Tiny thermometer measures how mitochondria heat up the cell by unleashing proton energy Armed with a tiny new thermometer probe that can quickly measure temperature inside of a cell, University of Illinois researchers have illuminated a mysterious aspect of metabolism: heat generation. Mitochondria, the cell's power stations, release quick bursts of heat by unleashing the power stored in an internal proton "battery," the researchers found. Better understanding of this process could point to new targets for treating obesity and cancer, they say. Led by mechanical science and engineering professor Sanjiv Sinha, they published their findings in the Nature journal Communications Biology . "Producing heat is part of the mitochondria's role in the center of metabolism activity," Sinha said. "It needs to produce the energy currency that's used for the activities in the cell, and heat is one of the byproducts, in most cases. But there is ...
