admin Forget trying to wrap your fork around this spaghetti – it’s not heading to any Italian restaurant anytime soon. Measuring roughly 200 times thinner than a human hair, this nanofibre was developed in a lab by researchers at University College London (UCL). Detailed in the journal Nanoscale Advances on 21 November, this groundbreaking creation highlights the vast potential of nanofibres in medicine and industrial design.
The world’s slimmest “pasta”
At just 372 nanometres, this new lab-made fibre is even thinner than some wavelengths of light. To put it in perspective, the next-thinnest known pasta, su filindeu – or threads of God – is a handmade Sardinian delicacy about 400 microns wide, making it 1,000 times thicker than this cutting-edge creation.
But don’t get too excited about cooking this ultra-thin marvel. According to Gareth Williams, a UCL pharmaceutical materials scientist and co-author of the study, it wouldn’t survive long in boiling water. “I don’t think it’s useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second,” he explained.
What exactly are nanofibres?
Nanofibres are fibrous materials less than 100 nanometres wide – a scale so small that one nanometre is a billionth of a metre. To visualise, a single strand of human hair is around 80,000 to 100,000 nanometres thick.
These incredibly thin materials have immense potential in various fields. Starch-based nanofibres, for example, show promise in medical applications such as bandages. The porous structure of nanofibre mats allows moisture into a wound while keeping bacteria out, aiding healing. Nanofibres could also act as scaffolding for tissue regeneration, supporting cells by mimicking the body’s extracellular matrix, or be used to deliver medicine directly into the body.
Spinning starch into solutions
Nanofibres made from starchy plant materials – which store excess glucose – are particularly exciting due to their abundance and renewability. Starch is the second-largest biomass source on Earth, trailing only cellulose, and is biodegradable, meaning it breaks down naturally in the body.
However, purifying starch for nanofibre production is resource-intensive, requiring significant energy and water. This makes the process less environmentally friendly than researchers would like.
“A more sustainable approach would be to spin nanofibres directly from starch-rich ingredients like flour,” said Adam Clancy, a UCL chemist and co-author of the study. “Flour is already the basis of pasta, so why not use it for nanofibres too?”
A small fibre with big potential
While this groundbreaking fibre may never feature in your favourite pasta dish, its applications could be far-reaching. From advancing medical treatments to enabling more sustainable industrial materials, the possibilities are as expansive as the fibre is thin. Researchers at UCL are continuing to explore ways to create nanofibres more efficiently, paving the way for these tiny threads to make a massive impact.
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