UV-Vis spectroscopy, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy, DLS, Zeta potential, Raman spectroscopy and SERS. 
• Optical microscopy: conventional fluorescence microscopy, confocal Raman microscopy (Xplora). 

International visibility

• Co-author of 8 ISI articles, five as main author
• Co-author of two book chapters; World Scientific Publishing and Springer
• Over 20 international conference participation and 3 international summer schools
• Key member in 5 research projects

Most Relevant Publications

Investigation of local field enhancement near plain and shell-coated gold nanospheres for the optimization of surface enhanced spectroscopy, A. M. Craciun, D. Stoia, A. Azziz, S. Astilean, M. Focsan, M. Lamy de la Chapelle, RSC Advances, 2025

Unveiling DNA Hybridization Dynamics via High-Sensitive SERS Detection: Insights into Conformational Changes and Oligonucleotides Length Effects, D. Stoia, D. Maniu, M. Potara, A. M. Craciun, M. Edely, S. Grecu, A. Timar-Gabor, S. Astilean, M. Focsan, M. Lamy de la Chapelle, Journal of Physical Chemistry - Nature Index 2025, (Front Cover of Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters) 

A Graphene-Poly(methacrylic acid)-Gold bipyramids hybrid plasmonic nanocomposite for in vitro bioimaging and photothermal therapy, D. Stoia, E. Fazio, C. Corsaro, A. Campu, O. Soritau, A. M. Craciun, G. Chereches, M. Focsan, G. Neri, A. Piperno, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2025

Recent Advances Towards Point-of-Care Devices for Fungal Detection: Emphasizing the Role of Plasmonic Nanomaterials in Current and Future Technologies, D. Stoia, L. De Sio, F. Petronella, M. Focsan, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2024

NIR phtothermal-activable drug-conjugated microcapsules for in vitro targeted delivery and release: an alternative treatment of diabetic retinopathy, D. Stoia, M. Nistor, M. Suciu, R. Borlan, A. Campu, D. Rugina, D. Maniu, S. Astilean, M. Focsan, Int. J. Pharm, 2023.

Hybrid polymeric therapeutic microcarriers for thermoplasmonic-triggered release of resveratrol, D. Stoia, R. Pop, A. Campu, M. Nistor, S. Astilean, A. Pintea, M. Suciu, D. Rugina, M. Focsan, Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 2022.

Fluorescent Phthalocyanine-Encapsulated Bovine Serum Albumin Nanoparticles : Their Deployment as Therapeutic Agents in the NIR Region, R. Borlan, D. Stoia, L. Gaina, A. Campu, G. Marc, M. Perde-Schrepler, M. Silion, D. Maniu, M. Focsan and S. Astilean, Molecules 2021.

Antibody-functionalized theranostic protein nanoparticles for the synergistic deep red fluorescence imaginbg and multimodal therapy of ovarian cancer, R. Borlan, M. Focsan, M. Perde-Schrepler, O. Soritau, A. Campu, L. Gaina, E. Pall, B. Pop, O. Baldasici, C. Gherman, D. Stoia, D.Maniu and S. Astilean, Biomater. Sci., 2021.