Now, for the first time, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart have succeeded in examining, in the smallest detail, the adhesive mechanisms on the soles of gecko feet – with about a billion nanohairs per foot – using high resolution microscopy and certain special tricks. The researchers have discovered that, at the nanoscale, the adhesiveness of geckos increases with the amount of humidity. It is an important finding for the bio inspired development of artificial adhesive systems– for example, new kinds of self-adhesive tapes. (PNAS, Early Edition, November 8, 2005 [1]).

On the sole of a gecko's feet there are some one billion 'spatulae'. These are tiny adhesive hairs, about 200 nanometres in both width and length. These hairs put the gecko in direct physical contact with its environment. They sit in a three-part, hierarchically-ordered adhesive system on top of 'setae', which are about one-tenth the diameter of a human hair, about 100 micrometres long and six micrometres wide. The setae lie in a row and together form lamellae, which, at 400 to 600 micrometres in length, are visible to the naked eye.
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CORONA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--.Beyond Skin Science, the creators of NanoChem, a proprietary technology behind the next generation of skin care, have had their secret discovered by Oprah Winfrey's makeup artist, Reggie Wells. He is recommending this advanced skin care to his clients, as well as using it himself.

"You have to take care of your skin," said Reggie Wells, "if you don't, no matter how much makeup you use, your face will 'crack'...you must moisturize, and the best products I have found for treating your skin is Beyond Skin Science."

Reggie Wells recommends the four products in the Eternalis Advanced Skin Care System: Eternalis Skin Preparation Cleanser, Eternalis Time Release Day Serum, Eternalis Time Reversing Night Cream, and Eternalis Continually Radiant Face Mist.

These four treatments work together to balance skin and make it younger looking, firmer, and healthier, thus creating the perfect base for the optimal application of cosmetics...read the wave

Improved Materials Dominate Chip Evolution, Technologist Tells ISMI Symposium Austin, TX (2 EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.--NVE Corporation (Nasdaq: NVEC) said that it has been notified by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of the expected grant of a key patent for magnetothermal Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM).

NVE has been notified that the patent, titled "Thermally Operated Switch Control Memory Cell," will be issued today. The patent is number 6,963,098 and is the grant of a patent under the application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as number 2005-0002267.

MRAM is a revolutionary integrated-circuit memory fabricated with nanotechnology that uses electron spin to store data. MRAM has been called the ideal memory because it has the potential to combine the speed of SRAM, the density of DRAM, and the non-volatility of flash memory. The market for a universal memory that combines the speed of SRAM, the density of DRAM and the nonvolatility of flash could be $76.3 billion by 2019, according to market research by iSuppli Corporation.

Magnetothermal MRAM uses a combination of tiny magnetic fields and ultra-fast heating, both from electrical current pulses to reduce the energy required to write data and reduce the size of memory cells while maintaining thermal stability. This has the potential to enable low power, dense MRAM. NVE has two previously announced magnetothermal MRAM development contracts with Department of Defense agencies, both with a goal of showing the design feasibility of one-gigabit magnetothermal MRAM chips...read the wave

PHILADELPHIA– Critical innovations and new knowledge are now emerging from the laboratories of universities, medical centers and pharmaceutical companies worldwide, offering the prospect of a new generation of drugs capable of destroying cancer cells with pinpoint accuracy, without damaging adjacent normal cells. Each year, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), jointly with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), brings together scientists and other professionals from around the world seeking to share the latest information in this field, otherwise known as molecular targets of cancer. More than 3,000 scientists and clinicians – including top executives and researchers from hundreds of pharmaceutical and biotech companies – are gathering in Philadelphia next week at the annual AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics to present, discuss and hear about such promising discoveries as:

A novel pancreatic vaccine appears to be nudging survival rates higher for this often-fatal disease. Researchers are reporting a significant bump over historical survival statistics in patients following surgery. The vaccine is designed to boost the patient's immune response to pancreatic cancer cells that may still exist despite surgery and chemo-radiation treatment...read the wave

Scientists at The University of Manchester have discovered a new way to test Einstein's theory of relativity using the 'lead' of a pencil.

Until now it was only possible to test the theory by building expensive machinery or by studying stars in distant galaxies, but a team of British, Russian and Dutch scientists has now proven it can be done in the lab using an ultra-thin material called Graphene.

