Producing a gaseous messenger molecule inside the body, on demand

Nitric oxide is an important signaling molecule in the body, with a role in building nervous system connections that contribute to learning and memory. It also functions as a messenger in the cardiovascular and immune systems. But it has been difficult for researchers to study exactly what its role is in these systems and how it functions. Now, a team of scientists and engineers at MIT and elsewhere has found a way of generating the gas at precisely targeted locations inside the body. The team's solution uses an electric voltage to drive the reaction that produces nitric oxide. The team's key achievement was finding a way for this reaction to be operated efficiently and selectively at the nanoscale.