Using nanotechnology to create microchips for cancer detection

Researchers have used a variety of nano-sized nanomaterials developed to be sensitive enough to detect early cancer (which is an easy-to-treat disease).

Scientists at the University of Toronto (Canada) said that the chip not only detect cancer but also detect the type, the danger level of the disease. The chip is built with nanowires, designed to track biomarkers of cancer (biomarker is the number of biological molecules that indicate the state of the disease). The University of Toronto calls this technology the latest step in nanotechnology.

" Nowadays, people use a lot of equipment and spend a lot of time evaluating the status and progression of cancer ," said Shana Kelley, one of the project leaders. " Our team only uses a finger-like electronic chip and takes about half an hour to analyze the biological sample (the amount of biological samples in the BlackBerry only) that gives accurate results ."

University of Toronto professor of medicine, David Naylor, remarked this remarkable innovation demonstrating that the era of nanoscience is beginning. Scientists at the University of Toronto want microchip to detect many other types of cancer as well as detect many other infectious diseases such as HIV and H1N1.