Researchers have made a tiny camera, held together with ‘molecular glue’ that allows them to observe chemical reactions in real time.

The device, made by a team from the University of Cambridge, combines tiny semiconductor nanocrystals called quantum dots and gold nanoparticles using molecular glue called cucurbituril (CB). When added to water with the molecule to be studied, the components self-assemble in seconds into a stable, powerful tool that allows the real-time monitoring of chemical reactions.

Stanford researchers have engineered a new miniature CRISPR system that should be easier to deliver into human cells, tissues, and the body for gene therapy. The findings appear in a study publishing September 3 in the journal Molecular Cell.