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'Cooking' Carbon Nanotubes Like Spaghetti
Roland Piquepaille writes "Scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a technique to force a variety of enzymes to self-assemble layer-by-layer on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with the help of noodle-like polymer molecules. In 'A biosensor layered like lasagna,' the researchers say that this technique can be applied to a wide range of applications. In particular, it will be possible to build other biosensors "that react specifically with other biological chemicals, environmental agents or even microbes." Read more for additional details and the most spectacular scientific image of the month."
Being able to produce Nanotubes in bulk as the article suggests could ultimately let scientists build processors dozens (if not hundreds) of times faster than what we have today.
Funnypics
As our ability to create deadly diseases increases, it is vitally important that our defenses against them increase also.
A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.
of a lint collector. It seems like we're always hearing about technologies that will make better biological sensors. You'd think by now we could pee in a cup to know if we had trace amounts of cancer already. I'm hoping and praying that the next article I read like this says "Nanotube Cancer Bio-sensor Debuts on Amazon" but I'm not holding my breath.
It's like a testament to FSMism. These scientists are probably true believers.
Why all the references to food? 'Cooking' Carbon Nanotubes Like Spaghetti. ...with the help of noodle-like polymer molecules. A biosensor layered like lasagna... I am hungry now.
You'll know it's ready when they throw the single walled carbon nanotube of arbitrary length at the ceiling, and it sticks.
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
This particular method has more to do with processing bulk quantities of nanotubes, rather than producing them. The closest connection to advanced electronics applications of NTs, is that selectively coating NTs with polymers and/or biomolecules is considered a promising route for purification and separation between conducting and semiconducting ones (the former are good as connectors, but the latter are needed for diodes and transistors). Selective attachment of a few biomolecules can also be useful for making self-assembling circuits. This particular method, however, produces a rather thick (30-50 nm) coating and not very specific attachment sites for biomolecules, so it lacks the features that would make it useful for electronics applications. The thick polymer layers are also likely to degrade contacts either between NTs or NTs and CMOS devices, which of course will reduce the possible operational frequencies for such hypothetical electronic components. Just a couple of reasons why using thinner polymers and/or biomolecules, such as DNA, to wrap NTs is currently considered as a more promising approach for electronics applications.
On the other hand, using these coated NTs for biosensors is indeed promising. The requirements for biosensing are significantly different compared to those for electronic components, and having a relatively thick polymer layer, which can be functionalized with many biomolecules, is in fact an advantage.
Are we really, as a community, this simple-minded to be taken in by pyramid schemes like this?(pyramid in that; look, I am making money with a blog, give me money to tell you how to make money with a blog)
Please, please, please, pay attention people. We have to be vigilant and not give these scammers even more views/clicks/dollars.
And isn't this Roland guy the same one that has blatantly defrauded us in the past with similar linkfarm/scam advertisement stories? What is going on here? We need to stand up and take notice of the leeches on our backs and make use of the salt!