This is a photo of nano-diamonds using an optical microscope. The purpose is to characterize the size of nano-diamonds. Credit: Photo by Ewa Rej, the University of Sydney
They reveal how a nanoscale, synthetic version of the precious gem can light up early-stage cancers in non-toxic, non-invasive MRI scans. “We knew nano diamonds were of interest for delivering drugs during chemotherapy because they are largely non-toxic and non-reactive,” says Professor Reilly.
“We thought we could build on these non-toxic properties realising that diamonds have magnetic characteristics enabling them to act as beacons in MRIs. We effectively turned a pharmaceutical problem into a physics problem.”
Professor Reilly’s team turned its attention to hyperpolarising nano-diamonds, a process of aligning atoms in...
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