Genetically encoded quantum sensors for physiological signals

The investigation of biochemical processes in living cells is usually carried out using fluorescent proteins that change their fluorescence due to chemical interactions. As this changes the local concentrations of the reaction partners, the measurement interferes with the physiological process. As a solution, a genetically encoded quantum sensor (GEQS) is to be developed that can detect cellular pollutants using magnetic interactions.

The aim is to detect reactive oxygen species, which contribute to the development of neuronal diseases, in vivo for the first time without disturbing pathophysiological processes.

The idea is that the spin states of a fluorescent protein, and thus its fluorescence, change in the presence of oxygen radicals with a magnetic moment. The sensor will first be tested in motor neurons of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and then transferred to human neurons. This work will contribute to the understanding of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.

Prof. Dr. Elke Neu-Ruffing, Prof. Dr. Jan Pielage and Prof. Dr. Volker Scheuss at the RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau are involved in the project.