Evident Technologies Launches Second Generation EviTags(TM) Quantum Dot Labels to Advance Life Science Research

Unique Properties, New Surfaces to Reduce Testing Costs, Increase Flexibility and Uses

TROY, N.Y., PRNewswire/ -- Evident Technologies have introduceda second generation Type 2 EviTag(TM) luminescent label. The T2 EviTag has a proprietary natural coating that provides increased flexibility, easier use, wider applications and possible reduced testing costs in biological assays and other types of life science research.

"At Evident, we are practical pioneers developing nanomaterials to meet real needs and solve real problems," said Clint Ballinger, CEO of Evident Technologies. "Our customers need smaller, brighter, more flexible fluorescing markers to enable more applications across different life science market segments. Our T2 EviTags meet these needs and reduce testing costs because of their flexibility and adaptability. We see EviTags as an enabling technology at the crossroads of nano and bio."...read the wave

Organic Semiconductors Bring Foldable Computer Screens Closer

Newswise — An Israeli research team has manufactured new organic semiconductors using proteins designed from scratch in the lab and linking them together in precise chains to create electronic-grade material. The new semiconductors, called electronic peptides, could lead to lighter, cheaper and more flexible electronic devices within the next two years, the researchers say.

The electronic peptides created by Professor Nir Tessler and colleagues at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology could be used in full color, foldable LED displays with a sharper resolution than today’s computer screens, and large, flexible solar cells that spread flat and roll up like a blanket. The peptides could also be used in sensor devices that detect tiny amounts of disease molecules in the body or toxins in the environment.

Researchers can construct the electronic peptides one building block at a time, which gives them precise control over the semiconductor’s properties...read the wave

BIG MONEY FOR SMALL SCIENCE

£20 million funding to harness the commercial potential of micro and
nanotechnology (MNT) was announced today by Lord Sainsbury, Science and
Innovation Minister.

Eight projects across the UK will benefit from nearly £20m, from the DTI's
MNT Capital Facilities Programme, to help build new advanced manufacturing
facilities that will help develop revolutionary new products and services. It
is estimated that the global market for nanotechnology could be worth £1
trillion by 2013.

Emerging nanotechnologies offer a wide range of potential new
applications. This funding will help develop and exploit cutting edge
ideas such as stain resistant clothing, cottons that feel like silk, scratch
resistant and self-cleaning surfaces. They will also help create new medicines
and improve the efficiency of existing drugs...read the wave

European Nanotechnology Trade Association Established

The Institute of Nanotechnology, a global leader in nanotechnology matters, today announced plans to launch the European Nanotechnology Trade Association (ENTA), to support industry’s uptake of nanotechnology.

Created to represent the interests of nanotechnology businesses across Europe, ENTA will act to bridge gaps between governments, science and industry policy makers and business. It will also openly interface with the public and watchdog organizations to ensure transparency and that new nanotechnologies are developed in a safe and responsible manner.

Backed by companies such as Procter and Gamble, BP International, Thomas Swan & Co. , Nexia Solutions, Imerys, SmartBead Technologies and LOT-Oriel, ENTA’s membership is open to businesses and organizations for whom nanotechnology has or may have an impact. The Institute of Occupational Medicine and other key advisors including Mewburn Ellis LLP, Marks and Clerk, Darbys, Technesium TC, DMEM, and CENAMPS have also joined ENTA...read the wave

China to Implement Standards for Nanometer Materials on April 1

BEIJING, March 30 Asia Pulse - China will implement seven state standards for nanometer materials beginning on April 1, which will be the first state standards related to nanometer materials in the country as well as in the world.

The standards, issued jointly by the State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision and the State Standardization Management Committee, will help standardize the nanometer materials market, support the application of products with high technological contents, and promote healthy development of China's nanometer materials industry.

Li Zhonghai, director of the State Standardization Management Committee, said more state standards will be issued later to establish a complete market access and technical standards system for nanometer materials.

The capacity of China's nanometer materials market has kept an annual growth of over 15 per cent for five consecutive years.

According to a survey done by CCID, China's nanometer materials market had a capacity of 2.92 billion yuan in 2004, growing 18 per cent over 2003. Of this, nanometer powder materials market accounted for 2.74 billion yuan or 93.8 per cent of the total, and nanometer compound materials market accounted for 180 million yuan or 6.2 per cent.

At present, China has accomplished industrialized production in such fields as nanometer calcium carbonate, nanometer zinc oxide and nanometer silicon oxide. Leading nano powder materials production bases in the country include Enping of Guangdong Province, Xuchang of Henan Province, Taiyuan of Shanxi Province and Zibo of Shandong Province, where such nanometer materials makers as Jiawei, Keli, Fenghai and Xingya are respectively located.

Nano powder materials boast great market potentials as they are increasingly applied in such fields as automobiles, machinery, electronics and packaging.

Source : Asia Pulse (XIC)

WORLD’S UNIQUE PLASMA PROCESS FOR
SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBE (C-SWNT) PRODUCTION
A Green Technology in Response to the Kyoto Protocol

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--- Raymor Industries Inc. (TSX VENTURE:RAR) is proud to announce the signing of an agreement with the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), whereby Raymor has acquired the exclusive worldwide rights for the commercialization of a new technology for the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes (C-SWNT), based on a plasma process, unique in the world. This process is 25 times more efficient, less dangerous, and less costly than any other existing technologies in the world. Environmentally, this process is non-polluting (green technology) and helps Canada meets its commitments with respect to the Kyoto Protocol. BCC Research estimates that global sales of carbon nanotubes will reach US$231.5 million in 2006, with an average annual growth rate of 173% over the next 5 years.

Raymor plans to increase its current C-SWNT production capacity by using...read the wave

First Nano Grows Ultra-Long High Purity Aligned Carbon Nanotubes

Santa Barbara, CA, – First Nano grows high-density vertically aligned carbon nanotubes over 1 mm long.

First Nano have announced that lab experiments with the EasyTube 2000 System has proven to grow high purity, vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNT) over 1 mm long, on silicon substrate using an iron thin film catalyst. The fully automated, high-throughput EasyTube 2000 System is a chemical vapor deposition tool for the synthesis of nanotubes and other nanoscale materials.

"Our system has demonstrated the ability to grow ultra-long and controllable diameter nanotubes,” said Dr. Yi Tu, Principal Research Scientist with First Nano. “The value that these densely formed ultra-long nanoscale strands offers is application development that can be used for composite materials strengthening, rechargeable batteries, filtration systems and electronic devices.”

The process development for growing CNTs is part of a solution package that First Nano offers to customers, and is embedded in preprogrammed recipes in the EasyTube System...read the wave

The Lighter Side of Nanotechnology

(PRWEB) Grey Goos (www.nanoinvestornews.com/goo.php), the first comic strip developed for the nanotechnology community, has been released by leading Nanotechnology portal NanoApex. The weekly cartoon, currently in its fourth episode, examines the lighter side of nanotechnology and brings a diverse global audience together through its wry, but relevant humor.

"Nanotechnology can sometimes feel intimidating,” said Grey Goos creator Joel Fisher. “We wanted to put a friendly face on the technology—humanize it, give people a chuckle.” Grey Goos has already generated some positive attention in technology circles. "The first time I saw the cartoon I immediately sent it to everyone in my office," said Jon Nowick, a programmer with HSI Technology in Chicago. "The humor is insightful enough for techno-savvy readers like me and light enough to hang on an office refrigerator," he continued...read the wave

New nanotechnology centre for Nottingham

Nottingham will be at the forefront of the nanotechnology revolution thanks to a £3.5 million grant to set up a new state-of-the-art research centre in the city, it was announced today.

The Nottingham Micro Nano Technology (MNT) Centre will be an advanced manufacturing facility to help companies develop revolutionary new products and services at a scale of thousandths of a millimetre.

