The Zeptoworld: Measuring The Mass Of Protein
The world's most sensitive scales can now detect a bunch of xenon atoms a billion, trillion times lighter than a gram. A zeptogram (10-21g) is roughly the mass of a single protein molecule and its detection has set a new record. It uses a thin blade that vibrates and generates voltage. When atoms or molecules are placed on its surface, the blade slows down the vibration and changes the voltage.
This device could be used to diagnose diseases at the very early stage by detecting single indicating molecule found in a drop of blood or to create a sensor of ultrahigh sensitivity for environmental testing..
