Abstract:
The evolution of Sionex Corp.’s chemical sensor technology reads like a brief history of modern geopolitics. It started with an idea in the mind of a Soviet scientist, studying how electromagnetic fields affected chemical molecules. After the Cold War he relocated to New Mexico State University, where he met a researcher at Draper Laboratory developing new micromachining technology. The two combined their work and some seed capital to launch Sionex in January 2000.