CEA-Leti is the nanotechnology backbone of France. Dr. Jean-Christophe Gabriel, along with more than 20 other program managers, explores investment, research and development at the Grenoble-based centre.

Advances in microscopy and measurement techniques drive scientific progress. From Galileo Galilei to Binnig and Rohrer, NANO takes a look at the evolution of microscopes to the recent news of a scope capable of seeing atoms on the pico scale.

Dogs, dolphins and even pigs have a better sense of smell than humans. So much better in fact, that even with the sophisticated technologies and devices available to us today, researchers have continued to struggle to create a machine that comes close to working even half as well as a sniffer dog's snout.

Fingerprints have long been used to identify criminals and help solve crimes. But, conventional methods are limited – they depend on the criminal to leave a good print and preferably not rinse off their fingerprints or throw their weapon in the sea!

Textiles as a universal interface are constantly interacting with our bodies and their environment, thereby presenting an ideal platform for placing or integrating sensing devices. While the earliest sensing garments have appeared as cumbersome devices, with tried and trusted macro-electronics attached on top, new technology is enabling a more seamless integration.