Toward Using Fluorescent Nanodiamonds To Study Chronological Aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

One of the theories aiming to explain cellular aging is the free radical theory of aging, which describes the possible role of increased production and accumulation of free radicals. Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) are proposed to provide a tool to detect these radicals, as they function as magnetic sensors that change their optical properties depending on their magnetic surrounding. Therefore, they could enable the study of aging at a molecular level and unravel the exact role of free radicals in this process. In this study, important steps toward this goal are made. FNDs are introduced in chronologically aging yeast cells. Furthermore, the behavior of FNDs in these aging cells is studied to demonstrate the potency of using FNDs in the search for causes of cellular aging.