1. Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed infrared quantum dots using cadmium selenide precursors, expanding the technology beyond the visible spectrum. 2. The new HgSe and HgCdSe nanocrystals maintain the properties of their parent CdSe nanocrystals, including size, shape, and uniformity. 3. This advancement opens up potential applications in molecular imaging and deeper tissue probing in biological systems.