from the on-top-of-spaghetti dept.
Bryan Hall writes "New Scientist reports in a recent aricle that Meatball shaped molecules studded with molecular bait could mop up viruses before they get a chance to attack cells. Such "nanodecoys" could filter out biological weapons in gas masks or even intercept viral invaders when injected into people.
To infect cells, viruses must first attach to their surfaces by targeting specific receptor molecules. So if you create decoys laden with these receptors, you could mop up viruses – and some bacteria – before they reach cells.