Announced today by Lord Sainsbury, Science and Innovation Minister, the grant will provide open access for companies to cutting-edge facilities designed to help bring nanotechnology products and services to the market — particularly in healthcare, engineering and information communications technology (ICT)...read the wave

Research team to develop techniques to detect
bio-warfare agents

A team of chemists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been awarded a three-year, $1.3 million grant by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop new, more accurate techniques for detecting the presence of harmful agents.

In their study, professors Richard Vachet, Vincent Rotello and Sankaran “Thai” Thayumanavan will use a combination of nanotechnology and mass spectrometry to isolate and identify minute amounts of two types of hazardous substances: endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and microcystins, water-borne toxins that are considered potential bio-warfare agents.

“The Navy is always interested in new ways to detect compounds that have adverse effects on its personnel or operations,” says Vachet, the principle investigator on the project. “They're interested in methods that can detect more rapidly and with more sensitivity in ways that are less prone to error.”...read the wave

Nanotech-America and NT-MDT:An International Success Story

(PRWEB) -- Nanotech-America (NTA, Allen, TX) is a unique organization which provides full service administration, technical support, sales and marketing services to our Russian strategic partner, NT-MDT (Zelenograd, Moscow), a well-known manufacturer of atomic force and scanning probe microscopes and related technology.

The history of off-shore companies trying to penetrate the US market is littered with lost investment, agonizingly slow market penetration, and failed efforts. In sharp distinction, the NTA/NT-MDT strategic relationship is a success story. Three key factors support that success:

- Extensive experience in the market from the NTA management team and, specifically, in business development for US support of international firms,
- NTA’s robust national technical support program, and
- the strong commitment and expansive technical support provided by Dr. Sergey Saunin, NT-MDT’s VP R&D and the Russian liaison to NTA.

With an installed base of over 500 systems world-wide, NT-MDT is well-known on the international scene. Their microscopes are key to...read the wave

MANCEF: COMS 2005 21-25 August - Mark Your Calendar!

The 10th Annual International Commercialization of Micro and Nano Systems conference, COMS 2005, will bring together key people from across the world and from every sector of industry, including leading practitioners in the field, equipment suppliers, end users, customers, government representatives, academics, and financial experts.

The Conference extends to 4 days and is structured to accommodate the wide-ranging needs of delegates. It is comprised of keynote talks by MNT leaders; break-out sessions fostering intimate in-depth discussion, extensive networking opportunities, and educational workshops. All of this is supported with an extensive exhibition that features the top companies in Micro/Nano. COMS is the ideal environment for the exchange of ideas and new business development.

COMS 2005 will be jointly organized by the Micro and Nanotechnology Commercialization Education Foundation (MANCEF) and Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK). COMS was first created in 1994 at BANFF, Canada as a Gordon style workshop, and has since developed into full-scale conferences alternating between North America and Europe (even expanding into Asia/Pacific in 2007, with our first appearance in Melbourne, Australia), while still maintaining the intimate atmosphere that fosters a true exchange of ideas and business development. Their increasing popularity and business networking potential in terms of delegate numbers has been impressive...read the wave

| Assessing Venture Capital Returns for Efficient Investing in Nanotechnology |

" With the advent of nanotechnology and the emergence of venture capital funds investing in early stage start-up nanotechnology companies, now is the time to take a closer look at the venture capital industry and ask some questions on how to evaluate venture funds who claim they can successfully invest in nanotechnology and avoid the investment pitfalls of the dot.com and biotech era.

Caltech Physics Team Invents Device For Weighing Individual Molecules

PASADENA, Calif.-Physicists at the California Institute of Technology have created the first nanodevices capable of weighing individual biological molecules. This technology may lead to new forms of molecular identification that are cheaper and faster than existing methods, as well as revolutionary new instruments for proteomics.

According to Michael Roukes, professor of physics, applied physics, and bioengineering at Caltech and the founding director of Caltech's Kavli Nanoscience Institute, the technology his group has announced this week shows the immense potential of nanotechnology for creating transformational new instrumentation for the medical and life sciences. The new devices are at the nanoscale, he explains, since their principal component is significantly less than a millionth of a meter in width.

The Caltech devices are "nanoelectromechanical resonators"--essentially tiny.
..read the wave

NVE Notified of Patent Grant on Spintronic Structure

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.--March 29, 2005--NVE Corporation (NasdaqSC: NVEC) announced that it has been notified by the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office that the patent titled "Magnetic Field Sensor with Augmented Magnetoresistive Sensing Layer" will be issued today. The patent relates to the use of an effect known as "electron spin exchange-biasing" for low-hysteresis spin dependent tunneling (SDT) and giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensors. The patent is number 6,872,467 and is the grant of the application published by the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office under number 2004-0115478.

SDT and GMR sensors applications include magnetic...read the wave

Just what nanoparticle research in Europe needs

Delegates at a recent Commission-hosted workshop on nanotechnology and nanoparticle research revealed the large demand for research and tools in this field which are targeted, certified, easy to use and shared freely and quickly among stakeholders. But all agreed that the risks and drawbacks of such developments should be openly and carefully analysed.

The European Commission calls for an “integrated and responsible” approach to nanotechnology development that benefits society. This goes for nanoparticles as well which, according to the recently published proceedings of the workshop ‘Research needs on nanoparticles’, exist in nature or can be produced by human activities – intentionally or unintentionally.

“Intentional nanoparticles are manufactured under (normally strict) control while unintentional ones can come from...read the wave

Ophthalmologists and physicists team up to design 'bionic eye'

On Feb. 22 in the Journal of Neural Engineering, Daniel Palanker, Alexander Vankov and Phil Huie from the Department of Ophthalmology and the Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory and Stephen Baccus from the Department of Neurobiology published a design of an optoelectronic retinal prosthesis system that can stimulate the retina with resolution corresponding to a visual acuity of 20/80--sharp enough to orient yourself toward objects, recognize faces, read large fonts, watch TV and, perhaps most important, lead an independent life. The researchers hope their device may someday bring artificial vision to those blind due to retinal degeneration. They are testing their system in rats, but human trials are at least three years away.

"This is basic research," said Palanker, a physicist whose primary appointment is in the Ophthalmology Department. "It's the essence of Bio-X," he said, referring to Stanford's interdisciplinary initiative to speed biomedical research from benchtop to bedside...read the wave

Nanotechnology's Impact on Products: Cancer Treatment Gets Reinvented, Automobiles Get Incrementally Improved

NEW YORK, PRNewswire/ -- Who will win and lose as nanotechnology pervades consumer goods? The answer will differ greatly by industry and product category, according to a new report from Lux Research entitled "How Nanotechnology Adds Value to Products." Nanotech could slash the cost of breast cancer treatment by 39% and add an average of seven years' to patients lives, reinventing the field -- but in another sector like automotive, nanotech innovations will add a series of small, incremental innovations from which component suppliers benefit the most.

"First-generation consumer products incorporating nanotechnology are already on the market. They show price premiums of 11%, on average, over conventional products. For example, Easton Sports' Synergy SL hockey stick is built from a carbon nanotube composite, and Wyeth's Rapamune immunosuppressant tablets are milled into nanocrystalline grains," said Matthew Nordan, Vice President of Research at Lux Research. "But these products form a poor guide to the future. Second-generation nano-enabled products will differ by tapping many nanotechnology innovations instead of just one, employing active nanostructures, and requiring new manufacturing processes to exploit."...read the wave

Nanotech food containers in hollow-type silicone

South Korea – Daewoo Tech Co. Ltd has released a range of airtight food storage containers in durable, hollow-type silicone.

The containers are refrigerator- and dishwasher-safe. They are processed using nano-silver technology, which helps intercept infrared rays and prevents mold formation. The containers come in various shapes and sizes for storing pasta, fruit, vegetables, nuts and candy.

