Device features on computer chips as small as 40 nanometers (nm) wide--less than one-thousandth the width of a human hair--can now be measured reliably thanks to new test structures developed by a team of physicists, engineers, and statisticians at the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), SEMATECH, and other collaborators. The test structures are replicated on reference materials that will allow better calibration of tools that monitor the manufacturing of microprocessors and similar integrated circuits.

The new test structures are the culmination of NIST's more than four-year effort to provide standard "rulers" for measuring the narrowest linear features that can be controllably etched into a chip. The NIST rulers are precisely etched lines of crystalline silicon ranging in width from...read the wave

 

Tokyo, Japan, Feb 25, 2005 (JCN Newswire via COMTEX) -- Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) today announced it has been awarded the Nano Tech Award of the Nano Tech 2005 International Nanotechnology Exhibition and Conference, held in Tokyo from February 23 to February 25 with 350 exhibitors from around the world. The award is recognized as the most prestigious award presented at Nano Tech, and was presented today to Fujitsu Limited for its development with Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. of simulation technology which plays an important role in nanotechnology research and development, and in addition for its future-generation LSI (large-scale integrated circuit) via interconnection technology utlilizing carbon nanotubes...read the wave

 

Blacksburg, Va. -- Virginia Tech faculty and staff members and students who received 20 patents during 2004 will be honored by the university and Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. (VTIP) at a reception at the German Club on March 14. "The creativity, contributions to knowledge, and technology transfer that patents signify are an important form of scholarship," said Brad Fenwick, vice president for research at Virginia Tech

VTIP (www.vtip.org) is the not-for-profit organization that pursues patents and markets Virginia Tech discoveries. "The patents awarded to Virginia Tech faculty members, students, and staff represent a significant resource for economic development," said Mike Martin, VTIP executive vice president.

Patents were awarded in 2004 for technologies to increase the efficiency of the next generation of microprocessors, speed and protect the nation's power grid, protect and enhance human and animals health, and improve communication and education.
..read the wave

 

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY News Release (Reference P/2005/066) issued by the Government News Network on 25 February 2005. Ensuring the safe and ethical development of new technologies so that their benefits can be rapidly gained is a priority for the Government, Lord Sainsbury, Science and Innovation Minister, said today at the launch of the Science Museum's new nanotechnology exhibition.

Lord Sainsbury set out the Government's response to the Royal Society and
Royal Academy of Engineering joint report on nanotechnology, and outlined
the work and research programme that the Government will undertake to ensure
the safe and ethical use of nanotechnologies. This includes...read the wave

 

Schaumburg-based American Pharmaceutical Partners Inc. defied the skeptics who never believed it would succeed in bringing to market Abraxane, the company's first proprietary product, a late-stage breast cancer treatment.

Abraxane differs from Taxol in its delivery method, which is based on a novel nanotechnology-generated drug delivery platform created by American BioScience Inc., a privately held company that holds a controlling interest in American Pharmaceuticals and is owned by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, American Pharmaceutical's founder and former CEO...read the wave

 

Nanotechnology for molecular targeting and drug delivery is set to become a trillion-dollar industry, fuelled by the pharmaceutical industry, which faces increasingly challenging market conditions. This has lead to an intensified search for better drug discovery technologies.

A new report has singled out various nanotechnologies, which are set to make a significant impact in drug research and development. Nanotechnology has been singled out as a tool, which could make the difference in an industry, which faces growing regulatory and pricing pressures. In addition there is the threat of antibiotic resistance seen in some disease-causing microorganisms and solid cancerous tumours...read the wave

 

Applied Nanoworks Inc. of Watervliet has developed a zinc oxide product that it said has unprecedented optical clarity.

The upgraded version of its Pinnacle Zinc Oxide product is the first of its kind that is completely transparent, according to the company. The product consists of nanoscale zinc oxide particles suspended in a water-based solution. Competing products are cloudy, according to the company....read the wave

 

IN THE hip science of ultrasmall nanotechnology, it is the fantastical future possibilities such as rampaging nanorobots that capture the most attention, but the first fruits of the field have been more mundane: tiny bits of mostly ordinary stuff that just sit there.

Yet these bits - nanoparticles - gain wondrous new capabilities simply because they are so small. Nanoparticles of various sorts are already found in products such as sunscreen, paint and inkjet paper. More exotic varieties offer promise in medicine for sensitive diagnostic tests and novel treatments: the detection of Alzheimer’s disease by finding a protein in spinal fluid, for instance, or nanoparticles that heat up and kill cancer cells.

Some nanoparticles are not even on the cutting edge. Medieval artisans unknowingly became nanotechnologists when they made red stained-glass by mixing gold chloride into molten glass...read the wave

 

No one wants to strangle a fast-expanding young industry with regulations. The internet illustrates the benefits of allowing an exciting new technology to explode in a virtually unregulated environment. But some promising new fields are likely to grow better inside a well-constructed regulatory framework, either because they are exceptionally sensitive in moral and ethical terms or because they pose a potential hazard to health and the environment

Nanotechnology comes clearly into the latter category. The UK government, perhaps sensitised by its unfortunate experience with genetically modified crops...read the wave

 

The performance of organic light-emitting diodes can be improved by doping them with carbon-60 according to scientists at Samsung in South Korea. The carbon-60 molecules can also extend the lifetime of the devices by a factor of two (Appl. Phys. Lett. 86 063514).

A typical LED contains a thin light-emitting layer sandwiched between layers that transport the holes and the electrons. One way of improving the performance of organic LEDs is to increase the mobility of the holes in the hole-transport layer by adding a dopant. This should lead to more holes combining with electrons in the device...read the wave

 

Assoc Prof Dr Supakorn Rojananin, head of Siriraj Hospital's Department of Surgery, said: ``It's impossible for breasts to be made bigger by a cup size within 15 minutes. Massaging makes breasts swollen, not bigger.'' The doctor warned that fat cells in breasts could turn cancerous if breasts were massaged too hard.

Dr Pakdi Phosiri, FDA secretary-general, said the FDA would ban advertisements of St Herb Nano Breast Cream and summon representatives of St Herb Cosmetics Company, the cream manufacturer, for an explanation...read the wave

 

On May 9 – 11, the n-ABLE 2005 conference will take place in Saarbrücken, Germany. The event is co-organized by the Asia-Pacific Nanotechnology Forum (APNF), the INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, and CC-NanoChem, the German federal network of excellence in chemical nanotechnology.

Vertical manufacturing in nanotechnology, accelerated commercialization, on-demand custom development, and break throughs in nanotechnology development are this year's focus areas.

The number of participants is limited. For detailed information and registration please go to http://www.apnf.org/ocs/index.php?cf=4.

 

New York, NY, (UPI) -- Edible forms of nanotechnology could help make smart programmable drinks and more effective drugs. If the prospect of edible nanotech sounds frightening, "it is not about carving little robots for use in food," physicist Anthony Dinsmore at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst told UPI's Nano World.

Instead, scientists are creating edible capsules only nanometers...read the wave

 

Two superconducting devices have been coaxed into a special, interdependent state that mimics the unusual interactions sometimes seen in pairs of atoms, according to a team of physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). The experiments, performed at the NIST laboratory in Boulder, Colo., are an important step toward the possible use of "artificial atoms" made with superconducting materials for storing and processing data in an ultra-powerful quantum computer of the future.

