Michel Orrit

Michel Orrit has laid the foundation for single-molecule optics. He developed a sensitive technique that uses laser light at specific wavelengths to illuminate individual molecules. At first, he was only able to study fluorescent molecules, but he later broadened the technique so that it also worked for ‘dark’ molecules. One of his most recent achievements is the use of gold nanoparticles to scan the conditions in a cell. Orrit’s methods enable scientists to unravel many different physical and chemical processes in living matter. In 2017 he was awarded NWO’s Spinoza Prize, the Netherlands’ most prestigious science award.