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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
09:53
High-Resolution Respirometry to Assess Bioenergetics in Cells and Tissues Using Chamber- and Plate-Based Respirometers
Published on: October 26, 2021
A quantum interface with mitochondrial bioenergetics
Parisa Aghaei1, Sangjun Noh1, Javier Noé Ramos-Silva1
1Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|July 17, 2026
Summary
Scientists engineered a new quantum sensor using biological qubits to monitor cellular energy production within mitochondria. This sensor tracks the redox state, offering a novel way to study cell bioenergetics and differentiate cell types.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Biology
- Biophysics
- Cellular Metabolism
Background:
- Genetically engineered proteins can function as quantum bits (qubits) in biological systems.
- These qubits utilize flavin photochemistry, creating spin-correlated radical pairs sensitive to magnetic fields.
- The qubit's fluorescence is linked to the flavin's redox state, connecting quantum sensing to cellular biochemistry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel quantum sensor for probing cellular bioenergetic states.
- To engineer a biological qubit that interfaces with mitochondrial function.
- To establish a quantum readout for mitochondrial redox status.
Main Methods:
- Genetic engineering of flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-containing fluorescent proteins (biological qubits).
- Targeted translocation of engineered proteins into the mitochondrial matrix.
- Confocal and super-resolution microscopy for localization.
- Pharmacological manipulation of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and monitoring magneto-fluorescence.
Main Results:
- The mtMagLOV2 sensor localized to mitochondrial cristae, the site of OXPHOS.
- Sensor magneto-fluorescence directly tracked the mitochondrial flavin redox state.
- Demonstrated "quantum bioenergetic profiling" by differentiating cancer cells from cardiomyocytes based on OXPHOS reliance.
Conclusions:
- Biological qubits can be utilized as quantum sensors to probe mitochondrial bioenergetics.
- This approach provides a quantum window into the energetic machinery of living cells.
- Coupling quantum redox sensitivity to biochemical targets expands quantum technology applications in life sciences.
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