The group, led by Professor Andre Geim of the School of Physics and Astronomy, discovered the one atom thick material last year. Graphene is created by extracting one atom thick slivers of graphite via a process similar to that of tracing with a pencil.

Professor Geim, said: "To understand implications of the relativity theory, researchers often have to go considerable lengths, but our work shows that it is possible to set up direct experiments to test relativistic ideas. In theory, this will speed up possible discoveries and probably save billions of pounds now that tests can be set up using Graphene and relatively inexpensive laboratory equipment.".
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FRANKFORT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)---Acrongenomics, Inc. (OTCBB: AGNM - News ) is pleased to announce that it has retained KGMC Group, LLC of Frankfort, Illinois to introduce its cutting-edge Nano-JETA(TM) technology platform to the world market.

Privately-held KGMC Group LLC ( www.kgmcgroup.com ) introduces and markets advanced medical technologies. With a diverse team of talented and respected professionals in medicine, science, business, finance, marketing and law from four continents, KGMC provides services and solutions essential to converting emerging technologies into viable business ventures. KGMC Group LLC will work with Acrongenomics to complete formal validations of the advanced Nano-JETA(TM) platform, secure publications of this breakthrough technology in respected medical and scientific journals and identify ideal partners to commercialize the technology.

"Following a year of thorough study, our scientists and Board of Directors have confirmed that Acrongenomics' know-how in nanotechnology has resulted in compelling breakthroughs, significantly impacting our battle with various diseases such as cancer. We are convinced that Nano-JETA(TM) technology platform can accelerate and enhance the commonly used Real Time PCR amplification process, so that it is rendered 100% accurate in detecting genetic diseases such as cancer. Neo-EpCAM(TM) cancer detection assay is the first application utilizing the Nano-JETA(TM) technology.
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Sofia , Bulgaria –BudgetSensors®, a Bulgarian manufacturer of silicon and silicon nitride probes for Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM) announces the signing of a distribution agreement with NanoAndMore USA Corp. for USA , Canada and Mexico . Under the terms of this agreement NanoAndMore USA Corp. will have the right to distribute the complete BudgetSensors™ product line of AFM probes and accessories to its customers.

This new distribution relationship is an important strategic move for BudgetSensors™ and it is meant to improve BudgetSensors™' market penetration in one of the most important markets for AFM probes and accessories.

For the purpose of a fast and convenient customer service, NanoAndMore USA Corp. has built up the largest stock of BudgetSensors™ products in USA...read the wave

Linz, Austria, .- NANOIDENT AG appointed the Austrian entrepreneur Dr. Ulrich Stepski to its Advisory Board. Simultaneously, the Stepski private foundation acquired a substantial share in NANOIDENT AG through a private equity placement. NANOIDENT's CEO Klaus Schroeter stated, “Dr. Stepski's long standing management experience, his extensive international contacts in industry and the inflow of new growth capital create ideal conditions for NANOIDENT to further expand its position as the worldwide technological and market leader in the field of organic photonic sensors.” Dr. Ulrich Stepski emphasized, “NANOIDENT managed, at an early stage, to obtain a position offering good prospects in one of the most exciting future and growth markets with its globally unique products and top-class employee and management team, and thus providing optimum opportunities for above-average successful involvement.” In more than 20 years on the Board, Dr. Ulrich Stepski had shaped the successful development of Nettingsdorfer Papierfabrik, making it a global player in the paper industry...read the wave

A novel "Flu Chip" developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder that can determine the genetic signatures of specific influenza strains from patient samples within hours may help world health officials combat coming epidemics and pandemics.

Tests last month on the new technology by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta showed the CU-Boulder Flu Chip can determine the genetic make-up of types and subtypes of the flu virus in about 11 hours, said CU-Boulder Professor Kathy Rowlen of the chemistry and biochemistry department. Current methods for characterizing flu subtypes infecting patients take about four days.

The Flu Chip is expected to be in wide use in laboratories within a year, said Rowlen, who has led the two-year CU-Boulder research effort...read the wave

At a time when oil prices are reaching record highs and people are bracing for winter heating bills, researchers at Wake Forest University's Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials have made significant strides in improving the efficiency of organic or flexible solar cells.