The products are marketed under the Xeonic brand. Source : Global Sources

Shape-Shifting Robot Nanotech Swarms on Mars

Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., took the first step toward this scenario with the successful test of a shape-shifting robotic pyramid. As the engineers watched like anxious new parents, the robot pyramid traveled across the floor of a lab at NASA Goddard. Robots of this type will eventually be miniaturized and joined together to form "autonomous nanotechnology swarms" (ANTS) that alter their shape to flow over rocky terrain or to create useful structures like communications antennae and solar sails...read the wave

Emergency Filtration Products Signs NanoMask Distributor for Wholesale and Retail Markets in the United States and Southeast Asia

HENDERSON, Nev.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Emergency Filtration Products Inc. (EFP) (OTCBB: EMFP) have announced that it has signed a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Manteca, Calif.-based 2H Distributors (http://www.2hdistributors.com/) to distribute the company's NanoMask to both retail and wholesale market segments in the United States and internationally. 2H Distributors has already placed its initial stocking order of 10,000 NanoMasks and 50,000 replacement filters.

In the United States, 2H Distributors will launch a marketing campaign for the NanoMask, and will be seeking retail outlets throughout the country, with particular emphasis on marketing to airport retail stores that cater to customers flying to the Pacific Rim. Internationally, 2H Distributors' wholesale marketing plans entail forming partnerships with a number of consumer products distributors in Southeast Asian markets such as Vietnam and Thailand...read the wave

Advance Nanotech Ceo Magnus Gittins to Deliver Keynote Address at World Nano-Economic Congress in Dublin

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2005--Advance Nanotech, Inc., (OTC BB:AVNA.OB), the world's premier provider of services, support and financing to drive the commercialization of nanotechnology discoveries, today announced that CEO Magnus Gittins will deliver the keynote address at the World Nano-Economic Congress (the "WNEC") in Dublin, Ireland. Mr. Gittins presentation, entitled From Science to Product: Making a Promising Technology into a Successful Business, will provide a detailed look at the role corporations must play in supporting the successful commercialization of nanotechnology discoveries at the university level. Mr. Gittins will speak on the second day of the conference, which will run from April 20-21, 2005.

Mr. Gittins' will be addressing a global audience of leaders concerned with ensuring that the rapidly evolving nanotechnology sector can meet its...read the wave

Japan's Frontier Carbon Corporation to Manufacture in U.S. -- Will Accelerate Production of Fullerenes for Nanomanufacturing

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To meet the growing commercial demand for nano-scale products in the United States and Europe, Frontier Carbon Corporation (FCC) of Tokyo, Japan, has established Frontier Carbon Corporation America (FCCA) in December 2004 to begin production of fullerene materials in the U.S. in March 2005 in co-operation with TDA Research, Inc. for serving present and potential customers.

Fullerenes are large carbon molecules with unique properties that are particularly well suited to nanotechnology-based applications and have led to prototyping a large number of promising cutting-edge products. Fullerenes are extraordinarily stable and heat-resistant, joining diamonds and graphite as the third form of pure carbon, yet are the only form of carbon that is soluble, leading to easy processing and a variety of chemical modifications for usable nanotechnology materials...read the wave

IMPROVED DIELECTRIC DEVELOPED FOR
CHIP-LEVEL COPPER CIRCUITRY

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A new dielectric material, developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, could facilitate the use of copper circuitry at the chip level. The thermally stable aromatic polymer has a low dielectric constant of 1.85, good mechanical properties and excellent adhesion.

Replacing aluminum with copper as the multilayer interconnect structure in microelectronic devices could enhance both miniaturization and performance. Copper offers much higher electrical and thermal conductivity than aluminum. Placing narrow copper lines close together, however, requires a good dielectric to reduce cross talk between wires. Unfortunately, existing dielectric insulators can't withstand the rigors of the aggressive chemical-mechanical polishing step used to produce a smooth copper surface...read the wave

Nanotechnology could promote hydrogen economy

New Brunswick/Piscataway, NJ ---Say “nanotechnology” and people are likely to think of micro machines or zippy computer chips. But in a new twist, Rutgers scientists are using nanotechnology in chemical reactions that could provide hydrogen for tomorrow’s fuel-cell powered clean energy vehicles.

In a paper to be published April 20 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, describe how they make a finely textured surface of the metal iridium that can be used to extract hydrogen from ammonia, then captured and fed to a fuel cell. The metal’s unique surface consists of millions of pyramids with facets as tiny as five nanometers (five billionths of a meter) across, onto which ammonia molecules can nestle like matching puzzle pieces. This sets up the molecules to undergo complete and efficient decomposition.
..read the wave

Nanotech: Huge Focus on a Small Science

Nanotechnology, the practice of manipulating matter on the atomic scale, may demand an exact science. But so far, nanotech investing has not.
A few short years after Wall Street's first flirtation with the science routinely touted as the next big wave of innovation, there is more misunderstanding about nanotechnology among investors -- and more confusion than information. And it's not just the little guys who get befuddled; it's also big investment banks like Merrill Lynch.

On April 1, 2004, Merrill and its highly respected tech analyst, Steve Milunovich, launched the Merrill Lynch Nanotech Index, injecting a jolt of volatility into many of the 25 small-cap components. A week later, the firm quietly...read the wave

U.S. leads in nantotech, but Asia, Europe gaining

MANHASSET, N.Y. — The U.S. lead in nanotechnology is gradually being whittled down by Europe and Asia, according to a sneak preview of a major study on the nascent technology being prepared by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Moreover, while the technology holds out great promise for breakthroughs across-the-board in a wide range of disciplines, the possible toxic dangers of nanotechnology need to be examined, according to the advisors, the Washington Post reported.

The toxicity studies need to be stepped up, John H. Marburger III, cochairman of the study committee, said ...read the wave

First signals from nano-satellite received

KOROLYOV. March 28 (Interfax) - Russia's mission control center has received the first signals from a nano-satellite the International Space Station crew launched manually during a Monday spacewalk, an Interfax correspondent reported from the control center.

"We have just received the first signals from the nano-satellite. You have accomplished the mission," a mission control center official told the ISS crew which is still on the spacewalk.

ISS crewmember Salizhan Sharipov launched an experimental nano- satellite during the Monday spacewalk. Source: Interfax

France and Israel sign high-tech deals

JERUSALEM (AFX) - France and Israel have signed two high-tech trade agreements on bio and nanotechnology, a French official said.

The agreements, between Israel Aircraft Industries and French company TNI Software, concern electronic systems for space, defence, energy and the automobile industry, said a French spokesman.

Israeli Trade and Industry Minister Ehud Olmert signed the deals with his French counterpart, Patrick Devedjian, who is on a two-day visit to Israel
Source : AFX

MEMBRANELESS FUEL CELL IS TINY, VERSATILE

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A fuel cell designed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign can operate without a solid membrane separating fuel and oxidant, and functions with alkaline chemistry in addition to the more common acidic chemistry.

Like a battery, a fuel cell changes chemical energy into electrical energy. While most fuel cells employ a physical barrier to separate the fuel and oxidant, the microfluidic fuel cell developed at Illinois utilizes multi-stream laminar flow to accomplish the same task.

"The system uses a Y-shaped microfluidic channel in which two liquid streams containing fuel and oxidant merge and flow between catalyst-covered electrodes without mixing," said Paul Kenis, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and a researcher at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology...read the wave

Noisy Pictures Tell a Story of 'Entangled' Atoms, JILA Physicists Find

Patterns of noise—normally considered flaws—in images of an ultracold cloud of potassium provide the first-ever visual evidence of correlated ultracold atoms, a potentially useful tool for many applications, according to physicists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Described in the March 21 online issue of Physical Review Letters,* the noise analysis method could, in principle, be used to identify and test the limits of entanglement, a phenomenon Einstein called “spooky action at a distance.” With entangled atom pairs, for example, the properties of one atom instantaneously affect the properties of its mate, even when the two are physically separated by substantial distances. Such tests of the basic rules of quantum physics could be helpful, for example, in efforts to design quantum computers that would use the properties of individual neutral atoms as 1s and 0s for storing and processing data...read the wave

Latest Biomolecular Computer Can Operate A Billion Programs

Newswise — Current computers consist of metal, plastic, wires and transistors. The manner in which they process information is called linear because they conduct one computation at a time. In the latest generation of computers, biological molecules replace all the components. One advantage of these biomolecular computers over linear computers is their ability to simultaneously carry out an enormous number of complex operations.

