A Ring to Sense Danger (IMAGE) University of Southern California Caption In the DNA rendering to the left, two of the three strand of DNA are "normal;" however, the third strand has a region which can cause cancer. Professor Armani's research is focused on detecting these regions and understanding what events trigger the change in the DNA. The technique that she is using relies on a very sensitive nanolaser device which is shown in the electron microscope image to the right. The laser shown in this picture is smaller than the width of a human hair. Credit USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Usage Restrictions credit USC Viterbi School of Engineering License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.