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Danville,
VA – Luna Innovations have announced the formation
of its sixth company, Luna nanoWorks — an independent
business focused on manufacturing revolutionary products
based on recently discovered carbonaceous nanomaterials.
Dr.
Stephen Wilson, a world-renowned fullerene scientist,
will lead the company as President. Wilson was founder
and Chief Scientific Officer of C Sixty, Inc, a Houston
biopharmaceutical company based on fullerene technology.
He is a recognized expert and innovator with over
250 patents and publications in organic chemistry,
biochemistry, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. He
is currently setting the vision for Luna nanoWorks
and assembling the technical and management team to
lead the new enterprise.
Charles
Gause, who previously directed Luna’s nanomaterial
research and development group, will be Vice President.
Gause has been leading the development of Luna’s unique
nanomaterial production process. He has extensive
manufacturing and operations background and has been
instrumental, along with Luna Vice President Ben Plowman,
in raising significant funds to support this project.
At the Danville facility, Gause will continue leading
the operations and business development efforts.
The
Danville site was selected over other competing locations
due to the City’s pro-business, flexible and responsive
government, manufacturing heritage, quality workforce,
and diverse building inventory. Danville's technology
initiative, excellent educational programs, quality
of life, and overall vision integrated easily into
Luna’s current and future direction.
The
initial investment has been allocated for the renovation
of an 18th century tobacco warehouse. From this historic
location, material manufacturing and product development
with carbon nanotubes and Trimetspheres™, a discovery
made at Virginia Tech, is expected by first quarter
FY05.
“This
ground-breaking project was made possible by the vision
and commitment of Senator John Warner, Congressman
Virgil Goode, Governor Mark Warner, Secretary of Commerce
Michael Schewel, Secretary of Technology Eugene Huang,
CIT President Pete Jobse, Senator Charles Hawkins
and the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Revitalization
Commission, and Virginia Research and Technology Advisory
Commission Co-chair Dr. John Noftsinger,” said Dr.
Kent Murphy, Chairman of Luna nanoWorks.
Luna
Innovations is a leader in nanotechnology commercialization
resulting in state-of-the-art nanomaterials manufacturing
and product development. Currently, there are limited
carbonaceous nanomaterial quantities to supply the
ever-increasing demand by end-users. Luna nanoWorks
will utilize nanotechnology to provide products for
cancer therapy, faster electronics, better lubricants,
stronger textiles, and chemical and biological warfare
testing and disposal for homeland security.
ABOUT
LUNA INNOVATIONS:
Luna
Innovations is inventing, building and commercializing
innovative ideas that are improving life through practical
applications of technologies. Luna identifies market
opportunities, develops unique technologies and provides
the creative environment to fully develop their potential.
Luna
Innovations has created six new companies since 2000
while opening additional branches in Charlottesville,
Danville, Baltimore, and Hampton Roads. The company
focuses areas include manufacturing process control,
next-generation cancer drug development, analytical
instrumentation, novel nanomaterials, advanced petroleum
monitoring systems and wireless remote asset management.
For more information see www.lunainnovations.com or
email solutions@lunainnovations.com.
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