A new version of a biomolecular computer developed at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology – composed entirely of DNA molecules and enzymes – outdoes even the fastest of its kind. It can perform as many as a billion different programs simultaneously. Previous biomolecular computers, such as the one built by a joint team from the Technion and the Weizmann Institute of Science three years ago, were limited to just 765 simultaneous programs...read the wave

Birmingham Scientists Witness the Birth of an Atom

Scientists from the University of Birmingham's Nanoscale Science Facility have made a breakthrough in manipulating the smallest single molecules and atoms by devising a new technique of molecular dissection which induces the "birth" of a daughter atom from the parent molecule.

This breakthrough, which is highlighted in a paper published in the journal, Nature, today (Thursday 17 March), is significant for two reasons - not only have University physicists developed a novel method of dissociation using two electrons, but they have also successfully achieved this experiment at room temperature.

The new method, devised by Professor Richard Palmer and Dr Peter Sloan, uses the tip of a Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (STM) to inject two electrons into the parent chlorobenzine molecule to induce a dissociation event - the first electron sets the molecule into vibration and the second electron breaks the bond between the parent molecule and daughter chlorine atom...read the wave

NanoOpto Announces Closing on $12M of C-Round Venture Financing

New Capital Will Support Production Ramp and New Product Introduction for Consumer Electronics and Communications Market

Somerset, New Jersey. March 22, 2005. NanoOpto Corporation, who is applying novel design methods and proprietary nano-fabrication technology to produce a broad range of unique optical components that enable higher quality, low-cost optical components and systems, announced that it has closed on $12 million in Series C round venture financing. First Analysis, a leading private growth-equity investor, is leading the round. Existing equity partners joining in the round are Morgenthaler Ventures; the Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) network (including DFJ Gotham Ventures and New England Ventures); Harris & Harris Group; and U.S. Trusts Excelsior Venture Partners III, L.L.C

The total financing raised by NanoOpto to date is $42.3 million...read the wave

Big hopes for tiny, new hydrogen storage material

LOS ANGELES – Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are taking a new approach to "filling up" a fuel cell car with a nanoscale solid, hydrogen storage material. Their discovery could hasten a day when our vehicles will run on hydrogen-powered, environmentally friendly fuel cells instead of gasoline engines.

The challenge, of course, is how to store and carry hydrogen. Whatever the method, it needs to be no heavier and take up no more space than a traditional gas tank but provide enough hydrogen to power the vehicle for 300 miles before refueling.

One approach is to find a solid chemical material that can hold and then release hydrogen as needed. Recently, PNNL researchers Tom Autrey and Anna Gutowska found a way to release hydrogen from a solid compound almost 100 times faster than was previously possible...read the wave

Dropping nano-anchor

SAN DIEGO – Touch the tines of a tuning fork and it goes silent. Scientists have faced a similar problem trying to harness the strength and conductivity of carbon nanotubes, regarded as material of choice for the next generation of everything from biosensors to pollution-trapping sponges.

Fifield reported the group's findings today at the American Chemical Society national meeting. In the decade since the synthesis of the first carbon nanotubes, researchers have attached molecules—intended to be the "feelers" for picking up chemical sensations and passing the information to the nanotube—using techniques that call for strong acidity and other harsh conditions that compromise the material's utility.

"Usually, people use an organic solution of anchors and incubate the nanotubes in...read the wave

Nanogen and Pathway Diagnostics Sign License Agreement for Gene Variants Linked to Drug Response

SAN DIEGO, PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Nanogen, Inc. (Nasdaq: NGEN) and Pathway Diagnostics have announced that they have entered into a nonexclusive, worldwide license agreement under which Nanogen will develop diagnostic products that detect genetic variations associated with responses to antidepressant and antipsychotic therapeutics. The companies have begun work on developing a molecular diagnostic product that could be used to select the most appropriate drug and dosage for patients treated for psychiatric diseases. Specific financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

In the U.S., schizophrenia affects more than 2 million people each year, and more than 20 million people suffer from depression. Although many therapeutic options are.
..read the wave

Birmingham Makes Big Strides in Tiny Science: University Launches Nanotechnology Network

A pioneering team of scientists at the University of Birmingham joined forces on Monday 21 March to help further develop the new industrial revolution of nanotechnology - with the support of one of the world's leading chemists.

The Collaborative Research Network in Nanotechnology (CRNNT) is an elite group of scientists from across the university and external partners who are working in partnership to research and develop the commercial exploitation of nanotechnology - the "dwarf" technology where objects are measured not in millimetres or even microns, but nanometres - one thousand millionth of a metre. This cutting-edge science has the potential to make a huge impact on a range of industries, including medicine and food.

The launch, which was open to everyone, featured the inaugural lecture of the CRNNT, given by the eminent chemist, Professor J Fraser Stoddart, FRS from UCLA, entitled: 'Nano Toys and Nano Art: How Fun and Beauty Inspire Creativity' . The lecture also focused on the design and fabrication of nanomachines and nanodevices.
..read the wave

Spintronic Materials Show Their First Move

Physicists trace the "hopping" of single electrons in magnetic materials

LOS ANGELES, CA -- How much energy does it take for an electron to hop from atom to atom, and how do the magnetic properties of the material influence the rate or ease of hopping? Answers to those questions could help explain why some materials, like those used in a computer hard drive, become conductors only in a magnetic field while they are very strong insulators otherwise. They might also help scientists learn how to use the electron's "spin" (a property analogous to the spinning of a child's toy top), as well as its charge, to carry information in a new field known as spintronics.

Stéphane Grenier, a postdoctoral fellow studying electronic excitations, or "electron hopping," at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, will describe the techniques he uses and the properties of these materials at the March 2005 meeting of the American Physical Society in Los Angeles, California. His talk took place on Monday, March 21, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
..read the wave

Increasing Charge Mobility in Single Molecular Organic Crystals

Studies may help identify best materials for variety of future electronics applications

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Flexible displays that can be folded up in your pocket? More accurate biological and chemical sensors? Biocompatible electronics? In research that may help determine the best materials for a wide range of future electronics applications, a scientist from the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory will report on the intrinsic electronic properties of molecular organic crystals at the March 2005 meeting of the American Physical Society.

Brookhaven materials scientist Vladimir Butko described the experimental techniques and key findings on Monday, March 21, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Organic materials are particularly attractive for potential applications such as flexible displays, or so-called "electronic paper," because they are inherently flexible. "Imagine a computer screen that you could crumple or fold like a sheet of plastic film,"
...read the wave

Carnegie Mellon scientists develop tool that uses MRI to visualize gene expression in living animals

PITTSBURGH--In a first, Carnegie Mellon University scientists have "programmed" cells to make their own contrast agents, enabling unprecedented high-resolution, deep-tissue imaging of gene expression. The results, appearing in the April issue of Nature Medicine, hold considerable promise for conducting preclinical studies in the emerging field of molecular therapeutics and for monitoring the delivery of therapeutic genes in patients.

"For 20 years it has been the chemist's job to develop agents that can be used to enhance MRI contrast," said Eric Ahrens, assistant professor of biological sciences in the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon. "Now, with our approach, we have put this job into the hands of the molecular biologist. Using off-the-shelf molecular biology tools we can now enable living cells to change their MRI contrast via genetic instructions." ...read the wave

Researchers pursue blast-resistant steel using new tomograph

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Materials scientists and engineers at Northwestern University are developing a new "high-security" steel that would be resistant to bomb blasts such as the one that struck -- and nearly sank -- the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000. The researchers now have a state-of-the-art instrument that enables them to get a precise look at steel's composition on the nanoscale: a $2 million atom-probe tomograph that is only the fourth of its kind in the world.

