Nanotechnology : %1

Your interpretations of nanotechnology

Admin — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:32:10 +0000

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For reference (and fun) we are gatherering your slant on 'Nanotechnology' - Send in your idea of what nanotechnolgy is.

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We are going to list everyones idea on the concept of nanotechnology. Whether funny, off the wall or serious we would love to hear from you. All submissions will get your name and url acknowledged.

Here is one slightly understated submission - 'Nanotechnology is about small things'

So come on nanoviper's lets be hearing form you. You can use the form below. 100 words or less please. http://www.nanovip.com/contact

Read the results - http://www.nanovip.com/node/53670

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Click Here For Nanotechnology Related Downloads

Admin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:53:21 +0000

Nanovip Companies Database
http://www.nanovip.com/nanotechnology-companies/download-databases

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Europe Rallies Behind Nanotechnology To Wean World From Fossil Fuels

Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:47:47 +0000

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Nanotechnologies can be used to develop sustainable energy systems while reducing the harmful effects of fossil fuels as they are gradually phased out over the next century. This optimistic scenario is coming closer to reality as new technologies such as biomimetics and Dye Sensitized solar Cells (DSCs) emerge with great promise for capturing or storing solar energy, and nanocatalysis develops efficient catalysts for energy-saving industrial processes.

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Europe is ready to accelerate development of these technologies, as delegates heard at a recent conference, Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy, organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF) in partnership with Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung in Österreich (FWF) and the Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck (LFUI).

The conference focused on solar rather than other sustainable energy sources such as wind, because that is where nanotechnology is most applicable and also because solar energy conversion holds the greatest promise as a long-term replacement of fossil fuels. Solar energy can be harvested directly to generate electricity or to yield fuels such as hydrogen for use in engines. Such fuels can also in turn be used indirectly to generate electricity in conventional power stations.

"The potential of solar power is much, much larger in absolute numbers than that of wind," said Professor Bengt Kasemo from Chalmers University of Technology and the chair of the ESF conference. However, like wind, the potential of solar power generation varies greatly across time and geography, being confined to the daytime and less suitable for regions in higher latitudes, such as Scandinavia and Siberia. For this reason there is growing interest in the idea of a global electricity grid according to Kasemo.

"If solar energy is harvested where it is most abundant, and distributed on a global net (easy to say - and a hard but not impossible task to do) it will be enough to replace a large fraction of today's fossil-based electricity generation," said Kasemo. "It also would solve the day/night problem and therefore reduce storage needs because the sun always shines somewhere."

In the immediate future, solid state technologies based on silicon are likely to predominate the production (manufacture) of solar cells, but DSC and other "runners ups" are likely to lower costs in the long term, using cheaper semiconductor materials to produce robust flexible sheets strong enough to resist buffeting from hail for example. Although less efficient than the very best silicon or thin film cells using current technology, their better price/performance has led the European Union to predict that DSCs will be a significant contributor to renewable energy production in Europe by 2020. The DSC was invented by Michael Grätzel, one of the speakers and vice chair at the ESF conference.

The key point to emerge from the ESF conference, though, is that there will be growing choice and competition between emerging nanotechnology-based solar conversion technologies. "I think the important fact is that there is strong competition and that installed solar power is growing very rapidly, albeit from a small base," said Kasemo."This will push prices down and make solar electricity more and more competitive."

Some of the most exciting of these alternatives lie in the field of biomimetics, which involves mimicking processes that have been perfected in biological organisms through eons of evolution. Plants and a class of bacteria, cyanobacteria, have evolved photosynthesis, involving the harvesting of light and the splitting of water into electrons and protons to provide a stream of energy that in turn produces the key molecules of life. Photosynthesis can potentially be harnessed either in genetically-engineered organisms, or completely artificial human-made systems that mimic the processes, to produce carbon-free fuels such as hydrogen. Alternatively, photosynthesis could be tweaked to produce fuels such as alcohol or even hydrocarbons that do contain carbon molecules but recycle them from the atmosphere and therefore make no net contribution to carbon dioxide levels above ground.

Biomimetics could also solve the longstanding problem of how to store large amounts of electricity efficiently. This could finally open the floodgates for electrically-powered vehicles by enabling them at last to match the performance and range of their petrol or diesel-based counterparts. One highlight of the ESF conference was a presentation by Angela Belcher, who played a major role in pioneering nanowires made from viruses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

However, commercial realisation of biomimetic and other emerging technologies lies far in the future. But meantime, as delegates heard from several speakers at the ESF conference, nanotechnology has an important contribution to make, improving the efficiency of existing energy-generating systems during the transition from fossil fuels. For example, Robert Schlögl outlined how nano-scale catalysts can be used to improve the efficiency of engines or systems consuming fossil fuels.

