Quantum tools set to transform life science

Chiba, Japan, January 12, 2026—A team at Japan’s National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) has published a field-defining Perspective that places the societal payoff of quantum technologies front and center: earlier disease detection, faster drug development, and new routes to clean energy. Their study has been published online in the journal ACS Nano on December 18, 2025. By integrating breakthroughs in sensing, imaging, and quantum biology, the authors argue that quantum life science—an emerging discipline that QST launched ahead of the world—is ready to move from niche facilities to widespread applications across diverse fields.

Their roadmap highlights three pillars that illustrate how new quantum technologies allow us to see life and learn from quantum effects within it:

1. Nanoscale quantum biosensors, especially fluorescent nanodiamonds hosting nitrogen-vacancy centers, can read out temperature, pH, and magnetic and electric fields inside living cells. These biocompatible sensors, whose electron spins can be controlled and read optically, provide real-time views of cellular microenvironments that conventional tools cannot capture. Potential uses include monitoring how a patient’s cells respond to therapy and guiding regenerative medicine.
2. Hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) amplifies inherently weak magnetic resonance signals by more than 10,000-fold, enabling direct, time-resolved imaging of metabolism deep inside tissues. This approach is already revealing tumor metabolism and promises real-time metabolic tracking with emerging probes and cost-cutting polarization methods—key steps toward routine clinical use.
3. Quantum biology offers engineering cues from nature, inspiring biomimetic sensors and catalysts. By unraveling mechanisms such as high-efficiency energy transfer in photosynthesis and quantum tunneling in enzyme reactions, researchers aim to design systems for clean energy, including oxygen-tolerant hydrogen production for fuel cells.

“Our goal is to make quantum tools useful where it matters most—at the bedside and in the lab,” says Dr. Hiroshi Yukawa, Project Director at the Institute for Quantum Life Science (iQLS), QST. “With cell-scale diamond sensors and practical hyperpolarized MRI, clinicians could see biology as it happens and tailor treatments in real time.”

“We envision wearable devices equipped with diamond-based quantum sensors that can monitor temperature and chemical markers in real time—without invasive tests—transforming cancer diagnostics, brain disorder studies, regenerative medicine, and aging research,” says Dr. Yoshinobu Baba, Director General of iQLS. Dr. Hidetoshi Kono, Deputy Director General of iQLS, adds, “Beyond elucidating the quantum phenomena occurring in our bodies, our vision is to make quantum life science part of everyday healthcare by bringing quantum tools from the lab to the bedside.”

QST established iQLS, the world’s first dedicated institute for quantum life science. The authors emphasize that advancing this field requires more than technological breakthroughs—it demands strong investment in human capital. They stress that training the next generation of specialists is essential to accelerate the transition from research labs to real-world applications in healthcare and industry.

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Reference
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c14828

About National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Japan
The National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) was established in April 2016 to promote quantum science and technology in a comprehensive and integrated manner. QST was formed from the merger of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) with certain operations that were previously undertaken by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA).

QST is committed to advancing quantum science and technology, creating world-leading research and development platforms, and exploring new fields, thereby achieving significant academic, social, and economic impacts.

Website: https://www.qst.go.jp/site/qst-english/

About Dr. Hidetoshi Kono
Dr. Hidetoshi Kono earned his PhD from The University of Tokyo. After postdoctoral work at RIKEN’s Tsukuba Life Science Center and the University of Pennsylvania, he joined the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. In 2007, he established a research group studying protein–DNA interactions through molecular modeling, simulation, and design. Now as a Deputy Director General at the Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, he investigates gene regulation mechanisms through molecular modeling, simulation, and single-molecule measurements using optical tweezers.

Funding information
This paper was supported by the MEXT Quantum Leap Flagship Program (MEXT Q-LEAP, JPMXS0120330644).