July 4, it is reported by "Chinanews Web" that University of California, Berkeley (UC, Berkeley) announced professor of chemistry Yang Peidong and his colleague Majumdar invented the first nanofluidic transistor in the world. The researchers - a chemist and a mechanical engineer - predict that, just as the electronic transistor became the main component of microprocessors and integrated circuits, so will nanofluidic transistors anchor molecular processors, allowing microscopic chemical plants on a chip that operate without moving parts. No valves to get stuck, no pumps to blow, no mixers to get clogged. Such technology can be applied to cancer diagnosis. A nanoscale chemical analysis chip could, theoretically, take the contents of as few as 10 cancer cells and pull out protein markers that can tip doctors to the best means of attacking the cancer. Prof. Yang Peidong said that although this research project is at the primary stage, the invention still can be regarded as a "milestone". It can be predicted that in the next 10 to 20 years, with technology maturing, nanofluidic transistor could be made using the same manufacturing technology that today produces integrated circuits.
Prof. Yang Peidong was graduated from USTC Applied Chemistry Department in 1993. He got the degree of Doctor of Chemistry at Harvard University. Since 1999, Yang Peidong has been UC Berkeley professor of chemistry. He and Majumdar, professor of mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley are scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Their research project has been in progress for more than 3 years.
The nanometer technology is an emerging subject in 1990th. Nanometer technology can be applied to medical treatment, chemical industry, electronic industry and many other scopes for its highly practical worth. Given the applicability and progressiveness of nanometer technology, every country urges to carry out relative researches on this field.