Manipulating the anisotropy in 2D nanosheets is a promising way to tune or trigger functional properties at the nanoscale. Here Christian Martella et al. propose a novel approach  to introduce a one-directional anisotropy in MoS₂ nanosheets via chemical vapor deposition onto rippled patterns prepared on ion-sputtered SiO₂/Si substrates therein bringing evidences of morphology-dependent strain localization and charge doping. For more details, see C. Martella et al. Advanced Materials (2017), doi:10.1002/adma.201605785. More information on the research topic can be found on the Alessandro Molle's IMM webpage