• 2023 - CS I Monica Focsan and master student Daria Stoia were awarded the Excellentia Teacher and Excellentia Student prizes at The Xth edition of the Excellentia Awards, Babes-Bolyai University       
  • 2023 - The Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy Center, led by Prof. Dr. Simion Aștilean, was awarded the "Experienced Researchers - Teams" trophy at the 1st  Romanian Research Gala organized by the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest on 31th of January 2023 - details (starting from 1:30:00)
  • 2022 - The results obtained in the project PN-III-P4-ID-PCCF-2016-0142, entitled "New Targeted Optical Imaging NanoProbes for Near-Infrared (NIR) Real-Time (RT) Image-Guided Surgery of Ovarian Cancer" were disseminated in media on reportermedical.ro - details
  • 2022 - Bachelor students Madalina Tudor, Mihnea Moruz and Vlad Cucuiet, coordinated by CS I Monica Focsan, were awarded with 1 year Special Scholarships for Research Activity, from Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca.
  • 2022 - Prof. Dr. Simion Aștilean has been elected as a correspondent member of the Romanian Academy (Physical Science section), being included within the world's top 2% of the most cited researchers in the applied physics domain - in particular nanoscience and nanotechnology - details
  • 2022 - Student Madalina-Maria Tudor was awarded with Best Poster Presentation Award at 17th National Conference of Biophysics, Tg. Mures, Romania, 23-25 September 2022. 
  • 2022 - PhD Andreea Campu was awarded with Best Presentation Award and Certificate of Attendance and Appreciation for Session Chair activity at ICMLC 2022: XVI. International Conference on Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip, 23-24 June 2022.


  • 2022 - Student Markus Zetes was awarded with the Best Poster Presentation Award at International Conference of Analytical and Nanoanalytical Methods for Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, IC-ANMBES 2022, Brasov, Romania, 8-10 June 2022 - details
  • 2021 - Master students Daria Stoia and Markus Zetes, coordinated by CS I Monica Focsan and CS III Ana-Maria Craciun, respectively, were awarded with 1 year Special Scholarships for Research Activity, from Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca.
  • 2021 - PhD Andreea Campu was awarded with Danubius Young Scientist Award, 2021 - for Romania - details
  • 2021  - The article "Gold nanoclusters performing as contrast agents for non-invasive imaging of tissue-like phantom via two-photon excited fluorescence lifetime imaging" , A.-M. Hada, A. M. Craciun, S. Astilean, published in Analyst, 2021, 146, 7126-7130 has been featured on the back cover of the article's issue.
  • 2021 - The national patent "Microfluidic Plasmonic Device based on Gold Bipiyamidal Nanoparticles" by Monica Focsan, Andreea Campu, Simion Astilean, Teodora Murariu, Ioan Turcu, was awarded with Gold Medal at EuroInvent 13th edition, Iasi, Romania.                                                                                               
  • 2020 -  Prof. Dr. Simion Astilean was awarded with an Excellence Diploma in Scientific Research for high-level International visibility, from Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. 
  • 2020 - CS I Monica Focsan was awarded with an Excellence Diploma in Scientific Research from Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. 
  • 2020  - CS I Sanda Boca-Farcău was awarded with L’Oreal -UNESCO Fellowship “Women in Science”, section Physical Sciences - details
  • 2020 - We are happy to announce that 4 project proposals have been accepted for funding in the National 2019 UEFISCDI Human Resources competitions:  Young Research Teams projects (CS I Monica Focsan and CSIII Ana-Maria Craciun) and Postdoctoral Research projects (PhD Sorina Suarasan and PhD Andra-Sorina Tatar).  
  • 2020 - CS I Monica Focsan and CS II Monica Potara were awarded with Intern Advanced Fellowships from Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology- STAR-UBB Institute.
  • 2020 - CS III Ana-Maria Craciun received Special Mention award and an Excellence Diploma in the national contest “The Rada Mihalcea Awards for Young Researchers in Science and Engineering”, 6th edition, Cluj-Napoca - details
  • 2019 - CS I Cosmin Farcau was awarded with an Excellence Diploma in Scientific Research from Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. 
  • 2018 - CS I Monica Focsan was awarded with “Constantin Miculescu prize” of the Romanian Academy.
  • 2018 - CS I Monica Focsan was awarded with an Advanced Fellowship from Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology- STAR-UBB Institute.
  • 2017 - CS I Cosmin Farcau was awarded 1st place and received an Excellence Diploma in the national contest “The Rada Mihalcea Awards for Young Researchers in Science and Engineering”, 3rd edition, Cluj-Napoca - details

Source of photo: abcnewstransilvania.ro

  • 2017 - CS I Sanda Boca-Farcau received Special Mention award and an Excellence Diploma in the national contest “The Rada Mihalcea Awards for Young Researchers in Science and Engineering”, 3rd edition, Cluj-Napoca - details
  • 2017 - CS I Cosmin Farcau was awarded with an Advanced Fellowship from Institute for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology- STAR-UBB Institute.
  • 2017 - CS III Ana-Maria Craciun was awarded with an Excellence Diploma in Scientific Research from Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca.
  • 2016 - CS I Monica Focsan was awarded 2nd place and received an Excellence Diploma in the national contest “The Rada Mihalcea Awards for Young Researchers in Science and Engineering”, 2nd edition, Cluj-Napoca - details

 Source of photo: primariaclujnapoca.ro

  • 2016 - CS I Monica Focsan was awarded with an Excellence Diploma in Scientific Research from Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca.
  • 2016 - CS I Monica Focsan was awarded with L’Oreal -UNESCO Fellowship “Women in Science”, section Physical Sciences - details

Source of photos: revistabiz.ro

  • 2015 - CS II Monica Potara was awarded with an Excellence Diploma in Scientific Research from Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca.

    ISI journal covers featuring scientific articles published in our group
  • 2013 - The project “Biofunctional nanoparticles for development of new methods of imaging, sensing, diagnostic and therapy in biological environment (CNCSIS ID_PCCE 129/2008, Prof. Dr. Simion Astilean as principal investigator) is featured in UEFISCDI brochure entitled: "Stories about Complex IDEA projects and successful people" – http://uefiscdi.gov.ro/articole/3465/Povesti-despre-IDEI-complexe-si-oameni-de-succes.html.