Scientists at LBL and LLNL are reporting that using a clever method of attaching quantum dots to the protein used by the SV40 virus to target it to the cell nucleus they can get quantum dots inside the nucleus. If this were combined with Sangamo Biosciences method of using its engineered zinc fingers to target specific chromosome locations one could use quantum dots to provide information about *where* those chromosomes are within the nucleus as well as perhaps whether or not the genes are active.
This could potentially be much faster than current chemical methods for determining cellular gene activity. Or how living cells respond to different signals in succession (something which is more difficult to do with chemical methods).
