He and fellow Cornell researchers David Lee and Douglas Osheroff were awarded the Nobel for 1996 for their 1971 work on low-temperature physics involving the isotope helium-3, which has contributed to research ranging from the properties of microscopic matter to astrophysics.

WSJ: Cornell physicist and Nobel winner Richardson dies

Plankton are microscopic organisms, key to the marine food chain, but research suggests they are in decline.

BBC: Seafarer science: Sailors asked to help measure plankton

"I hope the app will give us the chance of having microscopic data that will be very useful to confront different scientific research on the shroud, which, until now, is still a mystery, " he said.

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Bacteria could soon be acting as microscopic "bio-batteries" thanks to a joint UK-US research effort.

BBC: Bacteria power 'bio-battery' breakthrough

And although ciliates, relatively simple microscopic organisms, have displayed evidence for the incidence of such DNA, the new research is said to be the first to firmly pinpoint the quadruple helix in human cells.

BBC: 'Quadruple helix' DNA seen in human cells