Tiny ear listens to hidden worlds

A micro-ear could soon help scientists eavesdrop on tiny events just like microscopes make them visible. Initially, researchers will use it to snoop on cells as they go about their daily business.

It may allow researchers to listen to how a drug disrupts micro-organisms, in the same way as a mechanic might listen to a car's engine to find a fault.

A team from three UK institutions are building the device, which they hope will become standard lab equipment.

Institutions involved include the Universities of Glasgow and Oxford as well as the National Institute of Medical Research at Mill Hill.

The micro-ear is based upon modifying an established technology that uses laser light to create so-called optical tweezers.These are already used to accurately measure tiny forces.

They work by suspending very small glass or plastic beads in a beam of laser light. Measuring the movement of these beads as they are jostled by tiny objects allows measurements of tiny forces that operate at molecular scales.

Courtesy BBC News.....Click Here for Full Story