A nanotechnologist is a scientist or engineer who creates machines and works with organic and inorganic materials with diameters of less than 100 nanometers. While images of tiny computer chips or microscopic machines come to mind when thinking of nanotechnology, the field also deals with how organic nanoscale particles interact with the human body and the environment. A nanotechnologist can work in a variety of fields and typically holds a bachelor’s degree in science or engineering with a nanotechnology minor.
A nanometer is one billionth of a meter in length. To put this into perspective, one inch contains 25,400,000 nanometers. A strand of human hair is 80,000 nanometers wide and a single sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick. A nanotechnologist uses a high-powered microscope that can see particles down to the atomic level.
Nanoscale materials can be created in a laboratory or discovered in nature. Volcanic ash, smoke, and sea spray are all natural sources. Nanomaterials have been used for over 1,000 years, with swords and gold-stained glass windows dating back centuries. Nanotechnology, on the other hand, did not emerge as a specialized field until the 1980s.
Nanotechnology is used in a variety of industries, and nanotechnologists have a variety of options to choose from. Some work in the manufacturing industry, developing new nanomaterial-based machines and processes. A nanotechnologist might, for example, work with nanoimprint technology, a method for printing or stamping nanoscale features onto a surface. Others may work in the environmental field, developing nanomaterial-based methods for cleaning water and air. Nanotechnology is used in the medical industry to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
Nanotechnology is concerned with the future as well as the present, and nanotechnologists strive to find new ways to solve old problems. Researchers in the medical field are investigating ways to use nanotechnology to stimulate the growth of new nerves in the human nervous system. They are attempting to develop more environmentally friendly transportation in the transportation sector. Nanomachines may be used in the future to monitor the safety and soundness of bridges, roadways, and other structures.
Nanotechnology is a rapidly expanding industry that is expected to continue to add jobs to the economies of the United States, Japan, and Europe. A nanotechnologist’s annual salary is determined his or her level of education. Those with a two-year degree can expect to earn between $30,000 and $50,000 per year, while those with a doctorate can expect to earn more than $100,000 per year.