Scientists have created spaghetti 1000 times thinner than a human hair: what are they for?

"Nanopaste" under the electron microscope. Source: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy

Researchers at University College London (UCL) have developed nanofibres from flour that are 1,000 times thinner than a human hair.

Here's What We Know

These fibres, which are just 372 nanometres thick, were created using electrospinning, where a mixture of flour and formic acid is pulled through a needle under an electric charge. The resulting nanofibres are too small for visible cameras and conventional microscopes, so they were measured using a scanning electron microscope.

The fabrication scheme and the finished Nanopaste result in the photo. Source: Nanoscale Advances

The study, published in the journal Nanoscale Advances, shows that such nanofibres could have important medical applications, including bandages, frameworks for bone regeneration and tissue growth. The key component is starch, which is a biodegradable and renewable resource.

This method avoids complex starch purification processes, making production more environmentally friendly. The next step for the scientists will be to study the properties of these nanofibres and the possibility of mass production.

Source: Nanoscale Advances, Gizmodo