In the new study, Pulickel M. Ajayan and colleagues in Texas point out that rice grain sized nanoassemblies are a step toward the development of futuristic nanomachines with practical applications in delivering medicines to patients, labs-on-a-chip, and other products. The study, scheduled for the July 9 issue of ACS's Nano Letters, describes the development of a hybrid nanowire consisting of segments with water-repelling carbon nanotubes on one end and water-attracting metal nanowires on the other. Read more at ASAP Nano Letters