Toothpick: New molecular tag IDs bone and tooth minerals
Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 12:35
in Physics & Chemistry
Enlisting an army of plant viruses to their cause, materials researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have identified a small biomolecule that binds specifically to one of the key crystal structures of the body—the calcium compound that is the basic building block of teeth and bone. With refinements, the researchers say, the new molecule can be a highly discriminating probe for a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications related to bones and teeth.