Where biotech meets nanotech

Published 9:00 pm Monday, March 13, 2006

The distinction between biotech (which deals with living things) and nanotech ( which deals with really small things) is getting blurred as the two fields collide more and more.

CombiMatrix in Mukilteo, for example, often is loosely defined as a nanotechnology company. It makes silicon chips that can be specially programmed to identify specific viruses, organisms and even biological weapons — a married combination of electronics with the organic. Lumera, based in Bothell, is working on similar “biochips” and openly refers to itself as a nanotech firm.

As with many things in the technology realm, California’s San Francisco Bay area is the leader. But this story from San Francisco’s Chronicle — http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/12/BUGFEHM4O01.DTL — says the Puget Sound area is a “strong competitor.”

To check out CombiMatrix, which soon will become an independent public company, click here: http://www.combimatrix.com. For Lumera, check here: http://www.lumera.com.