Dr Hannah Seferovic

Hannah Seferovic is a PhD graduate in Biophysics from Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz, Austria. Her doctoral research focused on therapeutic antibodies and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, where she explored single-molecule interactions and dynamics using single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) and high-speed atomic force microscopy (AFM). During her PhD, she also collaborated with medical doctors to study the efficacy of ophthalmic surgical techniques using AFM nano-indentation. Her work on therapeutic antibodies was published last year in Nature Communications.

Currently, Hannah is a postdoctoral researcher at JKU Linz, where she works on a collaborative research project with international academic and industrial partners focusing on the characterization of electrode materials for battery technology. She employs advanced techniques like AFM and Shear Force Microwave Microscopy (SF-MM), a method that combines mechanical shear force resonance with microwave signals to probe surface topography and electrical material properties. Through these techniques, Hannah investigates material changes during battery ageing, which is critical for optimizing battery design and extending its operational lifetime.

Hannah Seferovic

Recent AFM-related papers:

• Seferovic H., Sticht P., Hain L., Zhu R., Diethör S., Wechselberger C., Weber F., Bernhard D., Plochberger B., Oh Y.J., Chaparro-Riggers J. & Hinterdorfer P.  (2025) Nanomechanical binding mechanism of ligands drives agonistic activity Nature Communications 16(1):6674

• Reifeltshammer S.A., Seferovic H., Nambiar M.H., Büchler P., Seiler T.G., Wendelstein J., Bolz M., Hinterdorfer P., Oh Y.J. & Fischinger I. (2025) Comparative Analysis of Two Measurement Modalities for Ex Vivo Analysis of Corneal Stiffness in Porcine Corneas Bioengineering 12(12):1308

• Park C., Kim K., Kim Y., Zhu R., Hain L., Seferovic H., Kim M., Woo H.J., Hwang H., Lee S.H., Kim S., Lee J.E., Hinterdorfer P., Ko K., Park S. & Oh Y.J. (2024) Plant-derived anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 antibody suppresses trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer with enhanced nanoscale binding ACS Nano 18(25):16126-16140

• Zhu R., Canena D., Sikora M., Klausberger M., Seferovic H., Mehdipour A.R., Hain L., Laurent E., Monteil V., Wirnsberger G., Wieneke R., Tampé R., Kienzl N.F., Mach L., Mirazimi A., Oh Y.J., Penninger J.M., Hummer G. & Hinterdorfer P. (2022) Force-tuned avidity of spike variant-ACE2 interactions viewed on the single-molecule level Nature Communications 13:7926

• Alkhalde A., Seferovic H., Abri A., Simbrunner A., Hinterdorfer P. & Oh Y.J. (2022) Assessment of efficacy of a novel crosslinking protocol with intracameral oxygen (Bubble-CXL) in increasing the corneal stiffness using atomic force microscopy Nanomaterials 12(18):3185

• Leitner M., Seferovic H., Stainer S., Buchroithner B., Schwalb C.H., Deutschinger A. & Ebner A. (2020) Atomic force microscopy imaging in turbid liquids: A promising tool in nanomedicine Sensors 20(13):3715

Biography: Hannah has a BSc in Technical Physics and switched to Biophysics for her MSc and PhD. During her MSc she worked on a self-sensing cantilever AFM system for use in turbid liquids such as blood. She then completed her PhD in the Experimental Biophysics group at JKU Linz, where she studied single-molecule interactions in the context of viral infections and therapeutic antibodies for cancer treatment. After a career break to explore Central and South America for several months, Hannah started her postdoctoral work in the Nanoelectronics group at JKU Linz, where she is now focusing on electrode material characterisation for battery research. In 2026, alongside her postdoctoral research, Hannah also launched her journey as a solopreneur, working as a freelance scientific and medical writer.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seferovic/

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