The so-called photographers of nanotechnology, Carbon Nanoprobes Inc. specialize in imaging the extremely small. The State College-based company (preparing to move to Malvern) makes novel devices for high-end, high-resolution research and development and production imaging environments.
In plain English, that means Carbon Nanoprobes mass produces tiny needles that can make direct tracings of nano-sized structures, like proteins. The company begins shipping its first products--carbon nanotube-based atomic force microscopy probes--in March.
Currently aimed at the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries, Carbon Nanoprobes claim their products can help semiconductor companies to manufacture tiny transistors. For pharmaceutical and biotech companies, the company's probe can create an accurate image of cellular structures and potentially open up a new method of drug discovery.
The company was founded six years ago in Seattle with the goal of commercializing nano-powered solutions in the field of molecular imaging, but the Commonwealth convinced the firm to move its operations to Pennsylvania last year. The company's unprecedented ability to mass-produce carbon nanotube tips means the power of the atomic force microscope can be multiplied to extraordinary levels, enabling researchers to see and explore new worlds.