Inspired by such presentations, delegates at the conference were unanimous in calling for a follow up. "The conference was regarded as a real success and a new proposal for a conference in 2010 (chaired by Grätzel) will soon be submitted," said Kasemo. "In particular the conference inspired and educated young people, such as doctors, students, postdocs, young researchers, who will be the ones to realise the potential of nanotechnology for sustainable energy."

The ESF-FWF conference in Partnership with LFUI on NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY was held at the Universitätszentrum Obergurgl, near Innsbruck in Austria during June 2008.

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European Science Foundation (2008, October 10). Europe Rallies Behind Nanotechnology To Wean World From Fossil Fuels. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/10/081013112451.htm

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School has the edge in nanotechnology with powerful microscope

Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:35:41 +0000

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McMaster University in Hamilton is the first postsecondary institution in the world to get a powerful new electron microscope that will allow Canadian researchers to see atoms in far sharper detail than ever before.

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“It is safe to say this is the best microscope at any university in the world,” said Gianluigi Botton, director of the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy at McMaster. The new machine offers scientists a vastly improved view of the structure of matter, comparable to looking at groups of atoms through a finely polished lens instead of through a beer bottle, Dr. Botton said.

“The difference is quite dramatic.”

The $15-million microscope also offers researchers new ways to explore the mysterious inner world of familiar materials like gold or aluminum.

Small groups of atoms often have different properties than when they are in bulk. For example, a small particle made up of a few atoms of gold would look like red-stained glass, Dr. Botton said. But gold metal is opaque and has a very different colour.

As well, gold atoms have different biological properties than gold bars; they are anti-microbial and more reactive, said John Preston, director of the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research at McMaster. The new microscope will help researchers figure out why.

The Titan 80-300 Cubed microscope was built in the Netherlands and arrived at the university in June, where it joins a stable of seven other high-powered electron microscopes, each one designed to probe material in slightly different ways.

McMaster's vice-president of research, Mo Elbestawi, said the latest acquisition gives Canada, and Ontario, an edge in nanotechnology, a hot field that one day could lead to faster computers, smarter robots and tiny probes that navigate their way through our bodies.

It will be used to study how hundreds of everyday products – from beer cans to automotive materials to sunscreen – work at the nano level.

A nanometre is one-millionth of a millimetre, or about 50,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

There are already more than 6,000 nanotechnology-based consumer products on the market, including sunscreens and stain-resistant fabrics.

But little is known about how nanoparticles affect living organisms. The new microscope can help scientists understand why materials have different properties in bulk and at the nano scale, which is key to predicting what various nanoparticles might do in the human body.

“There is concern these materials might be dangerous to health and we can provide answers for why this may be the case,” Dr. Botton said.

Researchers from across the country will have access to the microscope, and already have plans to use it on a variety of projects, including the development of more efficient batteries and fuel cells. Others will study viruses and proteins, or look at how particles in air pollution damage our lungs. Others are hoping to create lighter and stronger automotive materials or higher-density memory storage for faster electronic devices.

It is not the most powerful microscope in the world, Dr. Botton said. The Department of Energy in the United States has a slightly improved version. But it is the most powerful one that is commercially available, he said, and he and his colleagues are already planning an upgrade.

The new acquisition is housed in a special facility designed to withstand even ultra-low vibrations and minute temperature shifts.

Funding for it came from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Innovation Trust, the Ministry of Research and Innovation of Ontario, and a number of other sources.

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theglobeandmail.com

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Nobel Prize-winning jellyfish research brings possible Alzheimer’s cure into view

Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:34:13 +0000

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Decades of research into the chemistry behind the colorful luminescent glow of jellyfish have resulted in several major advances in the field of biotechnology and recently earned three research scientists a 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

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But according to Mark Underwood, co-founder and president of the biotech company Quincy Bioscience, the contributions to science and medicine made by the three prize-winning researchers, (Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie, and Roger Y. Tsien), may be much greater than first realized.

“We believe their work has unearthed a possible key for halting the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases,” says Underwood.

In 1962, researcher Osamu Shimomura discovered a protein within the jellyfish which glowed in the presence of calcium. This glowing protein, which Shimomura named aequorin, has since become one of the most important tools in biochemistry because of its ability to attach itself to other biochemical components.

This glowing protein can be used as a tag to illuminate previously invisible biochemical processes deep within cells. Combined with the enhancements made by researchers Chalfie and Tsien, the protein has become an invaluable tool in the laboratory.

