Pointillism Pointillism Pointillism () is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term "Pointillism" was coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works of these artists, and is now used without its earlier mocking connotation. The movement Seurat began with this technique is known as Neo-impressionism. The Divisionists, too, used a similar technique of patterns to form images, though with larger cube-like brushstrokes. The technique relies on the ability of the
DNA-functionalized quantum dots quantum dots allows researchers to code many different targets by color. Since quantum dots have high photostability and luminescence, researchers are using them to light up mRNA within cells to image gene expression. Amine-modified oligonucleotide probes attached to carboxyl groups on quantum dots show sequence-specific hybridization. These probes can also detect low expressing genes. This potentially allows researchers to understand when and where certain proteins are made. Self-assembled quantum dots form spontaneously under specific conditions during molecular beam epitaxy or another form of atomic deposition. This spontaneous formation is a consequence of the lattice-mismatch between the deposited semiconductor material and