Nanosys Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif., has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the regents of the University of California for semiconductor nanowire-based lasers. The license will enable the company to develop laser-powered biochips and ultrahigh-resolution photolithography technology. The nanolasers can be tuned to emit radiation from the IR to the deep-UV by changing the diameter or composition of the nanowire. Offering highly localized optical illumination, they eventually may compete with blue gallium-nitride lasers in terms of brightness, dimensions and ease of manufacture, according to the company.