But Underwood says that the glowing protein’s ability to bind itself to calcium may prove to be a far greater asset for scientists than its use as a colorful tagging mechanism.

“Too much calcium within a brain cell impairs its function,” says Underwood. “Unfortunately, we lose our ability to regulate brain cell calcium as we age because at about forty, our brains produce less calcium-binding proteins allowing calcium levels to rise throughout the nervous system. Neurons are flooded with dangerous levels of calcium and our brains slow down.”

Aequorin, with its ability to bind to and lower calcium levels, can be used as a replacement for our own missing calcium-binding proteins and thereby slow age-related loss of cognitive function, memory, and alertness.

The jellyfish protein is very similar to the calcium binding proteins found in the human nervous system which become depleted in age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s. Data demonstrating the neuroprotective ability of aequorin was first presented at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in 2006. Additionally, the jellyfish protein has no known level of toxicity to humans.

“We are truly blessed by the work of these Nobel-winning scientists for their vision and dedication. Their ground-breaking work has provided the opportunities to pursue the new application of this protein and to offer hope to the many that are afflicted with age-related disorders,” says Underwood.

Quincy Bioscience (quincybioscience.com) is a biotechnology company based in Madison, Wisconsin. Quincy Bioscience is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel compounds to fight the aging process. The company's products focus on restoring calcium balance related to neurodegenerative disorders and other destructive age-related mechanisms. Quincy Bioscience is developing health applications of the jellyfish protein apoaequorin for dietary supplement and pharmaceutical products. The company’s first product, Prevagen (prevagen.com), was launched in the fall of 2007 and is intended to supplement the loss of critical calcium-binding proteins depleted in the normal course of healthy aging.

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Foundation Seeks to Advance Research and Education for Nanotechnology

Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:32:40 +0000

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First Nonprofit Organization to Focus on Nanotechnology
Hopes for Breakthrough Innovations That Will Keep America in the
Race to Lead in Technology Advancement

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The Nanotechnology Research Foundation (NRF) was recently established as the first non-profit organization specifically focused on supporting the acceleration of nanotechnology awareness, education, recognition, funding, research and innovation.

Serving as a catalyst for nanotechnologies, the foundation will be funded by a diverse group of stakeholders from the private sector, foundations, government agencies, high net worth individuals and those individuals that want to support an effort that can dramatically improve American output from energy to medical diagnosis and treatment. Between China and India alone, graduating engineers are out pacing America by more than 10 to 1 and there are billions of dollars spent on government funded research programs coming from other countries including the European Union and Japan.

“Not only does this have an economic impact on America, but we might lose the intellectual race as well,” said Michael Terlaak, the Executive Director and Founder of the NRF. “If we lose that, our last stronghold as a global leader, we will be dependent on other counties to create the new technological breakthroughs that will give us the next generation of innovative products and medical advancements. True, America still leads in innovation, the same way we once did in manufacturing, electronics and automobiles years ago. Without taking bold steps today, we are in jeopardy of letting our global leadership gradually erode like it has in other industries.”

The Nanotechnology Research Foundation mission is to attract capital and talent from across the country to stimulate creativity and advance the adoption of nanotechnologies with sustainable industry practices for economic, environmental and social benefits.

This mission is accomplished through a series of programs including, an educational tour, scholarship programs, foundation sponsorships and government relations. Partnerships to promote education with higher learning institutions will kick off with a University of California at San Diego (UCSD) partnership. Along with the initiation of the newly formed UCSD Nanoengineering Department, the NRF is supporting the institutions efforts to build and fund a research lab dedicated to the advancement of nanotechnology. Other such programs will include a collaborative library for published documents and newsletters on breakthroughs and funding programs.

The Nano Plan focus is on education programs and scholarships to help attract students into the field of nano engineering and other scientific studies using nanotechnology to create the next generation of products and solutions. The Nano Plan includes broad education initiatives and public service programs to create awareness about the opportunities using nanoscale science.

About Nanotechnology Research Foundation
Headquartered in San Diego, CA, the Nanotechnology Research Foundation mission is to create a national synergy of scientific minds and projects to better collaborate while developing a more effective means of achieving real solutions that will have significant impact with the use of nanotechnology.

The NRF stakeholders includes a diverse group from the private sector as business and financial leaders, academic and research institutes, in addition to the government and other non-profit organizations with a common agenda.

The NRF is advocating for increased private and government funding for advanced education and research to preserve American jobs in the ever increasing global competition for high-tech dominance.