Traditional silicon solar panels are heavy and bulky and convert about 20 percent of the light that hits them to useful electrical power. For years, researchers have worked to create flexible, or "conformal," organic solar cells that can be wrapped around surfaces, rolled up or even painted onto structures, but the best scientists have been able to do is about 3 percent efficiency, until now.

Researchers at Wake Forest, with the help of researchers at New Mexico State University, have achieved an efficiency rate for organic solar cells of almost 6 percent. In order to be considered a viable technology, the solar cells must be able to convert about 10 percent of the energy in sunlight to electricity. Wake Forest researchers hope to reach 10 percent by October 2006, said David Carroll, director of the nanotechnology center at Wake Forest...read the wave

Creating an Atomic Scale Technology is now a necessity for any uni-molecular device and machine in molecular electronics, molecular mechanics, molecular transducers and for laboratory scale experiments on one molecule.

For reference, Atomic Scale Technology recently arose from the very precision (better than 0.05 nm) required to interconnect a molecule and from the demonstration of a conformation change inside a single molecule with a precision better than 0.1 nm. Atomic scale technology is a bottom-bottom approach using the bottom-up one of nanotechnology to solve the nano to mesoscale nano-communication problem.

In Pico-Inside, 15 academic and industrial research institutes in Europe will work together on (1) new intramolecular architectures for integrating a complex digital logic function inside a single molecule, (2) understanding the electronic and mechanical behaviour of a single molecule on a surface with the best LT-UHV-STM and UHV-NC-AFM instruments in Europe , (3) the 5 stages of the interconnection problem from the atomic to the macroscopic scale: 50 pm to 1 nm (atomic wires), 1nm to 5 nm (mesa island), 5 nm to 50 nm (dynamic nanostencil), 50 nm to 5 um (static nanostencil), 5 um to 1 mm (micro-cantilever array), (4) organic chemistry for synthesising the...read the wave

Working together on small matter has the potential for huge returns in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Region. In fact, early findings rank the Mid-Atlantic Region as a national leader in nanotechnology research, innovation and commercial strength.

According to early results of an asset study commissioned by the Mid-Atlantic Nanotechnology Alliance (MANA), the Mid-Atlantic Region is very active in nanotechnology innovation, ranking 2nd among all states in nano-related patents, as well as in research, standing 3rd in National Science Foundation (NSF) nano-related grants, and 4th in National Institute of Health (NIH) nano-related grants.

With nanotechnology poised to change the world, recent studies indicate that the combined alliance between New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware positions the tri-state coalition for large advances in a technology that deals with materials at their smallest level...read the wave

SANTA ANA, CA, U.S.A. - QuantumSphere, Inc., the leading manufacturer of metallic nanopowders for applications in aerospace, defense, energy, electronics and other markets demanding advanced material applications, announced it filed two patents related to the fuel cell and battery industry allowing for customization of nanometallic-additives for increased power and efficiency. The first patent supports the company’s existing technology framework that will enable battery and fuel cell manufacturers to address novel methods to produce uniform air cathodes.

Unique, proprietary features in nanopowder handling enables the production of air cathodes in small test sample sizes up to continuous production capability using the same apparatus, thereby enabling battery manufacturer’s R&D facilities to accomplish complex experimental designs related to gas electrode development while enhancing scale-up capability of resulting designs.

The second patent addresses gas diffusion electrodes for the fuel cell and metal air battery industry using nano-sized transition metal catalysts and alloys. These nanometal-containing cathodes can be used in conjunction with a variety of types of battery and fuel cells, including Zn/air, Li/air, hydrogen and direct methanol fuel cells. In addition, they are flexible and may conform to a variety of surface contours, allowing for more freedom in cell design to power a wider variety of devices...read the wave

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – www.ucr.edu – Two engineering professors at the University of California, Riverside are developing devices 100,000 times thinner than a human hair, that can listen to cancerous cells, deliver chemotherapy to them and leave surrounding healthy tissue intact.

Assistant professors, Mihri Ozkan of Electrical Engineering and Cengiz Ozkan of Mechanical Engineering at UCR's Bourns College of Engineering , are leading research into micro-electrical arrays, or the signals cells emit, and the nanodevices (devices made at the molecular level) to deliver anti-cancer drugs.