Using the new Local-Electrode Atom-Probe (LEAP®) tomograph, researchers studying steel and other materials can -- at amazing speed -- pluck atoms off a material's surface one at a time, layer by layer over tens of thousands of layers, to better understand the entire nanostructure and chemical composition of the material, which is key to designing new materials effectively and efficiently.

The technology is similar to that used...read the wave

Quantum Dot Corporation Launches the Mosaic™

Gene Expression Assay System: a Unique Combination of Quality Controls, Performance and Throughput for Multiplexed mRNA Quantification

Hayward, CA | Quantum Dot Corporation announces launch of the Mosaic Gene Expression Assay System. For the first time, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and functional genomics researchers can measure quantitative expression of 100 user-specified mRNAs simultaneously from small amounts of input sample.

“The combination of quality controls in every assay, exceptional performance, throughput and project cost savings brings tremendous benefit to researchers and a better way to implement gene expression analysis for discovery, compound screening and lead validation,” cites Senior Marketing Manager, Stephen Chamberlain, Ph.D...read the wave

Background: Particulates - Ever tinier particles are coming under the researchers’ microscopes

Our senses are not attuned to this danger. You can’t smell them, you can’t taste them and particulates are not visible to the naked eye. They are tiny, with a diameter not even a tenth of that of a hair. Yet they have a major impact.

The particles penetrate into the body through the lungs and can cause respiratory diseases and also diseases of the cardiovascular system. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that even 10 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic metre of air are sufficient to cause a reduction in life expectancy of six months.

“Particulates are now among the greatest threats to health in urban areas”, states Dr Martin Lanzendorf of the UFZ Centre for Environmental Research (Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle) of the importance of the research. According to a recent study by the European Commission, 65,000 deaths per year in Germany are due to cardiovascular diseases which are caused or at least intensified by air pollution...read the wave

Harnessing microbes, one by one, to build a better nanoworld

SAN DIEGO - Taking a new approach to the painstaking assembly of nanometer-sized machines, a team of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has successfully used single bacterial cells to make tiny bio-electronic circuits.

The work is important because it has the potential to make building the atomic-scale machines of the nanotechnologist far easier. It also may be the basis for a new class of biological sensors capable of near-instantaneous detection of dangerous biological agents such as anthrax.

The approach, was reported March 17, 2005 at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, suggests that microbes can serve as forms for complicated nanoscale structures, perhaps obviating, in part, the need for the tedious and time-consuming construction of devices at the smallest scale.

The work is also scheduled to appear in the April issue of the journal Nano Letters.

"One of the great challenges of nanotechnology remains the assembly of.
..read the wave

Tiny porphyrin tubes developed by Sandia may lead to new nanodevices

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sunlight splitting water molecules to produce hydrogen using devices too small to be seen in a standard microscope. That’s a goal of a research team from the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia National Laboratories. The research has captured the interest of chemists around the world pursuing methods of producing hydrogen from water.

“The broad objective of the research is to design and fabricate new types of nanoscale devices,” says John Shelnutt, Sandia research team leader. “This investigation is exciting because it promises to provide fundamental scientific breakthroughs in chemical synthesis, self-assembly, electron and energy transfer processes, and photocatalysis. Controlling these processes is necessary to build nanodevices for efficient water splitting, potentially enabling a solar hydrogen-based economy.”

The prospect of using sunlight to split water at the nanoscale grew out of.
..read the wave

| Atomic and molecular scale design of solid catalystl| by Makoto MISONO |

Nano-Probes Allow an Inside Look at Cell Nuclei

BERKELEY, CA – Nanotechnology may be in its infancy, but biologists may soon use it to watch the inner workings of a living cell like never before. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a way to sneak nano-sized probes inside cell nuclei where they can track life’s fundamental processes, such as DNA repair, for hours on end.

“Our work represents the first time a biologist can image long-term phenomena within the nuclei of living cells,” says Fanqing Chen of Berkeley Lab’s Life Sciences Division, who developed the technique with Daniele Gerion of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Their success lies in specially prepared crystalline semiconductors composed of a few hundred or thousand atoms that emit different colors of light when illuminated by a laser. Because these fluorescent probes are...read the wave

Raymor Receives a Contract from Turbomeca (SNECMA Group –Aerospace Sector) and Becomes an Approved Supplier

(Montreal, Quebec) - Raymor Industries is proud to announce that its wholly-owned, industrial subsidiary, AP&C Advanced Powders and Coatings Inc. (AP&C) has received a contract from Turbomeca, a SNECMA Group aerospace company, to provide metallic coating services for helicopter turbine engine components. AP&C won the contract after having undergone an approval process for its anti-wear metallic coating production unit and its quality management system. As a result, AP&C becomes an approved supplier for Turbomeca, a division of the large aerospace company, SNECMA Group.

“This contract with Turbomeca is very important, because it represents for our company a source of recurring revenue for products & services of high added value and a breakthrough in the aeronautical sector,” highlights Mr. Stéphane Robert, President of Raymor Industries...read the wave

Norwegian Fund for Research and Innovation to be increased to NOK 50 billion

" ....Measures designed to boost innovation, both in the public and private sector. If industry is to achieve its part of an ambitious stepping-up of research investments, public funding of research must be such that it triggers increased efforts on the part of industry. Research and renewal of the public sector will be strengthened by, among other things, increased levels of research in a changing Europe, welfare, law and democracy and migration and integration.

In addition to these general areas of priority, the Government will focus especially on: energy and the environment, health, oceans and food, and on three areas of technology – materials and nanotechnology, biotechnology and information and communication technology. These areas of priority largely represent continuation of current priorities in Norwegian research "...read the wave

Sleeping with Nano...Simple-Pedic Repels Spills Reducing Stains

PRLEAP.COM --- DENVER, CO, – Simple-Pedic™, Best Made Mattress Company’s luxury and custom brand, have announced that all its Simple-Pedic mattresses will use the revolutionary fabric protection NANO-PEL™ to repel spills.

High-tech NANO-PEL fabric protection is now available on mattress fabric made by Burlington House Mattress Fabrics, a unit of Burlington Industries. This revolutionary fabric protection system allows fabrics to repel liquids and resist stains without sacrificing breath ability, appearance, comfort and durability.

Unlike previous stain protection processes that add chemical coatings and treatments to fabrics, NANO-PEL manipulates fibers at the molecular level. Tiny “nano-whiskers” attach to the individual fibers of the fabric. These microscopic whiskers act as fingers, lifting liquids and keeping them from penetrating into the fabrics...read the wave

Altair Nanotechnologies Titania Nano-Material Coatings Demonstrate Superior Strength

Significant Performance and Cost Improvement Implications for Applications Having Severe Durability or Corrosion-Resistance Requirements

RENO, NV -- (MARKET WIRE) Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTI) have announced that two papers have recently been published that illustrate the improved durability of Altair's titanium dioxide nanoparticles, when used as coatings on titanium metal or other high performance metal alloys.

In testing conducted by Dr. R. S. Lima and Dr. B. R. Marple at the National Research Council of Canada, it was demonstrated that Altair's nano-structured particles deliver superior strength and durability, compared to traditional materials, when used as a coating on surfaces. Altair nanosized titanium dioxide materials act as crack arresters, enhancing toughness which is a critical factor in coatings applied to materials used in harsh environments. Coating strength increased significantly as the porosity of the Altair material was 2.5 times less than that of conventionally applied traditional materials. Lima and Marple also demonstrated that the coatings can be applied with a lower cost process, high velocity oxy-fuel, versus the traditional method of air plasma spray, which may provide a significant cost improvement for these tough, high strength coatings...read the wave

Philips develops a non-volatile nano-electronic memory technology

Philips Research team publishes details of a non-volatile memory that scales in size and performance in line with deep sub-micron silicon chip technology

Eindhoven, The Netherlands – In the April issue of Nature Materials, scientists at Philips Research will publish details of an innovative phase-change memory that promises to match the speed, density, low voltage and low power consumption requirements of future deep sub-micron silicon chips. Unlike existing non-volatile memory technologies such as Flash memory, the performance of this new memory improves in virtually every respect the smaller you make it.

