Scientists working with University of California-Santa Barbara biologists have developed smart bio-nanotubes for drug or gene delivery applications.

The researchers said the nanotubes are smart because they could be designed to encapsulate and then open to deliver a drug or gene to a specific body location.

The scientists found that by manipulating the electrical charges of lipid bilayer membranes and microtubules from cells, they could create open or closed bio-nanotubes, or nanoscale capsules.

The study is presented in an article that was published on the Aug. 9 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. View Online.