A Northwestern University study shows that coupling a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent to a nanodiamond* results in dramatically enhanced signal intensity and vivid image contrast.

The ability to image nanodiamonds in vivo would be useful in biological studies where long-term cellular fate mapping is critical, such as tracking beta islet cells or tracking stem cells.

* Carbon-based materials approximately four to six nanometers in diameter. Each nanodiamond’s surface has carboxyl groups that allow a wide spectrum of compounds to be attached to it.