Evolution in the Nanoworld

This week, scientists publish images resolving molecules which have
organized themselves into patterns according to sizeThe automatic
molecular assembly and selection steps exhibited by the molecules,
which start as random mixtures, demonstrates a fundamental step in the
evolution of life.

http://theanalystmagazine.com/pr/501009.htm

In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, the
scientists from the research groups of Klaus Kern at the Max Planck
Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart (MPI) and of Mario
Ruben at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH (FZK) explain that this
observation of molecular organization at surfaces may lead to further
insight of how simple, inanimate molecules can build up biological
entities of increasing structural and functional complexity, such as
membranes, cells, leaves, trees, etc.