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nanoresearchfoundation.org

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Effective Anti-superbug Drugs may be Developed Through Novel Nanotechnology Technique

Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:29:42 +0000

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Effective Anti-superbug Drugs may be Developed Through Novel Nanotechnology Technique

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Research leaders Dr Rachel McKendry and Professor Gabriel Aeppli have revealed that they have developed ultra-sensitive probes that can help increase the understanding of how antibiotics work.

They say that the new technology can pave the way for the development of more effective new drugs.

Making use of cantilever arrays, tiny levers no wider than a human hair, the researchers analysed the process, which ordinarily takes place in the body when vancomycin binds itself to the surface of the bacteria.

After coating the cantilever array with mucopeptides from bacterial cell walls, the researchers found that on attaching, the antibiotic triggers a surface stress on the bacteria.

The resultant surface stress can easily be detected by a tiny bending of the levers.

According to the researchers, the stress is what contributes to the disruption of the cell walls and the breakdown of the bacteria.

The team further compared how the interaction of vancomycin with both non-resistant and resistant strains of bacteria.

The 'superbugs' are resistant to antibiotics because of a simple mutation, which deletes a single hydrogen bond from the structure of their cell walls.

With this small change, it becomes approximately 1,000 times harder for the antibiotic to attach itself to the bug, leaving it much less able to disrupt the cells' structure, and thus rendering it therapeutically ineffective.

"There has been an alarming growth in antibiotic-resistant hospital 'superbugs' such as MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). This is a major global health problem and is driving the development of new technologies to investigate antibiotics and how they work," Nature magazine quoted McKendry as saying.

She added, "The cell wall of these bugs is weakened by the antibiotic, ultimately eliminating the bacteria. Our research on cantilever sensors suggests that the cell wall is disrupted by a combination of local antibiotic-mucopeptide binding and the spatial mechanical connectivity of these events. Investigating both these binding and mechanical influences on the cells' structure could lead to the development of more powerful and effective antibiotics in future."

"This work at the LCN demonstrates the effectiveness of silicon-based cantilevers for drug screening applications," added Professor Gabriel Aeppli, Director of the LCN.

The study is published in the latest edition of Nature Nanotechnology journal.

Source-ANI
RAS

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medindia.com/news/Effective-Anti-superbug-Drugs-may-be-Developed-Through-Novel-Nanotechnology-Technique-42903-2.htm

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Nanotechnology Is Creating Improved Products

Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:28:16 +0000

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“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent van Gogh.

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“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent van Gogh.
By bringing small things together, bigger and better things can be created. That fact is being proven by the implementation of a new technology in the manufacturing environment − nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology is an advanced manufacturing technology which offers revolutionary properties and benefits. These include: the ability to repel water, dirt and oil; resistance against many organic solvents and chemicals; and reliability of usage in alternating temperature cycle services.

Nanotechnology and Enclosure Climate Control
One field where nanotechnology is being implemented and sparking great enthusiasm is enclosure climate control. The use of this technology has been shown to not only protect equipment, but also to improve the energy efficiency of climate control products.

Rittal, the first enclosure climate control product manufacturer to use nanotechnology, is applying RiNano, a standard coating developed through nanotechnology, to all of the condensers of its TopTherm Plus cooling units. The company is seeing outstanding performance results in its air conditioners both in terms of how long the units run at the highest possible levels and the cooling output generated during that time.

RiNano protects air conditioner coils from harsh environmental conditions such as oil, dirt and dust found in disparate industries like automotive, manufacturing, processing plants, metal-cutting or food and beverage. Because the RiNano coating repels substances that can hamper performance, the air conditioners are free to perform their duties without abatement.

Layers of dust on the outer air circuit surfaces of air conditioners, especially on the condenser, can diminish effectiveness by 30 to 50 percent due to the dust’s insulating effect. RiNano coatings can prevent dust and dirt build-up because of the water, dirt and oil repelling properties created through the nanotechnology process. RiNano is resistant to filiform (underfilm) corrosion, which can develop under some coatings. Air conditioning units with RiNano-coated condenser coils are helping provide long-lasting, consistent-cooling performance as shown by the following examples from the automotive industry.

Audi, maker of automotive brake disks, was looking for a more efficient way of cooling its electrical components in enclosures. Extreme conditions in the plant have consistently included: aluminum cast dust, high ambient temperatures, oil-laden air and resultantly a high power loss in enclosures. At the Audi plant dozens of 5,100 BTU air conditioners are used to cool down a larger number of industrial cabinets containing power supply components and process controls. The use of air conditioners with RiNano-coated condenser coils has helped Audi to improve the efficiency of its air conditioners and has reduced maintenance tremendously. The cooling units operate nonstop, around the clock and never go on standby. Prior to the installation of cooling units with the protective coatings, condensers of air conditioner units were routinely covered with dirt and oily residue after only five days of operation and the use and replacement of filter mats was necessary on a weekly basis.

