Nanodiamond-based quantum sensors to understand scar formation in heart

Hvad går øvelsen ud på?

Cells of the heart tissue are exposed to various chemical and mechanical signals. These signals are triggering cardiac cell response, which under certain conditions can lead to scar formation and therefore dysfunction of heart.

Currently, we are trying to understand mechanisms of these processes. We know that free radicals (reactive oxygen and nitrogen species) are crucial in passing through the cell the stimulatory signals.

However, we do not know how exactly that happens as free radicals are short-lived and generated in a very low quantities inside the cells.

This is why we are developing nanodiamond-based quantum sensors that can detect free radicals inside cells in real time. In this exercise you will determine how different stimuli influence generation of free radicals in real time and how that may affect scar formation in the heart.

Hvordan foregår øvelsen?

On the day of the exercise, you will receive an introduction to the exercise as well as a lecture on the theory behind the exercise.

In the laboratory, we will work with cardiac cells stimulated by different chemical and mechanical stimuli to transform them into scare forming cell type. The effect of stimulation on generation of free radicals inside the cells during their transformation will be assessed using nanodiamond-based quantum microscopy.

You will prepare the samples with nanodiamonds and use microscope to measure free radicals inside the cells.

Then you will review the results with the lecturers.

Time has been set aside to do data processing during the day, but it may have to be completed at home.

Hvilke faciliteter kommer du til at bruge?

You will work in the Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance by Optics. Here you have the opportunity to learn how to set up cell culture, treat cells with nanodiamond probes and perform nanodiamond-based quantum microscopy.