Scientists from the UK and the USA have successfully demonstrated a new technique that could help to shrink the size and cost of future particle accelerators for fundamental physics experiments and applications in materials and biomedicine.

Using the huge electric fields in laser-produced plasmas, they have accelerated beams of electrons close to the speed of light, in an important step towards the development of a working laser electron accelerator that could sit on a table top...read the wave

Harris & Harris Group, Inc. announced today that it has invested $200,000 as part of a $5 million Series A Preferred round of financing by privately held Crystal IS, Inc. The investor syndicate was led by Arch Venture Partners and included JVP, 3i and Harris & Harris Group.

Crystal IS is a supplier of ultra-low defect density native aluminum nitride (AIN) single crystal substrates. The Company was founded in 1997 by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) physics professors Glen Slack and Leo Schowalter, both former GE scientists....read the wave

NEW Nano Tsunami : Guest Writer

Jason Des Forges

plenty of room down there… nano talk from New Zealand

I, Nanokook...read the wave

Pune, This could be far cheaper than chemotherapy, drug and side-effects free and the golden triangles used have nothing to do with their more famous cousin notorious for narcotics smuggling. If anything, it may just bring with it the aroma of lemon grass.

In a breakthrough seen as a ‘‘big conceptual leap’’ in bio-nano technology, scientists at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, have discovered cutting-edge technology for fighting cancer and a host of other diseases including diabetes.

The technology works on hyperthermia of the cancer cells and uses nano-sized (one-billionth of a metre) triangular gold particles...read the wave

Hong Kong SAR – Scientists are in the process of developing self-cleaning nanofabrics through a government-sponsored initiative, which is expected to add value to manufacturers' products and improve their sales.

Scientists at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have been working on the development of functional fabrics through the Intelligent Production Control Decision-Making System for Apparel Manufacturing Process, a project financed by the Innovation and Technology Fund established by the Hong Kong government in 2003.

The research is focused on the application of self-cleaning nanotechnology at extremely low temperatures...read the wave

BERKELEY – In a nod to scientific paradox, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have slowed light down in an effort to speed up network communication.

They have shown for the first time that the group velocity of light - the speed at which a laser pulse travels along a light wave - can be slowed to about 6 miles per second in semiconductors. While that speed is not exactly the pace of a turtle, it is 31,000 times slower than the 186,000 miles (or 300 million meters) per second that light normally clocks while traveling through a vacuum.

"It's about twice as fast as an orbiting space shuttle," said Connie J. Chang-Hasnain, UC Berkeley professor of electrical engineering and computer science...read the wave

We may soon be listening to music emitted by the fabric of our clothing or watching our shirts change color as we heat up. But the hottest thing in fabric for the moment is only a little less remarkable, able to fight off dirt and wrinkles like something out of Superman's closet.

That's the view from Eva Snopek, fashion design instructor at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. "There is a lot of new technology out there," she said, citing nanotechnology as the superstar of the day. And our testing backed her up.

Something of a buzzword across many disciplines, nanotechnology in this case refers to a process of treating fabric on a molecular level...read the wave

One of the most interesting challenges in the area of nanotechnology is the precise transport of nano-objects from one place on a nanostructure to another by a defined route. Researchers have now begun to overcome this challenge: there are three "stops" on the route of their new nanoscopic "tram" made of DNA.

DNA has already proven itself as a material for nanoconstruction in a number of ways. Because of the specific base pairing of complementary DNA regions, this material organizes itself into defined structures that can be predetermined by the order of its nucleotide components...read the wave

Quiz a dozen catalysis researchers about the role of nanotechnology in catalysis and at least a few of them are sure to roll their eyes. One reason for the disdain expressed by some scientists for terms such as "nanotechnology" and other oft-used "nano words" is that while the nanometer scale may represent new and exciting territory for many areas of science, in heterogeneous catalysis it's old hat. Industry has been carrying out some chemical transformations on nanosized particles for decades.

Yet given the seemingly endless stream of nanoscience advances nowadays, surely the burgeoning field has contributed something new to catalysis. Hasn't it? That question--and others regarding...read the wave

Applied Microengineering (AML), an Oxfordshire-based micromachine manufacturing tool firm, has been boosted by the award of a £678,000 DTI grant to support the development of its nano device production tool.

