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MICHAEL STRöCK
Researchers at the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics at Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science have developed world-leading “Hand-Operating Nanotechnology”. One of the uses the technology has been put to is the formation of a synthetic membrane with the ability to distinguish between two letters of the genetic code at greater than 60 times the previous sensitivity. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are blueprints for biomolecules, and genetic information is precisely transmitted from DNA to RNA, as well as from DNA to DNA. There is only a one-carbon atom difference between the structures of the nucleic acid bases uracil (U) and thymine (T), and the accidental mixing of the two can be a cause of genetic mutation and disease. Due to the extremely similar structures of T and U, DNA does not distinguish between them and so a method that can reliably tell them apart is desirable for the identification and study of genetic disease. By using Hand-Operating Nanotechnology, the researchers fabricated a membrane of the molecule “armed Cyclononane” on the surface of water. The technology enables actions, such as grasping and releasing individual molecules, delivering drugs and arraying nanomaterials, to be controlled by simple hand movements and other routine operations. The researchers were able to finely deform the fabricated membrane by manual compression to make an optimal structure for distinguishing between T and U. The method has succeeded in achieving a maximum of 64 times the previous precision for distinguishing between these two nuclear acid bases that “even DNA cannot”. Moreover, the method can also be performed using the surface of a flexible polymer or gel and can be applied for precisely analysing the gene configuration of DNA, detecting genetic disorders and accurately sensing other biomolecules, such as asymmetric amino acids. For further information contact: Dr Katsuhiko Ariga International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) National Institute for Materials Science, Japan Email: ariga.katsuhiko@nims.go.jp
NICOLAS P. ROUGIER
Controlling nanotechnology
TECHNOLOGY
The "Toyohashi Probe" converts neural signals to digital data
Nano probe detects neural responses A research group at Toyohashi University of Technology has developed the first nano-device for simultaneously measuring neural signals at multiple sites over a two-dimensional area. The device, called the “Toyohashi Probe”, consists of vertically aligned arrays of micrometre-sized silicon wires mounted on a silicon base, similar to those used in microelectronic computer chips. The probes demonstrate potential as powerful devices for a range of neural recordings because of their small size, as well as their compatibility with standard computer electronics. The device was made using the “vapour-liquid-solid method”, a method widely used in nanotechnology for fabricating a variety of one-dimensional wire-structures including carbon nanotubes. To test the device’s performance the group used the retina of a fish, placing it onto the Toyohashi Probe. They found that the device successfully detected neural responses which were represented by local electrical potentials on the retina.
For further information contact: Dr Takeshi Kawano Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan Email: kawano@ee.tut.ac.jp