Researchers at University College London have successfully realized a dream by creating the world’s thinnest pasta, an achievement that has not only caught the attention of renowned chefs but also surprised many Italians. This breakthrough, published in the journal Nanoscale Advances, features starch nanofiber chains that are only 372 nanometers wide—so small that they are imperceptible to the naked eye and even smaller than certain wavelengths of light.
While the idea of the world’s thinnest pasta may sound absurd, starch actually holds significant potential for medical applications. For example, nanofiber starch can be used in bandages to aid wound healing, as it allows moisture to pass through while preventing bacteria from entering.
These chemists did not go through the labor-intensive process of extracting starch from plant cells; instead, they opted for store-bought flour to directly create their nanofibers. The nanofibers are produced through a process called electrospinning, which uses electric charges to pull a mixture of flour and liquid through tiny metal holes, forming strands that are only nanometers wide. This process is similar to traditional pasta-making methods, but on a much smaller scale.
Although extensive research is still needed before this product can be used in medical applications, it marks an important step toward the sustainable development of starch nanofibers. While I would gladly pay to see chefs showcase this invisible pasta on reality cooking shows, it is unlikely that electrospinning will become the next trend in molecular gastronomy. As Gareth Williams, a professor at the UCL School of Pharmacy, lamented, “Unfortunately, its practicality as pasta is limited, as it would overcook in less than a second, making it impossible to retrieve from the pot in time.”
Text：Editorial Dept.
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倫敦大學學院（University College London）的研究人員成功實現了一項夢想，製作出世界上最薄的義大利粉，這不僅吸引了名廚的目光，也讓許多義大利人感到驚訝。這項成果發表在《納米級進展》（Nanoscale Advances）期刊上，研究人員創造出只有372納米寬的澱粉納米纖維鏈，這個尺寸甚至肉眼無法察覺，比某些光的波長還要小。
雖然世界上最薄的義大利粉聽起來有些荒謬，但澱粉在醫學上卻具有重要的應用潛力。例如，納米纖維澱粉可用於繃帶，幫助傷口癒合，因為它們能夠讓水分通過的同時防止細菌進入。
這些化學家並未經歷繁瑣的植物細胞澱粉提煉過程，而是選擇了商店購買的麵粉來直接製作納米纖維。其納米纖維是通過一種稱為靜電紡絲的工藝製成，該工藝利用電荷將麵粉和液體混合物拉入極小的金屬孔中，形成只有納米寬的線。這一過程與傳統義大利粉的製作方法類似，只是規模小得多。
雖然在這種產品進入醫學應用之前，還需要進行大量的研究，但這標誌著朝著更可持續的澱粉納米纖維發展邁出了重要一步。儘管我會願意花錢觀看名廚在真人秀節目中展示這種看不見的義大利粉，但靜電紡絲方式不太可能成為新的分子美食熱潮。正如倫敦大學學院藥學院的Gareth Williams教授所言，遺憾的是，作為義大利粉來說，它的實用性不高，因為它在不到一秒鐘的時間內就會煮過頭，然後就只能趕快撈出來。
文字：編輯部
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