The aim of the grant is to support a project called LOBEL to create an industrial manufacturing platform for nanotechnology devices including sensors. The project is part of the DTI’s Micro & Nano technology (MNT) initiative...read the wave

HYDERABAD: Imagine a medical device that travels through the human body to seek out and destroy small clusters of cancerous cells, before they can spread. Or, materials much lighter than steel, but possess 10 times as much strength.

Nanotechnology is a revolution that is taking place in the science and technology sector. As a result, progress in nanoscience and nanotechnology is surely going to have far reaching effects, according to the latest report of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom)...read the wave

Seit ihrer Entdeckung im Jahre 1991 beschäftigen Kohlenstoff-Nanoröhren die Fantasie von Forschern und Ingenieuren durch ihre vielversprechenden Eigenschaften. Diese Objekte der Nanowelt, die aus aufgerollten Graphitschichten bestehen und Durchmesser von einem Nanometer - 10.000 mal kleiner als ein menschliches Haar - haben, sollen als molekulare Komponenten in zukünftigen, Nanometer-großen Bauelementen eingesetzt werden. Die einzigartigen elektrischen Eigenschaften dieser Nanodrähte, die je nach atomarem Aufbau metallisch oder halbleitend sein können, ermöglichen die Entwicklung kleinster Bauelemente wie Nanotransistoren, Gassensoren, Superkondensatoren, Flachbildschirme, usw...read the wave

NanoHorizons, Inc. have announced the availability of a low-cost line of concentrated, polymer-compatible gold and silver nanoparticles in research and pilot production volumes. With prices for small quantities ranging from $100 to $400 per liter, NanoHorizons’ noble-metal nanoparticles’ unique combination of exceptionally low cost and polymer manufacturing process compatibility will enable manufacturers to create a vast array of plastic consumer and industrial products with built-in antimicrobial properties. Examples of potential products include plastic storage containers, food packaging materials, plastic gloves, and clothing such as odor-free, microbial-free shoes, socks, and hats...read the wave

NEW Nano Tsunami : Guest Writer

Jason Des Forges

plenty of room down there… nano talk from New Zealand

I, Nanokook...read the wave

A European research consortium has adapted existing nanotechnology to create tiny switches that could further reduce the size and cost of computers.

The E! 2839 Mesci-I project - co-ordinated by European Union research network Eureka - claims to have succeeded where many others have failed, by making the production of miniature electric and computer systems economically viable.

The process uses mechanical nano-switches to store non-volatile memory data, which reduces the number of microchips used and cuts their demand for power...read the wave

Carbon molecules called “buckyballs” - which hold great promise for nanotechnology - but have been shown to harm fish have been made safer by scientists.

The soccer-ball-shaped carbon nanoparticles were shown to cause brain damage in fish and kill water fleas in a study in March 2004. But now a team at Rice University in Houston, Texas, US, has come close to understanding how buckyballs – more formally known as fullerenes - kill cells and how their toxicity can be lowered in human cells...read the wave

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a technique that uses surface chemistry to make tinier and more effective p-n junctions in silicon-based semiconductors. The method could permit the semiconductor industry to significantly extend the life of current ion-implantation technology for making transistors, thereby avoiding the implementation of difficult and costly alternatives.

To make faster silicon-based transistors, scientists much shrink the active region in p-n junctions while increasing the concentration of electrically active dopant. Currently about 25 nanometers thick, these active regions must decrease to about 10 nanometers, or roughly 40 atoms deep, for next-generation devices...read the wave

Meeting on 24 September, the EU Competitiveness Council adopted conclusions calling for continuity between the Sixth and Seventh Framework Programmes, but with initiatives to simplify procedures. Ministers also stressed the need for the reinforcement of nanotechnology research at European level.

The Council reviewed the findings of an expert panel charged with carrying out a mid-term evaluation of the new instruments of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) and endorsed its findings. The main conclusions of the review were that the new instruments and their aims are justified, but that more needs to be done to ensure that smaller and less experienced entities are able to participate in the programmes and that the instruments are correctly understood...read the wave

"Nanotechnology" is a newly fashionable field but in the world of drug development it is certainly not new, the British Pharmaceutical Conference was told this week.

The first nanomedicines are already bringing clinical benefit to thousands of patients, said Professor Ruth Duncan in her Conference Science Chairman's address.

