Tribute to Christian PIERALLI : A Leading Researcher at the Intersection of Science and Medicine

A visionary researcher at the CNRS within the FEMTO-ST Institute, Christian passed away on May 8, 2026, after a career dedicated to optical technological innovation in the service of life sciences and medicine.

Initially torn between medicine and the sciences, Christian Pieralli ultimately chose to pursue physics. After successfully defending his doctoral thesis in 1989 on 3D image processing, he joined the CNRS that same year as a member of the P.M. Duffieux Laboratory (later integrated inFEMTO-ST). A pioneer at heart, he quickly made a name for himself through his groundbreaking work on the digital processing of near-field microscopy images, before expanding his research to include fluorescence, nano-optics, and microsystems, enriched by international collaborations in Singapore and Japan.

At the Heart of Biomedicalization: Bridging Physics and Health

In 2000, Christian realized his dual ambition by applying his specialized expertise to the field of medicine. His interdisciplinary contributions have had a lasting impact on the healthcare sector:

Assisted reproduction: Pioneering work on in vitro fertilization (IVF), recognized with a Micron d’Or award in 2006.

Diagnostics and Safety: The development of biochips for viral detection in newborns and the safety of blood transfusions (Award for Best Poster at the 2011 Biosensors and Bioelectronics Conference).

Clinical Applications: Research in dermatology, urology, and cellular imaging.

Fighting Cancer: His active participation, beginning in 2014, in a quality control program for new cancer treatments, which was recognized with the award for best paper at the Biodevices conference in 2020.

A remarkable institutional and human commitment

Beyond his achievements in the laboratory, Christian Pieralli was a pillar of the regional and national scientific community. A longtime member of the National Committee for Scientific Research and an expert on the Research Tax Credit, he also worked behind the scenes on public policy. As Deputy Regional Delegate for Research and Technology, he played a key role as a facilitator and expert in fostering innovative projects between public research and the business community in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and the Grand Est region.

Christian Pieralli has left an indelible mark on the history of the FEMTO-ST Institute and on everyone who had the privilege of crossing paths with him. To his colleagues and loved ones, he remains an endless source of inspiration and, to some, a loyal friend.

The Nanosciences group selected by Omicron for their Result of the Month

Omicron, a private company that manufactures surface tunneling microscopes (STM), has selected a paper of the Nanosciences group that recently appeared in Physical Review Letters as its Result of the Month for October 2008.
Read more
Omicron sélectionne des résultats du groupe Nanosciences pour son résultat du mois d'octobre

La société Omicron, qui fabrique des microscopes STM, a choisi de présenter un article du groupe Nanosciences de l'équipe MINANO paru dans Physical Review Letters comme résultat du mois d'octobre.
Read more
Micronora 2008 : Micron d’or et micro-vache

Ce fut l’une des attractions au salon Micronora de Besançon : la plus petite vache du monde pèse 830 nanogrammes, soit 10 % du poids d’un grain de sable. Les 5 pièces de cette micro-vache en résine souple et transparente à la lumière ont été montées en moins d’une heure à l’aide de la station de micro assemblage Pronomia de FEMTO-ST qui a reçue un Micron d’Or 2008.
Read more
FEMTO-ST dans le classement des meilleurs laboratoires français de l’EXPRESS

Dans l'édition de l'hebdomadaire l'EXPRESS du 12 juin, FEMTO-ST figure dans la liste des unités de recherche d'excellence en France.
Read more
FEMTO-Innovation au Salon Européen de la Recherche et de l’Innovation

FEMTO-Innovation était présent au Salon Européen de la Recherche et de l’Innovation sur le stand de l'association des instituts Carnot les 5, 6 et 7 juin dernier à la Porte de Versailles à Paris (Stand B2 – Hall 5.1).
Read more
FEMTO-Innovation au salon EPMT

FEMTO-Innovation était présent à la deuxième édition du salon EMPT qui s'est tenu à Lausanne du 3 au 6 juin 2008 dernier et qui a réuni plus d'une centaine d'acteurs impliqués dans les domaines d'application des micro et nanotechnologies.
Read more
Clinical Proteomics in Oncology

Dear Colleague,

The French Institute of Cancer (Canceropole Grand-Est) and the CLIPP Proteomic Platform (Dijon, Besançon) organize the 2nd international conference entitled "Clinical Proteomics in Oncology" in Dijon (France) on July 3rd and 4th , 2008.
Read more
Journée FEMTO-ST / Energie à Belfort le 15 mai

Les enjeux liés à l’énergie revêtent un caractère de plus en plus primordial. C’est pourquoi, avec nos partenaires industriels, nous avons organisé le jeudi 15 mai 2008 au Centre Atria de Belfort, une journée pour présenter les défis scientifiques et technologiques ainsi que nos activités de R&D dans le secteur de l’énergie.
Read more
Clinical Proteomics in Oncology

The French Institute of Cancer (Canceropole Grand-Est) and the CLIPP Proteomic Platform (Dijon, Besançon) organize the 2nd international conference entitled "Clinical Proteomics in Oncology" in Dijon (France) on July 3rd and 4th , 2008.
Read more
Room temperature stable molecules adsorbed on semi-conductors

The « nanosciences » group has demonstrated for the first time that conjugated organic molecules can be observed on semi-conducting substrates at room temperature, whether they are isolated or self-organized.
Read more