mi are passing utile in everyday biography , even   at the nanoscale level . Now , researcher from the University of Manchester have just created   the first three - strand molecular braid .

The team , led by Professor David Leigh , have developed a technique that   uses branding iron ions to carefully unmediated and plait 192 atom that   intersect at   eight distinct points . The breakthrough , publish this calendar week inScience , represents the most complex nautical mile synthesized in a research lab so far .

“ The eight - crossroad molecular knot is the most complex steady woven particle yet made by scientists , ” Professor Leigh said in astatement .   “ We ‘ tied ’ the molecular knot using a proficiency called ‘ self - assembly ’ , in which molecular strands are woven around metallic element ion , forming crossover pointedness in the right place just like in knitwork   – and the end of the strands were then combine together by a chemical substance catalyst to shut the iteration and form the complete knot . "

Molecular knots are common in nature . Polymer chains can often constitute them , and even round DNA and about 1   percent ofknown proteinsshow knotted social structure . There are more than 6 billion known molecular knots possible and so far only three nontrivial knot topologies have been made by scientist .

“ Tying knots is a similar operation to weaving so the techniques being developed to tie knots in molecules should also be applicable to the weaving of molecular strands , ” Leigh impart .

The ability to wind complex corpuscle together can launch the threshold to many applications programme for nano - knotted materials , from textiles to   electronics .

“ Some polymers , such as spider silk , can be twice as potent as steel so braid polymer filament may lead to young contemporaries of light , super - strong and conciliatory materials for fabrication and construction , ” continue Leigh .   “ For example , bullet - proof vests and physical structure armour are made of kevlar , a plastic that consists of fixed molecular rods aligned in a parallel structure – however , interweave polymer strands have the potency to make much tougher , light and more elastic material in the same room that weaving thread does in our unremarkable world . ”

This technology has potential applications in the   production of many different eccentric of knots and might before long be in a find material near you .