"Progress in the development of nano-sized hybrid therapeutics and nano-sized drug delivery systems over the last decade has been remarkable. A growing number of products have already secured regulatory authority approval and, in turn, are supported by a healthy clinical development pipeline. They include products used to treat multiple sclerosis, AIDS, cancer, hepatitis and arthritis." ...read the wave

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Silicon microelectronics has undergone relentless miniaturization during the past 30 years, leading to dramatic improvements in computational capacity and speed. But the end of that road is fast approaching, and scientists and engineers have been investigating another promising avenue: using individual molecules as functional electronic devices.

Now a team of engineers at Northwestern University has become the first to precisely align multiple types of molecules on a silicon surface at room temperature -- an important step toward the goal of molecular electronics...read the wave

SAN FRANCISCO, ThinkEquity Growth Conference, /PRNewswire/ -- ThinkEquity Partners, a leading research-centric institutional investment firm, last week unveiled a groundbreaking research report on the growth economy, titled "Think Growth!" at its highly successful growth conference in San Francisco. The report includes a detailed study of growth trends over the past 10 years, and predictions for growth in specific industry segments...read the wave

PALO ALTO, California,PRNewswire/ -- Groundbreaking progress in nanotechnology is giving rise to heightened interest among investors, manufacturers, and other market participants. With progress comes new issues and challenges for theoretical scientists and, accordingly, increased demand for high-end research procedures and tools.

"Most of the research happening now is focused on improving upon existing materials properties or developing new materials," says Technical Insights Research Analyst Hrishikesh Bidwe. "These materials will initially find use in various high performance industries, such as aerospace and defense. If price can be significantly reduced, consumer applications will probably become the major market for nanophase materials."...read the wave

Technology for Industry Ltd (TFI), a Cambridgeshire consultancy focusing on nanotechnology, has unveiled a strategic alliance with MBD in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Dr Malcolm Wilkinson, MD of Technology for Industry, said that Brazil – like many other nations – had recognised the importance of nanotechnology in creating competitive advantage for its industry.

MBD, based in the centre of one of Brazil’s most prosperous regions, has an outstanding number of contacts and knowledge of the Brazilian emerging hi-tech industries, according to Dr Wilkinson...read the wave

San Jose - PALO ALTO - Researchers are continuing to make giant strides toward realizing the exceptional potential of nanotechnology. Their efforts have resulted in the advent of stronger, lighter, and improved nanomaterials currently finding extensive use in several high-performance applications.

"Nanotechnology is well poised to become an accepted technology in years to come and many future applications are likely to have some form of nanotechnology embedded in them," says Technical Insights Analyst Hrishikesh Bidwe...read the wave

WASHINGTON — Frankenstein's man-made monster, of Mary Shelley's classic horror tale, seems to be lumbering after proponents of nanotechnology.
The creature has been evoked by people fearful that the hot technology of the 21st century will run amok. This time, the torch-bearing villagers are gathering around the "gray goo" menace, fearful that self-replicating, biological nanomachines ceaselessly will reproduce and take over the world.

For nanotechnologists, these fears are as old hat as monster movie weekends...read the wave

Dear reader,

I spent most of yesterdays daylight hours getting to and from the excellent Club of Amsterdam / Cientifica nanoWATER 2004 event which took place here in Holland.

Along with the other participants I managed to penetrate grid-locked Amsterdam ( which was party to a municipal transport strike ) and I was highly awarded with presentations from many of the nano industry mover’s and shakers incl : Uri Sagman, Professor Raphael Semiat, Fred Tepper, Dr Eric Mayes, and Tim Harper.

Speakers and delegates alike where full of praise for this first every nanoWater world seminar. We all look forward to nanoWATER 2005 and the establishment of nanoWATER as an annual ( Dutch ? ) event.

So, apologise then to my early readers but due to a shortage of time ( left over after nanoWATER ) I will be posting the main featured news articles later through the day.

However, not to leave your all out in the cold I have still been able to post a selection of today’s best nano linked news items

Finally, more great news from Nano Tsunami. I am being joined by even more new guest writers so watch out for their work very very soon !

…read the wave !

David W.G. Voyle

NANOTECHNOLOGY is the science of creating super tiny things, but its impact on the world is going to be enormous.

While the work of nanotechnology will be invisible to end-users, it will affect all aspects of their lives, including areas like health, electronics, environment and also in manufacturing processes.

In an interview with The New Paper, Dr Meyya Meyyappan, director at the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Center for Nanotechnology, Ames Research Center, said that nanotechnology is still in its developmental stage but is set to take off in a big way by the next decade.

