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Scientists make world's thinnest spaghetti

Spaghetti - Level 4

Researchers in the U.K. have made the world's thinnest spaghetti. The "nano-spaghetti" is 372 nanometres wide – 200 times thinner than a human hair. It cannot be captured in a photo, nor be seen with the naked eye, nor be viewed through a microscope. The spaghetti was made using a technique called electro-spinning. This uses electricity to push a flour liquid through microscopic holes. A researcher said it would overcook in a pan in less than a second.

The new spaghetti will be largely used in medicine rather than for cooking, even though it is edible. Individual strands of the spaghetti can be made into a pasta net. This could help to regrow tissue and bone. It could also be used for bandages to help wounds heal. The bandages would keep bacteria out. The researchers say there are also non-medicinal applications. These include uses in filtration systems and batteries.

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Spaghetti - Level 5

Researchers from a U.K. university have created the world's thinnest spaghetti. It is about 200 times thinner than a human hair. It's so thin it cannot be captured in a photo, nor be seen with the naked eye, nor be viewed through a microscope. The nano-spaghetti is just 372 nanometres wide. The spaghetti was made using a technique called electro-spinning. This method uses an electric charge to push a flour liquid through microscopic holes. A researcher said: "I don't think it's useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second."

The new spaghetti will be largely used for medicinal rather than culinary purposes. A researcher said it was edible. He said it was probably "chewier than you'd expect". Individual strands of the nano-pasta can be made into a pasta net. This could be used as a scaffold for regrowing tissue. It could also be used for bandages to help wounds heal. The bandages would allow moisture through, but keep bacteria out. They could also help bone regrowth. The scientists say there are also non-medicinal applications. These include uses in filtration systems and batteries.

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Spaghetti - Level 6

Researchers from University College London have created the world's thinnest spaghetti. It is about 200 times thinner than a human hair. The pasta strands are so thin they cannot be captured in a photo. Nor can they be seen with the naked eye or through a microscope. The nano-spaghetti is just 372 nanometres wide. That's equivalent to millionths of a centimetre. The spaghetti was made using a technique called electro-spinning. In this procedure, an electric charge pushes a mixture of flour and liquid through microscopic holes. Professor Gareth Williams said: "I don't think it's useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second, before you could take it out of the pan."

The new spaghetti will be largely used for medicinal rather than culinary purposes. However, Dr Adam Clancy said it is edible. He said: "Hypothetically, one might expect it to be chewier than you'd expect". Individual strands of the nanopasta can be spun into a pasta net. This could be used as a scaffold for regrowing tissue. The net could also be used to create bandages that would help wounds heal. The bandages would allow moisture through to the skin, but keep bacteria out. They could also help bone regeneration and deliver drugs to different parts of the body. The scientists say there are also non-medicinal applications, such as its use in filtration systems and batteries.

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