Gene Therapy

Molecular tools make the cut

Published in Gene Therapy Weekly, April 12th, 2007

Researchers in Japan have developed a pair of molecular-scale scissors that open and close in response to light. The tiny scissors are the first example of a molecular machine capable of mechanically manipulating molecules by using light, the scientists say.

The scissors measure just three nanometers in length, small enough to deliver drugs into cells or manipulate genes and other biological molecules, says principal investigator Takuzo Aida, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biotechnology at the University of Tokyo.

“Chemists and biochemists may also use the scissors to precisely control the activity of proteins,” Aida says. He presented details of...

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Source: Gene Therapy Weekly (2007-04-12)

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