The step from high-resolution optical imaging
to electron microscopy with nanometer resolution is almost unbelievable. Even
more beyond intuitive grasp are the methods (and, well, cost) required to create
engineered particles and devices at the molecular level.
Below are examples of relatively recent
technologies based on variants of electron and atomic force microscopy that
enable visualization of individual molecules and even atoms:
While visualization will be approaching practical
and functional limits, the possibilities for cost-effective manipulation and
thus for nano-engineering are still in their infancy, especially with regard to
their biological and biomedical applications.
