Scientists create a ‘tractor beam’

Oak Ridge, Tenn., scientists are using a beam of light, similar to "Star Trek's" tractor beams, to trap protein molecules and make them dance in space. ... The technique -- called photoelectrophoretic localization and transport -- involves shining a highly focused beam of light on semiconductor material and using electric fields to move the proteins. Force-field traps are created by a photocurrent focused at the illuminated areas of the semiconductor.

"It's kind of like a tractor beam in 'Star Trek,' but this is science, not science fiction," said Nathan Lewis, a Caltech professor and co-author of the study." - sciday