'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."

Still very theoretical.

[crazyjeremy]

Simply put, this MIGHT be big news. Theoretically you could join two carbon nanotubes with different electrical properties to form a diode. This might help Moores law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moores_law [wikipedia.org] for computers keep on track. From the wikipedia link

Companies are working on using nanotechnology to solve the complex engineering problems involved in producing chips at the 45 nm, 30 nm, and even smaller levels a process that will postpone the industry meeting the limits of Moore's Law.

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.

Disease

[buswolley]

The important thing might be its ability to detect biological weapons and wild airbourne diseases.

As our ability to create deadly diseases increases, it is vitally important that our defenses against them increase also.