The Breakthrough Quantum Sensor That Sees Inside Your Cells, with Peter Maurer
From Big Brains by University of Chicago Podcast Network
January 8, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 185
About this episode
This episode features a discussion with Peter Maurer about the breakthrough in quantum sensors that can measure cells at a fundamental level.
What if we could precisely measure a cell at its most fundamental level? In this episode, we talk with the University of Chicago scientist Peter Maurer about how he and his colleagues made the breakthrough discovery of turning a protein found in living cells into the first biological quantum bit, also known as a qubit. Maurer explains how quantum systems—once thought to be too fragile for real-world use—are becoming some of the most powerful sensors ever built, and what they could teach us about the brain, the body and more.
People in this episode
Guest: Peter Maurer
Topics covered
- quantum sensors
- biological quantum bits
- cell measurement
- scientific discovery
- brain research
Keywords
- quantum sensor
- qubit
- protein
- living cells
- scientific breakthrough
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Chicago
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