Nanotechnology is advancing tools likened to Star Trek's
"tricorder" that perform on-the-spot chemical analysis for a range of
applications including medical testing, explosives detection and food safety.
Researchers found that when paper used to collect a sample
was coated with carbon nanotubes, the voltage required was 1,000 times reduced,
the signal was sharpened and the equipment was able to capture far more
delicate molecules.