Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have devised a method to create a new, intriguing nanostructure: ultra-thin, ribbon-like "nanobelts" bound to nanotubes. Their research achieves several "firsts" in the field of nanoscience, the study of materials on the scale of a billionth of a meter. Additionally, the new structure, described in the June 4, 2005, online version of Nano Letters, is likely to have unique electrical and mechanical properties, and may be useful in many developing nanotechnologies.

"We have produced nanobelts that have controllable thicknesses of about two to five nanometers. It is significant work, since the controllability, the thinness, and the methods we used are all new achievements," said Brookhaven materials scientist Wei-Qiang Han, the study's lead researcher. "But, we are most excited about creating a brand-new type of nanostructure." ...read the wave

Berkeley -- University of California, Berkeley, researchers have invented a variation on the standard electronic transistor, creating the first "nanofluidic" transistor that allows them to control the movement of ions through sub-microscopic, water-filled channels.

The researchers - a chemist and a mechanical engineer - predict that, just as the electronic transistor became the main component of microprocessors and integrated circuits, so will nanofluidic transistors anchor molecular processors, allowing microscopic chemical plants on a chip that operate without moving parts. No valves to get stuck, no pumps to blow, no mixers to get clogged.

"A transistor is like a valve, but you use electricity to open or close it," explained Arun Majumdar, professor of mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley. "Here, we use a voltage to open or close an ion channel. Now that we've shown you can make this building block, we can hook it up to an electronic chip to control the fluidics....read the wave

Berkeley -- University of California, Berkeley, researchers have invented a variation on Troy, N.Y. — Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a line of brushes whose bristles, made from carbon nanotubes, are so small that a thousand of them could fit inside a strand of hair.

The carbon nanotube brushes already have been tested in a variety of tasks that range from cleaning microscopic surfaces to serving as electrical contacts. The brushes eventually could be used in a whole host of electronic, biomedical, and environmental applications, says Pulickel Ajayan, the Henry Burlage Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer, who is heading the research.

The research, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, will be published in the July issue of the journal Nature Materials. Rensselaer postdoctoral associate Anyuan Cao, working with Ajayan, is the lead author of the paper.

The brushes look like microscopic toothbrushes, brooms, and paintbrushes, with handles the diameter of a human hair. Each brush is composed of millions of carbon nanotubes, each about 30 nanometers in diameter. The brushes have been tested manually and with rotating electric motors...read the wave

Tokyo (JCNN) - Yamagata Fujitsu, Fujitsu Laboratories, and the Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology have jointly succeeded in filling up anodic alumina nano-holes with cobalt, a magnetic metal.

The partners have developed a technology to linearly align alumina nano-holes by creating irregularities at intervals of 45nm on the aluminum surface in a linear fashion.

They have discovered that nano-holes are created in concaves and they are not created in convexities.

The joint research group has applied electroplating to fill the nano-holes with cobalt.

The technology will pave the way for developing an ultra-high-density recording medium capable of recording 1-bit of data in a magnetic nano-hole.

The partners are aiming to achieve a recording density of 1 Tbit per sq. inch. SOURCE: JCN Network

Physicists have a pretty good idea of what to expect when friction and adhesion occur in the visible world. You jam on the brakes, for instance, and your tires and the highway interact to stop your car. You glue two pieces of wood together, and they stick.

But how slippery or sticky are things that are too small to see? When solid surfaces no more than a thousand atoms across brush past each other, will they respond like the rubber and the road? Will they adhere like the wood and the glue?

The answer turns out to be "It depends," according to Johns Hopkins physicists who used computer modeling to examine how friction and adhesion operate on the atomic level.

"Any surface made of individual atoms has 'bumps' of atomic dimension, and being able to vary the placement of atoms [in the computer models] allowed us to quantify the influence of atomic structure," said Mark O. Robbins, a professor in the Henry A. Rowland Department of Physics and Astronomy in the university's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences...read the wave

Luminescent quantum dots of semiconducting materials could eventually help to identify tumors, illuminate large flat-panel monitors, or make optical data processing a reality. Quantum dots are nanoscopic crystals so small that their chemical properties are similar to those of individual molecules. Researchers at MIT have now developed a microfluidic technique that delivers tiny crystals of particularly uniform size - and thus excellent optical quality.

Cadmium selenide quantum dots are usually obtained by injection of precursor compounds into a hot solvent. Many factors, including local temperatures in the reaction vessel, concentration gradients, as well as the rates of mixing and the final cooling process, substantially influence the results, but are difficult to control. Relief is promised by...read the wave

Nanotechnology may hold the key to developing a viable hydrogen economy, according to Jin Zhang , professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Zhang will receive $535,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for his part in two research projects aimed at developing new technologies for the production and storage of hydrogen fuel using nanostructured materials.

Producing hydrogen from water using solar energy is the focus of one of the projects. Zhang is leading that effort and is also a coinvestigator on a second project to develop a method for highly efficient hydrogen storage. Both of the three-year projects rely on a novel approach to create nanostructured materials with special properties. Nanostructure refers to dimensions on the scale of billionths of a meter.

"The goal is to produce clean energy," Zhang said. "The idea of using solar energy and water as a source of hydrogen is very attractive, and we believe nanostructured materials can be used to do this efficiently." ...read the wave

Emeryville, CA --- June 28, 2005 --- Nanomix Incorporated, a company that is commercializing a line of nanoelectronic detection devices for industrial and biomedical applications, has announced the release of a second detection device based on the Sensation ™ technology platform. The Nanoelectronic Detection System (NDS) is a stand-alone hydrogen detector featuring ultra-low power usage and high specificity.

The NDS targets lab applications and point-of-use detection of hydrogen required in various industries. The device is designed to detect accidental accumulation of highly explosive hydrogen gas and alarm when hazardous levels have been reached. As with other products from Nanomix, the NDS consumes nanowatts of power, and is highly specific to practically eliminate false alarms...read the wave

NEWPORT, Wales, PRNewswire/ -- Surface Technology Systems plc (STS) (LSE: SRTS - News ), a leader in plasma process technologies for the growing MEMS and related markets, has announced the release of Pegasus, a new Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) system, optimised initially for silicon etch, that delivers significant improvements in etch process capability, stability and system reliability.

Pegasus is the continuation of STS' Advanced Silicon Etch (ASE®) technology. Through an in-depth understanding of the Bosch process and the required hardware, etch rates for silicon greater than 25µm per minute with excellent profile control and resist selectivity have been realised. The performance improvements that Pegasus brings have numerous benefits for end users. The increased etch rate and improved uniformity lead to higher throughput and device yield, meaning increased productivity...read the wave

NASA announced today (June 28) an agreement with Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., that gives NASA researchers access to Lehigh's cutting-edge nanotechnology and electron microscopy facilities.

The collaboration will help NASA develop technologies for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), future Mars rovers and spacecraft.

The unique facilities at Lehigh's Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology provide an excellent opportunity for NASA to expand its capabilities without the expense of building or acquiring facilities.

"It takes time and money to build labs like Lehigh's," said researcher Dr. Brian Jamieson of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Md. "We often work with universities, and agreements like this one let NASA benefit from their investment while giving something back to the school."...read the wave

Many people still do not appreciate how fast science and technology (S&T) will change over the next 25 years, and given this rapid development along several different fronts, the possibility of technology growing beyond human control must now be taken seriously, according to a new report.

The State of the Future 2005 report is produced by the United Nations University's Millennium Project - a global think tank of foresight experts, academics and policy makers. It analyses current global trends and examines in detail some of the current and future challenges facing the world.

Setting the scene, the report states: 'Future synergies among nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science can dramatically improve the human condition by increasing the availability of food, energy and water and by connecting people and information anywhere. The effect will be to increase collective intelligence and create value and efficiency while lowering costs.' ...read the wave

In an effort to keep Europe at the forefront of nanoelectronics, the European Commission is providing 24.17 million euro for a new project aimed at pushing the limits of semiconductor performance and density.

The NanoCMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semi-conductor) project represents an attempt to allow scaling (arrangement in a graduated series) to continue. It therefore strives to pioneer the necessary and revolutionary changes in materials, process modules, device architectures and interconnections, as well as the related characterisation, modelling and simulation work, necessary to go from a 45-nanometer CMOS node to a 32-nm one.

'NanoCMOS is a broad project focusing on the research and development (R&D) activities necessary to develop the 45-nm, 32-nm and more advanced CMOS manufacturing processes, with the exception of lithography,' explain the project partners, which include Europe's three leading commercial chipmakers: STMicroelectroics, Philips and Infineon, as well as research institutes and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)....read the wave

A Penn State College of Medicine study shows for the first time in an animal model that ceramide, a naturally occurring substance that prevents the growth of cells, can be administered through the blood stream to target and kill cancer cells.

"Ceramide is the substance that accumulates in cancer tissues and helps to kill cancer cells when patients undergo chemotherapy and radiation," said Mark Kester, professor of pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. "By boosting the amount of ceramide through an injection in the bloodstream, our study in mice suggests that we can provide a stronger cancer-killing therapy without additional side effects."

This study, titled "Systemic Delivery of Liposomal Short-Chain Ceramide Limits Solid Tumor Growth in Murine Models of Breast Adenocarcinoma," was published in the May issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Administering extra ceramide is not as easy as it seems. Injected directly into the bloodstream, ceramide is toxic. But Kester applied knowledge gained from previous laboratory studies in nanotechnology and encapsulated the ceramide in tiny bundles called liposomes..read the wave

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A new method for manipulating macromolecules has been developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The technique uses double-stranded DNA to direct the behavior of other molecules.

In previous DNA nanotechnology efforts, duplex DNA has been used as a static lattice to construct geometrical objects in three dimensions. Instead of manipulating DNA alone into such shapes, the researchers are using DNA to control the folding and resulting structure of RNA. Eventually, they envision building supramolecular machines whose inner workings are governed by twisted strands of DNA.

In a paper that has been accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, and posted on its Web site, Silverman and graduate student Chandrasekhar Miduturu begin with a piece of unfolded RNA. Through specific chemical reactions, they attach two strands of DNA, each resembling one side of a ladder. The two DNA strands spontaneously bind together, then the researchers add magnesium ions to initiate folding of the RNA...read the wave

New Brunswick/Piscataway, N.J.--- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , and NEI Corporation , a proven provider of nanoengineered materials, have established a cooperative research program in nanotechnology with an Indian government research and development center.

Under the two-year program, the organizations will explore ways to use nanosized particles -­ a thousandth the width of a human hair or less -­ to make metals harder, ceramics lighter and stronger, and protective coatings more wear-resistant. These and other nanoparticle-infused materials that the groups will study could be used in machine tools, fuel cells, electronic components, medical devices and automobile finishes.

The program will involve engineers and scientists from Rutgers' Center for Nanomaterials Research , the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials in Hyderabad, India, and the...read the wave

Originally published in July 2004, this report has been constantly updated to keep up with new developments in nanobiotechnology. The report is a one-stop up-to-date coverage of technologies and their application in life sciences research, molecular diagnostics, drug discovery and drug delivery. Finally, the role of nanotechnologies in the development of nanomedicine is described. The report contains a market analysis and estimates up to 2015 in various areas of applications. It contains profiles of 205 companies active in this area. A summary and detailed table of contents can be viewed at the following web site...read the wave

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered a tiny biological structure that is highly electrically conductive. This breakthrough helps describe how microorganisms can clean up groundwater and produce electricity from renewable resources. It may also have applications in the emerging field of nanotechnology, which develops advanced materials and devices in extremely small dimensions.

The findings of microbiologist Derek R. Lovley's research team are published in the June 23rd issue of Nature, an international science journal. Researchers found that the conductive structures, known as “microbial nanowires,” are produced by a novel microorganism known as Geobacter. The nanowires are incredibly fine, only 3-5 nanometers in width (20,000 times finer than a human hair), but quite durable and more than a thousand times long as they are wide...read the wave

Governor George E. Pataki has announced that NanoDynamics Inc. (www.NanoDynamics.com) — a leading nanotechnology company — will create 325 new jobs and invest $9.7 million to significantly expand its operations over the next five years in Buffalo, while retaining its current Buffalo workforce of 50 jobs.

