Cell biology is set to gain from nanotechnology as researchers of College of Engineering have successfully created a carbon nanotube tipped pipette which can contribute towards study in DNA sequencing and organelle-targeted drug delivery. This is being considered an important development since now it would be possible to probe the fluid not only inside the cell but also in specific regions in the cells. Up till now there was a vacuum in the existing microscale technologies and nanoscale interactions but now it would be very much possible to transfer carbon nanotubes in and out of the pipette.

Developed by Dr.Adam Fontecchio and Gennady Friedman it can help in enhancing in-situ DNA sequencing. Since with this pipette DNA can be examined inside the living cell therefore the tissue is neither damaged nor cultured. As it has tips which are smaller as compared to other cells therefore small quantities of drugs can be injected in certain regions organelles within a cell. Now the researchers are looking towards improving the pipette fabrication process for increasing the yield and demonstration of magnetic deflection of CNTs. Certainly an important development for cell biology.

Via nanowerk