News & Views in 2009

An array of quantum dots can be created inside a carbon nanotube simply by placing it on a crystalline metal substrate.

The electronic properties of graphene can be changed by exploiting its unusual thermal properties to introduce periodic ripples with given wavelengths and amplitudes.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy is used as a quantitative method to understand the binding and exchange behaviour of proteins on the surfaces of nanoparticles.

A new formulation of magnetic nanoparticles steered to cells by external magnets can deliver nucleic acids to turn off the growth of tumour blood vessels in mice.

The scanning tunnelling microscope can image and distinguish individual bases in DNA molecules, thus allowing partial sequencing of the strands.

Charge carriers have been confined by exploiting the small difference between the bandgap energies of the two naturally occurring stable isotopes of carbon.

Single-electron behaviour has been observed in devices that can be made by simply trapping gold nanoparticles between two droplets of liquid metal.

The synchronization of four magnetic vortices without the use of a magnetic field has brought nanoscale microwave oscillators one step closer to fruition.

The atomic force microscope has recently been the subject of a series of exciting developments. The latest advance shows that this instrument can measure the charge state of an individual atom.

A new approach to mass spectrometry based on nanoelectromechanical systems removes the need to ionize molecules before their mass can be determined.

Using simple components such as oil, salt water, lipids and proteins, plus routine genetic engineering techniques, it is possible to create simple nanofluidic circuits.

Inspired by the feet of the gecko lizard, researchers have tweaked a conventional plasma etching chamber so that it can make reusable adhesives that could have applications in the semiconductor industry.

Mice inhaling low levels of multiwalled carbon nanotubes show suppressed immune function. New studies suggest that this suppression originates from signals in the lungs.

A new approach to making battery electrodes with the help of genetically engineered viruses could reduce costs and improve environmental sustainability.

An all-optical chip-based method has been used to actuate and detect the motion of silicon nanocantilevers. Multiplexed read-out has also been demonstrated.

Electrons in ultraclean carbon nanotubes can tunnel through barriers in a way not previously observed for particles with mass in condensed-matter physics experiments.

Experiments with a new three-dimensional model of liver tissue find that the toxic effects of nanoparticles are reduced when compared with tests that use two-dimensional models.