Relying on the self-assembly propensity of abnormally large red blood cells (usually associated with pernicious anemia), Chinese chemists have created subnano tubes (8.8 angstroms in diameter) that mimic cellular ion channels—these synthetic pores are permeable to water and potassium ions, but not sodium or lithium ions. With this, they assert: “We have created the first quantitatively confirmed synthetic water channel. Few synthetic pores are so highly selective.”  MORE