Here's how nanotechnology will change the way we live:
...read the wave

AUSTRALIA is at the forefront of nanotechnology but the business sector is not convinced it warrants investment backing, according Sydney University research.

The report, produced by the Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering with assistance from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, finds most business leaders are not ready to make direct investment in nanotechnology.

The findings are based on workshop sessions earlier this year with about 90 consultants and core industry executives in Sydney and Melbourne...read the wave

The Science and Technology Ministry yesterday announced a major new development project with IBM Thailand to transfer nanotechnology in three key areas – grid computing, biotechnology and life science.

The cooperation is expected to help the country improve its research and development capabilities to create competitive advantages for Thai industry.

Under the agreement, IBM will transfer emerging technologies and equipment to local researchers as part of the ministry’s effort to develop a sound infrastructure for developing science and technology in Thailand...read the wave

Ha Noi (VNA) – A seminar on applying nanotechnology to producing water treatment and filtering equipment was held in Ha Noi last week by the municipal Association of Sci-Tech Information, the Vietnamese firm Vivina and the Republic of Korea’s Biocera group....read the wave

The invention of printing about a thousand years ago transformed history, much as nanotechnology - science and engineering at the molecular scale - is expected to trigger a second Industrial Revolution. Now, nanotechnology and printing are converging in a technique growing in popularity worldwide that brings printing to its fundamental limit of detail only nanometers or billionths of a meter wide...read the wave

THOUSANDS of patients are already benefiting from the miniature world of nanotechnology, a Welsh expert today said.

Professor Ruth Duncan, of the Welsh School of Pharmacy, at Cardiff University, said although nanotechnology - a nanometre is one billionth of a metre - may be a fashionable new field in drug development, the clinical benefits are already being experienced.

Prof Duncan, who today addresses the British Pharmaceutical Conference as the science chairman, said, "Progress in the development of nano-sized hybrid therapeutics and nano-sized drug delivery systems over the last decade has been remarkable...read the wave.

Nanotechnology, or the science of making and manipulating very, very tiny objects -- at the level of individual cells or molecules -- is indeed cool from a scientific perspective. It also has potential applications ranging from sunscreen to microchips, and the National Science Foundation recently estimated that the market for nanotechnology-related products could reach $1 trillion by 2015. This has, of course, caught the attention of the market; in fact, this is the second question about nanotech funds that we've received in the past couple of months...read the wave

The suggestion that imposing stricter controls over a fledgling field such as nanotechnology could help the UK steal a march on its competitors may seem laughable. But some researchers now believe the country could gain a vital lead in the emerging sector by developing a uniform toxicity screening system to assess the safety of nanoparticles.

As more companies, their employees and customers come into contact with nanotechnology-based processes and products, such a test could help the sector avoid comparisons with earlier disastrous developments such as asbestos...read the wave

HOUSTON, -- Researchers at Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN) have demonstrated a simple way to reduce the toxicity of water-soluble buckyballs by a factor of more than ten million.

The research will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Nano Letters, published by the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. One of the first toxicological studies of buckyballs, the research was published online by the journal on Sept. 11.

Buckyballs, whose chemical notation is C60, are hollow, soccerball-shaped molecules containing 60 carbon atoms. Their diameter is just one-billionth of a meter, or one nanometer, and their discovery at Rice in 1985 is widely regarded as an early milestone in the field of nanotechnology...read the wave

NEW Nano Tsunami : Guest Writer

Jason Des Forges

plenty of room down there… nano talk from New Zealand

I, Nanokook...read the wave

British company Hydrogen Solar has doubled the performance of its technology, which converts light and water directly into hydrogen fuel.

Dr. David Auty, Hydrogen Solar's chief executive said, " the key to Hydrogen Solar's breakthrough is nanotechnology. Hydrogen Solar developed a nano-crystalline material that will dramatically improve the production of hydrogen by using solar energy to split water more efficiently into its elemental parts."

In the coming months Hydrogen Solar plans to open a laboratory in Las Vegas. This will enable it to take advantage of the hot dry area for research. The company is currently recruiting scientists and engineers for the new lab. Hydrogen Solar needs scientists to drive the development work forward and...read the wave

d3o lab, the materials development company responsible for the revolutionary new impact protection technology which is soft and flexible but instantaneously stiffens on impact, have been working with Leon Paul, manufacturers of high end fencing equipment and apparel, to produce equipment used by the UK team in Athens this summer.

