Sophie Hernot and Hans Ingelberts made contributions at the Advanced Optics for Biotechnology, Medicine, and Surgery meeting in Tomar, Portugal, held from October 15 to 19, 2023. Sophie Hernot shared the findings from the VUB-MITH team, unveiling nanobody-based fluorescent contrast agents designed for swift and precise intra-operative tumor visualization. Meanwhile, Hans Ingelberts provided insights into the latest advancements from the engineering team at VUB-ETRO, presenting a time-domain fluorescence imaging system for the simultaneous imaging of ICG and targeted NIR tracers.