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Gatineau, Canada Treehugger, Michael Graham Richard1 asks us if we are ready for a breakthrough in solar cells. (yawn) “Another breakthrough, eh? How many does that make so far this week?” O.K., O.K., I’m on another solar roll. Hey, but, this one has a cool name! Black Silicon.

Biotechnologists frequently use microorganisms or biological substances to perform specific processes or for manufacturing. Examples include the production of drugs, hormones, foods and converting waste products. There are many sub-branches involved in the biotech industry.

Scientists from the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) at UCL are using a novel nanomechanical approach to investigate the workings of vancomycin, one of the few antibiotics that can be used to combat increasingly resistant infections such as MRSA.

Suppose that a wall of nanorobots would form in a body part (eg an arm) along the tissues; wherever they are, they imitate the function of the cells next to them; if there are no cells next to them, as in a cavity or vein, there aught not to be any nanorobots at all.

Rather than having each nanorobot obtain their own energy, nanorobots could energize one another by connecting to one another throughout whatever matrix they are in; on condition, that is, that they are present in sufficient density to form a kind of microscopic "mesh" of concatenated nanorobots.

Researchers have invented a new tool in the fight against antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” that are becoming a growing health threat worldwide: a nanoscale device that shows instantly whether new drugs can kill the bacteria.

UK researchers are using microscopic “nanoprobes” to find new drugs to tackle antibiotic resistance. The tiny ultra-sensitive probes can measure how well a drug binds to bacteria and its ability to weaken and destroy the bug. (BBC)

Japanese researchers have developed a design concept for a light microscope which could in principle be used for imaging of nanoscale objects. The device would rely on a novel subwavelength imaging technique which allows for the visualization of objects that are smaller than the wavelength of the photons used in the device.

The world of LCD screens could be changed for the better in the near future thanks to a breakthrough of two scientists from the University of Central Florida, Orlando. Zhibing Ge and Shin-Tson Wu used nanoimprinting technology to improve that contrast ratio in LCDs.

Japanese researchers have developed a design concept for a light microscope which could in principle be used for imaging of nanoscale objects. The device would rely on a novel subwavelength imaging technique which allows for the visualization of objects that are smaller than the wavelength of the photons used in the device.