One big challenge in trying to develop nanotechnology is to find ways to control the arrangement of matter at the atomic level. Biological structures such as crystallized protein may provide a way to organize the formation of nanotech structures.

Crystallized proteins also hold great promise as nanostructure templates, said Vicki Colvin, director of Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology in Houston. At least 1,000 protein patterns are already known, more than what's available with polymers or other methods, she told the conference.

Many of the crystal structures have high percentages of water in them, an ideal setup for nanotech materials chemistry, Colvin said. Some of them are fragile, however, and would need a chemical "two by four" to do the job, she said.