Barry Paul of Leon Paul comments, “For some years we have been looking for an impact absorbing material which was flexible in normal use but protective under impact loading such as being hit with the point or side of a fencing sword. Initial testing confirmed immediately that d3o can supply the solution for protection in masks, bibs, gloves, and body.”...read the wave

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 24 – University of Pittsburgh researchers have synthesized a simple molecule that not only produces perfectly uniform, self-assembled nanotubes but creates what they report as the first "nanocarpet," whereby these nanotubes organize themselves into an expanse of upright clusters that when magnified a million times resemble the fibers of a shag rug. Moreover, unlike other nanotube structures, these tubes display sensitivity to different agents by changing color and can be trained to kill bacteria, such as E. coli, with just a jab to its cell membrane.

How a mere single-step synthesis of a hydrocarbon and a...read the wave

A new generation of targeted drugs that could help women with advanced breast cancer are being developed with the help of nanotechnology.

Scientists have discovered a way of delivering traditional anti-cancer drugs and hormonal drugs simultaneously using soluble compounds which home in on the cancer's blood supply.

For the first time, they have found a way of carrying the drugs directly to the site of the cancer. This promises to give women with metastatic disease, where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, a better chance of survival. It may also reduce some of the toxic side-effects of treatment...read the wave

New York, NY, Sep. 24 (UPI) -- The invention of printing about a thousand years ago transformed history, much as nanotechnology -- science and engineering at the molecular scale -- is expected to trigger a second Industrial Revolution. Now, nanotechnology and printing are converging in a technique growing in popularity worldwide that brings printing to its fundamental limit of detail only nanometers or billionths of a meter wide...read the wave

A new "nanoscale" research center at Ohio State University aims to develop ways to mass-produce inexpensive, ultra-small devices to diagnose and treat diseases.

Some day soon, a custom-made magnetic probe no bigger than a few dozen hydrogen atoms could latch on to an infectious protein and steer it to a detector. Or a patch bristling with "nanoneedles" could inject molecules of medicine into an individual cancer cell.

Eventually a "nanofactory" might be able to churn out artificial viruses carrying repair....read the wave

On an otherwise quiet afternoon, the stately auditorium at McGill University in Montreal was abuzz as scientists from across the province came together to participate in NanoQuebec, an annual conference showcasing the state-of-the-art in nanotechnology – or at least what passes as nanotechnology nowadays: anything.

Surveying the exhibits and posters, it was clear there was little by way of real nanotechnology. Most participants simply conferred the honorific title of "nano" on their original work. So small materials became....read the wave

Small Times magazine has recently run stories about the nanotech development initiatives of India and Israel respectively;

India, in addition to germinating a biotech industry uncharacteristic of its traditional strengths in information technologies, is now taking steps to build an economically and technologically sustainable nanotech sector. India's president and former aeronautical engineer A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has long championed the growing field as a means to bolster the country's economy.

"[Nanotechnology] is the field of the future that will replace microelectronics and many fields with tremendous application potential in the areas of medicine, electronics and material science,” said Kalam in a recent speech, while stating elsewhere that nanotech will be a...read the wave

Sambreville, Belgium, — Nanocyl S.A., a Belgian nanotechnology company and leading producer of carbon nanotubes in Europe, announces today that subsequent to a 47.1% subscription of new shareholders, the company has continued to reinforce its growth resulting in a capital increase of three million euros (3.62 M USD).

Nanocyl S.A. recently was honored for its outstanding entrepreneurial expertise, proactive business model, and precise understanding of the industry by receiving the 2004 Frost & Sullivan Entrepreneurial Company Award. Each year, this Award acknowledges the company that has established exceptional entrepreneurial ability in its industry. Additionally, it certifies that the company’s marketing strategy is sound and poised for success...read the wave

Biophan Technologies, Inc. (OTC BB: BIPH), a developer of next-generation biomedical technology, have announced the filing of 12 new patents in a range of medical applications that further establish the Company's cutting-edge role in several critical areas of medical science and health care.

The patents, filed by Biophan and its associated companies, Nanoset LLC and Biomed Solutions LLC, outline new advances in the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), as well as nanotechnology coatings, biothermal batteries and opto-electric controls for implanted medical devices.

The two newly issued patents...read the wave

Perhaps nowhere in the esoteric world of Fermilab is the imagination sparked more than by the production of antimatter.

Any casual fan of science fiction knows that antimatter can never, ever be mixed with matter.

