Proteins can be selectively controlled with radio waves
5 hours ago
- #biotechnology
- #protein-sensors
- #quantum-sensing
- Proteins, specifically light-sensitive flavoproteins like cryptochrome, can function as quantum sensors when irradiated with blue light, generating spin-correlated radical pairs sensitive to magnetic fields.
- Researchers demonstrated that radio waves can alter the luminescence of these proteins, allowing control over their quantum states and enabling them to act as magnetic field sensors with optical readout.
- These protein-based quantum sensors offer advantages over solid-state sensors, as they can be genetically produced, tailored, and potentially integrated directly into cells or tissue for biosensing applications.
- The technology opens up prospects for remotely controlling biological processes, such as gene expression, with radio waves, and could be used for imaging living systems like cells, tissues, or organs.
- The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, represents basic research with near-term biotechnological potential, involving collaboration across multiple institutions including TUM, University of Freiburg, and University of Marburg.