Quantum optics has had a profound impact on precision measurements, and recently enabled probing various physical quantities, such as magnetic fields and temperature, with nanoscale spatial resolution. In my talk, I will discuss the development and application of novel quantum metrological techniques that enable the study of biological systems in a new regime. I will start with a general introduction to quantum sensing and its applications to nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In this context, I will discuss how we can utilize tools from single-molecule biophysics to interface a coherent quantum sensor with individual intact biomolecules, and how this could eventually pave the way towards a new generation of biophysical and diagnostic devices. In the second part, I will discuss a theoretical proposal that utilizes variational techniques to drive a dipolar interacting spin ensemble into a metrological relevant state with Heisenberg limited sensitivity.
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