But Fermilab scientists have taken science fiction and turned it into science fact. Mixing matter and antimatter is exactly what they do.

More accurately, they mix protons and antiprotons by firing them in opposite directions into the 4-mile Tevatron accelerator ring and force them to collide with one and other at nearly the speed of light...read the wave

For the first time, an innovative research technique successfully completed a detailed measurement of how heat energy is created at the molecular level, an approach that could have far reaching implications for developing nano-devices.

Research results to be published in the upcoming issue of Science, detail a collaborative effort involving The University of Scranton, a Jesuit university in Pennsylvania, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a research institution in Illinois.

"This is the first time that anyone has measured how a specific motion of a molecule on one side of a molecular wall causes molecules within the wall to move,"...read the wave

MADISON - A new kind of science is revolutionizing technology, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison just received more than $13 million to harness its potential during the next five years

The science, called nanotechnology, is the study of materials and processes at scales so small that they're practically invisible under the lens of almost any microscope. These materials measure between one and 100 nanometers, with a single unit equal to one billionth of a meter. In comparison, the width of a human hair, for example, is about 50,000 nanometers.

Because these units are so small, materials of this size and processes that occur at this scale often display behaviors that are different from those observed at larger scales..read the wave

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and IBM Corp. have extended their chip-manufacturing technology agreement for an additional three years, paving the way for further chip process advancements from both companies.

The contract was supposed to expire next year. Under the terms of the extended deal, AMD will pay IBM between $250 million and $280 million from September 2004 through December 2008.

In return, AMD gets access to IBM's chip technologies. The contract remains subject to approval from IBM's board of directors.

"Under the development agreement, [AMD] and IBM agreed to continue to jointly develop new logic process technologies, including 65-nanometer and 45-nanometer technologies...read the wave

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. today announced a $2 million plan to expand its year-old semiconductor design center in Hyderabad, India.

The center, which has primarily designed network search engines (NSE) over the past year, will broaden its focus to include next-generation NSEs, 90nm-scale logic devices and systems engineering capabilities. Expansion plans involve the addition of a silicon validation lab, equipment and engineering talent to support these new functions....read the wave

"The nanoscale science and engineering initiative at the National Science Foundation supports high-risk/high-reward priority research themes aligned with societal needs," said Mihail Roco, head of the NSF initiative and chair of the National Science and Technology Council's subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology. "Each new center has a bold vision for research and education at the frontiers of science and technology, and with the existing centers, provide a coherent approach to U.S. nanotechnology research and education. Recent breakthroughs supported by NSF in exploratory research in nanomachines, nanobiosystems, medical devices, high-rate manufacturing, nanopores, and self-assembly are now moving to the next level."...read the wave

We soon might be listening to music emitted by the fabric of our clothing or watching our shirts change color as we heat up. But the hottest thing in fabric for the moment is only a little less remarkable, able to fight off dirt and wrinkles like something out of Superman's closet.

That's the view from Eva Snopek, fashion design instructor at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago.

"There is a lot of new technology out there," she said, citing nanotechnology as the superstar of the day. And our testing backed her up.

Something of a buzzword across many disciplines, nanotechnology in this case refers to a process of treating fabric on a molecular level.

"Because the treatment is built into the fabric on a nano, or submicron, scale during the textile-manufacturing process, the performance features are inherent to the nature of the fabric for the life of the final product,"...read the wave

HANDS up those of you who know what nanotechnology is.

Seven-year-old Midhi Chandras and her classmates already have a pretty good idea - thanks to her school.

Balestier Hill Primary introduced a nanotechnology programme for all its pupils - from Primary 1 to 6 - this year. It is believed to be the first primary school to do so.

The school even set up a $25,000 air-conditioned nano lab - so that the lessons are more 'hands-on'. (See boxed report.)

Nanotechnology is the science of very small objects. (One billion nanoparticles would fit on the head of a pin.)...read the wave

"Biomaterial surface chemistry and nanoscale topography of biomaterials can significantly influence cell behavior in vitro," researchers in the People's Republic of China report.

B.S. Zhu and colleagues of Shanghai Jiao Tong University explained, "Polystyrene (PS) Petri dishes were subjected to Nd:YAG laser irradiation at 266 nm, which resulted in well-defined three-dimensional (3D) periodic nanoscale surface topographies and surface oxidation. The surface changes were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and a contact-angle goniometer."...read the wave

Merck KgaA is the sponsor of the Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award for the promotion of analytical chemistry research.