The married couple hopes to combine the technologies to “listen” for the subtle electrical cues that cancerous cells emit and deliver chemotherapies with such precision that only the cancerous cells are affected.

The UCR Project is part of a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-spearheaded effort that puts the UC Riverside researchers in a consortium that forms the Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, which was established last month at UC San Diego. It is one of seven such NCI centers nationwide.

“UCSD is happy because no one there is doing this type of research,” said Mihri Ozkan. She said that the standard practice of injecting dyes into cells to find those affected by a certain disease has unintended, often unwanted, effects...read the wave

WESTERVILLE, Ohio, -- The American Ceramic Society (ACerS), in conjunction with the ACerS Engineering Ceramics Division and Nuclear and Environmental Technology Division, is hosting the 30th International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites in Cocoa Beach, Florida, January 22-27, 2006.

This is the leading conference and exposition on advanced ceramics and composites and includes exciting topical sessions on Nanotechnology, Fuel Cells and Ceramic Armor.

This conference boasts seven symposia topics comprised of over 500 technical presentations and posters that provide information on the latest advances, applications and successes in advanced ceramics and composites. Key scientists, technologists, engineers and entrepreneurs are expected to come together to discover and exchange current information. Over 45 exhibitors showcasing materials, equipment and supplies are participating...read the wave

Even the ancient Romans were familiar with processes for coloring glass by adding gold. Initially colorless, the glass takes on a ruby-red color when heated in a controlled fashion. The source of this color is finely divided gold clusters. The light absorption depends on the concerted oscillation of the conducting electrons in all of the gold atoms in the cluster, called plasmon oscillation. Variation of the size, shape, or electrical properties of the particles' surroundings should influence the frequency of the oscillation and thus the color of the absorbed light. This could allow for the production of materials that are suitable for use in nanophotonic components, including tiny optoelectronic circuits or optical storage devices.

How to make this work has been questionable until now, as the chemistry of gold in glass has long been a mystery. Newly published investigations have allowed K. Rademann and M. Eichelbaum in collaboration with the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing to unravel this secret a little...read the wave

The overwhelming majority of health-related nanotechnology patents are owned by organisations in the developed world, according to a new report, with China being the notable exception.

Don Maclurcan, from the University of technology in Sydney, Australia, carried out a survey of global nano-health patents filed between 1975 and 2004. The results, published in the AzoNano Online Journal of Nanotechnology, show that China owns 20 per cent of internationally filed patents, second only to the US with 33 per cent, and ahead of Germany with 13 per cent.

Speaking to SciDev.Net, Mr Maclurcan said: 'The patent search gave us an overall picture of the global distribution of research into health-related nanotechnology. This is definite cause for encouragement for developing countries; China in particular is really starting to make its mark.'

But while South Korea, with four per cent of global patents, is also beginning to establish a foothold in health-related nanotechnology research, the rest of the developing world barely registers, and some fear the emergence of a nano-divide. One researcher told SciDev.Net that developing countries become discouraged as more and more patents are filed in the developed world, thus pricing poorer countries out of the field due to prohibitive royalties and licensing fees...read the wave

Parasols sprayed with steel might not sound like functional fashion accessories, but that is what Suzutora Corp. plans to market next summer.

The secret is in nanotechnology.

The textile processing company sprays approximately one nanometer particles of stainless steel onto polyester cloth to create a parasol that shuts out both heat and ultraviolet rays. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter.

The tiny particles can be used even on translucent cloth, which greatly increases the options for fashion designers.

The company, based in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, plans to commercialize the products next summer in cooperation with a domestic cosmetics manufacturer...read the wave

Berkeley -- A new, sharper picture of the nano-machine that translates our genetic program into proteins promises to help researchers explain how some types of antibiotics work and could lead to the design of better ones.

The high-resolution snapshots of the bacterial ribosome were captured by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) with the lab's Advanced Light Source, which generates intense beams of X-rays that can reveal unprecedented structural detail of such large and complex molecules.

The new, high-resolution data on the intact ribosome allows researchers to build more detailed and more realistic models of the ribosome that until now were impossible with the "fuzzy pictures" available.