" NanoDynamics ' decision to expand its presence in Buffalo and create 325 new, good-paying jobs is tremendous news for Buffalo 's working families and the Western New York economy," Governor Pataki said. "We worked closely with the company and local officials to help NanoDynamics expand and grow in Buffalo . We're proud that they chose Buffalo over other locations across the nation and that they decided there's no better place to do business than here in New York ."...read the wave

The Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences (M-NIMBS) at the University of Michigan is one of 43 institutions worldwide selected to receive a Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative grant for groundbreaking research to improve health in developing countries.

On June 27, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health announced $436 million in funding for 43 selected research projects.

The $6.3-million Grand Challenges grant to M-NIMBS will support development and testing of a nanoemulsion-based vaccine delivery system designed to deliver vaccines using a simple nasal swab, rather than an injection. The heat-stable, anti-microbial nanoemulsion could eliminate the need for vaccine refrigeration, which often is unavailable in developing countries. Following tests for safety and efficacy in mice and primates, a human clinical trial of the nanoemulsion with hepatitis B vaccine will be conducted in Africa...read the wave

ARGONNE, Ill. — Next-generation soldiers will wear vests with a battery to power the many high-tech devices that modern soldiers use in battle. Argonne – the nation's expert in lithium battery research – is developing the materials and cell chemistry for that battery.

Argonne's Chemical Engineering Division (CMT) researchers have the key to more robust lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries: new materials and improved cell chemistries. CMT has developed Li-ion technology for batteries small enough to be implanted in the human body and large enough to power hybrid electric cars.

Modern military personnel rely on non-rechargeable batteries to power communications, night vision goggles and global-positioning sensors used in training and on the battlefield. In an ongoing project for the U.S. Army Communications-Electronic Research & Engineering Center, Argonne is developing a new battery chemistry for research partner Quallion LLC 's battery pack for the Power Vest. The partners are developing a rechargeable, safe, low-cost, lightweight, high-energy density, Li-ion battery system for this application...read the wave

Lowell, Mass., and Fuerth, Germany - Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing and commercializing power plastics that convert light to energy, and LEONHARD KURZ GmbH & CO.KG, a leader in the research, development and manufacture of polymer electronic technology, have announced they have established a non-exclusive partnership in support of light-activated power plastic. The companies are engaged in a multi-year, multi-phase collaboration to accelerate the development of Konarka's organic photovoltaic technology. KURZ has committed significant capital, equipment and resources to the joint activities.

"As one of the world's largest markets, energy presents many interesting opportunities for us," said Walter Kurz, president, KURZ. "Combining Konarka's technology with our manufacturing expertise will help us take advantage of the growing demand for renewable energy solutions worldwide and particularly here in Germany, the largest domestic solar energy market in the world."

Howard Berke, chairman and chief executive officer, Konarka, said, "KURZ is a world leader in innovative printed materials, and this relationship enhances Konarka's ability to take its organic photovoltaic program beyond the laboratory and into development for manufacturing and production scale-up. With this partnership, we are...read the wave

A research team from the Public University of Navarra has started a study of the design and development of absorbent materials that enable the storage of hydrogen, a clean fuel that can be used as an alternative to those derived from fossil fuels, such as petrol and diesel. The storage of this element is, in fact, a key process in the change over from internal combustion engines – contaminating and not very efficient, to cars with hydrogen fuel cells.

The project, entitled, Development of materials for storage of hydrogen by means of physical adsorption.

At present, hydrogen production “is not a problem”. For some years now, hydrogen has been obtained by means of catalytic reforming or by the electrolysis of water. However, the question hanging over the use of hydrogen as a fuel is its generation or storage in the quantities required for a means of transport and without it being dangerous – as we are dealing with a highly inflammable gas. Under normal conditions hydrogen is in a gaseous state and thus has to be kept under high pressure or, if we wish to reduce the pressure, the storage temperature has to be lowered. These two circumstances give rise to technological difficulties, apart from the added safety ones...read the wave

Ottawa, Ontario --- The Honourable Roy Cullen, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Member of Parliament for Etobicoke North, on behalf of the Honourable David L. Emerson, Minister of Industry, has announced a $3.4 million investment in the development of new nano-technology-based coatings for the aerospace industry which will advance more environmentally sound technologies.

This Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC) investment is part of an $8.6 million research and development initiative being undertaken by Toronto-based Integran Technologies Inc. through the multinational Joint Strike Fighter program.

"This initiative is advancing a technology with the potential to deliver substantial economic and environmental benefits across a range of industries," said Minister Emerson.

"By encouraging innovation in Canada's industries, we are creating jobs, economic growth and ensuring a better quality of life for all Canadians." ...read the wave

Even though they don't shine, they're still worth their weight in gold: nanoscopic particles made of gold are used for a number of technical and scientific purposes. Now these tiny golden particles are being put to use in another area. Chinese scientists have discovered that the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the basis for modern genetic testing methods, works markedly better in the presence of gold nanoparticles.

As we all know from murder mysteries, a few flakes of skin under the victim's fingernails or saliva residue on an envelope's adhesive strip are enough to reveal the perpetrator. The tiny amount of genetic material in these samples is enough to give a genetic fingerprint that can be compared with known samples and assigned unambiguously to a single person. PCR takes all the credit for this; this tremendously efficient technique allows the complete genotype or a select region of the genome to be copied. Within a few hours, there is enough material for a variety of biological and medical tests. PCR is indispensable not only for forensics but also in research and diagnosis, for the identification and quantification of pathogens...read the wave

BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jain PharmaBiotech has announced the publication of a New Report "Cardiovascular Drug Delivery - Technologies, Markets & Companies".

Drug delivery to the cardiovascular system is approached at three levels: (1) routes of drug delivery; (2) formulations; and (3) applications to various diseases. Cell and gene therapies, including antisense and RNA interference, are described in detail as they are the most innovative methods of delivery of therapeutics. Various methods of improving systemic administration of drugs for targeted action in cardiovascular disorders are described including use of nanotechnology. A full chapter is devoted to drug-eluting stents used for treatment of restenosis following stenting of coronary arteries.

Cardiovascular drug delivery markets are estimated for the years 2005 to 2015 on the basis of epidemiology and total markets for cardiovascular therapeutics. The estimates take into consideration the anticipated advances and availability of various technologies, particularly drug delivery devices in the future...read the wave

San Jose, CA, SiliconPipe, Inc., of San Jose and Nano Cluster Devices, Inc., have signed a Letter of Intent to jointly develop novel conducting structures to be used in high-speed semiconductor packaging and metallic-based interconnect designs.

"We have identified key application areas where we can use the methods developed by Nano Cluster Devices to create circuit elements from self-assembled atomic clusters which will significantly improve high-speed metallic circuit performance," said Kevin Grundy, CEO of SiliconPipe.

"The combination of SiliconPipe's electronic design expertise and atomic cluster deposition techniques from Nano Cluster Devices will enable the creation of unique structures that are impossible to create economically by other techniques", comments Dr. Simon Brown, Executive Director-Science and Technology for Nano Cluster Devices, Ltd....read the wave

FIZ Karlsruhe now offers access to Russian patent information in English language via STN International, the premier online service in science and technology.

The new online file RUSSIAPAT, produced by the Russian Agency for Patents and Trademarks (ROSPATENT), Federal Institute of Industrial Property (FIPS), Moscow, covers Russian patented inventions from 1994 to the present. It currently contains about 300,000 records and about 245,000 images. Titles and abstracts are in English, thus providing access to this valuable information also to those unfamiliar with Russian language and characters.

Besides titles and abstracts, RUSSIAPAT records contain the International Patent Classification (IPC) codes, and inventor, assignee and patent application information. A new, unique feature is the possibility of accessing all drawings available from the full document, i.e., the drawing from the first page, drawings from the drawing attachment, and embedded drawings from the complete text. A special display field provides an indication of the number and size of all available drawings...read the wave

The BMC Pro Machine. Photo copyright Roadcycling.com.

BMC, the leading Swiss high-end bicycle brand, has developed a new secret weapon for the 2005 Tour de France. The new weapon will be used exclusively by Team Phonak - number one in the ProTour rankings.

At last year's Tour de France, BMC introduced the revolutionary Time Machine , which set new standard for time trial bikes. This year, BMC presents another revolutionary bike - the BMC Pro Machine . The Pro Machine is the first bike frame in the world which is made entirely using the revolutionary Easton CNT-Nanotechnology...read the wave

Since their discovery 14 years ago, carbon nanotubes have captured the imagination of scientists and lay people alike. The science of nanotubes almost seems more science fiction than science. These structures, so minuscule they cannot be seen, are stronger than diamonds. They are formed from organic material but act as metals or semi-conductors. As such, nanotubes offer great potential in electronics, lasers and medicine.

To highlight the status of research on nanotubes, Slava V. Rotkin and Shekhar Subramoney have edited a new book, "Applied Physics of Carbon Nanotubes: Fundamentals of Theory, Optics and Transport Devices," which was just released by Springer. The book's 12 chapters are written by top researchers in the field.

Rotkin is an assistant professor of physics and a faculty member with Lehigh's Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology. Subramoney, a researcher with Dupont Central Research and Development Laboratories, is co-chair of the nanotube section of the Fullerenes, Nanotubes and Carbon Nanostructures Division of the Electrochemical Society Inc...read the wave

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2005--Nanomix Incorporated, a company commercializing nanoelectronic detection devices for industrial and biomedical applications, announced today the issuance of a U.S. patent for its nanostructured detection platform known as Sensation(TM).

This patent includes broad claims to arrayed nanostructured sensing devices, in particular for detecting multiple target species. Detection devices of this type use nanostructured materials as extremely sensitive transducers to permit accurate and selective measurement of chemicals and bio molecules. The devices have extremely low power requirements and are scalable for mass production using conventional wafer technology.

"We are excited to see this addition to our growing intellectual property estate related to nanoelectronic detection technology,"...read the wave

AMES, Iowa — Hydrogen is being touted as the fuel of the future, a clean-burning, renewable and inexpensive replacement for petroleum. But a major stumbling block for hydrogen-powered vehicles is figuring out a way to carry enough hydrogen onboard to travel even moderate distances between refueling stops.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory will be investigating a possible solution to that problem thanks to $1.6 million in funding announced recently by DOE Secretary Samuel Bodman as part of a $64 Million Hydrogen Fuel Initiative.

“With compressed hydrogen gas, you simply can't carry a tank big enough to travel very far,” Ames Lab senior scientist Vitalij Pecharsky said. “The answer is a hydrogen-rich, solid fuel that mimicks the hydrogen content of methane, where four hydrogen atoms encapsulate a single carbon atom.” ...read the wave

Wateringen, Holland, 22-05-2005 I have just spent the last two days enjoying the hospitality of Cientifica and Wageningen University at the first ever Nano4Food Conference in Wageningen, here in the Netherlands.

It was a delicious conference with a menu of Nanotech / Food related topics that left me feeling a bit like Oliver Twist and asking for more !

This First ( and lets really hope ) not the last Nano4Food conference stood up well against its original principles and pre conference pro-mo.

So what was on the menu ? ...read the wave

HOUSTON, In some of the first research to probe how buckyballs will interact with natural ecosystems, Rice University¹s Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology finds that the molecules spontaneously clump together upon contact with water, forming nanoparticles that are both soluble and toxic to bacteria.

The research challenges conventional wisdom: since buckyballs are notoriously insoluble by themselves, most scientists had assumed they would remain insoluble in nature. The findings also raise questions about how the buckyball aggregates ­ dubbed nano-C60 ­ will interact with other particles and living things in natural ecosystems.

