Science
Chad Mirkin, Ph.D., the 2012 winner of the American Chemical Society's Award for Creative Invention, is well known for his work on the Verigene System, which can provide patient diagnostics at the point of care. Instead of sending tests or samples out to labs -- a potentially time consuming process -- this tool can diagnose diseases on site at hospitals or in the doctor's office. By improving the speed and accuracy of diagnostics, doctors able to treat diseases more quickly and effectively. Working in the nano scale, Mirkin uses gold particles to create promising new medical diagnostic tools that could lead to future cancer treatments and ways to track and treat diseases at earlier stages.