Free radicals in cells have a very complicated role in viral infections. While some researchers point toward their usefulness in mediating viral infections, others conclude the exact opposite and claim that there are detrimental effects. Their exact role seems to depend on the cell/animal type as well as the type of viruses. However free radicals are difficult to measure for the state of the art since they are short lived and reactive. Here we used diamond magnetometry for the first time to address this issues. This method offers unparalleled sensitivity, resolution, and the possibility of real-time long-duration measurements. More specifically, we used relaxometry which allows detection of radicals in single living cells.
Furthermore, we investigated the potential of diamond magnetometry in clinical diagnostics and drug development by demonstrating the FR detection in synovial fluid of arthritis patients. These measurements laid the ground stone for further studies to exploit this new technique to further understand viral infection as well as in the clinic.