The work, reported in the Feb. 25 issue of the journal Science*, demonstrates that it is possible to measure the quantum properties of two interconnected artificial atoms at virtually the same time. Until now, superconducting qubits--quantum counterparts of the 1s and 0s used in today's computers--have been measured one at a time to avoid...read the wave

 

The St. Petersburg researchers suggest that infrared emission should be used to treat burns. The Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE) will help the authors in the framework of the "Start" program to develop and begin production of devices required for such treatment based on silicon light-emitting diodes.

A unique device based on silicon light-emitting diodes was developed by the St. Petersburg physicists - specialists of the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, and the St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University. Emission of far infra-red range of wave-lengths generated by this device will help to cure in an ordinary hospital even such burns that could be previously treated only in specialized burn centers. The Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE) will help the researchers to arrange production of remarkable devices...read the wave

 

A new hydrogen storage technology being commercialised by The University of Queensland spin-off company, Hydrexia Pty Ltd, could propel hydrogen gas into the mass market as an alternative green fuel.

Hydrexia was established by UQ’s commercialisation arm, UniQuest, to commercialise the hydrogen storage technology developed by Associate Professor Arne Dahle and Dr Kazuhiro Nogita from the Division of Materials Engineering.

According to Professor Dahle, practical storage is one of the largest barriers to hydrogen’s adoption as a clean fuel source.

“Current hydrogen storage methods are expensive and suffer from performance disadvantages but we’ve developed a range of magnesium alloys which has the potential to overcome these problems,” said Professor Dahle.

“Using standard casting equipment, we’re able to produce alloys that absorb hydrogen like a sponge, store it safely for long periods and release it on demand when either the pressure or temperature is varied...read the wave

 

" NanoBot is in danger of coming to an unceremonious, crashing halt. Information needs to be free, and nanotech information in particular needs an open and free forum such as this one. " Howard Lovy

I agree 100% with Howard on this issue, and even with the obvious danger of Nano Tsunami missing out on any possible donation’s I felt compelled to cover this issue.

Surely the flow of open and free nanotech information from what ever source ( NanoBot or Nano Tsunami ) must not be compromised by the lack of a few dollars.

So click on HOWARD to help support NanoBot or HERE to support Nano Tsunami.

David W.G. Voyle
Editor

 

CORDIS RTD-NEWS--- An EU project is bringing science and engineering together in an attempt to find new processes for dispersing nanoparticles in liquid forms such as body lotions and detergents.

Using nanoparticles in certain products can make them more attractive to consumers, for example by making a body lotion less visible on the skin, or protecting paint from sunlight. But in order to be effective, the particles must be dispersed within the liquid. While manufacturers are currently doing this, 'there is currently no fundamental understanding of how the engineering parameters interact with the chemical parameters,' the PROFORM project coordinator, Dr Gul Ozcan-Taskin, told CORDIS News.

The dispersal process can involve several steps, depending on the particle type.
..read the wave

 

Hydrogen Solar’s is pleased to announce its carbon-free hydrogen generating technology, the Tandem Cell™ has been chosen as a lead exhibit for London’s Science Museum exhibition, Nanotechnology: small science, big deal.

The Tandem Cell will be on display at the Museum’s Antenna gallery from February 25th to August 31st 2005, after which it will tour four UK venues.

The Tandem Cell converts the energy of sunlight directly into hydrogen gas by splitting water into its constituent elements, Hydrogen and Oxygen. The cell has nano-crystalline coatings of metal oxides, which have vast surface areas and enable the cell to capture the full spectrum of ultraviolet light.

In August 2004 the company announced the cells were able to directly convert just over 8 percent of the sun’s energy into hydrogen gas. The result is a very pure form of hydrogen and unlike current industrial processes does not produce any carbon dioxide...read the wave

 

CARDIF Wales /PRNewswire/ -- Surface Technology Systems plc (STS), (FTSE: SRTS), and Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd. (SPP) have announced its plans to create a new professorial chair at the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) and the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at University College London (UCL).

The new professorial appointment, will sit at the LCN and work to strengthen the relationship between STS and the educational organizations and pursue research in a number of important areas. The role will be particularly geared towards producing new nanotechnology devices, materials and processes for a range of important applications. This will enable a growing range of commercial, scientific, engineering and biomedical applications and produce real economic and societal impact through the creation of new healthcare, IT and environmental products....read the wave

 

Burbank, CA - Microfabrica, the leader in microdevice and microsystem fabrication, has extended the capabilities of its breakthrough EFAB(r) process to fabricate complex three-dimensional microdevices over a millimeter tall, bridging the gap between micro and macro worlds.

The EFAB process is the first micro-manufacturing technology to allow the fabrication of 1mm tall and taller, truly 3-D microsystems and devices with micron precision. Taller heights allow for easier interface and seemless integration into macro-scale systems, while complex 3-D designs open the door to numerous applications that require miniaturized metal parts in military, medical and consumer electronics applications...read the wave

 

Sheffield is a world leader in nanotechnology research, and now it is also taking a leading role in educating the general public in the importance of this science. Experts from the city’s two Universities have made a short film about how nanotechnology affects everyday life, which will be a central part of an exhibition at the Science Museum in London.

‘Nanotechnology – Small Science, Big Deal’ will be opened by Lord Sainsbury on 25 February 2005, who will announce the Government’s response to the Royal Society’s report on nanotechnology.

The film was developed by Professor Richard Jones and Professor Tony Ryan at the University of Sheffield and Jeff Baggott, Film Director and Nick Dulake, Senior Visualisation Consultant from Design Futures at Sheffield Hallam University. It is presented by Professor Ryan, and looks at how nanotechnology makes the sole of a training shoe more effective...read the wave

 

New research from Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology finds that nanoparticles of gold and palladium are the most effective catalysts yet identified for remediation of one of the nation's most pervasive and troublesome groundwater pollutants, trichloroethene or TCE.

The research, conducted by engineers at Rice and the Georgia Institute of Technology, will appear next month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, a publication of the American Chemical Society.

"The advantages of palladium-based TCE remediation are well-documented, but so is the cost," said lead researcher Michael Wong, assistant professor of chemical engineering and chemistry at Rice. "Using nanotechnology, we were able to maximize the number of palladium atoms that come in contact with TCE molecules and improve efficiency by several orders of magnitude over bulk palladium catalysts.".
..read the wave

 

NEW YORK, (PRIMEZONE) -- Advance Nanotech, Inc. (OTCBB:AVNA) subsidiary NanoFED Limited recently announced the launch of a $2M collaborative project with the University of Bristol to develop a new emissive display technology based on diamond dust. The Bristol group comprises lead scientist Dr. Neil Fox, Professor Mike Ashfold in the School of Chemistry and Professor David Cherns, Head of the Microstructures group in the Department of Physics. Hard on the heels of this development, the Royal Society announced a $300,000 award to Professor Ashfold and two colleagues in the School of Chemistry under its Royal Society Wolfson Laboratory Refurbishment Grants Scheme, to enable refurbishment of the laboratory environment available to NanoFED.

As Professor Ashfold commented...read the wave

 

Malvern has added the SV-10 Vibro viscometer to its range of material characterization instruments for use with its Zetasizer Nano particle characterization systems. The SV-10 is exceptionally easy to use and clean, is relatively low cost and gives rapid, highly accurate viscosity measurements in the range 0.3 to 10,000 mPa.s.

