Tiniest Thermometer

Scientists from the University of Montreal have created the world’s tiniest thermometer that is 20,000 times smaller than a human hair. The thermometer has been created using DNA structures which can fold and unfold at specifically defined temperatures.

It is a known fact that DNA molecules change when they are heated and recent discoveries have shown that molecules such as RNA and proteins are used to report temperature changes in the body. Based on this phenomenon researchers created structures at the nano level that fold and unfold at specific temperatures.

“Inspired by those natural nano thermometers, which are typically 20,000 times smaller than a human hair, we have created various DNA structures that can fold and unfold at specifically defined temperatures,” said Alexis Vallee-Belisle, professor at University of Montreal in Canada. These thermometers might open new avenues in the highly promising field of nanotechnology and may even help in understanding molecular biology.