A nematode worm viewed with an electron microscope STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/Getty Images/Science Photo Library
A quantum sensor that uses tiny diamonds implanted inside a living animal could be used to study cellular processes in minute detail or eventually detect diseases such as cancer.
The most common ways to image cells involve adding fluorescent dyes or nanoparticles and using the light these give off to measure and map cellular processes. But these methods can falter if the markers damage the cells or change cellular conditions, such as the acidity or thickness of cellular fluid.
