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Analytical
instrumentation is increasingly incorporating advances
in photonics, imaging, combinatorial methods and informatics.
The result will be a permeation of sensors and other
analytical instrumentation in a variety of fields including
chemistry, civil engineering and security. The Research
Triangle Region is poised to contribute to this revolution
in three main areas: optics/photonics, combinatorial
methods and informatics.
Photonic methods will continue to revolutionize analytical
instrumentation by providing new radiation sources and
sensors. Tunable lasers will replace traditional spectroscopic
light sources and enable the miniaturization of chemical
analysis equipment such as spectrometers.
This trend
will promote the rise of advanced, low-cost, lab-on-a-chip
technologies that provide point analysis in the field.
In addition, sensors made from optical fibers and gratings
will be employed in a variety of applications, including
corrosion monitors on bridges, chemical sensors in factories,
and remote monitors for precision agriculture.
The Research
Triangle Region's knowledge base in analytical chemistry,
particularly high-throughput screening methods, and
optical technologies provide a strong foundation for
start-up companies targeting these applications.
Combinatorial methods and high-throughput screening
have become commonplace in pharmaceutical and biotechnology
laboratories. However, these methods have been slow
to progress to other disciplines, such as catalysis,
polymer science and nanotechnology.
The pharmaceutical
and biotechnology industries in the Research Triangle
provide the region with a strong foundation in combinatorial
methods. The region can continue to play a major role
in developing and applying combinatorial methods and
high-throughput screening to the health industry, and
can spearhead the application of these methods to other
technologies.
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