Quantum nanosensors map temperature inside living cancer cells

Scientists created molecular quantum nanosensors made from pentacene embedded in crystals that glow under green light and dim under microwaves in a temperature-dependent way. When introduced into living cancer cells, including the nucleus, these 200–500 nm sensors reveal temperatures inside the cell, showing regional variations up to about 1°C and offering a new tool to study metabolism and chemical reactions at the single-cell level.