Molecular imaging techniques are playing an increasingly important role in medical diagnostics and developing new treatment methods. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the fields of chemistry, material sciences, biomedicine, quantum physics and toxicology has managed to develop the foundations for a novel contrast medium for MRI in the framework of the FET Open EU excellence programme. Molecular changes in the human body could thus become detectable by MRI and improve and elucidate the treatment of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart diseases.