Phase-change materials, which change their physical properties depending on whether they are in their amorphous or crystalline phase, are widely used in optical storage media such as DVD Recordable and Rewritable discs. In these discs it is the reflectivity of the material that changes, with a laser being used both to heat the material to the required temperature in order to switch it between its amorphous and crystalline phases and to detect the resultant change in its reflectivity...read the wave

Engineers study whether `light on a wire` is wave of future for circuitry

If data drove itself around in cars, photonics would be a roomy minivan and electronics would be a nimble coupe. Photonic components such as fiber optic cables can carry a lot of data but are bulky compared to electronic circuits. Electronic components such as wires and transistors carry less data but can be incredibly small.

A problem holding back the progress of computing is that with mismatched capacities and sizes, the two technologies are hard to combine in a circuit. Researchers can cobble them together, but a single technology that has the capacity of photonics and the smallness of electronics would be the best bridge of all. A new research group in Stanford`s School of Engineering is pioneering just such a technology-plasmonics.

Surface plasmons are density waves of electrons-picture bunches of electrons passing a point regularly-along the surface of a metal. Plasmons have the...read the wave

2004 report from the National Centre on Nanotechnology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

The reports underline the participation of work teams from a number of BAS’s institutes – Institute of Space Research, Institute of Material Science, Inst. Mechanic and Biomechanic, Inst. Electrochemistry and Energy Systems, Inst. Solid State Phys, and from Sofia University and Univ. Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, into Network of Excellence, Integrated Projects, Specific Supported Actions, Coordinated Action – all of them included in 6FP and in its Third Priority – NMP. The creation of a Centre of Excellence on this subject in the Institute of Physical Chemistry is particularly satisfying

The coordination of the institutions activities for the education of young researchers, competent in the nanotechnology sphere, comprises the main part of the activities of NCNT. The Centre actively assisted in...read the wave

Researchers study how to make nanomaterial industry environmentally sustainable

Research into making the emerging nanomaterial industry environmentally sustainable is showing promise in a preliminary engineering study conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Rice University.

Under the auspices of the Rice University Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), researchers have been investigating the potential environmental impact of nanomaterial waste. Specifically, they want to know if they can predict the fate and transport of nanomaterial waste in natural systems, and whether nanomaterials will behave the same as common environmental pollutants. In addition, they want to determine if nanomaterials can be treated before they enter the environment to minimize impact.

Previous research provided information on how structures such as fullerenes clump together in water to form larger particles. This study is the first to show what factors affect the size of these aggregate particle...read the wave

U.S. Could Lose Race for Nanotechnology Leadership

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 16, 2005--The coming transition to nano-scale semiconductor devices means that leadership in information technology is up for grabs, warned the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).

At a news conference in Washington, D.C., today chief executives of U.S. semiconductor makers and a leading economist stressed the importance of continued progress and leadership in semiconductor technology. The industry is observing the 40th anniversary of Moore's Law -- an observation made in 1965 by industry pioneer Gordon Moore that the number of components on a computer chip was doubling approximately every 12 months with a commensurate reduction in costs. Following the vision of Moore's Law, the U.S. semiconductor industry has led the worldwide industry, contributing key innovations that have helped drive America's economic growth...read the wave

Introgen's Nanoparticle Formulation of Mda-7/IL-24 Shows Promise in Preclinical Models of Lung Cancer

AUSTIN, TX, (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Data published in a recent issue of DNA and Cell Biology by researchers at Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: INGN) and colleagues at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center highlight the potential utility of combining Introgen's nanoparticle delivery system with the mda-7 gene for the treatment of lung cancer. The data reported in the publication are the first to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of delivering the mda-7 gene using the nanoparticle technology.

The delivery system is a component of INGN 401, now in Phase 1 trials for the treatment of lung cancer, and the mda-7 gene is the active component of INGN 241, now in Phase 2 trials for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. A phase 1 clinical study of INGN 241 in various solid tumors has been completed and demonstrated the ability to induce partial or complete regression of injected tumors...read the wave

Cyclics and PolymersNet to Pursue Korean Compounding Market

SCHWARZHEIDE, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-PolymersNet Co. LTD and Cyclics Corporation are forming an alliance to sell CBT(R) resin-based compounds and masterbatch concentrate products in Korea. PolymersNet (www.polymersnet.com) sees immediate potential for CBT resin in digital products, mobile phones and sheet extrusion. For instance, Korea produces more mobile phones than any other country and the fast pace of product obsolescence pushes the boundaries of material technology each year. CBT resin may be able to satisfy that need acting as a flow enhancer to make more intricate parts, the matrix in highly filled conductive plastics, or improved stiffness and dimensional stability afforded with CBT-based nano-composites.

Cyclics CBT resins are a cyclic or small ring-shaped molecular form of...read the wave

'Few-walled' carbon nanotubes said cheap and efficient option for certain applications

SAN DIEGO -- North Carolina scientists have found that "thinnest" is not necessarily "best" in rating structure and function of carbon nanotubes, the molecule-sized cylinders that show promise for futuristic technology scaled at a billionths of a meter

During an American Chemical Society national meeting, researchers at Duke University and Xintek, Inc. of Research Triangle Park, N.C., will report on the synthesis and testing of a new class of nanotubes made up of two to five layers of carbon atoms. The scientists find these "few-walled" carbon nanotubes are structurally nearly as perfect as one carbon atom thick "single-walled" carbon nanotubes, while being cheaper to make than their single-walled cousins, said Duke assistant chemistry professor Jie Liu Liu and his colleagues discovered how to create the tubes within heated streams of alcohol and hydrogen...read the wave

Cyclics Sees Sizeable Growth in Nano Technology

Cyclics' Plastic Supports Nano-composite Materials

SCHWARZHEIDE, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The properties of Cyclics CBT® resin have been taken to a higher level of performance through the use of nano-scale additives. The addition of nano-scale clays to CBT resin results in a stable nano-composite structure that produces a system with higher thermal stability, strength, stiffness, dimensional stability and barrier to solvent and gas penetration. CBT resin is uniquely effective in creating nano-materials because it allows the tiny nano-sized particles to easily disperse in the molten CBT resin and remain evenly distributed throughout the resin as it re-solidifies. The resulting parts made from this system benefit from a combination of properties not previously possible with traditional engineering thermoplastics...read the wave

Moving Electrons at the Molecular and Nanometer Scales

Possible applications for solar cells and other small-scale circuits

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Learning how to control the movement of electrons on the molecular and nanometer scales could help scientists devise small-scale circuits for a wide variety of applications, including more efficient ways of storing and using solar energy. Marshall Newton, a theoretical chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, presented at talk at the 229th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society highlighting the theoretical techniques used to understand the factors affecting electron movement. The talk take place on Monday, March 14, at 10 a.m. in Room 8 of the San Diego Convention Center.

“Electron donor/acceptor interactions govern a huge number of microscopic processes that everything and everybody is dependent upon,” says Newton, “from the movement of electrons in electronic devices to the separation of charges necessary for life processes such as nerve cell communication and photosynthesis.” ...read the wave

PURDUE FINDING COULD HELP DEVELOP CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Chemical engineers at Purdue University have made a discovery that may help to improve a promising low-polluting energy technology that combusts natural gas more cleanly than conventional methods.

