Stephen Wilson, a chemist at New York University, discovered that the surface of the fullerene molecule could be used as a scaffold to support other molecules.

ECONOMIST: Nanotechnology in biology

Any particle with a target molecule on its surface will stick to the spin valve.

ECONOMIST: Labs on a chip

In nature, this would usually be a molecule on the surface of some invading nasty such as a virus or bacterium, but antibodies that will stick to just about anything can be made artificially to order.

ECONOMIST: Medical diagnostics

HER2, a molecule often found on the surface of breast-tumour cells.

ECONOMIST: Cancer therapy

They found that T cells went into action when CD-2 bound itself to a counterpart molecule, LFA-3, on the surface of cells that escort antigens to their death.

FORBES: Skin Deep

This is a molecule or molecular combination that has different properties on different parts of its surface: in particular, one part prefers to dissolve in water whereas another part prefers oil.

ECONOMIST: To make engines cleaner, add H2O