Chromophores
cwilcox | November 14, 2008Everyone knows there are a million uses for duct tape. But did you know that DNA does a lot more than just store our genetic blueprints? Yeah, it turns out that the structure of DNA can be used for all kinds of things. Like optic cables, for example.
A team of Swedish scientists has come up with a new technique that allows DNA strands to be converted to microscopic fiber optic cables. The wires literally build themselves - using the nature of DNA's structure to create helices - from a mix of DNA and molecules called chromophores that can absorb and pass on light. The team used single type of…