Nanoaggregation on command

(Wiley) A combination of natural microtubules and synthetic macrocyclic receptors allows for the light-controlled, reversible aggregation of the microtubules into larger nanostructures. As Chinese scientists have reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, when in a cellular environment these aggregated microtubules can also change cell morphology, causing cell death. The researchers hope to learn more about diseases caused by the improper aggregation of proteins.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news