Quantum-enabled NV-based sensing in biomedical applications

Nanodiamonds hosting negatively charged nitrogen–vacancy (NV⁻) centres have emerged as powerful and versatile quantum enabled sensors. Their solid state spins can be optically addressed under biologically relevant conditions, combining exceptional spin coherence with inherent biocompatibility. In addition, nanodiamond surfaces can be chemically functionalised, enabling targeted interactions with living systems and intracellular localisation, and allowing nanodiamonds to act simultaneously as nanoscale sensors and delivery platforms.

This talk provides a brief overview of existing NV based quantum sensing modalities and focuses in particular on T₁ relaxometry for the detection of paramagnetic species. I will discuss its application in cell biology to probe free radicals (FRs), primarily reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which play crucial roles in cellular signalling and homeostasis. Despite their importance, free radicals remain poorly characterised as biomarkers due to their short lifetimes and high reactivity, making them difficult to detect using conventional methodologies.

I will present selected examples of biologically and clinically relevant processes in which the role of free radicals has been investigated using NV based T₁ relaxometry. Finally, I will discuss future directions for nanodiamond based quantum sensing and its potential to open new perspectives in cell biology, drug screening, and clinical diagnostics.