Listening in on single cells
MIT researchers have built the first sensor array that can detect single molecules emitted by a living cell. Their sensor targets hydrogen peroxide and could help scientists learn more about that molecule’s role in cancer.Hydrogen peroxide has long been known to damage cells and their DNA, but scientists have recently uncovered evidence that points to a more beneficial role: it appears to act as a signaling molecule in a critical cell pathway that stimulates cell growth, among other functions.When that pathway goes awry, cells can grow out of control and become cancerous, so understanding hydrogen peroxide’s role could lead to new targets for potential cancer drugs, says Michael Strano, MIT associate professor of chemical engineering and leader of the research team. Strano and his colleagues describe their new sensor array, which is made of carbon nanotubes, in the March 7 online edition of Nature Nanotechnology. Strano’s team is also working...