By utilizing RiNano protective coatings created through the process of nanotechnology, the condensers in the Audi plant are remaining cleaner longer, eliminating the need for weekly replacements of filter mats. As the application in the Audi plant shows, heat exchangers of the coated units displayed no signs of dirt after five months of operation in contrast to a standard unit with a three-day old filter. The cumulative results of using nanotechnology in these climate-control units has been guaranteed operational performance, increased energy efficiency, significantly reduced maintenance costs and increased equipment availability.

“Given the dusty environment here, changing filters used to be a weekly chore for the production workers, while the RiNano units did not require any service during the entire test period,” says Dietmar Vielwerth, maintenance manager at the Audi plant. By virtually eliminating cooler failures due to maintenance issues, Audi also avoided another problem. “Among the most dangerous consequences of cooler failures is the necessity to open up an overheated enclosure and expose the electronics to the ambient air,” states Audi/Ingolstadt process engineer Konrad Mayer. “The subsequent penetration of dust particles can compromise the system’s reliability and create unpredictability and the threat of further failures in the near future.”

Another facility that has tested RiNano protective coatings on enclosure climate control units is Volkswagen gear box plant, which operates in harsh environmental conditions, also is showing outstanding success with the use of RiNano-coated condenser coils on the air conditioners that are cooling electrical components in enclosures.

The benefits of utilizing nanotechnology with air conditioners is that the coils exposed to ambient air stay cleaner longer with less maintenance and higher energy efficiency due to clean heat exchangers. While Rittal has already made the nanocoating a standard for their TopTherm air conditioner and chiller line, it is expected that nanotechnology will be used as a standard in this industry in the future because of its numerous benefits. In its ongoing efforts to improve products and better the environment, Rittal is continuing to invest in nanotechnology research and development activities in cooperation with universities and scientific institutes both in the United States and abroad.

Nanotechnology Process
Nanotechnology is often perceived as a process primarily concerned with making things smaller. While micro-technologies have been concentrating on making macro-scale devices smaller, nanotechnology is more focused on improving current products of scale or creating new and improved products from the bottom up.

Climate control units in industrial settings are just one example in this evolving technology. To protect air conditioners with a RiNano coating, the condenser coils are first cleaned so they are free from dirt, dust and grease. After they are cleaned, they are dipped into the RiNano coating, which is then burned into the coil. RiNano coatings are designed to reliably adhere to various substrates such as metals, minerals and glass. On the basis of a thin dry film thickness, protection of components such as the air conditioner condenser coils is assured. This process makes the surface plainer and harder with no cracks, thus no underfilm contamination. Dirt cannot stick to it and it is more resistant against condensation.

Nanoparticles arrange themselves intelligently during application. The bonding components gather at the surface to be coated, while the anti-adhesive components migrate to the air. This produces an ultra thin, glass-like layer which bonds homogeneously to the original surface and guarantees extreme durability. The surface formed is a landscape of peaks and valleys of nanoscale dimensions. The properties of this surface are comparable to the surface of a lotus plant, where water simply forms beads and runs off.

Other Applications
In addition to the enclosure climate-control industry, nanotechnology is being utilized for other industry applications as well. Companies are working with the knowledge of nanoscale technology to improve existing products and are developing new products and systems, too.

Examples of progress in various industries where nanotechnology has been used include the production of nanoclay particles in the plastics industry, improved delivery mechanisms for pharmaceuticals, nanocarbon particles for improved steels and improved petrochemical industry catalysts.

Additional examples of improved products are anti-fingerprint and anti-microbial finishes for all types of stainless steel enclosures, including wallmount, freestanding and HMI cabinets, and an anti-graffiti finish for outdoor enclosures. The anti-fingerprint coating will make fingerprints less visible and they can easily be wiped off with a dry cloth. The ultra-fine nano composite material that is used will not visibly change the appearance of the surface. The same applies to the anti-graffiti finish, which is ideal for traffic control and telecommunications enclosures.

The anti-microbial finish prevents the development of microbes such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. By using this nanotechnology process, microbes can be removed from a surface with simple cleaning. Such a microbial finish would be ideal for markets such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical and healthcare.

Nanotechnology is proving to be much like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which was developed by DuPont in the early 1950s under the trade name Teflon®. PTFE is typically thought of as a coating for kitchen skillets in the food industry. Its usage, however, has expanded over the years to include application to various other industries and products, including bearings, bushings and major components of industrial, aeronautical and electronic equipment.

