Through a grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, Guido Verbeck, associate professor of chemistry, will study the differences in the way cancerous and non-cancerous cells metabolize -- work that will help researchers develop treatments and possibly cures.

Verbeck will analyze lipids and other metabolites, the products of chemical reactions within the cells, using the nanomanipulator, a device he invented in 2006.

Currently, his Imaging and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory at UNT is the only research facility with a four-position nanomanipulator. The technology could help doctors analyze cells on a patient-by-patient basis and develop specialized therapy.