Encasing Molecules in Microdroplets

Always thought single molecules were too small to handle? Think again!Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have recently found a way to manufacture microdroplets that can contain single molecules of interest. Using a tool that they call a “single-molecule drop dispenser”, solutions are able to flow through a channel that is approximately 35 microns wide, and enters a narrow constriction passage where it breaks into droplets. By adjusting the channel width, scientists can determine the size of the droplets, and therefore, isolate single molecules of interest roughly 99 percent of the time. This groundbreaking technique will be crucial to chemistry in the future because it will allow more in depth, precise research about the structure and function of important organic materials, such as DNA, proteins, and enzymes. See
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922185700.htm

Posted by Jared Liston