Merck KgaA is the sponsor of the Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award for the promotion of analytical chemistry research. Recently, the company announced this year’s award is presented to Professor Yoshinobu Baba, professor of physical chemistry at the University of Tokushima, Japan...read the wave

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Too much heat can destroy a sturdy automobile engine or a miniature microchip. As scientists and engineers strive to make ever-smaller nanoscale devices, from molecular motors and switches to single-molecule transistors, the control of heat is becoming a burning issue.

The shapes of molecules really matter, say scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Scranton who timed the flow of vibrational heat energy through a water-surfactant-organic solvent system. The rate at which heat energy moves through a molecule depends specifically on the molecule's structure, they found...read the wave

Companies are using nanotechnology (the manipulation of materials only one-billionth of a meter in size) to develop products ranging from clothing and sunscreen to high-tech computer components and sophisticated medical devices. While the nanotechnology industry is currently a darling of both public and private funding sectors, critics of the technology are urging caution, regulation or even a moratorium on the use of these tiny particles. Companies are now exploring ways to maximize the potential of the technology, while minimizing risks to workers, the environment and their bottom line. A large part of that effort should include exploring strategies to ensure that potential government regulation is firmly grounded in sound science, and is made open and accessible to the public...read the wave

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-GEMZ Corp. (OTC: GMZP - News) have announced that it will exclusively market a nanotechnology-based illuminated safety house number sign being developed by Terra Solar Development Corp. (TSDC).

Mountable almost anywhere, without wires, the product will be marketed in versions for up to four and up to five numbers, and will be brightly visible day or night. The high efficiency of the nanotechnology-based photovoltaic cell recharges the device for a week on only eight hours of daylight. Unlike existing devices, direct sunlight is not required.

This product meets a widely-felt need. Products of this type have been recommended by police and emergency workers; however existing products have been too expensive and have too short a life to be suitable for mass marketing...read the wave

Cambridge, Mass. - Harvard University scientists have found that ultra-thin silicon wires can be used to electrically detect the presence of single viruses, in real time, with near-perfect selectivity. These nanowire detectors can also differentiate among viruses with great precision, suggesting that the technique could be scaled up to create miniature arrays easily capable of sensing thousands of different viruses.

The work was reported in the most recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences....read the wave

SAGE CROSSROADS,- Nanotechnology could change the way we tackle diseases of aging--but not before scientists, policymakers, and the public hash out how to use these new tools responsibly.

When people first learn about the goal of nanotechnology--to precisely manipulate matter at the level of atoms and molecules--most get excited about its potential to revolutionize medicine. We become beguiled by visions of cell-sized sensors monitoring plaques in arteries, tiny “smart” implants pumping insulin when needed, and minuscule machines repairing damaged brain cells. If doctors could intervene at the nanoscale, they might be able to fix the body’s aging systems from the bottom up, without leaving a trace that a patient once suffered from Parkinson’s disease, osteoporosis, or macular degeneration....read the wave

Rochester, New York - September 22, 2004 BP Solar may have bowed out of commercial production of thin-film solar, but they haven't given up on it entirely. Scientists at the Rochester Institute of Technology's NanoPower Research Laboratories have received a boost in their search for new solar photovoltaic (PV) power supply solutions. Funding from BP Solar will support their work on thin-film nanotechnology PV research.

BP Solar, one of the solar industry's largest companies, has contracted RIT's NanoPower Research Laboratories to develop plastic solar cells using nanomaterials. Total funding for the three-year program is US$250,000...read the wave.

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-MB Tech Inc. (OTCBB:MBTT) notes that a press release sent out by Asian Investor Network and others on the web contained false information. MB Tech has been working to defuse the misleading statements as these entities have no direct contact with the company. We have advised authorities of the misrepresentation and initiated complaints with the SEC and other authorities...read the wave

A conference to present the first results of the EU funded Nanoroadmap (NRM) will take place in Rome, Italy, on 4 and 5 November.

NRM began in January 2004 and is funded under the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5). Its objective is to provide coherent scenarios and technology roadmaps for the application of nanotechnology. The roadmaps should help European players, both public and private, to optimise their efforts in three areas in particular: materials; health and medical systems; and energy....read the wave

Applied Microengineering (AML), an Oxfordshire-based micromachine manufacturing tool firm, has been boosted by the award of a £678,000 DTI grant to support the development of its nano device production tool.

