Affecting around 50 million people every year, sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to infection and remains a leading cause of death in Europe. Early detection is vital, yet the first signs of sepsis are often non-specific and can vary greatly between individuals. While diagnosis may be improved by measuring free radicals produced by certain white blood cells (neutrophils and monocytes), such molecules are difficult to study due to their high reactivity and low concentration.
To address the urgent need for improved sepsis detection, Romana Schirhagl will develop a technique to assess the free radical load in cells as a new diagnostic marker for sepsis, using patient samples and a mouse model. Her method leverages nanodiamond-based quantum sensing, a purely optical technique that will help investigate when and where free radicals are generated in neutrophils and monocytes as well as identify those few radicals that play a role in sepsis. She will also design a new fiber-based system intended to enable measurements within the bloodstream. Not only does this instrument promise to provide fundamental diagnostic insights, but it could also be refined to monitor sepsis progression in intensive-care patients.
Romana Schirhagl has specialised expertise in applying diamond magnetometry to biomedicine. Her previous research in biophysics and cell biology has been recognised with an ERC Starting Grant in 2016 and a Proof of Concept Grant in 2022.
