Nanotech—the science of building and manipulating structures at the molecular level—promises fresh perspectives on and unexpected solutions to a wide range of existing problems in semiconductors, optics, sensing, and biotechnology. Many of this year's TR100 honorees, determined to make new breakthroughs, are turning to nanotechnology to gain an unprecedented level of precision, control, and flexibility in creating new materials and devices.The nanomaterials invented by this elite group promise everything from faster and smaller electronics to more effective and targeted therapies. "When you get to the nano length scales, you can get unique properties,"says Yi Cui of the University of California, Berkeley. The TR100's Nanotech+category includes a broad range of innovations and research in materials science and energy. But it is on the scale of the ultrasmall that many of this year's TR100 are making their biggest contributions.
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