Nanotech exhibition in London

The University of Surrey's expertise in nanotechnology research is a key contributor to an exhibition entitled "Nanotechnology: small science"š big deal', showing at the Science Museum in London.

The exhibition explores the possibilities of building useful structures and devices " even controllable machines " that are no bigger than single molecules. It reveals how nanotechnology products are already changing our world and asks what might happen in the future.

Also on display are many images of "nanoscale' objects, including carbon nanotubes, an area of research in which the University's ATI leads the world. Carbon nanotubes are very thin sheets of graphite rolled into cylinders only one nanometre (equal to one billionth of a metre) in diameter. They are very strong and very light, and exhibit unusual thermal, electronic and structural properties.

Researchers at the ATI created nano-sized messages on a single grain of pollen and on a mat of carbon nanotubes especially for the exhibit. They also provided images of their nanomanipulation system in action, and of a free-standing ATI advertisement built entirely of carbon nanotubes.