History of MNTL

The MEME & Nano Technology Laboratory (MNTL) at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, was established in 2004 with Professor Dong-Won Lee from the IBM Research Lab in Switzerland. Professor Lee contributed to the development of Next-generation Data Storage System and Chemical AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) with Christoph Gerber and Gerd Binnig, who received the Nobel Prize for their groundbreaking work on STM development. 

Since its founding, MNTL has actively pursued diverse research projects in M/NEMS, biosensors and systems, energy device and system technologies.

In 2007, MNTL was awarded as a National Research Laboratory (NRL) from Korea government. Building on this achievement, the lab has led several major initiatives:

• 2007–2012: Director for World Class University (WCU) Program on Graphene-based Nano-Biosensor Development

• 2017–present: Director for Center for Next Generation Sensor Technology (Chonnam National University)

• 2020–present: Director for Regional Leading Research Center (Advanced Medical Device Research Center for Cardiovascular Disease)

Through these programs, MNTL has gained both national and international recognition for its world-class research in advanced micro/nano device and system technologies.

The lab’s achievements have been honored by numerous prestigious organizations, including the Korean Society for Precision Engineering, the Korean Society of Sensors, the Micronanosystems Society, ICAE, PRESM, Transducers, IEEE MEMS and etc. Prof. Dong-Weon Lee also received the Gaheon Academic Award (Shin Doriko) in 2023.

Graduat stduents from MNTL have gone on to serve as professors at various universities in Korea - such as Kyungpook National University and Gwangju University - as well as internationally, including Beihang University, Hefei University of Technology and Ningbo University in China. Building on its track record of excellence, MNTL continues to pioneer advanced research in M/NEMS, biosensors, and next-generation medical devices, while cultivating global talents who will shape the future of these rapidly evolving fields.