Volume 11 Issue 2, February 2016

Nanopores are on the brink of fundamentally changing DNA sequencing. At the same time, DNA origami provides unprecedented freedom in molecular design. Here, I suggest why a combination of solid-state nanopores and DNA nanotechnology will lead to exciting new experiments.

Sequencing methods based on electron tunnelling could lead to breakthroughs in genomics, proteomics and glycomics, but the engineering challenges involved in delivering these devices are formidable.

Work on a new technology roadmap and an exceptional wave of consolidation hint at fundamental changes in the micro- and nanoelectronics industry, as Christian Martin explains.

A theoretical framework that interprets Raman scattering as an optomechanical process can be used to understand, and guide, experiments in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Charge carriers in strongly correlated electron systems can be manipulated electrically in a device made of atomically thin materials.

This article reviews the use of quantum tunnelling for sequencing DNA, RNA and peptides, highlighting the potential advantages of the approach and the significant technical challenges that must be addressed to deliver practical quantum sequencing devices.

This article reviews the use of graphene nanodevices for DNA sequencing, highlighting the potential of approaches that involve DNA molecules passing through graphene nanopores, nanogaps, and nanoribbons, or the physisorption of DNA on graphene nanostructures.

Effective magnetic fields as high as 30 T can arise in magnetically doped nanocrystals due to spin fluctuations alone, and can now be observed using ultrafast optical spectroscopy.

Magnetic switching in spin–orbit-torque devices can be controlled by the geometry of the device, allowing different functionalities to be created from the same system.

High-speed atomic force microscopy can be carried out in air by using polymer cantilevers that mimic the high damping environment of liquids.

A DNA-based channel that undergoes a nanomechanical change in response to the binding of a specific ligand can be used to selectively transport small-molecule cargo across a lipid bilayer.

A DNA walker driven by hybridization reactions can traverse the surface of a DNA-coated microparticle, taking more than 30 continuous steps.

A cavity optomechanics model accounting for the intrinsic dynamics of the interaction between plasmons and molecular vibrations reveals a parametric amplification mechanism that may provide an explanation for features recently observed in nonlinear Raman spectroscopy experiments.

Conductance switching with high-to-low ratios as high as 1,000 can be triggered by an electric field in rigid organometallic molecules containing a redox-active centre and a spin-polarized ground state.

Arrays of circular nanomagnets are used to solve the problem of perceptual organization in computer vision by exploiting their tendency to minimize the total magnetic energy by coupling to each other.

A DNA-based rolling motor that is powered by RNA hydrolysis has a maximum speed and processivity that is three orders of magnitude greater than conventional DNA-based walkers.

Macromolecular crowding decreases diffusion of mRNA and proteins leading to the formation of heterogeneous environments in gene expression experiments in picolitre droplets.

Data-driven analytical techniques can quantify the expected return of alternative research efforts relative to their cost, and can be used to prioritize research investments as shown here for hazard classification of some nanomaterials.

Encouraging PhD students to engage with the peer-review process is of benefit to researchers, journals and the rest of the scientific community, says Bryden Le Bailly.