With 1% accuracy across the whole measurement range, the data it generates can be used to enhance the accuracy of particle size measurements by dynamic light scattering. Used together, the SV-10 and the Zetasizer Nano provide an excellent option for the study of emulsions and dispersions, and more particularly for the characterization of proteins in solution prior to crystallization...read the wave

 

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has submitted to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) a proposal for a new field of ISO technical activity on nanotechnologies.

The scope of the proposal identifies specific standardization tasks in the field of nanotechnologies such as classification, terminology and nomenclature, basic metrology, characterization, including calibration and certification, risk and environmental issues. Test methods include approaches for determining physical, chemical, structural and biological properties of materials or devices for which the performance, in the chosen application, is critically dependent on one or more dimension of <100nm. Test methods for applications, and product standards shall come within the scope of the Technical Committee...read the wave

 

TROY, N.Y.,PRNewswire/ -- Evident Technologies (Evident) have announced it has received an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant from the Office of Strategic Defense for a project to develop a high performance thermoelectric material using Evident's proprietary quantum dot technology. The quantum dot thermoelectric project is scheduled to be completed in June of 2005. Dr. Gregory Scholes of the University of Toronto will be collaborating with Evident Technologies to measure and characterize these materials. The award is under the United States Department of Defense's Office of Strategic Defense SBIR Phase 1 proposal OSD04-EP3 "Nanostructure-Enhanced Bulk Thermoelectric Materials" and the program is managed by the Navy's Office of Naval Research.

The objective of the project is to demonstrate that quantum dots can be used to...read the wave

 

AUSTIN, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/23/2005 -- Using technical resources at the recently opened Advanced Materials Research Center, Austin-based Xidex Corporation and SEMATECH have developed one of Texas' first commercial applications of nanotechnology for semiconductor production.

The process uses carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as surface sensors for scanning probe microscopes (SPMs), which can peer down to the level of molecules and groups of atoms, and which can be used to measure the dimensions of extremely small features in semiconductor devices. Individual CNTs are hollow tubes formed by hexagons of carbon atoms, and are about 10,000 times thinner than a human hair. Single CNT tips are grown to customer specifications directly on commercially available silicon SPM cantilevers...read the wave

 

NAGANO- Electric equipment manufacturer Shinano Kenshi Co. has developed a composite powder of carbon nanotubes and carbon silk that features high electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity.

The composite can conduct electricity just as well as electrolytic copper , but because it contains no metal it is strongly resistant to alkaline environments and will not oxidize

Shinano Kenshi has also developed a way to mass produce this material and it plans to begin shipping samples in or after May. One possible application for the composite is the electrodes of fuel cells.

Carbon nanotubes are very good conductors of both electricity and heat. Composites made by mixing the nanotubes with copper or other metals retain both of these features but tend to corrode.Composites made by mixing the nanotubes with resin are electrically conductive but are not good heat conductors

The new composite is made by mixing nanotubes into a solution of carbon silk, which is obtained by sintering silk at high temperature. Mixing of the two components with ultrasound yields a composite powder that can conduct heat around 10 times better than nanotube-resin composites.

Source:Asia Pulse

 

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, 23rd February 2005 – Toppan Printing – a leading information and communications company of Tokyo, Japan, and Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) (NASDAQ:OLED), of Cambridge, UK, have just announced the commencement of Phase Two of their joint programme to explore alternative printing processes for the fabrication of displays based on light emitting polymer (PLED) technology.

Phase One, completed at the end of 2004, concentrated on proving the feasibility of using a roll printing process to deposit light emitting polymer materials onto a glass substrate. This technique would enable device manufacture based on roll-to-roll processing with attendant low costs of production...read the wave

 

The discovery of the atomic structure of technological materials like vanadium pentoxide nanotubes may support nanoscale industrial applications.

Valeri Petkov, a faculty member in Central Michigan University’s physics department and lead researcher in an experiment at Argonne and Brookhaven National Laboratories, used a nontraditional experimental technique called Pair Distribution Function analysis to determine the three-dimensional structure of vanadium oxide nanotubes. An accurate knowledge of its three-dimensional structure is needed to better understand and control the material’s useful properties.

“Once a good structural model is found, its parameters may...read the wave

 

CORDIS RTD-NEWS---The European Parliament's committee on industry, research and energy adopted a report on the future of EU research policy on 21 February, giving support to the broad ideas presented in the Commission's communication 'Science and technology - Guidelines for future European Union policy to support research'.

Rapporteur Pia Elda Locatelli emphasised the need for an increased research budget, stressed the need for continuity, and highlighted the proposed European Research Council as 'crucial for successful innovation'. Some 225 amendments were tabled, but few of them questioning Ms Locatelli's general position.

The report calls for the synchronisation of the duration of the framework programmes with the duration of the financial perspectives, which would extend the programmes to seven years. The new system would comprise a rolling programme, including a mid-term review, which would allow a readjustment of objectives if and when needed.
..read the wave

 

Royal Philips Electronics has introduced the industry’s first ARM9 family based 32-bit microcontroller family at the 90 nanometer process technology level.

Smaller die size for the product means lower cost, said Ata Khan, director of product innovation for the company’s microcontrollers product line. And in addition, Philips has lowered the power requirements for this family of device.

Sampling in Q2, Philips' LPC3000 family products will operate at 200MHz and feature a large array of standard communication peripherals to reduce system logic, thus further reducing power and costs, Philips said in a statement...read the wave

 

QinetiQ Nanomaterials Limited (QNL) have announced its development of Tesimorph™ ES-25 - an experimental magnetic stainless steel material with a particle size of 25 nanometres – many times smaller than anything currently available. The result of QNL’s experimental work on alloyed and structured metal nanoparticles, this production breakthrough is particularly applicable to applications like metal injection moulding where smoother flows and therefore finer component detail can be achieved.

Conventional process methods for other steel powders tend to produce relatively large, micron size particles. The Tesima® process can produce commercial quantities of nano size particles, opening up a wide range of potential applications for stainless steel nanopowder for the first time...read the wave

 

 

 

...read the wave

Physicists and biologists at Bristol University are using the way that insects hear to devise new instruments for use in nanoscience. Using these new tools will then allow them to look even closer at how insects hear. This unusual symbiotic relationship between physicists and biologists means each helps the other’s science to progress.

The Atomic Force Microscope is the main tool used to obtain images at the atomic scale. Likened to an old fashioned record player, it has an ‘arm’ that houses a highly sensitive probe. Much like a stylus bumping around in the groove of a record, the probe moves across the specimen, mapping its shape by ‘feeling’ the bumps. The result is a three-dimensional map of the specimen’s surface. However, when examining delicate biological material, such as DNA, there is a risk that the probe might damage it.
..read the wave

 

(Boston) — Nanotechnology leapt into the realm of quantum mechanics this past winter when an antenna-like sliver of silicon one-tenth the width of a human hair oscillated in a lab in a Boston University basement. With two sets of protrusions, much like the teeth from a two-sided comb or the paddles from a rowing shell, the antenna not only exhibits the first quantum nanomechanical motion but is also the world’s fastest moving nanostructure.

A team of Boston University physicists led by Assistant Professor Pritiraj Mohanty developed the nanomechanical oscillator. Operating at gigahertz speeds, the technology could help further miniaturize wireless communication devices like cell phones, which exchange information at gigahertz frequencies. But, more important to the researchers, the oscillator lies at the cusp of classic physics, what people experience everyday, and quantum physics, the behavior of the molecular world.
..read the wave

 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The crystallized form of a molecular machine that can cut and paste genetic material is revealing possible new paths for treating diseases such as some forms of cancer and opportunistic infections that plague HIV patients.