The finding revolves around the fact that catalysts and other materials vital to industry have complex crystalline structures with numerous sides, or facets. Different facets sometimes provide higher performance than others, so industry tries to prepare catalytic materials that contain a large number of higher-performing facets.

The Purdue researchers have determined, however, that the precious metal palladium, the catalyst used in the clean energy technology - called catalytic combustion - performs the same no matter which facet is exposed.

"Palladium is the best metal for the catalytic combustion of methane, which is contained in natural gas," said Fabio Ribeiro, an associate professor of chemical engineering at Purdue. "There is no other element in the periodic table you can use that's better than palladium for this reaction."...read the wave

Could injections someday be a thing of the past?

Santa Barbara, Calif. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (http://www.pnas.org/), a group of researchers led by Samir Mitragotri, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, reports the identification of fundamental mechanisms that may facilitate the design of safer and more efficacious topical drug delivery systems.

Certain molecules, called chemical penetration enhancers (CPEs) help drugs absorb through the skin. After analyzing more than 100 different CPEs to better understand how they manage to increase skin permeability, the researchers engineered more than 300 new CPEs. The design of the new CPEs was based on the researchers' understanding of the molecular forces that are associated with CPE safety and potency. They then screened the new CPEs, first using computer technology and then testing the most promising ones in the laboratory environment. The molecules identified broaden the number of CPEs that can be used in the design of transdermal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products...read the wave

Ceria nanoparticles catalyze reactions for cleaner-fuel future

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Experiments on ceria (cerium oxide) nanoparticles carried out at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory may lead to catalytic converters that are better at cleaning up auto exhaust, and/or to more-efficient ways of generating hydrogen -- a promising zero-emission fuel for the future. Brookhaven chemist Jose Rodriguez presented results from two studies exploring the composition, structure, and reactivity of these versatile nanoparticles during the 229th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society on Tuesday, March 15.

After using a novel technique to synthesize the ceria nanoparticles, Rodriguez and coworkers Xianqin Wang and Jonathan Hanson used bright beams of x-rays at the National Synchrotron Light Source to study how their composition, structure, and reactivity changed in response to doping with zirconium in one case, and impregnation with gold in another...read the wave

Pioneers Collaborate on Radical New Coatings for the Automotive, Metal, Plastics and Electronics Industries

AKRON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a move that will incorporate new nanotechnologies into staid manufacturing methods, three leading companies in the field of nanomaterial development and commercialization are collaborating to deliver polymer nanocomposite coatings, which will combine the benefits of organic polymers and advanced inorganic materials to improve material performance while driving manufacturing efficiencies. Ecology Coatings, Inc., a provider of nano-engineered, UV-curable coatings, NanoDynamics, a leading manufacturer of superior nanomaterials and its subsidiary, MetaMateria Partners, a developer of nanomaterial synthesis technology, announced today that they are partnering to develop a new breed of multi-functional coatings.

Designed to exhibit a new set of protective and aesthetic characteristics, the product of this collaboration will consist of a hybrid of...read the wave

Downsizing Science Offers Huge Potential For NHS

Nanotechnology holds the potential to transform healthcare over the next few years. From a robot the size of a blood cell, swimming around in a patient’s bloodstream, detecting biochemical parameters such as blood sugar, so that the treatments used to control abnormal levels can be carefully monitored and adapted for the individual. To toothbrushes with built-in sensors to detect abnormalities in saliva, alerting users to get themselves checked out.

It may sound like science fiction, but the ability to work at the atomic level to change the physical properties of materials to create new structures – nanotechnology – is becoming the new science of healthcare.

The Nanoscience Centre at Cambridge University is one of only a few in Europe investigating...read the wave

UK government calls for more public debate on science

CORDIS RTD-NEWS---The UK Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt has called for greater public engagement and dialogue on science to help retain the UK's attractiveness in this field. Her statement comes after a new survey has shown that only 40 per cent of UK adults consider themselves well-informed about science.

The survey 'Science in Society', carried out by MORI, also revealed that although eight out of ten people believe that science makes a valuable contribution to society, seven out of ten adults think that the media sensationalises science issues.

'The UK has an excellent history of scientific achievement but with only four in ten people feeling informed about science and eight out of ten supportive of public consultation, now is the time for greater engagement and dialogue,' stated Ms Hewitt. 'And the public is keen for consultation to be followed by action on the outcomes' she added...read the wave

CAS science spotlight identifies most requested article

SAN DIEGO, CA, March 14, 2005 - A nanotechnology-related paper published in the journal CHIRALITY in 2002 was the scientific article most requested by users of CAS electronic services during 2004, according to CAS's Science Spotlight web service. Three co-authors of the paper--Prof. Stefan Matile, Dr. Naomi Sakai, both from the University of Geneva, Switzerland and Dr. Gopal Das, currently affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati--were honored by CAS at a special ceremony on March 14, during the American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Diego, California.

Identified as the most requested article was "Toward Catalytic Rigid-rod ß-barrels: a Hexamer with Multiple Histidines." Research described in the article focuses on the...read the wave

Asian Countries Gain Prominence in Science and Technology

Newswise — The global landscape for science and technology is changing, with increased competition for resources and recognition. That’s beginning to look like bad news for the innovative edge the United States has long enjoyed.

“Will the United States own the technology of the future? Probably not all of it, and only if we compete harder to maintain our current position,” said Diana Hicks, professor and chair of Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Public Policy.

Many foreign governments have been strengthening their educational and research programs, she explained. As a result, the gap is closing between the United States and its overseas competitors, with Asian countries – China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and India -- showing particular gains.

Hicks will discuss trends in Asian research and development and their impact on U.S...read the wave.

India world leader in nano-technology in 5 yrs

COIMBATORE (PTI): With bio-info-nano technologies expected to be the base for the future development, India is making efforts to come out with devices using nano-technology, including health and industrial applications, a senior scientist in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said last week.

India, for that matter, DRDO, which has realised carbon nano tube, has drawn up an action plan and making efforts to develop various applications, under the guidance of President, A. P.J. Abdul Kalam, DRDO chief controller (R and D) Dr.A. Sivathanu Pillai told reporters here.

Thirtytwo specialised institutions across the country were being involved in the research in the field, he said adding DRDO was working out on the investment requirement to enter into device making in a big way, by which India would become one of the leaders in the field within five years...read the wave

KEY NEW PATENTS ALLOWED IN PRINTABLE OLED DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) [Nasdaq: OLED] has had a number of key, new patents allowed in the United States, Europe and Canada, further expanding its extensive portfolio of intellectual property (IP) in the field of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) used for display and lighting applications.

Among the patents now allowed in the US is a patent relating to OLEDs which comprise hole transport, electron transport and emissive components, using type II interfaces, contained in the same molecule. This is believed to be of considerable importance in the context of the printing of OLED devices. Molecules containing ‘type II’ interfaces are believed to be important in achieving high efficiency display devices...read the wave

Beyond Silicon: HP Outlines Comprehensive Strategy for Molecular-scale Electronics

HP Research Featured in Key Technical Publication; International Nanotechnology Symposium Scheduled at HP Labs

For the first time, HP (NYSE:HPQ) (Nasdaq:HPQ) has laid out in one place a comprehensive, practical strategy for a computing future beyond traditional silicon technology.

The vision -- and the challenges -- are captured in nearly two dozen papers published today in a special nanotechnology edition of Applied Physics A, the premier European journal of applied physics.

"We believe we have a practical, comprehensive strategy for moving computing beyond silicon to the world of molecular-scale electronics," said Stan Williams, HP Senior Fellow and director, Quantum Science Research (QSR), HP Labs. "We have a three-pronged approach: fundamental scientific research into the quantum effects that dominate the nanometer scale, a new architecture that can tolerate defects in molecular-sized circuit components and cost-effective methods of fabrication."
...read the wave

More investment needed in research, modern technologies

DR Arnoldo Ventura, chief advisor to the prime minister on science and technology, is again urging regional governments to invest more in research and to look to science and technology to solve their developmental problems.

