Friday, October 28, 2011

My body invaded by flashlights

The new coating enables quantum dots, which are semiconductor nanocrystals, to literally cast light on biological processes. These dots are "nuggets," consisting of several hundred to several thousand atoms, that emit visible light when they are exposed to invisible UV radiation, for example. They range from a few nanometres to several tens of nanometres in size. The coating's benefits are not limited to improved solubility in water alone. Other molecules can "lock on" to its surface. This could make coated quantum dots sensitive to certain substances, for example, or allow them to bind to specific types of cells, such as tumour cells. Science Daily

I wonder if innovation requires a sense of humor?

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