Print

Mail

wiki links

Academia Sinica team hits it big by thinking small

Ever wonder how much a red blood cell weighs? The world's first mass spectrometer capable of measuring the mass of a single cell or other microparticle -- invented by researchers at the Academia Sinica -- can tell you precisely how much.

The researchers claim that the spectrometer will dramatically reduce the time needed for viral and other medical tests.

The device is the brainchild of Chang Huan-cheng (張煥正) and Chen Chung-hsuan (陳仲瑄), who led researchers at Academia Sinica in a project to enhance previous related technology.

The new mass spectrometer that ensnares cells or other nanoparticles in an ion trapping device by producing a laser-induced acoustic wave. The trapped nanoparticles' masses are then measured, according to an Academia Sinica news release.

All that may not mean much to the average lay person, but the device is getting a lot of attention in science and technology circles.

According to Chang, until now, the vital statistics of cells and viruses were measurable only by microscope, which does not generally reveal their mass.

Chang said that being able to measure the weight of cells and other nanoparticles would make testing for diseases -- like cancer -- much easier. The researchers are looking into making a portable version of the spectrometer that can measure smaller viruses like the cold and dengue fever.
This story has been viewed 1700 times.