IBM lab researchers demonstrate MRI techniques

Hyderabad, Apr 26 (UNI) IBM today announced that its lab researchers have demonstrated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques to visualize nanoscale objects.

This technique led by IBM's Almaden Research Centre brought MRI capability to the nanoscale level for the first time and represented a major milestone in the quest to build a microscope that could 'see' individual atoms in three dimensions, according to a company release.

Using Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy (MFRM), IBM researchers had demonstrated two-dimensional imaging of objects as small as 90 nanometers.

IBM India Research Laboratory Director Daniel Dias said this research would bring us one step closer in our quest to build a microscope that we hoped could eventually see atoms in three dimensions. This would allow scientists to study the atomic structures of certain molecules which would represent a huge breakthrough in structural molecular biology, added Dr Dias.

This achievement could eventually have major impact on the study of materials ranging from proteins and pharmaceuticals to integrated circuits, for which a detailed understanding of the atomic structure was essential. The ability to directly focus the detailed atomic structure of proteins would help the development of new drugs.

UNI