The findings appear in the June 1 issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

³The fact that nano-C60 dissolves in water raises questions about water as a vector for the movement of these types of materials,² said Vicki Colvin, CBEN director, professor of chemistry and a co-author on the study...read the wave

Newswise — Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered a tiny biological structure that is highly electrically conductive. This breakthrough helps describe how microorganisms can clean up groundwater and produce electricity from renewable resources. It may also have applications in the emerging field of nanotechnology, which develops advanced materials and devices in extremely small dimensions.

The findings of microbiologist Derek R. Lovley's research team are published in the June 23rd issue of Nature, an international science journal. Researchers found that the conductive structures, known as “microbial nanowires,” are produced by a novel microorganism known as Geobacter. The nanowires are incredibly fine, only 3-5 nanometers in width (20,000 times finer than a human hair), but quite durable and more than a thousand times long as they are wide...read the wave

A team of chemists at Penn State has developed a new type of ultrathin film, which has unusual properties that could improve the fabrication of increasingly smaller and more intricate electronic and sensing devices. The material, a single layer made from spherical cages of carbon atoms, could enable more precise patterning of such devices with a wider range of molecular components than now is possible with conventional self-assembled monolayers. The research is published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society .

The molecules that make up the material have larger spaces and weaker connections between them than do components of conventional self-assembled monolayers. "The bonding and structural characteristics of this monolayer give us the opportunity to replace its molecules with different molecules very easily, which opens up lots of possibilities for both directed patterning and self-assembled patterning," says Paul S. Weiss , professor of chemistry and physics ....read the wave

COSTA MESA, CA, U.S.A. - QuantumSphere, Inc. announced it has retained Natural Carbon, LLC to accelerate QuantumSphere’s business development initiatives. The retention of Natural Carbon will provide QuantumSphere with seasoned business development expertise that will aggressively drive QuantumSphere’s growth, commercialization of new products and market expansion via sales of the company’s current product lines that are experiencing unprecedented demand around the world. QuantumSphere is the leading manufacturer of metallic nanopowders for applications in aerospace, defense, energy and other markets demanding advanced material applications.

QuantumSphere is the only supplier of the world’s highest quality nanonickel (n-Ni), and other products including QSI-nano™ silver, QSI-nano™ copper and nano-Ni/Co alloy. QSI-nano™ nickel will replace platinum as the main catalyst in hydrogen fuel cells and other electrode assemblies and provide a renewable source of power to supply the world’s energy needs. QuantumSphere is leveraging its leadership position in the company’s current markets to expand into applications for water hydrolysis, biomedical and renewable energy...read the wave

MONTREAL, QUEBEC-- Raymor Industries Inc. (TSX VENTURE:RAR) is proud to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, AP&C Advanced Powders and Coatings Inc. has concluded an agreement for the production of titanium powder with Metaor (US). Metaor, part of IMC (International Metalworking Companies), specializes in the fabrication of metal components using a metal injection molding (MIM) process. Their products serve high-volume markets in various sectors, including automotive, medical, industrial tooling, electronics, and other sectors. Metaor has sales offices in the US and Europe. AP&C's metallic powders are produced using the patented plasma atomization process. This unique process produces metallic powders of high purity, with an exceptional sphericity. Given these two characteristics,

AP&C metallic powders offer the best performance for metal injection molding applications. The plasma atomization process was developed at the beginning of the 90's at Hydro-Quebec's Shawinigan laboratory, in collaboration with Noranda. AP&C benefits from a worldwide, exclusive license for the process. "The exceptional sphericity and purity characterisitics of our titanium powers allows us to respond favourably to the strict requirements of the biomedical and aerospace fields," said Dr. Michel Drouet, Chief Scientist with AP&C....read the wave

SiliconPipe, Inc., of San Jose and Nano Cluster Devices, Inc., have signed a Letter of Intent to jointly develop novel conducting structures to be used in high-speed semiconductor packaging and metallic-based interconnect designs.

"We have identified key application areas where we can use the methods developed by Nano Cluster Devices to create circuit elements from self-assembled atomic clusters which will significantly improve high-speed metallic circuit performance," said Kevin Grundy, CEO of SiliconPipe.

"The combination of SiliconPipe's electronic design expertise and atomic cluster deposition techniques from Nano Cluster Devices will enable the creation of unique structures that are impossible to create economically by other techniques," comments Dr. Simon Brown, Executive Director-Science and Technology for Nano Cluster Devices, Ltd.

"SiliconPipe is one of the most creative companies we know in the interconnect business," notes Dr. Alan Rae, VP of Market & Business Development at Nano Dynamics, Inc., "and they have already developed designs that...read the wave

Scientists from the Laboratory of Glyconanotechnology at the CSIC in Seville, part of the UK-based Midatech Group, have initiated an intensive program to develop anti-cancer vaccines based upon creating immuno-stimulating nanoscale particles with an outer shell bearing specific carbohydrate and peptide antigens.

The team reports (1) (in Tetrahedron: Asymmetry ) the successful synthesis of gold nanoparticles featuring covalently bonded, immunogenic oligosaccharides from the Ley determinant, which is associated with various carcinomas including colon, liver, prostate and ovarian.

The methodology ensures the preparation of functional, three-dimensional "glyco-stealth coronas" of immunogenic carbohydrate and peptide ligands on discreet, stable and water-soluble gold nanoparticles. To ensure maximum antigenicity, carbohydrate and peptide epitopes are linked covalently to the gold nanoparticle core by "spacers" of defined length. In this way a high surface density of the antigens is presented on the shell of the gold nanoparticles. Moreover these antigens are in their biologically correct conformation to stimulate antibody production...read the wave

Nanotechnology is already a reality in many areas. Nanotechnology products are being used in food processing, cosmetics, and other areas. But a sustainable development of this technology also requires a clear legal framework for producers and users (product safety, industrial safety, consumer safety). Nano Regulation is a transdisciplinary, proactive discussion platform for outlining possible approaches to sustained regulation of nanotechnology.

Target public: The target public of Nano Regulation are all persons who either might be affected by regulations (industry, producers, consumers, insurers) or who develop these regulations (authorities, politicians). You do not have to be a legal expert to take part in the discussion!

Click her for more info or to register for a conference

TEMPE, Ariz. – In the fifty-year history since the structure of DNA was first revealed, what was once a Nobel prize- winning research discovery has become an omnipresent cultural icon co-opted for promoting everything from fragrances to musical acts. Now, the familiar DNA double helix is serving as a microscopic trellis in order to further advances in nanotechnology aimed at improving human health.

Hao Yan, a researcher at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University and an assistant professor in ASU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, recently created unique arrays of proteins tethered onto self-assembled DNA nanostructures.

While other efforts in recent years have focused on learning how to build DNA-based nanostructures, Yan's work is novel because it makes it feasible to attach any desired biomolecule onto DNA nanostructures. Such work is an important step and can serve as a future foundation for biocatalytic networks, drug discovery or ultrasensitive detection systems...read the wave

DURHAM, N.C. -- Engineers have introduced a new magnetic shepherding approach for deftly moving or positioning the kinds of tiny floating objects found within organisms, in order to advance potential applications in fields ranging from medicine to nanotechnology.

The authors of a new research article said their method avoids pitfalls of using tiny light beams, electric currents or even a competing magnetic approach to micromanipulate so-called "colloidal" objects.

"Biology is composed primarily of colloidal materials, things larger than a few billionths of a meter that are suspended in solution and don't settle rapidly," said Benjamin Yellen, who developed this "magnetic nanoparticle assembler" technique while obtaining his doctorate at Drexel University...read the wave

Boston, MA - An international team led by Jeffrey J. Fredberg, professor of bioengineering and physiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, has found that the cell modulates its mechanical properties in much the same way as a glassblower shapes fine glassware. This new view of cellular functions sheds light on mechanical facets of phenomena as diverse as asthma, cancer, inflammation, and vascular disease. These findings appear in advance online from the July, 2005 issue of Nature Materials ( http://www.nature.com/nmat/index.html ).

To fashion a work of glass, a glassblower must heat the object, shape it, and then cool it down. Fredberg and his colleagues have shown that the cell modulates its mechanical properties and changes its malleability in much the same way. But instead of changing temperature, the cell changes a temperature-like property that has much the same effect....read the wave

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The quest for a single theory that unites all of the universe's fundamental forces has thus far eluded physicists, but that has not stopped a team of them from clearing the way for nanotechnologists while they look for it.

The group, which includes Purdue University's Ephraim Fischbach, has recently completed research that improves our understanding of how tiny objects placed very close together can influence each other. Their experiment, which involves the behavior of a minuscule gold ball as it moves over different substances, shows that gravity behaves exactly as Isaac Newton predicted, even at small scales. Unfortunately for those in search of the so-called "Theory of Everything," the finding would seem to rule out the exceptions to his time-honored theories that physicists believe might occur when objects are tiny enough.

But in the process, the team has measured another, less familiar, force that does...read the wave

Jerusalem , – “Little Things Mean a Lot” was the title of an American  hit song back in the 1950s. Half a century later, those words have taken on ever increasing significance in the rapidly expanding field of nanoscience, as reflected in the awarding this month of three prestigious prizes during the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Board of Governors meeting.

For their work in nanoscience research, two of the recipients received Kaye Innovation Awards: Prof. Uri Banin, professor of physical chemistry and founding director of the Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the Hebrew University, and his student, Taleb Mokari. The third winner, Ph.D. student Eli Rothenberg, received the Barenholz Prize in Applied Science.

All three have been involved with groundbreaking research on colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, specifically the development of new, varied shapes of these crystals. Semiconductor nanocrystals are tiny particles with dimensions of merely a few nanometers...read the wave

Straight edges, good. Wavy edges, bad. This simple description holds true whether you are painting the living room or manufacturing nanoscale circuit features.

In a technical paper* published in June, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and SEMATECH describe an improved method for determining nanoscale "linewidth roughness," an important quality control factor in semiconductor fabrication. Their research shows that current industry measurement methods may be exaggerating roughness of the smoothest circuit features by 40 percent or more above true values...read the wave

CSIRO and the NanoTech Institute of the University of Texas at Dallas have won the 2005 Avantex Innovation Prize for their breakthrough discovery of how pure carbon nanotubes can be spun into strong, flexible, electrically conductive yarns.

Interest in the potential for carbon nanotubes to create a range of futuristic materials was sparked when details of their structure were revealed in the early 1990s.

Measuring about a millionth of a millimetre in diameter, carbon nanotube fibres are immensely strong. However, they also possess two unique characteristics - excellent electrical and heat conductivity.

Following their discovery, a vigorous international research effort began to develop carbon nanotube production techniques targeted at patentable applications that exploit their extraordinary properties...read the wave

| Nano-Justice and Food Sovereignty |

Imagine it's 3am and you hear a rustling in your backyard garden. You look out to see shadowy figures rooting around. You wake the next morning in a cold sweat, thinking it was only a bad dream, to find a letter pushed through your mail slot. It reads: “Dear Occupant: We suspect that you have been growing Monsanto's Roundup Ready ® canola. To avoid legal action, send us $1000 and tell no one about this, especially not the media. If you do not send us $1000, we will sue you for $20,000 in damages.” ...read the wave

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – University of Michigan scientists have created the nanotechnology equivalent of a Trojan horse to smuggle a powerful chemotherapeutic drug inside tumor cells – increasing the A pilot study at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in support of the National Cancer Institute's Early Detection Research Network (EDRN), has validated the measurement accuracy of new techniques that use mitochondrial DNA as an early indicator for certain types of cancer. Additional results suggest that a relatively simple diagnostic test using a DNA microarray "chip" could enable early detection of some solid tumors, including lung cancer.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) plays a role in respiration and the cell's energy conversion mechanism. Since the late 1990s, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have observed changes in mtDNA sequences in solid cancers, although the nature of the relationship remains uncertain. Their work suggested that particular changes in mtDNA might serve as early indicators for several types of solid cancer...read the wave

BERKELEY, CA -- Quantum dots, tiny crystals consisting of a few hundred to a few thousand atoms, sparkle with promise for uses ranging from tagging proteins in living cells to foiling counterfeiters to enabling quantum computers. The optics and electronics of these semiconductor nanocrystals are dramatically different from the same materials in bulk. But it turns out that one of the most important electronic properties of quantum dots has been misunderstood for over a decade.