Purdue University researchers froze one of these molecular machines, which are chemical complexes known as a Group I intron, at mid-point in its work cycle. When frozen, crystallized introns reveal their structure and the sites at which they bind with various molecules to cause biochemical reactions. Scientists can use this knowledge to manipulate the intron to splice out malfunctioning genes, said Barbara Golden, associate professor of biochemistry. Normal genes then can take over without actually changing the genetic code...read the wave

 

The practical application of nano technology in the process sectors and their client industries will come to rely heavily on the ability to incorporate nano-particles into products in a fully dispersed and stable state, whilst still allowing the nano-material to fully express its functionality.

The main driver for a new EU Framework 6 sponsored project PROFORM is this need to establish design methods for the manufacture of novel dispersed nano-particulate products. Allowing the rapid implementation of processes to manufacture predictable products, which meet rigorous quality standards.

Currently, the design of processes that involve the dispersion of micro- and nano- particles is...read the wave

 

ASCOT, England, CNW/ - Element Six (E6) announces that in collaboration with the University of Ulm in Germany it has produced preliminary microwave devices (MESFET transistors) using synthetic single crystal diamond made by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). Diamond, with its extreme physical properties, is now entering the world of high frequency electronics, making real the possibility of replacing high-power vacuum tube devices with solid-state diamond components. The intrinsic theoretical performance of diamond, coupled with this latest device, suggest that diamond could capture the entire rf device market for frequencies between 10 and 100 GHz, with devices capable of producing over 100 Watts at X-band frequencies.

The rf power handling capability of solid-state devices using current semiconducting materials, such as silicon and gallium arsenide is limited by ...read the wave

 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers at Purdue University have built and demonstrated a prototype for a new class of miniature devices to study synthetic cell membranes in an effort to speed the discovery of new drugs for a variety of diseases, including cancer.

The researchers created a chip about one centimeter square that holds thousands of tiny vessels sitting on top of a material that contains numerous pores. This "nanoporous" material makes it possible to carry out reactions inside the vessels.

The goal is to produce "laboratories-on-a-chip" less than a half-inch square that might contain up to a million test chambers, or "reactors,"
each capable of screening an individual drug, said Gil Lee, the project's leader and an associate professor of chemical engineering.

"What we are reporting now is a proof of concept," said Lee...read the wave

 

The Moscow chemists have suggested a way to produce insulin in pills instead of injections. They have developed polymeric capsules that would protect insulin from destructive effect of digestive juices. The research has been accomplished with financial support of the Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology of Russia within the framework of international scientific cooperation.

Once insulin appeared, diabetes mellitus is no longer a verdict for the patients. However, to control the sugar level in blood, diabetics have to make injections on a regular basis up to several times a day, which undoubtedly makes their life more difficult. The lack of timely injection may result in fatal outcome. The pills would significantly simplify their life. However, the fact that insulin gets quickly destroyed when it appears in acid medium of the stomach does not exclude but significantly complicates creation of pilled insulin. Researchers of the Chemical Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, have found the way to protect insulin from digestive juices' destructive effect and to preserve the ability to perform its function.
To introduce insulin in the organism, the Russian chemists suggested that multi-layer polymeric capsules should be used. These polymeric capsules are stable and remain intact in acid medium, and in neutral medium, capsules gradually excrete insulin..
.read the wave

 

Years ago, when Uzi Landman and his colleagues set out to uncover some of the rules that govern why a non-reactive metal like gold acts as a catalyst when it is in nanoclusters only a few atoms in size, they didn't sit down in a lab with the precious metal. Instead, they ran computer simulations and discovered that gold is a very effective catalyst when it is in clusters of eight to two dozen atoms. They also found that electrical charging of gold is crucial to its catalytic capabilities. Six years later, the team has verified their earlier predictions experimentally, and they stand ready to further explore environmental effects on catalysis.

This practice of partnering computer simulations with real-world experiments is
...read the wave

 

 

 

...read the wave

WASHINGTON, DC - The eyes may be the window to the soul, but many scientists would say the mouth is the window to the body.

Saliva and other oral substances are now emerging as the bodily fluids of choice for physicians, dentists and drug testers, researchers said today at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Saliva and other oral fluids (from the cheek and gum surfaces) contain many of the same proteins and other molecules that blood and urine do. Some of these molecules can reveal the presence of diseases such as cancer. Others can be used to predict the number of cavities in a person's teeth and perhaps even where in the mouth the cavities will develop, according to new research...read the wave

 

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)----Nano-Tex, a leading fabric innovation company providing textile enhancements to the apparel and interior furnishings markets, have introduced the industry's first permanent anti-static treatment for synthetic fabrics. The company also rolled out the market's best-performing stain repel-and-release treatment and a moisture-wicking product custom-designed for wrinkle-free cotton garments.

Nano-Tex designed these products to address consumer dissatisfaction in some of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the apparel industry...read the wave

 

Oxonica Ltd announces today that its chief executive, Dr. Kevin Matthews has been appointed to the Board of Elementis plc, as a non-executive director with effect from 16th February 2005

Oxonica Limited is a leading European technology group, with products already launched into the global market.

The company was spun-out in 1999 from the University of Oxford and is based in Oxford, England. Oxonica currently employs 30 professional staff and is lead by a strong and commercially experienced management team...read the wave

 

CORDIS RTD-NEWS---While EU governments are making funding available for nanotechnology research, major pharmaceutical companies are investing very little money or human resources in this field, according to a new report.

The report, 'Why big pharma is missing the nanotech opportunity', written by Lux Research, claims the failure to invest in nanotechnology exposes the top pharmaceutical companies to strategic risks as other industries invest in this technology.

'Nanotech presents many opportunities to pharmaceutical giants, ranging from better delivery of existing drugs to entirely new therapies based on nanomaterials,' says Matthew Nordan, Vice-President of Lux Research. 'But big pharma is not investing in nanotech today. If this trend continues, nanotech will play out in pharmaceuticals just as biotechnology did, with major pharmaceutical companies leaving money on the table and allowing new competitors to take root,' he adds...read the wave

 

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)- Biophan Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:BIPH), a developer of next-generation biomedical technology, announced that it has been named to receive the Nano Science and Technology Institute's (NSTI) Early Stage Company Award, to be presented at its February 23-25 conference in Tokyo, Japan.

The ICS-NSTI's Early Stage Company Award recognizes superior innovation and achievement by development-stage companies providing leadership in the science and business of nanotechnology. NSTI is a respected organization that works to promote education, research and business development in nanoscience and related fields. Biophan has developed a rich portfolio of patents and intellectual property that provide a range of solutions to important problems in healthcare, among them, the application of nanotechnology to improve the safety and effectiveness of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), one of medicine's most important diagnostic tools...read the wave

 

Functionality is the buzzword these days in fiber and fabric development for apparel applications. Manufacturers seem to be stampeding to the market in a mad rush to satisfy growing consumer demands for all types of activewear. Desired functions include protection against odors and moisture, UV protection and enhanced thermal properties.

