Professor Lloyd Hollenberg from the University of Melbourne’s School of Physics who led the research said it is the first time a single atom encased in nanodiamond has been used as a sensor to explore the nanoscale environment inside a living human cell. “It is exciting to see how the atom experiences the biological environment at the nanoscale,” he said. “This research paves the way towards a new class of quantum sensors used for biological research into the development of new drugs and nanomedicine.”