Theorists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have shown that a quantum dot's dielectric function (a term indicating how charge responds to an electric field) does not depend on its band gap, as researchers long believed. On the contrary, the dielectric function of a quantum dot, measured on the microscopic scale, is virtually the same as that of the bulk material -- except near the dot's surface....read the wave

| Nano-Justice and Food Sovereignty |

Imagine it's 3am and you hear a rustling in your backyard garden. You look out to see shadowy figures rooting around. You wake the next morning in a cold sweat, thinking it was only a bad dream, to find a letter pushed through your mail slot. It reads: “Dear Occupant: We suspect that you have been growing Monsanto's Roundup Ready ® canola. To avoid legal action, send us $1000 and tell no one about this, especially not the media. If you do not send us $1000, we will sue you for $20,000 in damages.” ...read the wave

Natuurkundigen van de TU Delft hebben een nieuw gebied in de nanowetenschap ontsloten, namelijk dat tussen de 10 nanometer en de 1 nanometer. Ze vestigden een wereldrecord ‘dunne lijnen schrijven met een elektronenbundel'.

Stipjes van 0,7 nanometer groot en lijntjes van nog geen twee nanometer breed. Dat hebben de Delftse onderzoekers dr. Kees Hagen en ir. Willem van Dorp onlangs gerealiseerd. De lijntjes, opgebouwd uit het metaal wolfraam, zijn vijftig keer dunner dan de dunste lijnen die nu op chips staan. Het bijzondere is verder dat de wetenschappers gericht goede patronen kunnen maken in een korte tijd. Eerder deze maand publiceerden de Delftenaren over hun onderzoek in het gereputeerde wetenschappelijke tijdschrift voor nanotechnologie Nanoletters (webversie gepubliceerd op 7 juni)....read the wave

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – University of Michigan scientists have created the nanotechnology equivalent of a Trojan horse to smuggle a powerful chemotherapeutic drug inside tumor cells – increasing the drug's cancer-killing activity and reducing its toxic side effects.

Previous studies in cell cultures have suggested that attaching anticancer drugs to nanoparticles for targeted delivery to tumor cells could increase the therapeutic response. Now, U-M scientists have shown that this nanotechnology-based treatment is effective in living animals.

"This is the first study to demonstrate a nanoparticle-targeted drug actually leaving the bloodstream, being concentrated in cancer cells, and having a biological effect on the animal's tumor," says James R. Baker Jr., M.D., the Ruth Dow Doan Professor of Biologic Nanotechnology at the University of Michigan, who directed the study....read the wave

Kyoto, Japan --- Many people involved in the IC business nostalgically think back to the days of happy scaling when ‘simple' transistor miniaturization went hand in hand with higher performances and lower costs. These days are over. Instead we are confronted with short-channel effects and leakage problems leading to a ‘power catastrophe' in future ICs. Rather complex technological innovations such as new device architectures and multiple-gate devices, high-k materials, metal gates and strained silicon, are needed. Next to this power dissipation problem, engineers are dazzled with an increasing intra-die variability for which no obvious cure exists from a technological point of view.

For these and other problems, a strong interaction is needed between process engineers and system designers. No longer can they continue on ‘living apart together', but they have to join forces and discuss on how they can circumvent certain problems, TOGETHER. For example, to tackle the problem of ...read the wave

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — By depositing nanoparticles onto a charged surface, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have crafted nanotubes from silicon that are flexible and nearly as soft as rubber.

“Resembling miniature scrolls, the nanotubes could prove useful as catalysts, guided laser cavities and nanorobots,” said Sahraoui Chaieb, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Illinois and a researcher at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology .

To create their flexible nanotubes, Chaieb and his colleagues – physics professor Munir Nayfeh and graduate research assistant Adam Smith – start with a colloidal suspension of silicon nanoparticles (each particle is about 1 nanometer in diameter) in alcohol. By applying an electric field, the researchers drive the nanoparticles to the surface of a positively charged substrate, where they form a thin film...read the wave

NAPLES, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Industrial Nanotech Inc., (OTC: INTK), an emerging nanotechnology-based solutions provider, announces the launch of a new industrial grade coating designed for use in environments that experience extremely high temperatures, providing superior thermal insulation and corrosion protection. The newest addition to the Nansulate(TM) Translucent product line, Nansulate High Heat, is a potentially revolutionary insulation coating available to large-scale industrial clients through International distributors and the Company's website. Management believes that Nansulate High Heat is positioned to set a new standard for thermal conductivity in water-based industrial coatings.

The new coating provides insulation protection from extreme temperatures ranging from -40 degrees F to 400 degrees F (-40 degrees C to 204 degrees C), a revolutionary temperature range for a water-based coating. Industrial applications for such a resistant coating include but are not limited to...read the wave

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MacDermid, Incorporated a worldwide manufacturer of proprietary specialty chemical products and materials for the electronics, metal finishing and graphic arts industries (NYSE: MRD) have announced the acquisition of Autotype International Ltd. and associated entities from Norcros (Holdings) Limited of the UK, a portfolio company of Bridgepoint Capital Limited.

With locations in Wantage UK, Chicago, Singapore and Denmark, Autotype is a high technology producer of specialty coated film products for the electronics and printing industries. In electronics, Autotype is the leading producer of hard coated films for the membrane switch and touch screen markets. It has recently introduced films for light management of nomadic devices, unique films for in-mold decoration, and medical applications. It is believed Autotype is the only manufacturer in the world who can replicate nano scale structures through a high volume cost-efficient process on the surface of films. In printing, Autotype provides high quality stencil materials and digital pre-press products for screen printing....read the wave

WATERVLIET, NY --- Applied NanoWorks, Inc. and New York State Energy Research & Development Agency (NYSERDA) have announced the funding of a $250,000 project aimed at improving the brightness of the company's line of non-toxic nano-phosphors for the white LED and general lighting markets.

Nearly all nano-phosphors and many traditional phosphors contain heavy metals that are toxic and present a hazardous waste-stream risk to manufacturers. "Eliminating the heavy metals while keeping all colors of our nano-phosphors bright is a significant advancement in phosphor technology and the NYSERDA funding will help accelerate our ability to bring this material to market in commercial volumes." said Eric Burnett, President& CEO of Applied NanoWorks. "Based on US Department of Energy data, use of white LEDs could save New York State 29% of its energy consumption which would be the equivalent of nearly $1B in annual energy related savings." ...read the wave

The European Commission has proposed an action plan for nanosciences and nanotechnologies (N&N), which makes clear what the Commission and the Member States must do in order to keep Europe at the forefront in this field.

Points for action address areas such as: investment in N&N; the strengthening of infrastructure; the generation of interdisciplinary experts; commercialisation; dialogue with society; addressing health, safety and environmental concerns; and international cooperation.

'Europe needs to invest in knowledge to maintain its competitive edge in the global economy,' said EU Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik. 'Nanotechnology is a key area where Europe is in the lead, and we must ensure that we stay there. Nanotechnology has enormous potential for European industry and for society in general, so a clear strategy and decisive action is needed for research in this area. At the same time, we must take into account any possible health, safety and environmental risks and address them as early as we can.' ...read the wave

SAN JOSE, Calif., /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ultratech, Inc. ( NASDAQ:UTEK ) , a leading supplier of lithography and laser-processing systems used to manufacture semiconductors and nanotechnology devices, has announced that it has received multiple-system orders from several southeast Asian customers for its NanoTech 190 lithography systems. The NanoTech 190 tools, specifically designed for thin-film head (TFH) applications, will be utilized for back-end rowbar processing -- the processing step required to add the aerodynamic surface to rows of TFH devices before wafer singulation. The lithography systems will be delivered to the customers' facilities located in Malaysia, Thailand and China. These multiple orders demonstrate Ultratech's ability to provide leading application-specific products with low cost-of- ownership advantages, and reinforce its technology leadership position at the forefront of the thin-film head market.

The increasing number of consumer electronics products requiring small drives, such as portable digital music players, has contributed to a resurgence in the TFH market. According to Dennis Waid, president of Peripheral Research Corporation and member of Ultratech's technical advisory board, "Storage memory capacity for handheld devices can be increased significantly with a small-format hard drive, which has the same form factor as flash-random-access memory (RAM)....read the wave

In what may be one of the first medical uses of nanotechnology, a chemist and a doctor who specializes in infectious childhood diseases have joined forces to create an early detection method for a respiratory virus that is the most common cause of hospitalization among children under five.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) sends about 120,000 children to the hospital in the United States each year. Although it is only life-threatening in one case out of every 100, it infects virtually all children by the time they are five. Few children in the U.S. die from RSV, but it also attacks the elderly, causing some 17,000 to 18,000 deaths annually. Individuals with impaired immune systems are another highly susceptible group. Worldwide, the virus causes about one million deaths annually.

Current methods of detecting the virus can take from two to six days, postponing effective treatment. The new, high-tech method uses multi-colored, microscopic fluorescent beads, called quantum dots, which bind to molecular structures that are unique to the virus's coat and the cells that it infects. In a paper appearing in the June issue of the journal Nanoletters , the Vanderbilt researchers report that not only can a quantum dot system detect the presence of particles of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in a matter of hours, rather than the two to five days required by current tests, but it is also more sensitive, allowing it to detect the virus earlier in the course of an infection....read the wave

| Aiming at a nanoscale target | Iwao OHDOMARI |

The diameter of an ion beam is only 20 nm and its aiming accuracy is 60 nm. "Single ion implantation technology," which was developed by Prof. Ohdomari, is the only technology where ions can be implanted one by one into ultrasmall regions with a high degree of accuracy. In the mid 80's, an ion accelerator was installed at Waseda University.

However, the equipment had already been used as a solid-state analyzer worldwide since 1960s. Even though this installation was 20 years behind the rest of the world, Prof. Ohdomari wanted to fully utilize it, and in 1990, he was able to....

Bellingham, WA (PRWEB via PR Web Direct )–- Microstaq founders Steve Booth and Jeff Chance knew a lot about automotive systems and little about microtechnology when they set out eight years ago to create a new business making a better flow control valve. Having worked in business development and sales for a large automotive company, the two were in a position to improve on the manufacturing of traditional mechanical valves that run various automotive flow control systems and they knew how to sell it.

They were seeking a manufacturer for their valve when they met Bob Mehalso, an internationally recognized expert in nanotechnology and microsystems. Mehalso is a consultant in micro-electro-mechanical systems, or MEMS technology, and a man with many contacts in the micro-manufacturing industry. His innovative approaches to commercializing nanosystems have lead to products such as ink-jet print heads and fuel-injection nozzles.

Mehalso had just one word for Booth and Chance: silicon.

Why not replace the car's bulky, seventeen-part mechanical valve with a radically smaller single silicon chip capable of controlling the same fluids? ...read the wave

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nanobac Life Sciences, Inc. (OTCBB: NNBP) ("Nanobac" or "the Company") have announced a multi-center collaboration involving researchers from Nanobac Life Sciences, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and NASA's Johnson Space Center, to study kidney stone formation. The multi-disciplinary team will apply the same type of instrumentation used to analyze moon rocks and particles collected from space to analyze mineralized particles and stones collected from kidney stone patients.

