inertial imaging and the nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) resonator

April 30 2015 -Paul Mulvaney -Nature Nanotechnology

Concerned that nano scaled biotech can be introduced into a human organism to manipulate another's perceptions ,cognitions and emotions scientists invented a new method to image single molecules .The  nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) resonator  uses vibration to simultaneously reveal the mass and the shape of a single molecule - a feat which has not been possible until now.  

                

 

(IMAGE: Mathematics Professor John Sader

Credit: Photo: Peter Casamento)

 
The work of  creating  a microscopic tool, more than 1000 times thinner than the width of a single human hair was led by Professor John Sader at the University of Melbourne's School of Mathematics and Statistics .
Prof Sader says this technique revolutionises molecule detection for biologists and those involved in all fields that require  measurement of  extremely small objects or devices.

"One standard way to tell the difference between molecules is to weigh them using a technique called mass spectrometry. The problem is that different molecules can have the same weight. Now, we can tell them apart by identifying their shape," Prof Sader said.
"This technology is built on a new mathematical algorithm that we developed, called inertial imaging. It can be used as a diagnostic tool if you're trying to identify, say, a virus or a bacteria particle."
In mass spectrometry, molecules are ionised (or electrically charged) so that an electromagnetic field can interact with them. This interaction is then measured, which gives vital information on the molecule's mass-to-charge ratio.

"You can imagine situations where you don't know exactly what you are looking for, where you are in discovery mode, and you are trying to figure out the body's immune response to a particular pathogen, for example," Prof Roukes said.
"This new technique adds another piece of information to aid our identification of molecules, but now at the single molecule level, which could prove useful in biomedical applications, among other uses."
 Co-authors on the Inertial imaging with nanoelectromechanical systems paper include Mehmet Selim Hanay, Scott Kelber of Caltech and Cathal D. O'Connell and Paul Mulvaney of the School of Chemistry and Bio21 Institute at the University of Melbourne.
The work was funded by a National Institutes of Health Director's Pioneer award, a Caltech Kavli Nanoscience Institute Distinguished Visiting Professorship, the Fondation pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement Superieur in Paris, and the Australian Research Council grants scheme.