So where do we stand? Industry observers say the functional textile movement will only grow as consumers demand more from their apparel. There is a sorting-out process in play with manufacturers as they try to find out what works. Some say there still are more questions than answers in this burgeoning movement. Manufacturers are partnering along the supply chain with the goal of finding companies to combine the right mix of technologies...read the wave

 

James E. Hutchison has been part of what’s becoming known as the “green nano” movement since before either term was a buzzword. Hutchison has been working on a greener method for synthesizing gold nanoparticles for nearly a decade, and he received a patent on the process last year. He and his colleagues at the University of Oregon are currently making the technology available to other noncommercial researchers in what could be termed a “field of dreams” approach to product development

A traditional method of synthesizing gold particles in the 1.4–1.5-nanometer (nm) range relies on diborane, which is both toxic and highly flammable at room temperature, and benzene, a toxic solvent. The new approach uses sodium borohydride and toluene and “is much less dangerous than the conventional one,” says Hutchison, who is a professor of chemistry and directs the university’s Materials Science Institute. In fact, generating gold nanoparticles using the new method “is one of the first things I have undergraduates do when they come into my lab,” he says...read the wave

 

NEW YORK, (PRIMEZONE) -- Advance Nanotech, Inc., (OTCBB:AVNA) have announced a joint venture with Toumaz Technology Ltd. to bridge the gap between nanosystems and the macroscopic world.

Bio-Nano Sensium Technologies, the name of the joint venture, will utilize an intelligent, ultra-low power sensor interface, incorporating wireless communication, to create bio-nano sensors that can be implanted within the body to diagnose and treat a wide variety of medical conditions. The development effort will focus on the information and communication technology systems necessary for these sensors to interact with their surrounding environment.

Development of the sensor will leverage the many years of research in ultra-low power circuits and systems at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London now exploited by Toumaz Technology Ltd...read the wave

 

UCLA scientists have created a mechanism at the nanoscale to externally control the function and action of a protein.

"We can switch a protein on and off, and while we have controlled a specific protein, we believe our approach will work with virtually any protein," said Giovanni Zocchi, assistant professor of physics at UCLA, member of the California NanoSystems Institute and leader of the research effort. "This research has the potential to start a new approach to protein engineering."

The research, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, potentially could lead to a new generation of targeted "smart" pharmaceutical drugs that are active only in cells where a certain gene is expressed, or a certain DNA sequence is present, Zocchi said. Such drugs would have reduced side effects. The research, federally funded by the National Science Foundation, also may lead to a deeper understanding of proteins' molecular architecture...read the wave

 

WASHINGTON, U.S. Newswire/ -- The Task Force on the Future of American Innovation, a coalition of high-tech industry, scientific societies, and higher education associations, warned today that the United States is in danger of losing its leadership role in science and innovation, a position it has held with a firm grip since the end of World War II.

Business and academic leaders, speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. today, identified the weakening federal commitment to invest in science and research as a root cause of the problem -- and as a necessary part of the solution.

They pointed to a set of benchmarks in such areas as education, workforce, ideas, and research investment in which other regions and nations, particularly the rapidly developing economies of Asia, are sharply pursuing the U.S., and may soon...read the wave

 

...read the wave

RICHARDSON, Texas and PARIS, /PRNewswire/ -- Zyvex and Arkema have announced that they will jointly develop commercial nanomaterials applications. Arkema successfully met the requirements of Zyvex's Supply Chain Level I and II Certification Programs. Arkema's Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWNTs) have already been incorporated into some of Zyvex's NanoSolve(TM) products to improve the mechanical and electrical properties of the materials.

A recognized industry leader, Arkema recently announced their nanotechnology development efforts with a process to produce and distribute high-quality, multifunctional MWNTs. Their production capabilities currently enable them to manufacture 5,000 kg per year of high-purity nanotubes at their Lacq site (France)...read the wave

 

 

...read the wave

LOWELL, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing and commercializing power plastics that convert light to energy, today announced it is developing photovoltaic fabric with Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL). The Photovoltaic Fibers and Textiles Based on Nanotechnology program is expected to yield the first fully integrated woven photovoltaic material. Such material will allow for tighter integration of power generation capabilities into devices, systems and structures beyond what is possible with plastic film...read the wave

 

TEMPE, Ariz – Expanding its presence in the U.S. and Arizona, EV Group has formally opened its new North American headquarters in Tempe, Ariz., with a state-of-the-art Class 10 production cleanroom. The new facility, designed to serve the company’s expanding North American customer base, will be used by EV Group for sales and support of its diverse line of tools for producing electronic devices, such as semiconductors and flat-panel displays (FPDs), and for development of nanotechnology production techniques.

EV Group, a leading manufacturer of MEMS, nano and semiconductor wafer-processing equipment, also will use the facility to conduct joint development work with the Flexible Display Center (FDC), sponsored by Arizona State University (ASU) and the U.S. Army. EV Group is providing a...read the wave

 

With the growing demand for smaller digital devices with increased functionality, the trade-off-until now-has been battery life. Sony Corporation today announced the industry's first hybrid lithium ion rechargeable battery. Dubbed NexelionTM the new battery utilizes a tin-based amorphous anode; translating into a 30% increase in the capacity per volume ratio compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, and will be commercialized initially as a battery pack for Handycam® camcorder products.

Instead of using graphite-based materials for the anode as found in conventional batteries, Sony incorporated a tin-based amorphous anode material where the
...read the wave

 

Sydney, Australia - CAP-XX Inc. has been named a 2005 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. Technology Pioneers are selected for developing and applying the most innovative and transformational technologies. This year’s honorees are leaders in nanotechnology, drug development, renewable energy and wireless technology, and have the potential to significantly impact business and society.

Supercapacitors provide an ideal power solution for increasingly smaller and more functional portable devices. With high power and energy densities, supercapacitors provide the high burst power required when taking a digital photo, sending wireless phone or PDA transmissions, providing back-up energy or hot-swapping battery packs...read the wave

A team of world-leading researchers headed by Professor John Goodby, an authority on liquid crystals, has moved to the University of York's Department of Chemistry.

Professor Goodby and his research team moved to York from the University of Hull, where he had been the Head of the Liquid Crystals and Advanced Organic Materials Group for 15 years and Head of Department for two years.

He is an authority on physico-chemical aspects of low molar mass and polymeric liquid crystals and related self-organising systems, and is Past President and Vice President of the International Liquid Crystal Society.

Liquid crystals are a phase of matter whose order is intermediate between that of a liquid and that of a crystal. They are an example of the Fourth State of Matter -- neither liquid, solid nor gas -- and their molecular orientation can be controlled with applied electric fields, most commonly used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs)...read the wave

 

Lyon, France, Flamel Technologies (NASDAQ:FLML) have announced that it has posted a summary of Phase IIa data conducted on Flamel's long-acting insulin, Basulin®, on its website. (direct access to the document).