While sharp images of the two main pieces of the ribosome have already provided great insight into how specific antibiotics work, many antibiotics, such as the aminoglycosides, only interfere with the entire, fully assembled molecular machine.

"Many antibiotics target only the intact machine, disrupting messenger RNA decoding or movement," said lead author Jamie Cate, assistant professor of chemistry and of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley and a staff scientist in the Physical Biosciences Division at LBNL. "We are now in a position to look at some of these drugs and discover things that haven't been known before."...read the wave

Researchers at the University of Michigan are developing a mechanical cochlea, a device that functions much like its human counterpart in the ear. Yet, because it is composed of micromachined parts and integrated circuits, the apparatus should be inexpensive to manufacture and could potentially capture a range of frequencies well beyond those of human hearing.

While designed primarily as a highly efficient sensor to detect sound waves underwater, the machined cochlea could one day substitute for the microphone and much of the electronics in cochlear implants at a much lower cost.

Under development by National Science Foundation (NSF) student-fellow Robert White and NSF CAREER awardee Karl Grosh, the "microengineered hydromechanical cochlear model," was first reported in the Jan. 21, 2005, edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers described both a mathematical model and the device they had built--a system capable of detecting specific frequencies across a wide range.

"The machined cochlea Grosh and White developed fills a critical need for efficient acoustic sensing, as well as a need of the hearing-impaired. It could potentially offer a less-expensive substitute for some hardware in cochlear implants," says Ken Chong, interim director of NSF's Civil and Mechanical Systems (CMS) Division.

The division funded Grosh's CAREER award, which recently went to create a new program in nano-bio mechanics to promote such research.

The hydromechanical cochlea is a microelectromechanical system, or MEMS, device, meaning that it is manufactured--and functions--at a scale of a few millionths of a meter. While it does not yet generate electrical signals, it accurately collects sound data at frequencies between 4,200 hertz and 35,000 hertz, overlapping much of the range for the human ear (20 hertz to 20,000 hertz)...read the wave

Abingdon, United Kingdom, --- Toumaz Technology Limited has announced that its acquisition by the nanotechnology investment vehicle Nanoscience Inc., has formally completed, with the associated placing of Nanoscience shares raising £7.1 million (approximately £6.4 million net of expenses). Toumaz is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the AIM listed Nanoscience. The consideration payable in respect of the acquisition has been satisfied through the issue of 96,337,210 Nanoscience shares, valuing Toumaz at approximately £17.7 million. Toumaz will retain its independent commercial identity while being able to take advantage of the benefits of being part of a stronger enlarged publicly listed entity.

The strategic focus for Toumaz remains unchanged but the transaction will enable Toumaz to accelerate the ongoing development of its ultra-low power Sensium family of devices based on the company's proprietary AMx™ advanced mixed signal technology. Toumaz's close links with Imperial College, London ­ with which it has a technology pipeline agreement ­ have recently been strengthened by the co-founding of the new Institute of Biomedical Engineering by the company's Chairman and CTO, Professor Chris Toumazou, giving Toumaz the opportunity to access the major global pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers...read the wave

Asylum Research, a leading manufacturer of atomic force microscopes (AFMs), has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with the Institut Curie of Paris for their Atomic Force Microscope patent on magnetic actuated cantilever technology. The license agreement covers use in US and European markets.

The cantilevers are actuated by driving a tiny oscillating current through the legs of the cantilever. In a magnetic field, even one as small as the earth's, this oscillating current results in an actuation force, directly driving the cantilever. "This licensing agreement will add another powerful capability for imaging samples with our MFP-3D™ instruments, particularly in fluid, " said Dr. Roger Proksch, president of Asylum Research. "This new technology overcomes serious limitations of other magnetically actuated techniques that require magnetic coated cantilevers. The quality of the magnetic film coating is unreliable and may corrupt an experiment with unwanted metal (Fe, Ni or Co) ions." ...read the wave

NEW YORK --(Business Wire)-- Owlstone Nanotech, Inc., a pioneer in the commercialization of nanotechnology-based chemical detection products, today announced a beta testing program with Kidde, the global fire and safety group. The Owlstone Sensor, a nano-fabricated chemical detection system, will be tested for suitability in the next generation of its safety detection, prevention and protection systems. Owlstone Nanotech is a subsidiary of Advance Nanotech, Inc., (OTC BB:AVNA.OB - News). Kidde is part of UTC Fire & Security, a business unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

Owlstone is developing a revolutionary micro-machined gas sensor, which, with its associated electronics and software, provides what is in effect an analytical instrument on a chip, programmable for a range of analytes. The technology holds significant promise for the cost-effective detection of volatile organic compounds related to pre-combustion fire events and indoor air quality monitoring. These are currently very difficult to detect and differentiate in an inexpensive manner using existing chemical sensors.

