The convergence of nano and biotech is happening, and will continue to produce more powerful applications.

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed an encapsulation technique to protein-encapsulate single-walled carbon nanotubes to alter their fluorescence in the presence of specific biomolecules. This could generate many new types of implantable biological sensors, such as their example sensor which detects glucose.

In a paper accepted for publication in the journal Nature Materials, and posted on its Web site, the researchers showed the viability of their technique by creating a near-infrared nanoscale sensor that detects glucose. The sensor could be inserted into tissue, excited with a laser pointer, and provide real-time, continuous monitoring of blood glucose level.

via Medical News Today via KurzweilAI.net