DETROIT (AP) -- Wayne State University is going smaller in a bigger way.

The Detroit university is using a $200,000 federal grant to develop an undergraduate program in nanoengineering. The field is a branch of nanotechnology, which involves manipulating matter at the molecular level.

The program aims to prepare students for work in the emerging field and meet growing demands of advanced manufacturing and high-tech industries. The program includes laboratory and research work.

The money comes from the National Science Foundation.

Scientists and engineers say nanoscale materials and mechanisms can be lighter and stronger than their larger counterparts. They also are being developed for uses in the military, medicine, agriculture, aeronautics and information technology.