"Our mission is to make the world a safer place. Owlstone is developing miniaturized chemical detection sensors that quickly and accurately identify trace elements of toxins, contaminants and...read the wave

PASADENA, Calif., -- Arrowhead Research Corp. (Nasdaq:ARWR), a diversified nanotechnology company, announced today that it will work with Duke University and Dr. Jie Liu, a leading nanotube expert, to develop nanotube-based interconnects as a replacement for copper in computer chips. Arrowhead has agreed to provide approximately $680,000 in funding over the next two years to develop Dr. Liu's technology. In exchange, Arrowhead will have the exclusive right to license the resulting intellectual property and commercialize the process developed at Duke.

"There is a burning need in the semiconductor industry for a new material to replace copper interconnects. We believe the Duke team has a unique solution to this problem," said R. Bruce Stewart, Arrowhead's president. "Our intention is to fund development of a CMOS compatible process at Duke over the next two years, and then partner with device manufacturers to integrate carbon nanotube-based interconnects into their manufacturing processes." ...read the wave

Newswise — Materials scientists are looking deep into the tiniest cells to understand how nature has created living molecular machines. Physicians are looking for new materials to help them peer into the hidden places of the body, to deliver drugs, and to regenerate bone and tissue. Chemists, biologists, and physicists ponder the underlying properties at the borderline of organic and inorganic materials.

“The greatest advances will come at the boundaries of these fields,” Penn State University President Graham Spanier predicted in his opening remarks at Crossover 2005, a meeting of Penn State scientists from each of these disciplines held at the University Park campus in October.

To promote the collaboration between materials research and life sciences, Penn State is embarking on the largest project in its history, a $120 million construction project to be located adjacent to the current Life Sciences building at the center of the University Park campus...read the wave

Evident Technologies, the leader in the commercial development of advanced quantum dot nanomaterials, today announced that it launched a living online history of early work in the field of quantum dot technology, "The Quantum Dot History Project," which is a representative overview of key research and researchers from 1960-1996.

Evident welcomes the submission of additional entries and will award a $500 Amazon gift certificate for the earliest published research entry accepted and an Apple iPod nano for each of the next two earliest published entries accepted. In appreciation for the efforts of individuals submitting entries, the company will provide them with a $10 Amazon gift certificate for each novel history addition accepted. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2006, and is open to all. To view the history or enter the contest visit www.evidenttech.com/history .

"Quantum dots are a versatile form of semiconductors that mean scientists and engineers are no longer shackled by the fixed properties of nature. With quantum dots, new materials can be engineered to fit a need, solve a problem and create new products or even markets," said Clinton Ballinger, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Evident Technologies...read the wave

NEW YORK, PRNewswire/ -- Since then-President Bill Clinton launched the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative in 2000, nations have invested heavily in nanotechnology in the hopes of increasing GDP, attracting investment, and creating high-paying jobs. Nations challenged to secure energy independence, provide clean water, reduce pollution, and augment war-fighting forces also see potential solutions in nanotech. So which nations are winning the nanotechnology race? The U.S., Japan, South Korea, and Germany dominate today -- but Taiwan and China will challenge them for leadership in the next seven years, according to a report from Lux Research entitled "Ranking the Nations: Nanotech's Shifting Global Leaders."

For this report, Lux Research assessed 14 countries spanning four continents with a rigorous, quantitative methodology driven by exhaustive secondary research, primary interviews with government and business executives in each country, and on-site visits in countries including the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, China, the U.K., and Germany. Each nation was measured on 17 metrics across two axes. The first axis, nanotechnology activity - including metrics like national nanotech funding, government and university nanotech centers, and corporate nanotech R&D spending - measures the raw material that researchers and businesses in a country have to work with in commercializing nanotechnology...read the wave