the_newsbeagle writes: By showing that human cells naturally engulf minuscule silicon nanowires, a material scientist from the University of Chicago has opened the way to intracellular electronics. Applications could include very specialized drug delivery, electrically stimulating the organelles inside the cell, or recording the signals that pass between those internal structures. From IEEE Spectrum: “Using both an electron microscope and a specialized optical imaging tool designed by the team, the group recorded the eating of the nanowires in detail. It appears that the cell’s outer membrane folds itself like a pocket, grabs the nanowire, and envelops it in a membrane-lined bubble. The process is called phagocytosis; it’s the same method used by immune cells to grab a bit of bacteria and swallow it up. Once the nanowire is inside, the cell’s machinery then shuttles it through its system with sudden bursts of speed — up to 99.4 nanometers per second — and deposits it just outside the cell’s nucleus. Tian’s group made a video of the process (complete with melodramatic accompaniment).”
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