Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) have provided evidence in the laboratory that
single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) may help protect DNA
molecules from damage by oxidation. In nature, oxidation is a
common chemical process in which a reactive chemical removes
electrons from DNA and may increase the chance for mutations in
cells. More studies are needed to see if the in vitro protective
effect of nanotubes reported in the laboratory also occurs in
vivo, that is, within a living organism. Scanning electron
microscope image of a typical sample of the NIST single-wall
carbon nanotube soot standard reference material. Recent NIST
research suggests that, at least in the laboratory, carbon
nanotubes may help protect DNA molecules from damage by
oxidation. The image shows an area just over a micrometer wide.
(Color added for clarity.) “Our findings don’t tell us whether
carbon nanotubes are good or bad for people and the
environment,” says Elijah Petersen, one of the authors o