"We are pleased with the results of the Phase IIa obtained on thirty (30) Type I diabetic patients. This study confirms our strong expectations for Basulin® because Medusa®, our nano-particulate system, is the only one capable to delivery human insulin with this level of efficacy," said Dr. Gerard Soula, founder, president and chief executive officer of Flamel Technologies, S.A. "We are actively looking for a partner capable of realizing the full development and commercialization of Basulin®"...read the wave

 

Radiologists and biologists have been dreaming - ever since the discovery of lasers - of a compact laboratory source emitting X-rays in one direction in a laser-like beam. Such a source would permit X-ray images to be recorded with far higher resolution at vastly reduced dose levels, allowing early-stage cancer diagnosis at dramatically reduced risk. Microscopes furnished with this source would make nanometer-sized biomolecules perceivable in their natural surrounding (in vivo). It may take many years before this dream comes true, but the experiment reported by an Austrian-German collaboration led by Ferenc Krausz indicates a promising way of realizing the dream some day. Researchers at Vienna University of Technology, the University of Würzburg, the University of Munich and Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics demonstrated the first source of laser-like X-rays at a wavelength of 1 nanometer with a compact laboratory apparatus [Nature 433, 596 (2005)] in an experiment in Vienna, funded by the Austrian Science Fund...read the wave

 

The labs of the future will be "labs-on-a-chip", i.e., integrated chemical and biochemical laboratories shrunk down to the size of a computer chip. An essential prerequisite for such labs are appropriate microcompartments for the confinement of very small amounts of liquids and chemical reagents. Directly accessible surface channels, which can be fabricated by available photolithographic methods, represent an appealing design principle for such microcompartments and, thus, provide a new route towards open microfluidic and nanofluidic systems. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, the Max Planck Institute of Dynamics and Selforganization and the University of California in Santa Barbara have shown that such open systems are possible in general but only if the geometry of the surface channels is carefully matched with their wettability (PNAS 102, 1848-1852 (2005)...read the wave

 

A multi-disciplinary team of scientists from the Universities of Sheffield, Nottingham, Manchester and Glasgow has been awarded a £3m research grant to develop a new nanotechnology tool which they have called the ‘Snomipede’. The team, led by Professor Graham Leggett at the University of Sheffield, hopes that once developed, the Snomipede could enable advances in areas as diverse as the understanding of the origins of disease and the low-cost commercial manufacture of plastic computer chips.

The Snomipede will enable scientists to create tiny molecular structures on scales as small as 13 nanometres. A nanometre unit of measurement is equal to one billionth of a metre...read the wave

 

Lux Research report finds that pharmaceutical giants invest less money and people in nanotech than other industries - despite pressure to replace fading blockbuster drugs

The U.S. National Institutes of Health counts nanomedicine as one of its top five priorities, the National Cancer Institute committed $144 million to nanotechnology research in October 2004, and 40% of nanotech venture capital since 1998 has gone to life sciences start-ups. Yet despite nanotechnology's promise in improving how drugs are developed and delivered, major pharmaceutical companies are committing almost no money or people to nanotechnology research -- exposing them to strategic risks, according to a new report from Lux Research entitled "Why Big Pharma Is Missing the Nanotech Opportunity."...read the wave

 

BOTHELL, Wash.,PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lumera Corporation (NASDAQ:LMRA) , an emerging leader in the field of nanotechnology, has been awarded a $1.11 million contract extension from a U.S. government agency to continue development of wideband optical modulators.

The new contract extension was awarded to transition Lumera's proprietary electro-optic polymers into high performance devices by developing custom polymers that are critical in other parts of the device. The overall contract value has now reached approximately $4.7 million.

"This latest contract agreement is a validation of our product development strategy and supports Lumera's approach of designing materials for the whole system to complement our leading electro-optic performance," said Lumera Chief Executive Officer Tom Mino...read the wave

 

OR-YEHUDA, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Do-Coop Technologies Ltd., a privately held corporation based in Israel, have announced the launch of its "Nano-Enhanced by Neowater(TM)" partnership program.

Do-Coop Technologies manufactures largely hydrated nano-particles (Neowater(TM)) for the Life Sciences. Among the recently introduced products we highlight Neowater(TM) - PCR Enhancer, Neowater(TM) - Transfection Enhancer, and Neowater(TM) - Electrically Competent Cells Enhancer. Do-Coop's family of products, all based on Do-Coop's proprietary Neowater(TM) technology, dramatically enhances existing reagents, applications and processes to help all segments of the Life Sciences industry to achieve the results they expect and need today...read the wave

 

Supercapacitors that can deliver a strong surge of electrical power could be manufactured from carbon nanotubes using a technique developed by researchers at UC Davis.

Supercapacitors are electrical storage devices that can deliver a huge amount of energy in a short time. Hybrid-electric and fuel-cell powered vehicles need such a surge of energy to start, more than can be provided by regular batteries. Supercapacitors are also needed in a wide range of electronic and engineering applications, wherever a large, rapid pulse of energy is required.

Ning Pan, a professor of textiles in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the Nanomaterials in the Environment, Agriculture and Technology (NEAT) center at UC Davis, postdoctoral researcher Chunsheng Du and Jeff Yeh of Mytitek Inc. of Davis prepared suspensions of carbon nanotubes -- tiny rolled-up cylinders of carbon just a few atoms across. They developed a method to deposit the nanotubes on nickel foil so that the nanotubes were aligned and packed closely together...read the wave

 

Newswise — What makes a nanocomposite material “smart”? Consider clothing that can detect the presence of chemical weapons, automatically seal its own pores, and then clean and decontaminate itself. Today the U.S. Department of Defense is funding research for fabric materials that do all these things and are also stronger, more durable, and lighter than current uniforms.

Smart materials are becoming a reality and one of the world’s leading experts in the field is Sergiy Minko, who holds the Egon Matijevic´ Chair of Chemistry at Clarkson University.

Minko’s research explores responsive functional material based on self-assembly in polymer and colloidal systems...read the wave

 

 

...read the wave

We are once again pleased to publish news from Iranian NanoTechnology Policy Studies Committee via their latest Iranian Nano Technology Newsletter.

This link is published as a service to many of our global visitors. Please note that the link is to a non-English language web site so we have not been about to check this link to ascertain if it contains any “non appropriate “ language or statements.

Judging from the earlier high standard of news published items from the Iranian NanoTechnology Policy Studies Committee, Nano Tsunami is happy to add this link to our site. However, Nano Tsunami cannot be held reasonable for any remarks made by the Iranian NanoTechnology Policy Studies Committee web site or their newsletters.

The Editor …read the wave

 

Traditional planetarium shows take us on a virtual tour of stars, planets and galaxies: the outer universe. But recently, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute premiered its new Molecularium show, a state-of-the-art, computer-generated animation that takes its viewers on a virtual tour of the inner universe—the atoms and molecules that constitute our world.

Developed for children in grades K-3, and designed for a planetarium setting, the 20-minute show follows Oxy, Hydro, Hydra and Carbón—a cast of characters based on atoms—as they explore this inner universe. Their atomic-scale views of phenomena such as the melting of ice are based on real molecular dynamics calculations.
..read the wave

 

Newswise — A novel technology that can test cells in minutes for responses to any stimulus, including antibiotics, pathogens, toxins, radiation or chemotherapy, has been developed by scientists at the University at Buffalo.

Susan Z. Hua, Ph.D., UB assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and physiology and biophysics, is the lead researcher.

The technology is based on the universal connection between cell volume and the cell environment, or cell volume cytometry. It is particularly useful because it eliminates the need to culture bacteria to assess their sensitivity to antibiotics...read the wave

 

Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) (Nasdaq: OLED) has joined forces with ILFORD Imaging Switzerland, in a project that promises to pave the way for more optically efficient display devices in the future.

All displays produce more light than is actually seen by the user, due to internal losses in the display itself. By increasing the proportion of observed light, (the ‘optical efficiency’), display devices can be made brighter for a given energy input, or energy consumption can be reduced for a given brightness. This is especially valuable where power efficiency is critical such as in mobile devices such as phones and PDAs.
..read the wave

 

Cedarville, OH - Pyrograf Products, Inc. (PPI) of Cedarville, Ohio, USA, has signed an agreement with the Electrovac Group, establishing the Austrian firm as the sole distributor of PPI’s PyrografÒ-III carbon nanofibers in Europe.