Little progress has been made during the last 50 years in understanding kidney stone formation. However, researchers from Nanobac have shown that virtually all kidney stones contain Calcifying Nano-Particles, also referred to as "Nanobacteria". Nanobac researchers have also shown that these particles are powerful mediators of plaque formation and stones. The direct injection of Nanobacteria into rat kidneys resulted in stone formation in the nanobacteria-injected kidney during one month follow-up. The multi-disciplinary team will attempt to find early events in stone formation and to verify whether Calcifying Nano-Particles are the initiators of kidney stone formation...read the wave

BRANFORD, Conn., PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 454 Life Sciences, a majority-owned subsidiary of CuraGen Corporation ( NASDAQ:CRGN ) , have reported that scientists from the Company presented a poster detailing a potentially new application for the Company's technology -- ultra-deep sequencing of the HIV virus. The poster, in addition to an oral presentation on Friday, June 10, at the XIV International HIV Drug Resistance Workshop in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, discusses the ability of 454's sequencing platform to rapidly, reproducibly and accurately detect minor HIV variants that contain drug resistance mutations present in HIV-infected patients.

Identifying and understanding HIV drug resistance is necessary to ensure the appropriate use of antiretroviral drugs and to minimize the spread of resistance. In the United States, up to 50% of HIV-infected patients receiving drug therapy are infected with drug resistant virus. Improved detection of minor variants in the HIV virus could ultimately assist researchers in the development of new HIV therapeutics and help physicians tailor drug regimens for HIV-infected patients...read the wave

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UC Irvine scientists in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering have demonstrated for the first time that carbon nanotubes can route electrical signals on a chip faster than traditional copper or aluminum wires, at speeds of up to 10 GHz. The breakthrough could lead to faster and more efficient computers, and improved wireless network and cellular phone systems, adding to the growing enthusiasm about nanotechnology's revolutionary potential.

"Our prior research showed that nanotube transistors can operate at extremely high frequencies, but the connections between the transistors were made out of somewhat slower copper, thus forming a bottleneck for the electrical signals," said Peter Burke, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and one of the researchers who developed the technology. "In this technology we show that nanotubes can also quickly route electronic signals from one transistor to another, thus removing the bottleneck."

Electrical signals are routed at high speed through virtually all modern electronic systems and also through the airwaves in all modern wireless systems...read the wave

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)---HP (NYSE:HPQ) (Nasdaq:HPQ) have announced that its researchers have created a new way to design future nano-electronic circuits using coding theory, an approach currently being used in certain math, cryptography and telecommunications applications. The result could be nearly perfect manufacturing yields with equipment a thousand times less expensive than what might be required using future versions of current technologies.

In a paper appearing in the June 6 issue of "Nanotechnology," a publication of the Institute of Physics, HP Labs authors Phil Kuekes, Warren Robinett, Gadiel Seroussi and Stan Williams explain in detail a defect-tolerant interface to HP's patented crossbar architecture.

"We have invented a completely new way of designing an electronic interconnect for nano-scale circuits using coding theory, which is commonly used in today's digital cell phone systems and in deep-space probes," said Williams, HP Senior Fellow and director, Quantum Science Research at HP Labs. "By using a cross-bar architecture and adding 50 percent more wires as an 'insurance policy,' we believe it will be possible to fabricate nano-electronic circuits with nearly perfect yields even though the probability of broken components will be high."...read the wave

Newswise — Saliva or “spit” cleanses the mouth, helps fight tooth decay and for some scientists at UCLA's School of Dentistry, serves as a potential diagnostic tool to paint an insightful view of the body's health.

“Over the next several years, we are looking at the possibility of diagnosing high-impact diseases through saliva,” said David T. Wong, DMD, DMSc, associate dean of research and professor at UCLA's School of Dentistry and co-director of the head and neck oncology research program at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Wong, who also leads UCLA's Dental Research Institute, described the latest in saliva diagnostic research to attendees at the American Dental Association's National Media Conference, held here today.

“We have developed highly specific, nanotechnology-based biosensors (ultra tiny machines that read the simplest cell structure), which will permit the detection of disease-bearing biomarkers in saliva,” said Dr. Wong...read the wave

Amyloid fibers are best known as the plaque that gunks up neurons in people with neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer's and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease--the human analog of mad cow disease. But even though amyloids are common and implicated in a host of conditions, researchers haven't been able to identify their precise molecular structures. Conventional techniques used to image proteins, such as X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, don't work with fibrous structures such as amyloids. And scientists depend on these high resolution images of molecules in order to study their function.

Now, researchers have found a way to work around these limitations, illuminating the configuration of these sometimes pernicious molecules. And even though this work was done in yeast, the results provide hints as to why mad-cow type diseases tend to have a difficult time jumping species.

"These findings give us some fundamental insights in how amyloid fibers form," says Whitehead Member Susan Lindquist, lead scientist in the research team whose results will be published in the June 9 issue of the journal Nature. "They solve the important problem of identifying the intermolecular contacts that hold the amyloid fiber together."..read the wave

ARMONK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- IBM have announced that The Max Planck Society will use a cutting-edge IBM supercomputing system to double its computing power, allowing research and experiments which before were not possible. The system is based on 86 units of IBM's newly announced IBM eServer™ p5-575 systems and will bring the Max Planck Society's supercomputing power to over 10 Teraflops, doubling their existing installed pSeries compute power. The new supercomputer will help researchers in the Garching Computing Center advance research in the fields of nanotechnology and environmental protection as well as other innovative research projects envisioned by the Society.

The new supercomputing system will be used in different research areas of the Max Planck Institutes. The major part of the installation is dedicated to extremely demanding simulations in materials science. At the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin, Germany, for example, scientists are simulating heterogeneous catalysis for developing more efficient and environmentally friendly catalysts. For future nano-technologies a study of crystal growth will simulate modern materials. At the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart, Germany, simulations of biomolecules-nanotube-systems will be run, to model and design bio and biomedical sensors for future applications...read the wave

Oberkochen, Carl Zeiss SMT and a group of investors led by Wellington Partners, CIPIO, Target Partners, and Intel Capital have signed an agreement under which Carl Zeiss SMT acquires 100% of the shares of NaWoTec GmbH, Rossdorf, Germany, for its Semiconductor Metrology Systems Division. This move will further strengthen Carl Zeiss SMT's technology base in the area of nanostructuring and mask repair technology and aims at further broadening the semiconductor equipment related business of Carl Zeiss SMT beyond lithography optics.

During the past 10 years, the Semiconductor Metrology Systems Division of Carl Zeiss SMT has successfully introduced and developed AIMS™ technology which has evolved to a standard for mask defect printability analysis in all leading edge mask shops worldwide. In order to broaden the product portfolio, Carl Zeiss SMT has developed the E-Beam based mask repair system MeRiT™ MG in close cooperation with NaWoTec GmbH. The MeRiT™ MG, which has been launched recently, combines the outstanding imaging performance of Carl Zeiss SMT's Gemini® SEM platform with high precision gas injection system and tailored chemical processes for mask repair applications developed by NaWoTec...read the wave

Mit Hilfe von Computerberechnungen ist es Wissenschaftlern des Max-Planck-Instituts für Mikrostrukturphysik und der Martin-Luther-Universität in Halle zum ersten Mal gelungen, die bisher rätselhaften Vorgänge in "Quantenkäfigen" im Detail nachzuvollziehen. Diese Gebilde werden in einzelnen Schritten aus wenigen Dutzend Atomen künstlich in Form einer Ellipse - einer ovalen Miniaturschachtel - zusammengesetzt und sind nur wenige Nanometer (= Millionstel Millimeter) klein. Platziert man einzelne magnetische Atome in das Innere, lässt sich - das zeigen die Berechnungen - deren Kopplung gezielt so verändern, dass sie sich entweder "ferromagnetisch" (parallele magnetische Momente) oder "antiferromagnetisch" (entgegengesetzt gerichtete magnetische Momente) einstellen. Das entspricht dem klassischen binären Code von Computerchips, der entweder als 0 oder 1 definiert ist - allerdings auf der denkbar kleinstmöglichen Speicherfläche: "Quantenkäfige könnten der Ausgangspunkt für künftige Datenübertragungen auf atomarer Skala sein, damit ließe sich im Vergleich zu den heute üblichen PC-Festplatten das Millionenfache an Informationen speichern", bestätigen die Wissenschaftler Valeri Stepanyuk, Larissa Niebergall, Wolfram Hergert und Patrick Bruno. "Die Vorhersagen aus den Berechnungen ermöglichen uns jetzt, als Quanten-Ingenieure solche Nanostrukturen mit ganz bestimmten magnetischen Eigenschaften zu konstruieren." Ihre Ergebnisse haben die Forscher in der aktuellen Ausgabe der amerikanischen Fachzeitschrift "Physical Review Letters" veröffentlicht....read the wave

A scientist at the University of Liverpool has helped to create the world's smallest transistor - by proving that a single molecule can power electric circuits.

Dr Werner Hofer, from the University's Surface Science Research Centre, is one of an international team of scientists who have created a prototype that demonstrates a single charged atom on a silicon surface can regulate the conductivity of a nearby molecule. Computers and other technology based on this concept would require much less energy to power, would produce much less heat, and run much faster.

Currently, most electronic devices are based on silicon. There is, however, a limit to how many transistors can be packed into a given volume of silicon as the currents in these transistors are high and can overheat. By miniaturizing a transistor, the time during which an electron can pass through it is reduced and therefore the device can be operated with much higher frequencies and take up much less space...read the wave

Researchers at Particle Sciences, Inc. (Bethlehem, PA, USA), a company that develops and markets ingredients for personal care formulations, are using the Malvern Zetasizer Nano particle characterization system to investigate formulations of their recently developed, encapsulated form of retinol (Vitamin A). Retinol has been shown to have beneficial effects on photo-damaged skin, but is unstable in many formulation processes. This new encapsulated form is designed for the controlled release of the active following topical application.

The Zetasizer Nano is being used to optimize manufacturing conditions for this complex skin care formulation, a multi-component system. Examination of the effects of compositional changes on particle size and zeta potential has enabled better understanding and control of the parameters that determine suspension stability. The Zetasizer Nano is also being used to study the impact of surface chemistry on formulation issues such as the understanding of the surface and interfacial properties, as well as long term product stability...read the wave

ATLANTA — The sequencing of the human genome was only the beginning of a much more complex task – deciphering the secrets of cellular chemistry and the mechanisms of disease. While the genome serves as a blueprint to understanding the body, proteins represent the materials that carry out these plans.

There are about 2 million distinct proteins in the human body. That's a lot of proteins – and the future of personalized medicine depends on a better understanding of proteins, including their structure and interactions with drugs and medical devices.

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a device that has the potential to significantly reduce the time needed to analyze these important proteins, shortening development time for new drugs and bringing down the overall cost of protein analysis technology. According to findings published in Applied Physics Letters, the device can potentially analyze proteins much faster, more gently and at a lower cost...read the wave

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Just as the printing press revolutionized the creation of reading matter, a "nano-printing" technique developed at MIT could enable the mass production of nano-devices currently built one at a time.

The most immediate candidate for this innovation is the DNA microarray, a nano-device used to diagnose and understand genetic illnesses such as Alzheimer's, viral illnesses such as AIDS, and certain types of cancer. The ability to mass produce these complex devices would make DNA analysis as common and inexpensive as blood testing, and thus greatly accelerate efforts to discover the origins of disease.

The demand for ever-shrinking devices of ever-increasing complexity in areas from biomedicine to information technology has spurred several research efforts toward high-resolution, high-throughput nano-printing techniques. Now researchers led by Professor Francesco Stellacci of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering have developed a printing method that is unmatched in both information content per printing cycle and resolution. They achieved the latter using what Arum Amy Yu, an MSE graduate student and member of the research team, calls "nature's most efficient printing technique: the DNA/RNA information transfer." ...read the wave

LOWELL, Mass.and PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)---Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing and commercializing power plastics that convert light to energy, and Solaris Nanosciences, a developer and manufacturer of advanced nanomaterials for devices that harvest light for a variety of applications, have announced the companies have entered into a joint development agreement. The companies will evaluate the performance and efficiency of solar cells made with Konarka's light-activated power plastic and Solaris' metal structures.