The Future of Nanotechnology
Much like nature’s creations, products that are designed and developed through nanotechnology promote high-energy efficiency, high-performance operation without waste and the ability to compensate for most obstacles.

Nanotechnology allows us to produce improved designs of existing products, as well as new and better products. Rittal is continuing to explore new ways to improve existing products for its customers. This technology is being used in a variety of markets, including petrochemical, aerospace, automotive and in industries where high hygienic standards are needed such as food and beverage, healthcare and pharmaceutical. The technology is being driven by government and professional associations such as the IEEE Nanotechnology Council. It will almost certainly be a standard in many industrial fields in the near future.

Judith Koetzsch is Product Manager for Climate Control Products for Rittal Corp., Springfield, Ohio. Koetzsch has been with Rittal for seven years, working in international product management climate control for Rittal GmbH & KG in Germany until her move to the U.S. in September 2006. Her experience includes new product development, product application training, product marketing and project management.

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Renewable energy using artificial trees made of nanoleaves

Admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:21:48 +0000

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Solar Botanic will introduce artificial trees that make use of renewable energy from the sun and wind, they are an efficient clean and environmentally sound means of collecting solar radiation and wind energy.

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Here at Solar Botanic, we've amassed a wealth of information relating to Solar Botanic Trees and Nanoleaves and the field of photovoltaic thermovoltaic and piezovoltaic technology. You will be amazed how efficient our Trees are, how they make use of light, heat and wind and turn it into useable electricity for your home or car.

If you are looking for future green power, you've found it. This is the ultimate renewable energy system, don't look any further, we are the most attractive solution and the most productive. Check out our triple converting Solar trees section to learn more about how this triple conversion will solve your energy problems, Solar Botanic trees and shrubs are so much more.

Our growth is based on a vision of creating unique world-class products by adopting the best aspects for light, thermal and wind energy conversions from around the globe, which is why Solar Botanic will expand through every corner of the globe introducing an efficient and aesthetic solution for every culture, climate and ecosystem.

Our products come with a guaranteed international quality control and assurance specification.

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Sun, wind, water, earth and life touch our living senses immediately always, everywhere and without any intervention of reason. They simply are there in their unmatched variety, moving us, our moods, memories, imaginations, intensions and plans.

To capitalize on the wealth of designs and processes found in nature, engineering and technology gave us the ingredients, creative thinking, and unique solutions made it possible to bring all this together into a natural looking leaf - the Nanoleaf.

To complete the tree for multi energy exploitation, the petiole twigs and branches are incorporated with Nano piezo-electric elements. A Nanoleaf is thin like a natural leaf, when outside forces, like the wind pushes the Nanoleaf back and forth, mechanical stresses appear in the petiole, twig and branches. When thousands of Nanoleaves flap back and forth due to wind, millions and millions of Pico watts are generated, the stronger the wind, the more energy is generated.

Our Nanoleaves only reflect a small part of the sunlight that strikes them, mostly the green light, and the rest of the spectrum is efficiently converted into electricity.
http://www.solarbotanic.com/images/p4_2.jpg

Besides converting the visible spectrum of light, our Nanoleaves also convert the invisible light, known as infrared light or radiation, we can't see it, but we can feel it - it's warm - that's why we call it radiation. Due to the unique combination of photovoltaic and thermovoltaic in our Nanoleaves it converts this thermal radiation into electricity, even hours after the sun has set.

The more wind there is,the more Nanoleaves are moved. Wind that is moving thousands of Nanoleaves in a tree canopy are causing mechanical strain in the petiole, twigs and branches. Nano piezo-electric elements incorporated in the petiole twigs and branches are the tiny Nano piezo-electric elements that will generate millions and millions of Pico watts as these thousands of Nanoleaves flap back and forth due to wind. The stronger the wind, the higher the "flap" frequency, and therefore the larger the watts generated in the petiole, twigs and branches.
http://www.solarbotanic.com/images/p4_1.jpg

With the progress in nano technology, the photovoltaic, thermovoltaic and piezo electric materials are becoming more efficient and combined in one system it will give our products more efficiency and we believe that soon, Solar Botanic will be a mainstream green energy provider, more reliable/cheaper and above all better looking.
http://www.solarbotanic.com/images/radiation.jpg

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Next Generation Bone Void Filler

Admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:55:23 +0000

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Pioneer's First In-House Biologic Product to Debut at NASS

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Pioneer Surgical Technology, Inc. today announced the U.S. market release of their FortrOss bone graft substitute. The novel biologic will make its public debut at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS) in Toronto, Canada. The FortrOss bone void filler, utilizing the power of nanotechnology for orthopaedic applications, is a scaffold for the in-growth of new bone when superior bone regeneration is required.

