The Quantum Technologies group at the University of Murcia (UMU), led by Professor Javier Prior from the Faculty of Physics, has achieved an innovative and promising advance by introducing nanodiamonds with quantum sensors in human cells, achieving unprecedented precision in medical diagnosis. . This technology will allow the platform developed by Prior’s team to detect cellular abnormalities in their earliest stages and act as an early warning system to identify diseases, before the patient shows the first symptoms.
“Currently we have different platforms for the development of quantum technologies. Specifically, the one we developed at the University of Murcia consists of controlling the electron of a nitrogen atom implanted inside a diamond. Among the advantages of this platform, known as NV (Nitrogen-Vacancy) centers, is its ability to operate at room temperature, its robustness and its bio-compatibility, which allows it to be used inside living organisms,” Prior stated in a note published by the university.
The research focuses on “the development of quantum sensors applicable to medicine,” says Prior, who explains: “Having sensors capable of detecting the presence of individual molecules will allow us to diagnose diseases at an early stage. “We are currently working on the development of Nuclear Magnetic Resonators on a nanometric scale, which will allow us to detect the presence of individual molecules that should not be in the body and that will act as ‘snitches’ for the disease.”
“Life expectancy currently increases thanks, mainly, to three aspects: new treatments, prevention through healthy habits and, finally, early and personified diagnosis of the disease. And it is in this last direction where quantum physics plays a very important role today with the development of quantum sensors,” highlights the director of the Quantum Technologies team.
A move towards personalized precision medicine
Prior’s team uses nanodiamonds that incorporate this quantum platform to study inflammatory processes inside cells, related to the development of various diseases. “The biocompatibility of our quantum sensors allows us to introduce them into cells in vivo, giving us the opportunity to observe what is happening inside them. This technology allows us to advance in what is known today as personified precision medicine, taking it to its limits thanks to quantum physics,” Prior highlights.
“Having sensors capable of detecting the presence of individual molecules will allow us to diagnose diseases at an early stage”
Mastery of this platform places Spain in a prominent position in the development of applied quantum technologies, especially in the field of health, where “quantum sensors are revolutionizing medicine,” says the UMU researcher.
Prior’s team is in negotiations to found Qlab, a technology company that will develop an innovative quantum sensor concept known as a Lab-in-chip. This device, which operates under quantum principles, will allow samples of body microfluidics to be analyzed, even reaching domestic use.
In this case, a channel of about 100 nanometers is incorporated into the diamond, facilitating the precise analysis of microsamples, with results comparable to those of a blood test or a biopsy. This system could be applied to the body through implants, injections or, in the case of the brain, through a helmet that measures neuronal electrical fields.
Source: University of Murcia