"One of Konarka's goals is to push photovoltaic science as far and as fast as possible, and exploring how well our materials work with Solaris' in a shared program is one way to make that happen," said Russell Gaudiana, Ph.D., vice president of research and development, Konarka. "Konarka's solutions are chemistry-agnostic. We believe in finding the best possible combination of materials to create power plastic that meets the performance needed for a specific application, and this project with Solaris holds promise."...read the wave

Industrial Nanotech Inc., (OTC: INTK), an emerging nanotechnology-based solutions provider, announces that the Company's South Korean distributor, Nansulate Asia, is in discussions with INI Steel, the second largest steel manufacturer in South Korea, regarding OEM applications for Nansulate Translucent.

Additionally, Industrial Nanotech, through Nansulate Asia, has received steel samples from Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for independent testing of the coating's ability to meet specific requirements. Demonstrations of Nansulate are set to begin this week at Princeton Polymer Laboratories, Inc., under the supervision of Peter Wachtel, PhD. The steel samples from Samsung Heavy Industries are pieces of intricate structural material that is currently used in LNG Carriers, Platforms, and Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels. Samsung Heavy Industries, a key member of Korea's SAMSUNG Group, is a highly integrated organization which delivers a broad range of services in the shipbuilding industry. SHI is the No. 1 shipbuilder in the world in terms of volume of orders...read the wave

State College, PA NanoHorizons, Inc., an emerging leader in applied nanoscale materials and solutions, have announced that it has received a notice of allowance from the US Patent Office for its innovative nanoscale photovoltaic cell design. NanoHorizons' design enables dramatic improvements in solar cell efficiency and breakthrough reductions in fabrication costs. Brighter, more efficient Organic LEDs (OLEDs) are also made possible. The new technology will be available via NanoHorizons' new Technology Licensing Program.

Breaking the Barrier to Cheap AND Efficient Solar Energy: “Layered Design” is the problem
Solar-generated electrical power using today's best photovoltaics costs 4-10 times more than conventional power generation because today's solar cells are far too expensive to deploy widely and are only about 15% efficient.

In conventional photovoltaic cell designs, photons enter an absorption layer producing energized electrons. These electrons travel across a portion of the absorption layer to a collection layer where electrical energy is captured. Both the absorption of photons producing energized electrons and the collection of that energy occur along one line of travel, perpendicular to the layers of the cell...read the wave

A team from the University of Surrey (UniS) is to play a leading role in a recently launched €7M project to develop new types of coatings, adhesives and cosmetics with outstanding properties. The international project, called NAPOLEON, was launched on 3 June with a meeting at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.

The UniS team is one of 21 within this EU-wide collaboration, comprised of teams drawn from eight countries and from nine European companies. The UniS team will lead the research on how to transform polymer nanoparticles into useful products, such as paints and sticky tape.

Research at UniS is being directed by Dr. Joe Keddie, of the Soft Condensed Matter Physics Group, which is part of the UniS Materials Institute (UMI). At the meeting, Dr. Keddie was elected to the Executive Board of the project and took up his post on the project management team. Professor Peter McDonald and Dr. Alan Dalton, in the same research group, are contributing to the project...read the wave

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- EDot.com, Inc. (Pink Sheets:ECMM) have announced the completion of the acquisition of NanoViricides, Inc. NanoViricides, Inc. is an emerging bio-pharmaceutical company focusing on the use of nanotechnology for the treatment of major viral diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, influenza and Asian bird flu. More information is available at the company website http://www.nanoviricides.com .

The company plans to change its name to NanoViricides, Inc. and transfer to the OTCBB as soon as it completes the required financial audits.

The company's CEO, Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH made the announcement. Dr. Seymour has worked in the field of HIV/AIDS for almost 25 years. Fifteen years ago he started a company, which among other products, developed a rapid HIV antibody test approved in a number of countries around the world. Dr. Seymour has on his development and management team a group of skilled and experienced scientists...read the wave

The Allianz Group has published the conclusions of a joint study with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, into the opportunities and risks of nanotechnology (nanotech).

Axel Theis, CEO of Allianz Global Risks, comments: "This report shows that nanotech will underpin many of the most important technical and industrial advances of the early 21st century. However its huge scope for beneficial developments must not mask any risk from nanotech to the people who use it or the environment in which it operates."

He adds: "Allianz believes that it would not be appropriate to create a general exclusion of nanotech from insurance coverage. However, a general 'wait and see' attitude is also not an option. As a responsible insurer, Allianz has worked with the OECD in this report to stimulate an early, active and positive response to nanotech-related risks from all parties involved." ...read the wave

Researchers at the American Society of Gene Therapy Meeting in St. Louis announced that by using imaging technologies, they are able to successfully trace the delivery of DNA nanoparticles and the extent of gene transfer in the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) animals. The study represents an important step in developing gene therapy for cystic fibrosis and other serious lung diseases.

Assem Ziady, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, presented the results. He is conducting studies of a promising non-viral DNA nanoparticle technology that may prove to be effective in treating numerous human diseases. For this study, he collaborated with Zhenghong Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of radiology and an expert in imaging.

In the study, Ziady and colleagues administered to CF mice DNA nanoparticles encoding a gene for an enzyme that produces light when exposed to a particular chemical. Later, the researchers could then use the emitted light to see in real time where the DNA nanoparticles had delivered the gene for expression in the lungs of the mice...read the wave

Iranian NanoTechnology Newsletter # 84

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.

But 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

HANGZHOU, June 6 (Xinhuanet) -- A Sino-American institute specialized in nanometer-related technology will be set up in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, delegates from both sides announced Monday.

The institute, jointly sponsored by Zhejiang Provincial People's Government, Zhejiang University and the US-based California Nano systems Institute (CNSI), will include eight research centers in the fields of information technology, biomedical and the study at molecule and nanometer scale.

 With an investment of 250 million yuan (30.1 million US dollars), the institute, located in the Zhejiang University, will also incubate and industrialize its research results.

The research base is expected to provide a platform to promote high-tech industrialization and international cooperation, said Mao Linsheng, vice governor of Zhejiang.

Roy Doumani, a CNSI professor, said the cooperation between Chinese and US universities must be innovative partnership that integrates research and education, accelerates applications and fully explores the implications of nano technology

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)---Arrowhead Research Corporation (NASDAQ:ARWR) have announced that it has exclusively licensed intellectual property from Stanford University for a nanotech device that controls the behavior of adult stem cells. Arrowhead will fund additional research involving the device at Stanford in exchange for the right to exclusively license and commercialize the technology.

The technology has been developed in the lab of Dr. Nick Melosh in the Materials Science Department at Stanford. The Melosh group is using arrays of nano-reservoirs on a chip to stimulate desired adult stem cell behavior. Melosh's team will conduct further research by collaborating with scientists and doctors at the Stanford Stem Cell Institute and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Arrowhead has committed $600,000 to the project, with $110,000 funded upon signing and the remainder payable quarterly over the following two years.

Both embryonic and adult stem cells have the ability to become the cells of different tissues and represent a treatment for diseases such as neurological disorder, heart failure, and diabetes. Adult stem cells, which are less controversial from a political standpoint than embryonic stem cells, are less likely to...read the wave

Romeoville , IL , Nano phase Technologies (Nasdaq: NANX) , a technology leader in nanomaterials and nanoengineered products,have announced that the Company was issued U.S. Patent No. 6,896,958, entitled “ Substantially Transparent, Abrasion-Resistant Films Containing Surface-Treated Nanocrystalline Particles.” The Company believes that this is a highly significant patent in the field. The patent describes processes for preparing film-forming compositions and for preparing substantially transparent, abrasion-resistant coatings from these compositions.

“Nanophase continues its leadership in nanomaterials and applications of nanomaterial technologies, including the development of intermediate products which enable high-value, coating products,” stated Dr. Richard Brotzman, Nanophase's vice-president of R&D. “We regard this patent as seminal technology in our field that is significant for the Company and our partnership with BYK-Chemie, a subsidiary of ALTANA Chemie AG, one of the world's leading suppliers of paint and plastic additives for coatings, printing inks and plastics. Abrasion and wear-resistant nanoparticle coating additives have numerous potential applications in many commercial markets. BYK-Chemie and Nanophase continue working to develop new products based on this patented technology for multiple applications in a variety of markets.”...read the wave

Who's doing the most innovative and important research in the fields of human genetics and nanotechnology? A team of U.S. and European researchers will be asking that question through a survey that 1,200 leading scientists, industrial researchers, editors and research program directors will be receiving in June.

The questionnaire is part of an 18-month study to determine what factors lead to especially innovative and important research – with a goal of determining what institutions might do to foster it

The Project on Creative Capabilities and the Promotion of Highly Innovative Research (CREA) is being carried out by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) in Germany, the Technology Policy and Assessment Center (TPAC) in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, and Sussex University's Science and Technology Policy Research Unit in the United Kingdom.

Using the results of the survey, the research team aims to identify about 60 scientists and research teams on both sides of the Atlantic that are responsible for creative research that has produced innovative breakthroughs in human genetics and nanotechnology. Using in-depth interviews with the individuals and systematic studies of scientific productivity, the CREA study will then attempt to determine the factors, both personal and environmental, that helped those researchers work so effectively...read the wave

Increased energy efficiency, a cleaner environment, more effective medical treatment and improved manufacturing production are just some of the potential benefits of nanotechnology. Working at a scale 10,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair, its potential is enormous and far reaching.

The UK is set to play a key role in leading the development of nanotechnology as the British Standards Institution (BSI), supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), has been awarded the Chair and Secretariat of the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) technical committee for nanotechnologies.

Through this committee the UK can further support this emerging discipline and use standardisation to help ensure its successful global growth.

The proposal to establish the committee demonstrates the UK's commitment to the safe exploitation of nanotechnology internationally and is part of the Government's response to the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering report 'Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Uncertainties.' ...read the wave

Binding gold nanoparticles to a specific antibody for cancer cells could make cancer detection much easier, say medical researchers from the University of California, San Francisco and Georgia Institute of Technology .

The researchers are a father and son, working together on opposite coasts. Their study findings are reported in a recent edition (May 11) of the journal Nano Letters , published by the American Chemical Society.

Principal author is Ivan El-Sayed , MD, assistant professor of otolaryngology at UCSF Medical Center , who conducted the study with his father, Mostafa El-Sayed , PhD, director of the Laser Dynamics Laboratory and chemistry professor at Georgia Tech.

"Gold nanoparticles are very good at scattering and absorbing light," said Mostafa. "We wanted to see if we could harness that scattering property in a living cell to make cancer detection easier. So far, the results are extremely promising."

Many cancer cells have a protein, known as epidermal growth factor receptor (EFGR), all over their surface, while healthy cells typically do not express the protein as strongly. By conjugating, or binding, the gold nanoparticles to an antibody for EFGR, suitably named anti-EFGR, the researchers were able to get the nanoparticles to attach themselves to the cancer cells...read the wave

Cheap Tubes, Inc. announces the immediate availability of economically priced Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), for a wide range of research and industrial applications.

Standard CNTs available from stock include both Single-Walled Nanotubes (SWNTs) and Multi-Walled Nanotubes (MWNTs), in quantities ranging from one gram to kilograms and larger amounts. Both SWNTs and MWNTs are available in purified forms, or else functionalized with -OH or -COOH groups to facilitate their use in various applications. Other types of CNTs, including "as produced mwnts" are available upon request. Amine Functionalized CNTs coming soon, as well as short <2000nm length SWNTs and MWNTs...read the wave

SILVER. You've worn it, you've eaten using it and believe it or not, you can now clean your clothes with it.

If you think your old washing machine is still good enough, this might just change your mind.

Samsung Electronics recently launched washing machines that feature Silver Wash, a technology capable of killing 99.9 percent of bacteria in your wash load. Aside from the effective cleaning, they can also coat your clothes with anti-bacterial protection that can last up to 30 days.

Samsung has developed a technology that allows 400 billion nano-sized (one billionth of a meter, or roughly 75,000 times smaller than the width of the human hair) silver ions to directly penetrate fabrics. Thanks to the sterling silver plate that creates and releases Silver Nano ions during washing and rinsing, the washing machines sterilize and sanitize your clothes almost as if you boiled them-minus the wasted energy and without damaging your clothes.