“This agreement represents a true win-win for both firms,” said PPI General Manager Tom Hughes. “For PPI, this represents an opportunity to expand our international client base and increase customer support and interaction in the European market. For Electrovac, this represents an opportunity to enhance their current product line with the addition of our carbon nanofibers,” he said.

Electrovac also heralded the trans-Atlantic distribution agreement...read the wave

NanoEurope is the new umbrella brand for the international nanotechnology trade show and the concurrent conferences and seminars. The new name underscores the leading role that Europe is playing in this area. At the same time, it ensures precise positioning in the growing nanotechnology market.

The Nanofair was organized for the first time in 2003. The courageous project of holding a trade fair for nano and microtechnology on the exhibition grounds of St.Gallen met with immediate positive response.

By the time the Nanofair was held the second time, more than 150 exhibitors were already taking advantage of the event as a communication hub. Along with the fair, also the concurrent conferences continued to develop...read the wave

 

They're scattered all around the United States, more than 1,200 of them, waiting for cleanup. Some are old military bases or abandoned factories. Others are gas stations with leaky underground tanks. And they're only the beginning of a long, arduous task.

Over the next 30 years, the U.S. may have to clean up as many as 350,000 Superfund sites at a cost of up to $250 billion, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

One solution is to find cheaper cleanup technologies. One of the most promising innovations right now involves microscopic iron particles. At least four teams of researchers are using these "nanoparticles" to attack some of the most vexing underground pollutants, including chromium-6, the groundwater pollutant made famous in the movie "Erin Brockovich...read the wave

 

Taipei, Feb. 11 (CNA) Taiwan has stepped up development of nanotechnology and relevant products, industry sources said Friday. Since the government launched a special program to encourage nanotechnology development in 2002, more than 400 local companies have invested in commercial use of nanotechnology. By 2008, industry sources said, Taiwan's annual production of nanotechnology-related industries will reach NT$300 billion (US$9.68 billion). (By Sofia Wu)

 

"InformNauka" --- Last week witnessed a unique operation - a dog's malignant growth was irradiated by the neutron capture therapy method at the reactor of the Moscow Sate Engineering Physics Institute (MIFI). The irradiation case of the reactor was built at the expense of the International Science and Technology Center. As of today, this is the only place in Russia where such treatment is carried out, although only for dogs.

The procedure was carried out in a special irradiation case erected with financial support of the International Science and Technology Center which adjoins to the wall of nuclear reactor of the Moscow Sate Engineering Physics Institute (MIFI). A neutron flux comes in through the reactor's channel orifice. The patient is a tiny dwarf poodle suffering from inoperable melanoma on the snout. Its owners agreed to the operation by the yet experimental method...read the wave

 

The results of a two-year joint research programme by Intel Corporation and QinetiQ into new transistor technology that could become a promising candidate for making microprocessors in the middle of the next decade was made public today. Transistors are the tiny switches in microprocessors that process the ones and zeros of the digital world.

Researchers from the two companies have successfully built 'quantum well' transistors by integrating a new transistor material, pioneered by QinetiQ called indium antimonide (InSb). InSb is made up of elements found in the III and V columns of the periodic table...read the wave

 

CORDIS RTD-NEWS ---UK universities are becoming more business-oriented and better at linking research to the needs of the private sector, according to the latest annual report on spin-out activity in the country's higher education sector.

A survey of 164 institutions carried out by the higher education funding council for England (Hefce) reveals that the number of patents granted to universities increased by 26 per cent in the academic year 2002-03.

Furthermore, UK universities created one spin-out company for every 25 million euro spent on research, compared with a ratio of one company for every 87 million euro invested in the United States.

According to the higher education-business and community interaction 2002-03 survey...read the wave

 

(Boston) -- Nanotechnology leapt into the realm of quantum mechanics this past winter when an antenna-like sliver of silicon one-tenth the width of a human hair oscillated in a lab in a Boston University basement. With two sets of protrusions, much like the teeth from a two-sided comb or the paddles from a rowing shell, the antenna not only exhibits the first quantum nanomechanical motion but is also the world's fastest moving nanostructure.

A team of Boston University physicists led by Assistant Professor Pritiraj Mohanty developed the nanomechanical oscillator. Operating at gigahertz speeds, the technology could help further miniaturize wireless communication devices like cell phones, which exchange information at gigahertz frequencies. But, more important to the researchers, the oscillator lies at the cusp of classic physics, what people experience everyday, and quantum physics, the behavior of the molecular world.
..read the wave

 

Two top research teams at the University of Southampton have this week secured a funding boost worth over £11 million between them. The two research groups, working in NanoPhotonics and Photonics, were among six groups nationwide to receive long-term funding support under the Portfolio Partnerships initiative launched by Lord Sainsbury.

Southampton is the only university to receive two of the new batch of Portfolio Partnerships, securing over half the £22 million funding awarded in this round.

Portfolio Partnerships have been introduced by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to provide long-term support to top research teams with a proven track record of achievement and sustained support from EPSRC. Stable funding allows teams to innovate, explore new directions in research and provides increased opportunities to establish collaborations with others...read the wave

 

OSBURN, Idaho, Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Atlas Mining Company (OTC Bulletin Board: ALMI), have announced that it has received a purchase order for up to 5,000 tons of its processed halloysite clay from NanoDynamics at a price of $500 per ton. NanoDynamics has already remitted a purchase of 500 tons against this purchase order.

William Jacobson, CEO of Atlas Mining said, "It's clear to see why we are excited about our relationship with NanoDynamics. They have taken a serious interest in our halloysite microtubules and obviously feel they have a market for this product in the nanotechnology sector. Although the purchase order is open ended and does not require full purchase, we feel we will be supplying them product in 2005.".
..read the wave

 

Miniaturization is finding its way into diagnostics and bioanalysis. Miniature-scale systems, such as DNA chips and labs in credit-card form have been in use for some time. Swiss researchers have now developed a new kind of lamp for use in nanoscopic methods.

At the core of the new device are nanocrystals made of semiconducting materials. The research team headed by Horst Vogel at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) selected green-fluorescing crystals of cadmium selenide, which they coated with a thin layer of lipid molecules like those found in cell membranes. The lipid layer protects the nanocrystals from exterior influences and makes them water-soluble without impeding their fluorescence. The lipid layers also have a particular advantage compared to other coatings -- they can easily be equipped with biochemical functions...read the wave

 

Electrochemical transistors made of plastic open myriad possibilities. Since both electrons and ions are active, they can function as a bridge between traditional electronics and biological systems. A new dissertation from Linköping University in Sweden describes a simple and inexpensive humidity sensor that can be manufactured in a printing press.

Electrically conducting plastic is used today in field effect transistors, light-emitting diodes, electrochemical components, and batteries. Organic semiconductors are better than silicon because they can be applied to soft surfaces, even paper, using printing technology. What’s more, the components can be recycled in the same way as regular paper and plastic...read the wave

 

Architects and Industry Professionals Select Cabot Corp. Product as Economic Solution to Improve Energy and Sound Insulation in Daylighting Applications

BOSTON,-Nanogel(R) translucent aerogel, Cabot Corporation's daylighting material that combines high light transmission with energy efficiency and sound insulation, was named "Best Innovative Product for Energy Savings" at Bau 2005, Germany's leading building and construction exhibition recently held in Munich. Based on feedback from Bau participants, the editors of Deutsche Architektenblatt (DAB) selected Nanogel(R) as one of the best building products at the show designed to meet the needs of architects seeking economic solutions...read the wave

 

PHILADELPHIA -- Nano-sized particles embedded with bright, light-emitting molecules have enabled researchers to visualize a tumor more than one centimeter below the skin surface using only infrared light. A team of chemists, bioengineers and medical researchers based at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Minnesota has lodged fluorescent materials called porphyrins within the surface of a polymersome, a cell-like vesicle, to image a tumor within a living rodent. Their findings, which represent a proof of principle for the use of emissive polymersomes to target and visualize tumors, appear in the Feb. 7 online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

"We have shown that the dispersion of thousands of brightly emissive multi-porphyrin fluorophores within the polymersome membrane can be used to optically image tissue structures deep below the skin with the potential to go even deeper,"...read the wave

 

SINGAPORE : Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, has managed to create a new class of nano-particles, which may lead to lower costs in pharmaceuticals production.

