Overview

• Using single-cell ICP-MS, researchers tracked boron entering and leaving live head and neck cancer cells in real time.
• The measurements revealed variability in boron uptake and retention between individual cells that bulk assays had masked.
• Keeping cells viable for analysis required optimized culture medium and a controlled cell-introduction method compatible with the instrument.
• The results point to optimal windows for neutron irradiation and indicate transport pathways that could guide next-generation BNCT agents.
• The peer-reviewed study by Finch et al. was published on August 14, 2025 in the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, with the project supported by the Rosetrees Trust.