Real life 'shrink ray' can reduce 3D structures to one thousandth of their original size

MIT researchers have created a real life'shrink ray' that can reduce 3D structures to one thousandth of their original size. Scientists can put all kinds of useful materials in the polymer before they shrink it, including metals, quantum dots, and DNA. The process is essentially the opposite of expansion microscopy, which is widely used by scientists to create 3D visualisations of microscopic cells. Instead of making things bigger, scientists attach special molecules which block negative charges between molecules so they no longer repel which makes them contract. Experts say that making such tiny structures could be useful in many fields, including in medicine and for creating nanoscale robotics.