These nano-particles are between 50 and 300 nanometres in size. A nanometre is one-billionth of a metre in length.

The groundbreaking research was recently featured in a leading Chemistry journal, and a US patent has been filed on the invention.

Already several pharmaceutical giants are interested in the technology, and the institute hopes to see its invention in industry use in around two years.

Pharmaceuticals companies have all along faced a difficult challenge in removing catalysts and other unwanted materials from their final products...read the wave

 

RENO, NV -- (MARKET WIRE) --Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTI) have announced that it is partnering with Texas-based Genesis Air to produce specialized surface activated, nano-sized titanium dioxide compounds for use in an innovative HVAC air cleaning system. The system, based on Genesis Air Photocatalysis (GAP™) technology, is marketed by Genesis Air domestically and internationally.

Under the terms of the partnership agreement, Altair will provide Genesis with product design services, proprietary nano-sized titanium dioxide materials and ongoing chemical engineering support services...read the wave

 

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Gold producers aim to boost industrial demand for the precious metal by more than 50 percent within a decade through developing new uses in gas masks, air-cleaning devices and as a superconductor in electrical gadgets.

"New markets based on new technologies for gold will lead to significant new demand," David Thompson of the World Gold Council said at the Indaba mining conference in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Currently the bulk of gold is used for jewellery, accounting for 80 percent of the 4,142 tonnes consumed in 2003, with industrial applications such as electronics and dental fillings taking up only 12 percent or 500 tonnes.

New uses for gold discovered by South African research group Autek are expected to lead to an extra demand of 280 tonnes in 10 years, Thompson said...read the wave

 

COLLEGE STATION, – An international team of physicists that includes a Texas A&M University professor has announced discovery of a new spintronic effect in semiconductor chips, the intrinsic spin Hall effect, which puts a new twist on future technology and the possibility for novel circuits with low energy consumption.

The team is formed by physicists Dr. Jörg Wunderlich and Dr. Bernd Kaestner from the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory, U.K.; Prof. Tomás Jungwirth from the Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and the University of Nottingham, U.K.; and Prof. Jairo Sinova from Texas A&M.

In a normal Hall effect, a voltage is created perpendicular to an electric current as it flows through a conductor in a magnetic field. The magnetic field deflects the moving charges to the sides of the conductor, resulting in an observable Hall voltage.
..read the wave

 

It's a small world. How often have we heard that expression? At the nanoscale, small takes on an entirely new meaning, especially for this group of leaders who have made large investments of varying proportions.

Nanotechnology funding in research and development is huge, with approximately $982 million requested for federal investment in nanoscale science, engineering and technology for fiscal year 2005.

Venture capital investment in tiny technologies is robust. Industry reports indicate that more than $2 billion has been invested in nanotechnology by venture capital firms since 1997.

Couple these figures with a few of the well-respected principals advancing nanotechnology, and that amounts to a big return on innovation and society's future well-being...read the wave

 

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's fiscal 2006 budget proposal includes $344 million in spending next year for nanotechology research and development.

The R&D funding request for nanotechnology would target advances in manufacturing, materials, information technologies and medicine.

Other high-tech research provisions in the budget proposal released Monday (Feb. 7) included $132 billion for military and civilian R&D, including $5.6 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF)...read the wave

 

An environmental group urged governments yesterday to establish a new convention on technology control, including nanotechnology where there is still little information about the threat of ``atomically modified'' particles to the environment.

The threat is being compared with that of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which have caused a wide-ranging debate over their long-term safety to human health and the environment.

The use of nanotechnology in farms has given environmentalists fresh concerns over potential unexpected effects on biological diversity, according to the United Kingdom-based Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration...read the wave

 

Austin, Texas-based Nano-Proprietary, Inc. (OTC BB: NNPP), through its subsidiary, Applied Nanotech, Inc. (ANI), have announced that it has signed an exclusive licensing option agreement with The University of Texas at Austin. The agreement will further the development of a next generation memory chip utilizing the university’s information storage technology based on thin photo-conductive films.

The ultimate goal is to make a low cost memory device with a capacity of a terabit on an area of a square inch. Imagine a hand held device storing 50 times more information than high performance desktop PCs produced today...read the wave

 

Rice University’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) have been awarded its first grants from the Smalley/Curl Fund for Innovation to faculty members Michael S. Wong, Rebekah Drezek and Jason Hafner.

The one-year, $15,000 grants are designed to provide faculty with the seed funds they need to develop novel ideas that have the potential of impacting all areas of nanotechnology.

CNST’s innovation fund was established in 2003 in honor of Richard Smalley, University Professor, the Gene and Norman Hackerman Professor of Chemistry and professor of physics; and Robert Curl, University Professor, the Kenneth S. Pitzer-Schlumberger Professor of Natural Sciences and professor of chemistry. Professors Smalley and Curl won the 1996 Noble Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of fullerenes, the third major form of carbon after diamond and graphite...read the wave

 

A few days ago I had the opportunity to watch / review the documentary " N " is for Nanotechnology.

My review team, comprising of myself, ( a native English speaker ) and my 2 Dutch speaking children aged 9 & 7 ( English being their 2nd language ) thoroughly enjoyed, and more importantly understood the theme of the documentary.

Ken Hama & his team must be congratulated on this excellent DVD.

For our part if " N " is for Nanotechnology, then " E " is for Excellent.

The Editor : David W.G. Voyle

The full DVD version of the program is now available from the Ken Hama's website www.knhproductions.ca

 

HILLSBORO, Ore., Feb 07, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- FEI Company (Nasdaq: FEIC) and IMEC, Europe's leading independent nano-electronics and nano-technology research center based in Leuven, Belgium, today announced that they have commenced a joint development project (JDP) for advanced metrology and analysis techniques for (sub)-45nm technologies.

The JDP will focus on providing ultra-high resolution process diagnostic information in a production environment in support of process development for 45nm and smaller technologies. IMEC will introduce a full suite of FEI's UltraView(TM) tools in its process R&D pilot line for these development efforts...read the wave

 

Oxonica Limited, a leading European group developing commercial solutions based on nanotechnology, announces today that it has completed a further round of financing, through a Rights Issue and Employee Subscription.

The Group has raised approximately £2.6 million through the issue of 38,478 new ordinary shares £67.89 per share. This includes 2,006 shares issued to employees who were invited to subscribe for shares at the Rights Issue price. The issue was substantially underwritten by Seighford Investment Company Limited and Mr Richard Farleigh, both of whom were founder investors in Oxonica and was well supported by the Group’s shareholders, including the three largest investors; BASF Venture Capital GmbH, Foresight Technology VCT and TriVest VCT...read the wave