Like tiny locks, receptors in biology respond exclusively to the
An overall pattern of molecular imprints on a polymer sphere, 20 micrometers in diameter. MosbachThe self-assembly method for making molecularly imprinted polymers is simple and versatile. First, polymer building blocks, or monomers, bind to target molecules (white) in solution (top left, right). Then, the monomers crosslink to form a rigid polymer (bottom right). Finally, researchers chemically extract the target molecule to leave cavities of a specific shape and size. Mosbach
specific molecules that serve as miniature keys. Many basic biological