An idea conceived by one of the world's greatest scientists nearly 150 years ago has finally been realised with a tiny machine that could eventually lead to lasers moving objects remotely.

Carnegie Mellon University scientists have married bright fluorescent dye molecules with DNA nanostructure templates to make nanosized fluorescent labels that hold considerable promise for studying fundamental chemical and biochemical reactions in single molecules or cells. The work, published online Jan. 26 in "The Journal of the American Chemical Society," improves the sensitivity for fluorescence-based imaging and medical diagnostics.

In an elegant, multiple-gene knockout experiment, a team of Boston scientists has discovered that a trio of molecules, called FoxOs, are fundamentally critical in preventing some cancers, maintaining blood vessel stability, and in keeping blood-forming stem cells healthy.

At the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, a team of researchers has generated extremely short light pulses using a new technique that could be used in the next generation of light source facilities around the world to catch molecules and atoms in action.

This work provides important basic information on the flexibility of proteins and their ability to link with other molecules, an area of study which opens enormous possibilities for the design of new drugs

Just spray and chill. That sums up a new approach to making remarkably stable glassy materials from organic (carbon-containing) molecules that could lead to novel coatings and to improvements in drug delivery.