Engineers in Germany are busily using nanotechnology to protect surfaces from dirt and grime.

FORBES: Nanotechnology: A New World Is Born

Germany's Nanogate Technologies GmbH is using nanotechnology to produce a coating about 100 nanometers thick that renders surfaces such as tiles and sinks stain- and scratch-resistant, and markedly easier to clean.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Current detection tools using nanotechnology allow high-speed molecular detection of pathogens through analysis of their DNA in a matter of a few minutes where classical detection tools using regular PCR (polymerase chain reaction) would take over six hours.

FORBES: Nanotech Takes On Homeland Terror

Using nanotechnology, MIT's Professor Joel E.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Instead of using topical treatments, which eventually wear off, the chemicals in nanotechnology actually form a molecular bond with the fabric.

NPR: Nanotech in Fashion: The Trend in New Fabrics