Nano Needles Test Individual Cells

Jun-03-13 By using beds of nano needles to inject chemicals into individual cells, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of the processes inside the cells.

The bed of nano needles, which resembles a patch of microscopic grey grass, was created by heating a thin piece of copper in a ceramic oven at 500 degrees. This causes the copper to react with oxygen and form copper oxide, resulting in the tiny needles. A substance similar to tallow is used to remove the needles from the copper plate and attach them to a glass plate, creating a small, transparent bed of nano needles.

The bed of tiny needles allows researchers to place individual cells on top on the needles and inject the drugs directly into them rather than rely on the cell’s own absorption, which will not always accept the test chemicals.

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[MEDGADGET.COM]
[NTNU]

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