IBM concocts microscope with ultra-fine resolution, current MRI bows down

The existing MRI has certainly been beneficial to humans everywhere, but IBM researchers are adamant on doing it one better. These gurus, working in tandem with the Center for Probing the Nanoscale at Stanford University, have demonstrated "magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with volume resolution 100 million times finer than conventional MRI." What it's all mean? In short, it could give scientists the ability to investigate complex 3D structures at the nanoscale level, and according to IBM, it may "ultimately be powerful enough to unravel the structure and interactions of proteins." We know, only the nerdiest of you are amazed -- nay, affected whatsoever -- by that statement, but even the layperson can appreciate advanced methods of studying viruses, bacteria and other biological elements. A certifiably riveting demonstration vid awaits you beyond the break.

[Via TG Daily, thanks Speedy]

[Paulmichael @ Jan 15th 2009 2:38AM]

In before the grammar police: "What it's all mean?" should be "What's it all mean?" :)

[nate @ Jan 15th 2009 2:45AM]

What your's point?

[LondonConsultant @ Jan 15th 2009 2:06PM]

A technology to scan you for teleportation - and you're more interested in the grammar...

[Basic @ Jan 15th 2009 2:14PM]

Not good enough for teleportation... but possibly enough to diagnose diseases like they go on star trek.

[Oli D @ Jan 15th 2009 2:41AM]

Sweet, MRI in 1080p

[cal @ Jan 15th 2009 2:59AM]

more like 10008000p

[Wwhat @ Jan 15th 2009 7:17AM]

This is an MRI microscope though, not a replacement for your normal MRI as used in hospitals, I gather from the vid.

[anon @ Jan 15th 2009 9:15AM]

@Wwhat, I got the same sense. While the underlying technology is nearly identical, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is the working name for the application in chemistry research, while Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the name used for the so-called non-invasive form of human and animal tissue scanning. I recall reading somewhere that they did not want to call the technology NMR for the irrational fear it might incite in patients who wondered what was nuclear (or nucular, ahem) about it.

I think the immediate application of this technology is more likely NMR than MRI, though the possibility in the future likely exists.

[B3astofthe3ast @ Jan 15th 2009 2:58AM]

I love the geniuses at IBM, building the future for me to enjoy.

[Oli D @ Jan 15th 2009 3:05AM]

theyre ok, i prefer ice cream

[DarkLight @ Jan 15th 2009 3:07AM]

Building the future for you to pay

[Shinigami @ Jan 15th 2009 3:36AM]

IBM banzai! :)

[Jeff @ Jan 15th 2009 10:40AM]

"building" the future....

at least until next thur/fri, then they might be scaling back the future a bit

[EI8HT @ Jan 15th 2009 3:08AM]

finally, now ieye will be able to see where his pee-pee comes out of

[Chris @ Jan 15th 2009 3:19AM]

What was that "whoosh" sound? Oh yeah, it was everything they said in the video going over my head. Makes me all the more impressed :D

[ryan @ Jan 15th 2009 3:22AM]

most annoying voice EVER

didn't watch the video because of it.

[lanosian @ Jan 15th 2009 3:33AM]

how did you know it was annoying then?

[Oli D @ Jan 15th 2009 3:38AM]

urr Ianosian, He's a soothsayer... goddd

[superhobo @ Jan 15th 2009 3:36AM]

Awesomeness.

[superhobo @ Jan 15th 2009 3:39AM]

Except that voice in the video.

[Like_A_Glove @ Jan 15th 2009 3:59AM]

@superhobo

Sadly, I have to agree.

[Raffi @ Jan 15th 2009 5:41AM]

Sounds incredible but those graphics were pretty lame looking.

[Tohe @ Jan 15th 2009 7:20AM]

That's pretty amazing. I can only dream of significant advances in cancer and HIV research.

[buttabean @ Jan 15th 2009 7:57AM]

I could only imagine the break throughs they will unravel with spinal cord injuries.

[Matt @ Jan 15th 2009 8:36AM]

Yea, but the didn't mention the price, so its obviously 100 million times "finer" but 100 billion times more expensive...

[Wwhat @ Jan 15th 2009 11:09AM]

Nah just 100 million times slower.

[Richard @ Jan 15th 2009 10:29AM]

Funny... I'm sitting at a JEOL 5510LV electron microscope right now waiting for a raster to finish of a protein on the surface of a bacterium, and in the time while it makes its scan, I read this, which is something that I could use right now.

If I had this now, my life would be so much easier.

[Shyam D @ Jan 15th 2009 11:21AM]

Well, if you need information on any Even-Even Nuclei in your sample, with NMR your pretty much screwed. Electron Microscopy is also mature and prolific enough in the research world that relative to an High Resolution NMR machine, it is quite affordable.

[elmer @ Jan 15th 2009 12:29PM]

I'm really hoping that the manufacturing techniques involved in created this device and other 'probing' microscopies like STM and ATM will soon be similar enough to MEMS construction that we could start using current lithographic technologies to mass manufacture them. At that point, they could potentially become so cheap as to have a unit on every lab bench (though you'll still need some nice cooling capability), with each sensor being disposable and having multiple redundant banks ala the Phoenix Mars lander.

Bare in mind that this isn't exactly an NMR device and genuinely is more like MRI. Although I'm sure there are many additional technical hurdles in making it so small, this is an NMR microscope interested in simple low grade spin paramenters confined to a really small volume rather than a number super precise parameters (derived with an ultra high grade field) looking at an entire sample population. Making something moderalty crap but very small may end up being much cheaper than making something extremely sensitive and relatively large.

More importantly, unless I'm understanding MRI and NMR totally wrong, the point of measurement is confined to the site of the field interactions and can be localised some way into the sample volume. This means we can scan the interior of a protein; something electron microscopic techniques are hard pressed to replicate, especially on proteins and certainly not with any cheap device.

This and labtop NMR devices really could be the crystal free future we've been dreaming of.

[Brian @ Jan 15th 2009 11:22AM]

Wow. For the better part of a century, the main way to "image" the structure of complex molecules has been X-Ray Crystallography, which is kind of like trying to determine what an elephant looks like by bouncing ping pong balls off it, and examining where they land. If you read Watson's "The Double Helix", you'll see how hard this is, even on so regular a molucule as DNA. Being able to take a definitive 3-D image of complex molecules, and even image them interacting? Could be revolutionary.

[Moisés @ Jan 15th 2009 12:10PM]

"In tandem" is a latin expression for in line, in series, one after another. A tandem bicycle carries two riders, one behind the other.
You use it as if it means in parallel, or at the same time.

[Keith @ Jan 15th 2009 3:50PM]

Does this mean i can stop burning up my processing power on my PS3?