The aim of the grant is to support a project called LOBEL to create an industrial manufacturing platform for nanotechnology devices including sensors. The project is part of the DTI’s Micro & Nano technology (MNT) initiative...read the wave

CLEVELAND,PRNewswire/ -- The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will present a symposium on the role of nanotechnology in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer Oct. 27 as part of NANO Week. The program, "Overcoming Barriers to Collaboration," will be held at the InterContinental Hotel and MBNA Conference Center on The Cleveland Clinic Foundation campus. It is free to attend, but space is limited to 200 registrants.

The symposium is designed to raise awareness of nanotechnology and its potential within the cancer research community...read the wave

MILTON, N.Y.PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sono-Tek Corporation (OTB Bulletin Board: SOTK) the world's leader in ultrasonic spray nozzle technology, have announced that its strategic partner in the field of nanotechnology, NanoBioMagnetics, has formed a new subsidiary to be called ZetaCor, LLC. The new, wholly-owned subsidiary will produce specialized nanoparticles for research and commercial applications.

At the center of ZetaCor's formation is a strategic partnership between NBMI and Sono-Tek of Milton, NY. Early in 2004, NBMI purchased from Sono-Tek one of the first SonoDry ultrasonic spray nozzle systems and is incorporating it into a full lab scale spray drying system...read the wave

Nanotechnologyis being called many things: A massive investment opportunity; an incredibly promising next generation electronics technology, and even a threat to humanity.

For the electronics sector, fabrication of chips with nanoscale (nm) features is becoming routine. Yet while semiconductor manufacturing is dealing in nanometres, it too is still to be affected by true nanotechnology - or more accurately “molecular nanotechnology”.

Molecular nanotechnology (referred to as nanotechnology for the rest of this article) means...read the wave

Samsung's latest technological achievement is expected to widen its gap with global competitors, now six months or so, to at least one year. It is also significant that the technology can provide new growth momentum for mobile telecommunications, computers, cellular phones and digital music players.

The Korean company now aims at, quite rightly, emerging as a comprehensive semiconductor maker by focusing on mobile and digital consumer applications. ``Our goal is to beat Intel to become the world,s No. 1 player " says CEO Hwang Chang-gyu...read the wave

A UK company has received a £1 million funding package to develop the "best early warning indicator" of biological attack.

Salisbury-based NanoSight has been awarded the cash slew to make a "revolutionary" portable detector containing artificial antibodies created through computer and microelectronics technology.

Current methods of detecting biological agents, whether to give rapid warning of a biological attack, or in the detection of disease before symptoms appear, currently use human and animal cells and involve taking samples to a lab for analysis.

According to the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI), this is a slow, painstaking process that could be streamlined thanks to Nanosight's recent...read the wave

Berlin - The specialist developer of innovative solutions for improved drug delivery, Capsulution NanoScience AG, Berlin, has recently been granted two international patents in Europe, the USA, and Japan thereby securing important rights for the development and commercialization of nano- and micro-particular carriers.

Claimed in the first patent, EP 1 305 109 B1, is the fast and efficient modification of hydrophilic nano- and...read the wave

WALTHAM, Mass./PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raytheon will sponsor the second annual Soldier Design Competition hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Institute of Soldier Nanotechnology (ISN). The competition began on Sept. 16, 2003 and invites student teams to compete for $11,000 in prize money by applying their creativity and engineering skills to develop solutions to common problems of the modern soldier. Raytheon will donate $25,000 to the competition and will send two employees to mentor this year's participants.

"ISN's Soldier Design Competition underscores the crucial role that math and science education can play in protecting our troops...read the wave

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysian International Building Exposition at the Mines Exhibition Centre here introduces KristalBond, a Malaysian-enhanced technology in protective glass coating among other things.

The exhibition, which starts Tuesday, will be held over four days.

KristalBond Group of Companies chief executive officer, Joe Gan said KristalBond which could be applied seamlessly to existing windows of all sizes and shapes at room temperature without removing windows is a liquid protective glass coating that cuts out harmful sunrays but allows high level of light transmission.

"Among the benefits of the protective glass coating include saving energy by reducing air-conditioner's loading, reducing fading of furnishings caused by ultraviolet energy - it does not burn nor exude toxic fumes - and it has high visible light transmission level to allow supreme day and night clarity,"...read the wave