Nanoparticle Assembly Enters Fast Lane; Method Borrows Instructions From Molecular Code of Life.

(From AScribe)

UPTON, N.Y. -- The speed of nanoparticle assembly can be accelerated with the assistance of the molecule that carries life's genetic instructions, DNA, a team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory recently found. Nanoparticles, particles with dimensions on the order of billionths of a meter, could potentially be used for more efficient energy generation and data storage, as well as improved methods for diagnosing and treating disease. Learning how to control and tailor the assembly of these minuscule particles into larger functional systems remains a major challenge for scientists. The Brookhaven results, published online on Oct. 11, 2006, by the Journal of the American …