The people behind Samsung Electronics believe that people "should be able to enjoy the benefits of a clean and efficient wash that saves time and energy." ...read the wave

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have taken another big step toward complex, nanoscale electronic devices that can be directed to assemble themselves automatically—a development that would allow manufacturers to mass-produce "nanochips" having circuit elements only a few molecules across, roughly 10 times smaller than the features in current-generation chips.

Writing in the June 3 issue of the journal Science , UW chemical engineer Paul Nealey and his colleagues describe how carefully chosen mixtures of polymers can be made to assemble themselves into nanoscale patterns that  turn corners and exhibit other complex geometries. Their approach builds upon a similar technique they demonstrated two years ago, using a simpler mix of polymers that could self-assemble only into regular, straight-line patterns of stripes...read the wave

Researchers at Toshiba Research Europe Ltd (TREL) in Cambridge will announce this week that they have developed a light source that can be used to send single photons in a regular stream through optical fibre over long distances. The device is needed for future quantum networks exploiting the particle-like properties of light. The results will be announced at the prestigious Quantum Electronics and Laser Science (QELS) Conference in Baltimore this week.

The team has achieved the breakthrough by developing a semiconductor nanotechnology tailored for use with ordinary telecom fibre cables. It results from an initiative funded by the Department of Trade and Industry involving TREL, University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.

The worlds dimmest fibre source contains a tiny ‘quantum dot' of semiconductor, measuring just 45 nm in diameter and 10nm in height, which emits photons (the particles of light) one at a time. By manipulating the way in which the dot was formed, the emitted photons were tuned to a wavelength that allows long distance propagation in ordinary fibre optic cables...read the wave

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, and from eight other scientific institutions in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Italy have received 2 Million Euro from the European Union for research on "Active Biomimetic Systems". These systems involve two types of biomolecular nanomachines, growing filaments and stepping motors, which are able to generate force in the nanodomain. The research network, which is coordinated by Prof. Reinhard Lipowsky, will elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying this force generation and will explore new possibilities for the integration of these molecular machines into nano- and microsystems. The network was launched on May 1, 2005.

Biomimetic systems mimic or imitate certain aspects of biological systems. One astounding aspect of biological cells is their ability to undergo dramatic morphological transformations: they can adapt their shape in order to squeeze themselves through very narrow pores, they can extend long `feet' in order to crawl along surfaces, and they can divide themselves up into two daughter cells. All of these transformation processes are based on two types of biomolecular nanomachines: growing filaments and stepping motors...read the wave

Sofia , Bulgaria , June 3, 2005 -- BudgetSensors® a Bulgarian manufacturer of silicon and silicon nitride probes for Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM) has launched a new improved website on June 3, 2005 .

Since the acquisition of Innovative Solutions Bulgaria Ltd. by NanoWorld Holding AG ( Switzerland ) in April, BudgetSensors® which is part of Innovative Solutions Bulgaria, has worked under full-force to update all its marketing and information materials. The new website is a first step to assist customers to find their way through the continuously growing product range. The BudgetSensors website ( www.budgetsensors.com ) describes in detail the different AFM tips that are currently available and now also offers a gallery of images made with the increasingly popular products...read the wave

Newswise — Precise dendrimer nanostructures are available at low cost for commercial applications because of a breakthrough by a company at Central Michigan University.

Priostar™ dendrimers, created by Dendritic NanoTechnologies Inc. at CMU's Center for Applied Research and Technology, may be used as nanoscale building blocks in the medical, food and agriculture, energy, electronics, environmental and industrial safety, personal, household, chemical, and manufacturing markets.

Dendrimers are sphere-shaped nanostructures that can be precisely engineered to carry molecules — either encapsulated in the interior or attached to the surface. The size and shape of a dendrimer is determined by shells, called generations, which are grown around the core structure. The reactivity of the dendrimer is determined by its surface chemical functionality together with size and shape. Until dendrimers reach a certain generation, other functions cannot be added to them...read the wave

San Francisco -- Intel publicly unveiled for the first time its future plans for chip development beyond 10 nanometers, combining silicon with a number of other technologies that are still in the very early research stages.

The blueprint, introduced at the First International Nanotechnology Conference Thursday, is likely to set the bar for the rest of the electronics industry, which frequently follows Intel's lead although not necessarily at the same pace as Intel. And while there are many question marks within that statement of direction, it is the most forward-looking statement yet made on the future of semiconductors...read the wave

Een groot deel van de wetenschap houdt zich tegenwoordig bezig met onderzoek op nanoschaal. Deze nanowetenschappen leiden tot meer kennis over het kleinste bouwsteentje van de natuur: de atoom. Met name op medisch gebied kunnen nu grote stappen vooruit worden gezet: betere diagnoses, betere therapieën, maar ook ‘verbetering' van het menselijk lichaam.  Tijd voor een pas op de plaats.

Onder leiding van Marjan Slob , filosofe, debatteren: Ineke Malsch , wetenschapsjournaliste; Arjen Kamphuis , technologisch adviseur en mede-auteur The Transhumanist Declaration ; Tsjalling Wierstra , filosoof Universiteit Twente ; en Johan Braeckman , voorzitter De maakbare mens en hoogleraar filosofie en ethiek UVA

Zo kent nanotechologie nu al verschillende therapeutische toepassingen, zoals het herstel van gehoor- of gezichtsvermogen. Een andere toepassing is een handprothese die via elektroden aan de uiteinden van de zenuwen van de arm ‘gewoon' met de hersenen bestuurd kan worden.
Nanotoepassingen kunnen lichaamsfuncties ook verbeteren. Wat te denken van het opwaarderen van het menselijk geheugen of gezichtsvermogen? Fantasieën over de Nieuwe Mens zijn vaak gebaseerd op onderzoek naar nieuwe nanotherapieën voor bijvoorbeeld Parkinson- of Alzheimerpatiënten. Hoe groot is de stap van herstel naar verbetering? En wat vinden we een verbetering? Sommige mensen hebben bijvoorbeeld bedenkingen bij gehoorimplantaten omdat doofheid daarmee verandert van een eigenschap in een afwijking.

Tijd voor duidelijkheid over de nano- mogelijkheden voor ons lichaam: wat is waar of kan waar worden? In hoeverre willen we boven de natuur uitstijgen? Wat maakt een mens tot mens?...read the wave

Sensors that detect and count single photons, the smallest quantities of light, with 88 percent efficiency have been demonstrated by physicists at the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST). This record efficiency is an important step toward making reliable single photon detectors for use in practical quantum cryptography systems, the most secure method known for ensuring the privacy of a communications channel.

Described in the June issue of Physical Review A, Rapid Communications,* the NIST detectors are composed of a small square of tungsten film, 25 by 25 micrometers and 20 nanometers thick, chilled to about 110 milliKelvin, the transition temperature between normal conductivity and superconductivity. When a fiber-optic line delivers a photon to the tungsten film, the temperature rises and results in an increase in electrical resistance. The change in temperature is proportional to the photon energy, allowing the sensor to determine the number of photons in a pulse of monochromatic light....read the wave

Individual vehicle owners can comply with the spirit of the Kyoto Protocol by using H2OIL Corporation's “F2-21” nanotechnology fuel additive, which significantly reduces their vehicle global warming emissions.

Global warming is a serious problem and if g overnments won't do anything, then the people should be given the opportunity to act independently.

City, State and Federal government agencies all refuse to consider H2OIL's environmental nanotechnology for the same reason oil companies never use any fuel saving additives.

Every 10% improvement in vehicle fuel economy also results in a 10% reduction in global warming emissions. However, this also means a 10% reduction in oil company fuel sales and a 10% reduction in government fuel tax revenues.

Unlike other governments, the Chinese government recognizes the value of H2OIL's technology. They recently signed a joint venture agreement to build a F2-21 fuel additive manufacturing plant large enough to treat about 70% of China 's entire domestic demand for gasoline and diesel fuel. They get cleaner air together with health care savings, all at no cost. Everybody wins (in China )...read the wave

Sometimes seeing a shadow can be as good or better than seeing the real thing. A new measurement method* developed by researchers working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a case in point. The method uses the shadow cast by a small glass probe to infer the dimensions of tiny, microscale holes or other micrometer-sized components. The technique may provide an improved quality control method for measuring the interior dimensions of fuel nozzles, fiber optic connectors, biomedical stents, ink jet cartridges and other precision-engineered products.

Designed to be implemented with the type of coordinate measuring machine (CMM) routinely used in precision manufacturing settings, the method uses a flexible glass fiber with a microsphere attached on one end. The glass probe is attached to the CMM's positioning system, inserted into the part to be measured, and systematically touched to the part's interior walls in multiple locations...read the wave

MADISON - In the time it takes to read this sentence, your fingernail will have grown one nanometer. That's one-billionth of a meter and it represents the scale at which electronics must be built if the march toward miniaturization is to continue.

Reporting in the June 3 issue of the Journal Science, an international team of researchers shows how control over materials on this tiny scale can be extended to create complex patterns important in the production of nano-electronics.

About two years ago, a team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor Paul Nealey, demonstrated a lithographic technique for creating patterns in the chemistry of polymeric materials used as templates for nano-manufacturing. They deposited a film of block copolymers on a chemically patterned surface such that the molecules arranged themselves to replicate the underlying pattern without imperfections...read the wave

Industrial Nanotech Inc ., (OTC: INTK), an emerging nanotechnology-based solutions provider, announces testing of its Nansulate™ coating product by a major Argentinean oil and gas company. Protan, a South American distributor of Industrial Nanotech products, states the testing will continue over the next 20 to 30 days at undisclosed locations off the tip of South America in the Argentinean Sea.

“Due to confidentiality issues we are not at liberty to disclose our client's name nor the exact location until the testing process is complete,” stated Stuart Burchill, Industrial Nanotech CEO. “This particular oil and gas firm is experiencing CUI (corrosion under insulation) problems and we believe that our Nansulate™ coating will more than meet their expectations in this severe environment. Corrosion is a 270 billion dollar problem in the US alone and we are delighted that our Nansulate™ product is receiving the worldwide recognition it deserves. These assessments, of the coating for CUI needs, will lead to potential purchase decisions of Industrial Nanotech products in the coming months.”...read the wave

GHENT, Belgium, – Ablynx, a pioneer in the discovery and development of Nanobodies™, a novel class of therapeutic proteins derived from single-domain antibody fragments, today announced that it has signed a collaborative research, development and license agreement with the Ottawa-based National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Institute for Biological Sciences (IBS).This collaboration will make an important contribution to Ablynx's discovery efforts in the area of neurodegenerative diseases.

NRC researchers have identified a class of Nanobodies™ that, unlike many other drugs or conventional antibodies, cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in a selective and efficient manner. Ablynx will now collaborate on these BBB-crossing Nanobodies™ with NRC, to develop novel diagnostics and therapeutics for diseases of the Central Nervous System (CNS). In the first instance, Ablynx and the NRC will evaluate the potential of these Nanobodies™ for applications in Alzheimer's disease...read the wave

The 2005 European NanoBusiness Survey is the world's largest indicator of business attitudes to nanotechnologies and is crucial in defining future policy in both Europe and the rest of the world.

Business Perception

• 90% of companies believe that nanotechnologies will have an influence on their business,
• 58% think this will happen within three years
• 77% believe that nanotechnologies will have a significant effect on their competitiveness.

• Companies see the greatest short term benefits from nanotechnologies in Electronics
• The greatest medium term benefits in Electronics and Healthcare
• And the greatest long term benefits from nanotechnologies will be in Healthcare.

• 23% believe that the main hurdle in development of nanotechnologies is an insufficient government funding
• 21% see the main hurdle in the lack of defined markets.
• 16% see lack of trained personnel as an issue with 62% finding it difficult to find personnel with the right skills.

