Project description
Achieving sub-cellular magnetic resonance
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are powerful diagnostic tools for analysing chemical and biological systems, yet they suffer from poor signal intensity due to low spin polarisation. To address this, the ERC-funded NMR-NANOTUBES project will develop a novel platform based on quantum nanotubes to improve NMR and MRI sensitivity. To do so, it will leverage the unique architecture of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) as sensitive quantum sensors, combined with hyperpolarisation techniques that will enable detection of metabolic and structural changes at the nanoscale. By introducing BNNT nanoprobes into living cells, it will also demonstrate sub-cellular NMR microscopy – a powerful, non-invasive tool to explore intracellular processes with nanoscale resolution.
Objective
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offer profound insights into chemistry and life sciences but are limited by their low sensitivity due to weak nuclear spin polarization under ambient conditions. NMR-NANOTUBES addresses these challenges with Boron Nitride Nanotubes containing optically active spin defects (C@BNNTs), an absolute novelty in the landscape of quantum technologies. Building on my expertise in magnetic resonance spectroscopy, quantum sensing, and spin defects in boron nitride materials, I aim to leverage these systems to develop:
1) Hyperpolarization Technology: C@BNNTs, with their highly porous nanostructure and densely packed optically polarized electronic spins, provide exceptional potential for efficient electron-to-nuclear polarization transfer. This enables amplification of nuclear spin polarization far beyond thermal limits under ambient conditions. By addressing the limitations of previous solid-state quantum technologies, I will establish a platform to demonstrate: a) Hyperpolarization and high-resolution NMR detection at the nanoscale; b) Bulk hyperpolarization of nuclear spins in solvents and metabolites, enhancing accessibility of metabolic MR for biomedical applications.
2) Sub-Cellular NMR: C@BNNTs are spin-active, photoluminescent nanoprobes whose fluorescence encodes magnetic signals from nuclear spins, enabling optical NMR detection. By introducing these systems into living cells, I will demonstrate sub-cellular NMR microscopy, enabling spatially resolved detection of 1H signals from intracellular water and 19F signals from labeled probes and metabolites. This innovative approach will provide a powerful tool for exploring intracellular processes with nanoscale resolution in physiological environment.
NMR-NANOTUBES combines quantum-enhanced NMR with nanotechnology, creating a transformative tool for chemistry, biology, and medicine, and paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries in the life sciences.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology nanotechnology
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry metalloids
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2025-COG
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80333 Muenchen
Germany
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