Scientists Have Twisted Molecules Into The Tightest Knot Ever

"Tying a knot can be tricky. Just ask any kid struggling with shoelaces. And scientists have it even harder when they try to make knots using tiny molecules."

"Now, in the journal Science, a team of chemists says it has made a huge advance — manipulating molecules to create the tightest knot ever."

"'Historically, knotting and weaving have led to all kinds of breakthrough technologies,' says David Leigh at the University of Manchester in the U.K., who notes that knots led to prehistoric innovations such as fishing nets and clothes. 'Knots should be just as important at the molecular level, but we can't exploit that until we learn how to make them, and that's really what we're beginning to do.'"

"The first molecular knot was created by chemist Jean-Pierre Sauvage, one of three scientists who won last year's Nobel Prize in chemistry for work in creating parts for future molecular machines."