Magnetic Tweezers
(SFX: hospital ambience, "knife." "knife!" "Tweezers, tweezers!"etc.) 

     SURGEONS ARE KNOWN FOR HAVING STEADY HANDS, BUT THERE ARE SOME
THINGS THAT THE MOST CAREFUL OF DOCTORS CANNOT POSSIBLY CONTROL.  DNA, FOR
EXAMPLE, AND OTHER MOLECULES IN OUR CELLS ARE FAR TOO SMALL TO BE  MOVED BY
STANDARD TOOLS.  DENIS WIRTZ IS A CHEMICAL ENGINEER AT JOHNS HOPKINS AND HE'S
BUILT SOME MAGNETIC TWEEZERS THAT ARE UP TO THE TASK.

     Wirtz: "The DNA itself doesn't have any magnetic properties the idea is that we. .
.could attach to one of the. . .ends of the DNA molecule a little bead that happens to
be magnetic."

     NOW IF HE PUTS A MAGNETIC FIELD ACROSS THE CELL, THAT LITTLE MAGNETIC BEAD
GETS PULLED ALONG IN ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER DRAGGING THE DNA ALONG WITH
IT. 
     Wirtz: "A simple magnet that you can obtain commercially at 5 dollars a piece
can actually pull these magnetic beads extremely easily."

     WIRTZ HAS THE SYSTEM CONNECTED TO A JOYSTICK.  MOVE THE STICK IN ANY
DIRECTION AND THE DNA WILL MOVE WITH IT.  WIRTZ WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MOVE THESE
BEADS AROUND INSIDE A CELL EVEN WHEN THEY'RE NOT CONNECTED TO A DNA
MOLECULE. HE THINKS HE COULD FILL IT WITH A TINY DROP OF MEDICINE AND DELIVER IT
RIGHT TO A CELL THAT NEEDS IT.  

     Wirtz: "you can incorporate your favorite drug and . . .bring the bead close to a
cancer tumor. . . your targeting is much more precise because you've brought the bead
close to the site of delivery."

     WHICH MEANS DOCTORS WILL HAVE AN ALL NEW TOOL IN THE SURGERY ROOM. 

 (SFX: Same hospital ambience. . "scalpel" "scalpel" "joystick, "joystick.")