"The production and employment of modern technologies offer opportunities to solve many extant problems that face societies like our own," said Ventura at the first biennial symposium on Science and Technology in Barbados on Tuesday.

Ventura, who spoke on the topic 'The Knowledge Economy: An opportunity to defeat underdevelopment', implored governments to invest in...read the wave

In solution, tiny magnetic wires scatter light

SAN DIEGO - Maneuvering external magnets, scientists can command the direction in which light bounces off tiny, magnetic wires that sway like matchsticks in thick, slow-moving solutions.

Announcing her finding here today (March 13) at the 229th meeting of the American Chemical Society, University of Wisconsin-Madison materials chemist Anne Bentley described how suspended nickel wires - each 200 times thinner than a human hair - could one day serve as magneto-optical switches. The switches could aid in fields such as photonics, where light, rather than electricity, relays information.

"In a broader sense, it is also helpful to study how these wires behave in.
..read the wave

Researchers Develop Clear Picture Of 'Birth' Of Semiconductor Nanostructures

Fayetteville, Ark. -- University of Arkansas researchers have witnessed the birth of a quantum dot and learned more about how such atomic islands form and grow, using the ultrahigh vacuum facility on campus. This information will help researchers better understand and use materials that could lead to small, efficient and powerful computers, communication devices and scientific instruments.

Seongho Cho, Zhiming Wang, and Gregory Salamo report their findings in the upcoming issue of the journal Applied Physics Letters.

"We have changed the way people have to think about how nanostructures grow on a surface," said Salamo, University Professor of physics. "People had a different idea of how these islands formed, but until now there was not direct evidence."...read the wave

| Birth of surface emitting laserl| by Kenichi IGA |

In the mid 70's, when it was shown that transmission loss in optical fibers could be reduced by the use of near infrared light with a wavelength of longer than 1.3 mm, research involving the development of a long-wavelength laser which was suitable for optical transmission began worldwide."

Nanoparticle Breast Cancer Drug O.K.D by Food and Drug Administration

CHICAGO --- Research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine played a significant role in Food and Drug Administration approval of AbraxaneTM (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension), indicated for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

“The approval means that women with metastatic breast cancer no longer need to endure the toxicities associated with solvents and will no longer need steroid premedication when they receive this albumin-bound form of paclitaxel,” said principal clinical study investigator William J. Gradishar, M.D., associate professor of medicine, division of hematology/oncology at Feinberg and co-director, Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital...read the wave

Collaboration on New Microfine Titanium dioxide

BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Germany has agreed to collaborate with Sakai Chemical Industry Company, Japan on new microfine titanium dioxide grades. According to the agreement BASF, the world leading company in UV filters for cosmetic applications, is expanding its UV filter product portfolio to include a range of new inorganic titanium dioxide grades manufactured by Sakai. These innovative products will be marketed under the tradename T-Lite™ by BASF. Under the new agreement Sakai will be producing microfine titanium dioxide for BASF, who will exclusively market these products globally with the exception of Japan.

“Sakai’s capabilities in advanced nanotechnology and powder modification enables...read the wave

UMR researcher receives $400,000 from National Science Foundation

Dr. Jee-Ching Wang, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla, recently received a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to support his work on modeling nanoparticle self-assembly.

The CAREER Award is NSF’s most prestigious award given to assistant professors in tenure-track positions. The CAREER program recognizes and supports the early career development activities of those teachers and scholars who are to become the academic leaders of the 21st century.

Wang will receive $400,000 from the NSF over the course of five years to investigate at the atomic scale how nanoparticles self-assemble. The project, “Molecular-Based Engineering of Nanoparticle Self-Assembly,” involves using...read the wave

NANOSCIENCE SOLUTIONS FOR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES ADVOCATED

Report from Rice University notes potential cost and environmental benefits

Breakthroughs in nanotechnology could open up the possibility of moving beyond the United States' current alternatives for energy supply by introducing technologies that are more efficient, inexpensive and environmentally sound, according to a new science policy study by Rice University.

The report, based on input from 50 leading U.S. scientists who gathered at Rice in May 2003, found that key contributions can be made in energy security and supply through fundamental research on nanoscience solutions to energy technologies. The group of experts concluded that a major nanoscience and energy research program should be aimed at long-term breakthrough possibilities in cleaner sources of energy, particularly solar energy, while providing vital science backup to current technologies in the short term, including technologies for storing and transmitting electricity...read the wave

Raymor Industries Begins Commercial Production of
Nano-Sized and Micron-Sized Titanium Powder for the Biomedical and Aerospace Markets

MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Raymor Industries (TSX VENTURE:RAR - News) is proud to announce that its wholly-owned, industrial subsidiary, AP&C Advanced Powders and Coatings Inc. (AP&C) will begin commercial production of nano-sized and micron-sized titanium powders, in order to meet immediate demands for this high value-added product with specific companies in the biomedical and aerospace sectors. AP&C is currently negotiating with a major US enterprise involved in the production and commercialization of biomedical products. This company is considering the commercialization of a new generation of innovative orthopedic implants produced using AP&C titanium powders. This US company had received approval from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for these productS manufactured using AP&C powders, which are produced using a patented process. Commercial applications for these implants can include hip and knee replacements, as well as other orthopedic implants...read the wave

Joint Implants Can Weaken With Time

MONDAY, (HealthDay News) -- Tiny particles released by the wear-and-tear of titanium joint implants can weaken the bonding of knee and hip replacements, researchers report.

In tests with rats, University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and Jacobs School of Engineering researchers concluded that titanium implants are safe in large blocks, but wear-and-tear can cause the implants to release micrometer-sized particles.

"As replacement joints are becoming increasingly...read the wave

How Media’s Representation of 'Nanotechnology" Is Shaping Public's Opinion

Newswise — In recent years the term “nanotechnology” has appeared with dramatically increased frequency in newspapers and news magazines. From January 1, 1998, to January 1, 2003, use of the term in print media increased by more that 400 percent.

“With potential nanotechnology applications across a broad spectrum ranging from disease treatment to computer memory, to environmental pollution control, public awareness of the field is clearly growing fast,” says Brenton Faber, associate professor of Communication & Media at Clarkson University. “But little research has tracked, categorized or sought to understand how nanoscale science and technology is represented in written media.”...read the wave

Arrowhead Announces Expansion of Nanotech Intellectual Property Portfolio

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arrowhead Research Corporation (NASDAQ:ARWR) (NASDAQ:ARWRW) have announced that it has exclusively licensed new technology in dip pen nanolithography (DPN) from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). In addition, Arrowhead acquired a 12-month option to exclusively license additional patent applications from Caltech covering nanotube-based scanning probes, lipid membrane fabrication, nanotube-based memory devices, and nanotube strain sensors, which technology could potentially be used as mechanically tunable light emitting diodes (LEDs). During the option period, the Company expects to craft commercialization plans for these technologies.

"It's great to see our strategy of funding research in exchange for rights to intellectual property come full circle," said R. Bruce Stewart, President of Arrowhead. "Arrowhead and its subsidiaries now own or have licensed over...read the wave

Do-Coop Technologies Announces Breakthrough New Product

New Product Introduction: Neowater(TM) - Ligation Enhancer

Neowater(TM) - Ligation Enhancer has been especially formulated to enhance DNA-ligation processes in an incremental, non-disruptive yet highly effective way. Neowater(TM)- Ligation Enhancer can dramatically improve DNA-ligation, making ligation faster, easier and with better yields.

In addition, Neowater(TM) - Ligation Enhancer allows for the reduction of buffer concentration (and hence the reduction of the system's noise) therefore it allows the user to proceed to DNA-ligation if desired straightforwardly from the PCR step, skipping the traditional, but now no longer necessary step of PCR-purification (cleaning) following the PCR amplification step...read the wave