Scientists have performed a delicate surgical operation on a single living cell, using a needle that is just a few billionths of a metre wide.
They claim the procedure could be used to manipulate embryonic stem cells intended for use in medical treatment.
This "nano-needle" was used together with an atomic force microscope (AFM) to penetrate the membrane of a cell to a depth of one or two micrometres.
The Japanese team will outline details in a future issue of Nano-Letters.
"The cells used were on the micrometre scale but we adjusted the procedure for the nanometre scale using an AFM," co-author Noriyuki Nakamura told the BBC News website.