Pioneer's CEO and Chairman of the Board, Matthew N. Songer, MD, MBA says, "The Pioneer Orthobiologics team has reached a huge milestone with the release of the FortrOss. This is the culmination of over 10 years work by each of the two companies, Encelle(TM) Inc. and Angstrom(TM) Medica, Inc. that were acquired by Pioneer in 2007."
The FortrOss bone void filler combines the nanotechnology of nanOss(TM) hydroxyapatite with the bone growth promotion of E-Matrix(TM) scaffold. The FortrOss bone void filler is the most advanced on the market. The FortrOss osteoconductive matrix utilizes Pioneer's nanOss(TM) technology and is designed to mimic the nanostructures inherent in bone tissue.

According to Dr. Edward Ahn, Vice President of Biomaterials at Pioneer states, "Because the nanOss hydroxyapatite in FortrOss resembles the size, shape, and chemistry of native bone, bone tissue has a great affinity for nanOss and recognizes it as native tissue. This mimicry of native bone makes nanOss superior to other calcium phosphates on the market."
The combined nanotechnology-based osteoconduction and osteopromotive E- Matrix scaffold of FortrOss bone void filler positions Pioneer to impact significantly the dynamic field of bone repair.

About Pioneer Surgical Technology
Pioneer Surgical Technology, Inc., headquartered in Marquette, Michigan, is a dynamic medical device firm with a full line of cutting-edge motion preservation devices, either available commercially in Europe or under clinical evaluation in the U.S. Pioneer's signature articulating P3(TM) Technology - Pioneer PEEK-on-PEEK, in its NuBac(TM) disc arthroplasty system, BacJac(TM) interspinous decompression system, and NuNec(TM) artificial cervical disc, is the most technologically advanced in the industry. Currently, Pioneer offers a diverse portfolio of next generation spinal fusion devices. Pioneer's focus on innovation has resulted in over 100 U.S. and Foreign patents with numerous patents pending. The company established a Biologics Division following two acquisitions in 2007. Pioneer Orthobiologics is developing a rich pipeline of products indicated for a variety of spinal and orthopaedic applications. Pioneer focuses on developing products which are easier and faster for the surgeon, cost effective for the health care system, and provide better patient outcomes.

SOURCE Pioneer Surgical Technology, Inc.

pioneersurgical.com

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Iran's Nanotechnology Ranks First among Islamic Countries

Admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:52:30 +0000

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TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's progress and activities in the field of nanotechnology stood the first place among Islamic countries in 2008.

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"The purpose of development of nano is to create wealth and elevate the quality of life," said the vice-secretary of the special headquarters of nanotechnology.

"Iran should be able to rank the 15th in this field of technology in the world by the next 10 years and should make a direct income of $10 billion through this technology," added Saaber Mirzaaei.

"Creating electron-based microscopes which are of the complicated measuring systems are of the most successful achievements made through nanotechnology," he continued.

"A special fund has been devoted to support all those running activity in this field," he affirmed.

"In the year 2000, Iran ranked the 60th in the world and the 6th among Islamic countries while in 2008 it ranked 20th in the world and first among the Islamic countries," stated Mirzaaei.

A three-day festival for exhibiting abilities of nanotechnology opened on Monday in the Center for Mental Culture of Children and Youth, located in "Hejaab" street of Tehran.

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english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8707231364

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Nanotechnology gets practical

Admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:22:57 +0000

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What’s nanotechnology done for you lately?

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You know, nanotechnology, the science of manipulating the atomic structure of materials on a scale of a nanometer (one billionth of a meter)? The emerging science that captured the media’s imagination about a decade ago with visions of supercomputers mounted in wristwatches and X-ray machines that hang from your doctor’s neck like a stethoscope ... and then scuttled back into the laboratory for a prolonged reality check?

Well there’s finally something that nanotechnology can do for you — or, better, help you do for yourself, at your own home, with your own hands, at a price you can afford. While many of nanotech’s flashy gadgets and futuristic technologies remain in the research and development phase, a more mundane but — in this era of global climate change and energy shortages — perhaps more important product has emerged from the labs.

That product is called “Nansulate,” a paint-on insulation with an extremely low thermal conductivity value. Patented and manufactured by Industrial Nanotech Inc., Nansulate suspends specially engineered microscopic particles with nano-scale internal architecture in an acrylic resin, which is in turn suspended in water (similar to thick, acrylic-based paint). Nansulate is designed to be nontoxic and environmentally friendly, and because the microparticles are water-repellant, it is also an effective mold and rust inhibitor.

