Microscope Brings Tiny Worlds Closer
<p><span word="Modern">Modern</span> <span word="microelectronic">microelectronic</span> <span word="devices">devices</span> <span word="contain">contain</span> <span word="billions">billions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="components">components</span> <span word="crammed">crammed</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="thumbnail">thumbnail</span>-<span word="size">size</span> <span word="flakes">flakes</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="chemical">chemical</span> <span word="industry">industry</span> <span word="uses">uses</span> <span word="nanoparticles">nanoparticles</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="cleaning">cleaning</span> <span word="products">products</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="pharmaceutical">pharmaceutical</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="delivery">delivery</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="medicines">medicines</span> <span word="straight">straight</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="cells">cells</span>.</p><p><span word="Scientists">Scientists</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Luxembourg">Luxembourg</span> <span word="Institute">Institute</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Science">Science</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Technology">Technology</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="combined">combined</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="specially">specially</span> <span word="designed">designed</span> <span word="spectrometer">spectrometer</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="commercially">commercially</span> <span word="available">available</span> <span word="helium">helium</span> <span word="ion">ion</span> <span word="microscope">microscope</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="build">build</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="high">high</span>-<span word="resolution">resolution</span> <span word="optical">optical</span> <span word="device">device</span> <span word="capable">capable</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="tiny">tiny</span> <span word="worlds">worlds</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="allows">allows</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="objects">objects</span> 100,000 <span word="times">times</span> <span word="smaller">smaller</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="diameter">diameter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="hair">hair</span>.</p><p>"<span word="We">We</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="follow">follow</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="nanoparticles">nanoparticles</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="uptaken">uptaken</span> <span word="into">into</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="human">human</span> <span word="cells">cells</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="LIST">LIST</span> <span word="senior">senior</span> <span word="researcher">researcher</span> <span word="David">David</span> <span word="Dowsett">Dowsett</span>. "<span word="And">And</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="labeled">labeled</span> <span word="drug">drug</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="present">present</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cell">cell</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nanoparticle">nanoparticle</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="test">test</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="delivery">delivery</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="effective">effective</span>."</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="practical">practical</span> <span word="uses">uses</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="checking">checking</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="effectiveness">effectiveness</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="cosmetic">cosmetic</span> <span word="products">products</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="instance">instance</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="microscope">microscope</span> <span word="helped">helped</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="test">test</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="effectiveness">effectiveness</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="shampoos">shampoos</span> <span word="containing">containing</span> <span word="silver">silver</span> <span word="nanoparticles">nanoparticles</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="highly">highly</span> <span word="toxic">toxic</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bacteria">bacteria</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="hair">hair</span>.</p><p>"<span word="We">We</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="analyze">analyze</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hair">hair</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shampoo">shampoo</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="penetrates">penetrates</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="onto">onto</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="outside">outside</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="deeply">deeply</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="penetrated">penetrated</span>," <span word="Dowsett">Dowsett</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Researchers">Researchers</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="microscope">microscope</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="applications">applications</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="development">development</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="efficient">efficient</span> <span word="batteries">batteries</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="electric">electric</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="portable">portable</span> <span word="electronic">electronic</span> <span word="devices">devices</span>.</p>
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