Building Nanobristle Structures (broadcast Friday, January 9th, 2009)

Under the right conditions, tiny synthetic hairs will twist together to form intricate braids. Joanna Aizenberg, a professor of materials science, chemistry and chemical biology and Radcliffe professor at Harvard University, shows us what the nano knots look like and what they might be good for. (Credits: Images courtesy of Joanna Aizenberg, video courtesy of AAAS/Science. Music by SYNTHAR. Produced by Flora Lichtman) See More Videos

Researchers studying nanoscale structures have found materials that assemble themselves into spirals, capable of holding tightly to each other or to materials in their center. The formation process is driven by the evaporation of liquid surrounding the bristles. Varying the conditions involved can result in tightly coiled 'nanonests,' woven 'nanobraids,' and other shapes. The researchers say the clutches of the structures can also be controllably opened and closed, offering the possibility of some sort of tiny gripper. We'll talk with one of the scientists on the project.