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DNA detector near
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A
technique for coaxing strands of DNA to build
tiny wires is at the heart of a DNA detector
that could lead to handheld devices capable
of identifying thousands of microbes. The
DNA detector, which could be available in
a few years, would give health care workers
a tool for quickly identifying the nasty bugs
from food poisonings and bioterrorism.
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Microscopic
antenna unzips DNA
Stick a vanishingly small speck of metal on a single
DNA molecule, hit it with radio waves and the DNA
molecule will unzip, ready for action.
Cheaper
LED shines the right light
Extending fiber-optic networks to individual homes
will get the Internet up to hype speed. The problem
is figuring out how to do so affordably. A hybrid
plastic-crystal LED could be the answer.
X-rays
light 3-D microscope
Bouncing x-rays off of metals and semiconductors
gives you a picture of how the materials' atoms
line up. A 3-D version that goes more than skin
deep could result in safer airplanes and cheaper
computer chips.
Nanotubes
pack power
Slicing the ends off of single-walled carbon nanotubes
could lead to better batteries.
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