Amnio Alternative
Amniocentesis and other prenatal tests designed to assess fetal health carry a small risk of miscarriage. Now Chinese researchers may have found an alternative diagnostic method based on a technique that distinguishes maternal DNA from fetal DNA in the mother’s blood. That ability could lead to simple, no-risk blood tests that determine whether a fetus has a problem caused by single-gene mutations, such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. The fetal DNA, which tends to be shorter than that of the mother, is duplicated and subjected to a “molecular counting” technique that tallies both mutant and normal genetic material. Researchers can use the data to determine whether the fetus has inherited a monogenetic disease. The San Diego–based biotech company Sequenom plans to develop the test for commercial distribution. The study appears in the December 16, 2008, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. —Gary Stix

Booby Traps for Bacteria
Hollow capsules made of an organic conducting polymer could act as “roach motels” for bacteria. The microbes, which have an overall negative electrical charge, can get stuck on thin sheets or filaments extruding from the positively charged traps. When exposed to light, the capsules produce a very reactive form of oxygen highly toxic to bacteria—after one hour they killed more than 95 percent of nearby germs. The particles, built by scientists at the University of Florida and the University of New Mexico, can be applied to various surfaces, including medical equipment. The findings were presented online November 24 by ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. —Charles Q. Choi

Weak on the Nano Risk
The plan of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) to ensure the safety of nanomaterials contains serious weaknesses, according to a December 10, 2008, report by the National Research Council. The NNI has a strategy to assess the risks of these substances, which include carbon nanotubes for strong materials and silver particles for antibacterial activity. But the council has found several flaws—for instance, the NNI has neither a summary of current safety knowledge nor an adequate way to hear from industry, academia and consumer advocates. The NNI says that it has begun pursuing some fixes but that it will need Congress to implement others. —Philip Yam

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