Ancient Color-Shifting Goblet Inspires Nanoplasmonic Biosensor http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

An ancient Roman cup that changes color in different lighting is the inspiration for a new nanoplasmonic biosensor -- that is, a tiny sensor that changes color when target molecules bind to it, thanks to the optical properties of the materials it's made from. Researchers arrayed a billion tiny cups, each a millionth the size of the Roman original, to create the device, which they say could offer a low-cost alternative to conventional biotechnologies used to study DNA, proteins, and other chemicals.



via Wired Top Stories http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/bRk5HueBNzw/