Founder Paul West Discusses AFMWorkshop's Contribution to Democratization of Technology in "American Laboratory" Feature Story on Atomic Force Microscopy
SIGNAL HILL, Calif., Jan. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AFMWorkshop (www.afmworkshop.com) has proven instrumental in shifting the paradigm in atomic force microscope (AFM) technology through a series of major technological advances. Scientist and inventor Paul West, Ph.D., who founded AFMWorkshop in 2010, is pleased that his company is bringing cutting-edge microscopy to researchers and institutions that previously could not afford the technology. In the January/February issue of "American Laboratory," West detailed how AFMWorkshop continues to tear down the cost barriers of AFM. The complete article can be read here.
"During the technology's early stages, AFMs were used primarily by experts whose objective was to demonstrate how these unique instruments could be used," says West. "What's most interesting to me is that recently AFMs have become routine tools used in support of research and development projects and may be operated by scientists and engineers who are not AFM experts."
West goes on to quantify the effect AFMWorkshop has had on AFM prices. Whereas these instruments previously cost at least $150,000 – with some models upwards of $500,000 – a functionally comparable device from AFMWorkshop can now be purchased for less than $50,000. That means smaller companies and developing nation states can now invest in AFM and reap the benefits.
Feedback from satisfied AFMWorkshop customers highlights the company's commitment to providing nearly unfettered access to this cutting-edge technology. "The open architecture part of the TT-AFM really appealed to me, and I particularly enjoyed the TT-AFM Kit Assembly Workshop, where I could build the instrument myself," remarks Aryeh Weiss, Ph.D., a member of the Faculty of Engineering at Bar Ilan University. "When I started this adventure I didn't have any hands-on experience with AFM, although I understood the principle. So I was jumping into the water, and I managed to swim and not drown. I'm very happy with the choice."
AFM offers a multitude of potentially important applications in medical research, as well as a number of other science and engineering fields. Researchers can use the technology to observe changes in cancer cells, for instance, providing actionable information on the efficacy of specific treatments. With the steadily decreasing cost of AFM, further practical applications are rapidly increasing as the instruments empower scientists to unlock previously unknown facts about the natural world and its materials.
About AFMWorkshop
AFMWorkshop's innovative designs, educational model, and pricing structure are the result of 30 years of hands-on Atomic Force Microscope instrument innovation, production and operation throughout the globe.
AFMWorkshop's mission is to develop and market innovative Atomic Force Microscope products and components for research, development, OEMs and education. AFMWorkshop supports customers with workshops on the construction, operation and applications of its products and is committed to an open architecture that facilitates customer innovation.
Contact:
Pamela Stone
AFMWorkshop
1434 E 33rd St.
Signal Hill, CA 90755
(888) 671-5539
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SOURCE AFMWorkshop, Inc.
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