The recent advances in molecular conduction and nanoscale fabrication of electrodes has led to a newavenue of physics research into conduction through low-dimensional systems. There is currently a basiclack of understanding of the microscopic physical mechanisms that control conduction through suchsystems. Studies of microscopic charge-conduction processes in low-dimensional systems are relevantto hi-tech device technologies that rely both on organic and inorganic semiconductors, as the reductionin commercial device dimensions continues. This is equally true of the magnetic media industry, whichis interested in the manipulation of magnetic moments at the extreme limit of magnet size reduction: asingle magnetic cluster.We propose to study transport through low-dimensional systems at the nanometer length scale. Firstly,we wish to study the quantum aspects of the charge-density wave (CDW) conduction mode in quasi-one-dimensional systems at the length scale approaching the amplitude-amplitude coherence length inthese systems (about lOnm), in charge-density wave conductors NbSes and TaSa. This includestunneling of the CDW quasiparticle excitations across weak links and barriers, and Coulomb Blockademeasurements on CDW dots. Secondly, we will study the magnetic and electrical transport propertiesof molecular magnetic quantum dots. This innovatively combines two major areas of recent research:spintronics and conduction through single organic molecules.Our background and expertise in CDW physics will enable a unique perspective on the understandingof conduction in single molecule devices.