The full report (PDF) is available as well, here .

NAPLES, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)---Industrial Nanotech Inc., (OTC: INTK), an emerging nanotechnology-based solutions provider, have announced that KCM Ventures is set to begin offering its customers Nansulate(TM) Translucent. This industrial coating utilizes nanotechnology to prevent Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI). Corrosion Under Insulation is said to account for more unexpected downtime than all other possible causes combined in the Oil and Gas industry.

Industrial Nanotech, Inc. entered into a formal agreement with KCM Ventures of Huddersfield, England to become the exclusive distributor of Nansulate Translucent in the UK as well as the United Arab Emirates through its offices in Dubai. KCM Ventures is a holding company which acquires the rights to products and technologies dealing with energy conservation and markets them throughout the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. KCM Ventures has a proven track record of success, having sold over $3,000,000 of industrial coatings last fiscal year...read the wave

In a recent ceremony in Beijing , H2OIL and PetroChina's Huafu Oilfield Chemical Company announced that they had signed a joint venture agreement to build a nanotechnology fuel additive manufacturing plant in Tianjin , China .

This production facility can make up to 10,000 tons per year of H2OIL's cutting edge “F2-21” fuel additives. This will be enough to treat 25 billion gallons of fuel per year, or about 70% of China 's entire domestic demand for gasoline and diesel fuel.

Richard Hicks, President of H2OIL Corporation said:

“I am pleased to use this opportunity to make a formal announcement. This is the first time that H2OIL has publicly released this information and I am particularly happy to be able to do it here in China with our joint venture partners...read the wave

Gene-based vaccines, which use DNA to induce immune system cells to mount a targeted immune response, hold promise for treating and preventing cancer, but delivering DNA to the proper cells has proven difficult. Now, a multi-institutional team of collaborators has shown that DNA-bearing nanorods delivered to immune cells through the skin will trigger a strong antibody response. Nanorods may prove to be particularly useful in vaccination applications because they can be modified to carry multiple antigens as well as chemicals that stimulate the immune system to respond to antigens.

In a paper published in the journal Nanotechnology , investigators led by Kam Leung, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, describe in vivo studies designed to test the hypothesis that gold/nickel nanorods decorated with antigen, which the researchers had made previously, will induce an antigen-specific immune response. Nanorods comprising two equal segments of nickel and gold, each 800 nanometers long and 170 nanometers in diameter, were decorated with DNA and the protein antigen ovalbumin. DNA was attached to the nickel segment, while ovalbumin was attached to the gold segment...read the wave

Quantum dots, nanosized fluorescent semiconductor particles, are fast becoming a versatile tool for tracking movements of individual molecules in living systems thanks to their brightness, multiple colors, size, resistance to photobleaching, and commercial availability. Two recent papers highlight additional applications that cancer biologists could find useful.

In a paper published in Nature Medicine , a collaborative team lead by Rakesh Jain, Ph.D, and Dai Fukumura, M.D., Ph.D., both at Harvard Medical School, and Moungi Bawendi, Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), detail the use of quantum dots to differentiate tumor cells from perivascular cells and the surrounding matrix and to study various processes that occur during tumor development. The researchers first prepared three different coated, cadmium-based quantum dots whose emission spectra are distinct from one another as well as from green fluorescent protein (GFP). The investigators also developed a transgenic mouse in which the perivascular cells expressed GFP. Using multi-photon fluorescence microscopy, the quantum dots were clearly distinguishable in vivo from perivascular cells expressing GFP...read the wave

May Statistics Wateringen, Holland 02-06-2005

Whow ! After a slow down of visitors in April you all seem to be rushing back and bringing your colleagues, friends & family with you.

May 2005 was our best month ever with visitors ( please note not hits ) up a staggering 22.75% on April. Overall hits were up 19.4 %. With visitors joining us from 77 counties from around the globe.

It would seem that you like what we are trying to achieve, i.e. to offer a truly independent look at Nanotechnology.

However we are still running at a loss so please consider a small contribution, say a dollar a day to help ensure we are still here a few months time. Click here for details

Argonne National Laboratory will receive $3 million over three years for basic science studies that may lead to improved catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells.

The funding, from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences, will be used to study the molecular basis of catalysis, with a particular interest in the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells.

“We are looking to understand the behavior of oxygen in the low-temperature fuel cell cathodes,” said Hoydoo You, leader of the group project. “The project builds on Argonne's scientific strengths, bringing collaboration between physicists and chemists, between theorists and experimentalists.”

The high-intensity X-rays from the Advanced Photon Source and nanoscale science at the Center for Nanoscale Materials are key enabling resources. The project includes researchers from Argonne's Materials Science, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering divisions as well as researchers from Kent State University and the University of Minnesota...read the wave

Newswise — Molecular electronics--using molecules in the construction of electronic circuitry--using molecules in the construction of electronic circuitry--just took a significant step closer to reality. Principal investigator Dr. Robert Wolkow, postdoctoral fellow Dr. Paul Piva and a team of researchers from the University of Alberta and the National Institute for Nanotechnology of the National Research Council have designed and tested a new concept for a single molecule transistor.

They have shown, for the first time, that a single charged atom on a silicon surface can regulate the conductivity of a nearby molecule. Their breakthrough will be published in the June 2, 2005 edition of the scientific journal Nature .

Miniaturization of microelectronics has a finite end based on today's technology. A new concept to circumvent the limits of conventional transistor technology was needed. The authors conducted an experiment to examine the potential for electrical transistors on a molecular scale. Their approach has solved what has been...read the wave

Argonne, ILL ----The same kind of chemical coating used to shed rainwater from aircraft and automobile windows also dramatically enhances the sensitivity and reaction time of hydrogen sensors. Hydrogen sensor technology is a critical component for safety and other practical concerns in the proposed hydrogen economy. For example, hydrogen sensors will detect leaks from hydrogen-powered cars and fueling stations long before the gas becomes an explosive hazard.

The discovery was made by a team led by Zhili Xiao, a physicist in the Materials Science Division at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and an associate professor of physics at Northern Illinois University. The scientists demonstrated that the enhanced sensor design shows a rapid and reversible response to hydrogen gas that is repeatable over hundreds of cycles. A report on the team's research was published in May in Applied Physics Letters.

The sensor material is made by depositing a discontinuous palladium thin film on a glass slide coated with a grease-like self-assembled monolayer of siloxane anchored to the surface...read the wave

The Institute for Cell Mimetic Space Exploration (CMISE) at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has been awarded a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop an automated, chip-based metabolic analysis tool.

The cells of the human body are composed of many intricate subsystems that interact at multiple levels and are highly sensitive to environmental factors. Recent studies show that many degenerative health issues — including diabetes, digestive and kidney diseases, as well as cancer — actually damage the cell's metabolic pathways. Metabolics — the study of the way in which the cellular metabolism works — seeks to use biological cells, intracellular components and molecular machines to build a self-regulating system for sensing and controlling specific environmental threats. Metabolomics is the mapping of these metabolic pathways within a cell...read the wave

SHARON, Pa., June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NanoLogix, Inc., (Pink Sheets: NNLX), a Nanobiotechnology company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of technologies for the production of bacteria and disease testing kits, alternative sources of fuel, cancer therapy and remediation of toxic materials, announced that it has filed a provisional patent application for its proprietary method of synergistically combining a bacteria-based hydrogen production method with excess industrial heat. The excess heat utilized by this method helps isolate hydrogen producing bacteria in the bacteria-based hydrogen production method. The bacterial hydrogen production process uses excess heat that is produced during standard usage of hydrogen production method, thereby reducing the cost of the hydrogen production by running two methods simultaneously and conserving energy.

NanoLogix recently announced that preliminary data and results of a study which confirms laboratory proof-of-concept measurements have shown it possible to generate...read the wave

To Cornell University chemist Tyler McQuade, Ph.D., one fact about the way pharmaceuticals are made worries him. "For every kilogram of pure drug molecule that gets made, the pharmaceutical industry generates 25 to 100 kilograms of waste, and since most of that waste originally comes from oil refining, I'm concerned that the cost of making life-saving pharmaceuticals could soar with the price of oil. As a chemist, I feel that's a potential problem that I can help solve."

Chemist Bing Zhou, Ph.D., vice president and chief technology officer at Headwater Nanokinetix, based in Lawrenceville, NJ, sees another serious problem with the way many pharmaceuticals are synthesized today. "Almost all chemical reactions involve the use of metal catalysts," he explained. "That's an expensive waste of the metal catalyst."

What ties these concerns together is that each of these chemists believes that nanotechnology can provide the tools needed to radically improve the chemical synthesis of pharmaceuticals. "As we gain control over the structure of catalysts at the atomic level, we gain better control over the chemical reactions we use to make complex drug molecules," said Zhou...read the wave

Bio-Nano Sensium Technologies, a subsidiary of Advance Nanotech, Inc., (OTC BB:AVNA.OB - News), today announced a new patent application that will reduce the cost and complexity of programming wireless biosensors. Wireless biosensors are increasingly seen as a desirable treatment for a range of chronic conditions including diabetes, cardiac conditions and asthma.

Bio-Nano Sensium Technologies has developed a simplified, more effective method for the calibration of wireless biosensors. Calibration is the procedure that ensures the accuracy of a sensor's data output. All biosensors must be initially calibrated when they are implanted or applied to the skin, and periodically afterwards, to correct the tendency for output to "drift" over time. Traditionally, sensor calibration was conducted offline, using an external process that was expensive and time consuming. Bio-Nano Sensium's new process enables automatic biosensor calibration immediately upon insertion, eliminating the expense and inconvenience of off-line calibration procedures...read the wave

Austin, TX (1 June 2005) - Four up-and-coming high-tech companies that started in Texas are getting technological and financial boosts from the Advanced Materials Research Center (AMRC), the joint advanced R&D effort involving SEMATECH and Texas universities.

The AMRC beneficiaries include innovators in leading-edge lithography, next-generation lighting, organic RFID systems, optical interconnects, wireless networks, and nanomaterials. Each is receiving technology or support from the AMRC, which was established in 2004 to develop new materials and nanostructures for semiconductors, and to explore opportunities for nanotechnology, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies.

"One of our primary aims in forming the AMRC is to commercialize new technology in ways that can benefit the people of Texas, by helping create the industries and jobs of the future," said Sanjay Banerjee, technology coordinator for the AMRC and a key educator in the College of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. "Here, we have the first fruits of that effort - four companies that are receiving significant knowledge or support for their commercially feasible innovations."...read the wave

TOKYO - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co has announced it will begin sales of a new type of hair dryer that has nanotechnology functions starting June 21.

While drying, the product will provide the hair with moisture by blowing nanometer-scale ions. It will sell for about 18,000 yen (US$165), and the firm plans to produce 9,000 units a month.

Matsushita included in the hair dryer its own "nanoe ion" generator equipment used in its air purification products.

The dryer's tank is filled with special water or a commercially available purified water. With the application of high voltage, small droplets with a roughly 18 nanometer radius are generated. These are blown on the hair to give it moisture...read the wave

The leap from microelectronics to nanoelectronics is a big challenge for the semiconductor industry. At the Fraunhofer Center Nanoelectronic Technology CNT in Dresden science and industry are cooperating in a public-private-partnership to develop new process technologies for nanoelectronics. The ceremonial opening of the CNT with guests from the Federal Government, from the Free State of Saxony as well as members of science and industry took place on May 31st, 2005.

"The Fraunhofer Center Nanoelectronic Technology CNT is exemplary for a new way of interlocking science and production," Dr. Alfred Gossner, Member of the Frauhofer-Gesellschaft's Executive Board, highlights at the opening of the CNT. "It is only possible with the mutual efforts of science and industry that we have a chance here in Germany to be actively involved in the development of such huge technological challenges like the transition to nanoelectroinics." The CNT expands the Fraunhofer alliance microelectronic's competences in cooperation with leading semiconductor manufacturers in the field of technology development....read the wave