Grant McClure he/him
Doctoral researcher in Biomedical Photonics and Quantum Sensing
Strategic Research Areas
My research interests lie at the intersection of bioengineering, biomedical imaging, quantum technologies and cellular biology. I am passionate about bringing together ideas and technologies from different disciplines to develop new ways of understanding the human body. In particular, I am interested in investigating cellular dynamics and metabolism at the quantum scale, exploring how technologies established in other fields can be adapted to biological systems. Ultimately, I aim to translate advances in quantum sensing and imaging into practical biomedical tools, bridging fundamental scientific discovery and clinical application.
I hold an MEng in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, where my interests spanned engineering and the life sciences. I particularly enjoy embedded systems, microscopy and hands-on prototyping. My passion for 3D printing and design is usually evident to anyone who passes my desk.
Through my previous research experience, I have learned the value of approaching unfamiliar challenges with an open mind, giving new ideas my best effort and being willing to explore unconventional approaches. Some of the most rewarding opportunities come from trying something different, bringing together ideas from different fields and learning along the way.
I chose DiveIn because I value interdisciplinary collaboration and the opportunity to learn from people with diverse backgrounds. Coming from biomedical engineering, I enjoy exploring how ideas and technologies from different fields can be combined to better understand the human body. DiveIn offers the ideal environment to broaden my knowledge, challenge myself and develop innovative approaches to healthcare.
Outside of research, I love travelling and learning languages and recently ticked off my fifth Wonder of the World. I’m also a keen musician and music lover, having played guitar for 14 years. I am also a seasonal hiker and love to be out in nature.
Molecular Quantum Nanocrystals for investigating Cardiac Cell Physiology
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for over a quarter of all deaths in the UK, according to the British Heart Foundation. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of cardiovascular disease is therefore a major priority in medical research. While conventional approaches have advanced our understanding of cardiac function at the cellular and molecular levels, could quantum sensing offer new ways to investigate cardiac physiology? My PhD research aims to explore whether molecular quantum nanosensors can provide new insights into intracellular processes in cardiac cells.
Molecular quantum nanosensors (MoQNs), recently demonstrated by Ishiwata et al. (2026), consist of pentacene molecules incorporated into para-terphenyl nanocrystals. Their molecular spin states can be investigated using optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), enabling temperature measurements within living cells. The reported temperature precision was approximately ±0.3 °C under the authors experimental conditions.
My project will first investigate the reproducible manufacture of MoQNs and develop a systematic characterisation framework encompassing their optical, chemical and quantum properties. This will include fluorescence measurements, second-order photon-correlation functions, g2 and ODMR characterisation. By relating fabrication conditions to measured material properties, I aim to investigate which characteristics are associated with reproducible sensing performance.
Following fabrication and characterisation, I will investigate the biological application of MoQNs, focusing on cellular uptake and intracellular localisation in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). By combining quantum thermometry with complementary optical imaging techniques, including fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and fluorescence microscopy, I aim to investigate whether spatially resolved intracellular temperature measurements can provide insights into cardiomyocyte physiology and metabolism. These measurements could subsequently be compared with independent assessments of electrical activity to investigate relationships between cellular temperature, metabolism and cardiac function. Ultimately, this research could contribute to the development of reproducible nanosensors for investigating cellular physiology, with potential applications in biomedical research, disease modelling and drug development.
References
Hitoshi Ishiwata et al. Molecular quantum nanosensors functioning in living cells.Sci. Adv.12,eaeb5422(2026).DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aeb5422
Singh, H., D’Souza, N., Garrett, J. et al. High sensitivity pressure and temperature quantum sensing in pentacene-doped p-terphenyl single crystals. Nat Commun 16, 10530 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65508-2
Torrado, B., Pannunzio, B., Malacrida, L. et al. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. Nat Rev Methods Primers 4, 80 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-024-00358-8
John M. Lupton, Jan Vogelsang; Photon correlations probe the quantized nature of light emission from optoelectronic materials. Appl. Phys. Rev. 1 December 2021; 8 (4): 041302
We would be looking for collaborators within the life sciences, and industrial partners within biotech or quantum technology.