It has always been challenging for scientists to measure the temperature at a nanoscale, especially on living organisms as there are no precise and reliable nanothermometers available.
But recently, a team of researchers has developed a quantum thermometer to measure the temperature on a nanoscale size. They used this novel technology to observe a 'fever' in tiny nematode worms that is under pharmacological treatment.
The technology helps in novel thermal imaging technologies in biomedical research and further strengthens the connection between biology and quantum sensing.
Live Imaging of Microscopic Organisms
An international team of scientists from Osaka City University has collaborated with other international partners to publish their study in the journal Science Advances, which is about a microscope-based thermometer that can measure the temperature of live, microscopic organisms based on quantum technology using nanodiamonds.
Usually, an optical microscope is used in analyzing microscopic organisms. It is the most basic tool used in biology to allow the naked eye to see microscopic structures. But in a modern laboratory, scientists frequently use a fluorescence microscope which is an enhanced version of the optical microscope.
Due to recent advancements in microscopes like the fluorescence microscopy, it allowed for live imaging of the details of a microscopic structure. In addition, it also allowed scientists to obtain various physiological parameters like the pH level, reactive oxygen species, and temperature.
Quantum sensing is the technology that uses the quantum system, properties, and phenomena to measure a physical quantity. Examples of quantum spins in fluorescent diamonds are the high-contrast MRIs which are considered to be the most advanced quantum systems working applied in real-life settings.
Seven years ago, applications of this technique to thermal biology were used to quantify temperatures inside the culture cells. But this is not yet applied to dynamic biological systems where biological processes are actively influenced by heat ad temperature.
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Quantum Thermometer Finds Fever in C. Elegans
The team of scientists used polymer structures to decorate the surface of the nanodiamonds and injected them into the tiny C. elegans nematode worms, one of the commonly used organisms in experiments. They wanted to know what is the "base" temperature of these worms to be considered healthy.
The nanodiamonds moved quickly once it was inside the worms, but the novel quantum thermometry algorithm of the researchers tracked them and steadily measured their temperature. The scientists were able to induce fever within the C.elegans by stimulating their mitochondria using a pharmacological treatment, in which they successfully recorded an increase of temperature in the worms using a quantum thermometer.
Osaka City University's Masazumi Fujiwara, a lecturer at the university's Department of Science, said that it was fascinating to see quantum technology work so well in live organisms. He added that he never thought that the temperature of the worm, a size less than 1mm, could deviate from normal and develop into a fever.
This goes to say that their findings are a significant breakthrough that will guide the future direction of quantum sensing as it shows how it can contribute to understanding and discovering more in biology.
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