IBM brings MRI technology to Nanoscale

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IBM announced that researchers at its labs have demonstrated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to visualize nanoscale objects.

IBM announced that researchers at its labs have demonstrated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to visualize nanoscale objects. This technique lead by IBM’s Almaden Research Center brings MRI capability to the nanoscale level for the first time and represents a major milestone in the quest to build a microscope that could "see" individual atoms in three dimensions.

“Using Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy (MFRM), IBM researchers have demonstrated two-dimensional imaging of objects as small as 90 nanometers, a key advancement on the path of 3D imaging at the atomic scale. Such imaging could ultimately provide a better understanding of how proteins function, which in turn may lead to more efficient drug discovery and development,” said Dr. Daniel Dias, Director, IBM India Research Laboratory.

“This research brings us one step closer in our quest to build a microscope that we hope can eventually see atoms in three dimensions,” said Dr. Dias. “This would

allow scientists to study the atomic structures of molecules -- such as proteins -- which would represent a huge breakthrough in structural molecular biology."

MFRM offers imaging sensitivity that is 60,000 times better than current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. MFRM uses what is known as force detection to overcome the sensitivity limitations of conventional MRI to view structures that would otherwise be too small to be detected.

To achieve this, the research team developed specialized magnetic tips for their microscope, optimizing their ability to manipulate and detect the very weak magnetism of atomic nuclei. Conventional medical MRI typically operates on a scale at least 1,000 times coarser; even the most specialized MRI microscopy is limited to about 3 micrometers, or 3,000 nanometers.

This achievement could eventually have major impact on the study of materials – ranging from proteins and pharmaceuticals to integrated circuits – for wh