New “Nanomotion” technology set to revolutionize space medicine and the search for alien life
VUB researcher uses microscopic cell vibration to detect life functions
Brussels 03/04/2026 - Vjera Radonicic, researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, has successfully demonstrated an "optical nanomotion" detection method that can identify living cells in minutes without the need for traditional, days-long growth cycles. This universal life-detection tool is poised to transform how astronauts manage infections in deep space and how scientists search for extraterrestrial life on distant planets.
A New Definition of "Alive"
Traditional microbiology relies on seeing cells grow or using chemical stains to prove they are alive—processes that can take days and often fail if the chemistry of the organism is unfamiliar. Radonicic’s research focuses on a "label-free" approach: observing the microscopic vibrations, or "nanomotion," that all living cells produce.
"Using a standard optical microscopy and image analysis, we can detect movements as small as 500 nanometers." Radonicic says. "When a cell is alive and metabolically active, it vibrates; when it dies, the motion stops almost entirely. Because this method tracks physical energy rather than specific Earth-based chemistry, it could theoretically detect life-forms that are not carbon-based."
Safeguarding Astronaut Health
The research addresses a critical risk for long-term space missions: urinary tract infections (UTIs).
"In microgravity, astronauts’ immune systems weaken, while bacteria often become more virulent and resistant to antibiotics. Historically, missions have even been terminated due to severe infections that threatened to turn into sepsis." Radonicic adds.
Radonicic developed a 3D-printed, Raspberry Pi-operated prototype microscope that can be used on-site to test a patient’s sample against different antibiotics.
"By monitoring when the "nanomotion" of the bacteria stops, my device can determine the most effective treatment in just a few hours, compared to the 48 hours or longer required by standard hospital tests that are based on cell growth."
From Earth’s Extremes to Exoplanets
To prove the system’s robustness for astrobiology, Radonicic tested the method on "extremophiles"—organisms that survive in Earth’s harshest environments:
- Radiation-resistant bacteria (Deinococcus radiodurans).
- Heat and alkali-loving bacteria (Alkaliholobacillus aquidensis).
- Cold-tolerant bacteria (Psychrobacter glacinicola).
The technology successfully detected life signals across all these extreme conditions, suggesting it could be used to analyze samples from rocky planets or icy moons.
Contact:
Dr. Vjera Radonicic: Vjera.Radonicic@vub.be
