Putting chirality under the microscope

A new spectroscopic imaging technique has brought molecular chirality within reach of laboratory researchers and could have major implications for our understanding of systemic diseases. Examining molecular chirality – the spatial orientation of atoms in molecules – is integral to properly understanding biological systems, given that a mirror image of a molecule usually involved in signaling could instead be inactive or toxic. However, current techniques to determine chirality are time-intensive and cannot be used to image complex systems or solid tissue samples. However, a new spectroscopic imaging instrument has now been demonstrated, which allows researchers to image samples at the...