Developed initially for industrial applications such as insulating steam pipes and boilers, Nansulate found its way into the residential market by popular demand. According to Francesca Crolley, Industrial Nanotech’s vice president of operations and marketing, many people who learned about Nansulate through their jobs at industrial facilities inquired about the possibility of using it at home.

In response, the company developed a residential version of Nansulate that can be applied with a brush, paint roller or sprayer and cleans up with water. The product is designed for use on walls (usually interior), hot water pipes, water heaters and even skylights and glass block. (The clear product leaves a slightly cloudy film on windows.) Nansulate can be applied over existing paint, and it can be painted over once it has cured (a 30-day curing time is recommended).

Paint-on insulation can address the pervasive problem of uninsulated walls in older homes. While it is easy, in most cases, to put conventional insulation above ceilings and under floors, sealed walls must be opened and resealed or have insulation pumped through holes, which must then be patched. The cost/benefit ratio of insulating existing walls is therefore marginal, and homeowners often skip doing it.

At its current price of $66 per gallon (covering about 150 sq. ft.), Nansulate offers a highly economical solution to insulating existing walls. But while you’re at it, why not paint your ceiling, too, and conserve more energy — even if your attic is insulated.

How much energy can you save with Nansulate? Unfortunately, there is no data that directly compares the performance of Nansulate with that of conventional insulations. That’s because conventional insulations inhibit heat conduction as a function of their thickness (R-value per inch), whereas Nansulate is a non-conductor (insulator) that blocks both conductive and radiant heat flow even when it’s paper thin.

There is, however, a great deal of information about Nansulate’s performance based on real-life tests in industrial and residential settings. Factory owners have reported savings of 20 percent or more on their overall energy costs. Home energy savings of 20 to 40 percent are reported in testimonials on the Industrial Nanotech Web site.

I contacted the author of one of those testimonials, Kevin Lagario, who has used Nansulate at his home and in his green technology business in California (he has no financial ties to Industrial Nanotech). He had applied three coats of Nansulate to each side of a plywood shed housing hot water tanks, added some thin foil-and-bubble-wrap insulation and measured an inside temperature of 120 degrees when it was 60 degrees outside.

Although there are other paint-on insulations on the market, they are mostly ceramic-based and used on roofs and exterior walls.

Testing Nansulate in one or two rooms could show you if it is the appropriate nanotechnology for your ecological house.

Philip S. (Skip) Wenz is a freelance writer and former contractor, residential designer and teacher specializing in ecological design issues.

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helenair.com/articles/2008/10/14/weekly_features/health/100hs_081014_house.txt

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Alternative to fossil fuels from nanotechnology

Admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:19:54 +0000

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Nanotechnologies can be used to develop sustainable energy systems while reducing the harmful effects of fossil fuels as they are gradually phased out over the next century.

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This optimistic scenario is coming closer to reality as new technologies such as biomimetics and Dye Sensitised Solar Cells (DSCs) emerge with great promise for capturing or storing solar energy, and as nanocatalysis develops efficient catalysts for energy-saving industrial processes Europe is ready to accelerate development of these technologies, as delegates heard at a recent conference, Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy, organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF)

Solar energy can be harvested directly to generate electricity or to yield fuels such as hydrogen for use in engines.

Such fuels can also in turn be used indirectly to generate electricity in conventional power stations.

'The potential of solar power is much, much larger in absolute numbers than that of wind,' said Professor Bengt Kasemo from Chalmers University of Technology and the chair of the ESF conference.

However, like wind, the potential of solar power generation varies greatly across time and geography, being confined to the daytime and less suitable for regions in higher latitudes, such as Scandinavia and Siberia.

For this reason there is growing interest in the idea of a global electricity grid according to Kasemo.

'If solar energy is harvested where it is most abundant, and distributed on a global net (easy to say - and a hard but not impossible task to do) it will be enough to replace a large fraction of today's fossil-based electricity generation,' said Kasemo.

'It would also solve the day/night problem and therefore reduce storage needs because the sun always shines somewhere.' In the immediate future, solid state technologies based on silicon are likely to predominate the production (manufacture) of solar cells, but DSC and other 'runner ups' are likely to lower costs in the long term, using cheaper semiconductor materials to produce robust flexible sheets strong enough to resist buffeting from hail for example.

Although less efficient than the very best silicon or thin film cells using current technology, their better price/performance has led the European Union to predict that DSCs will be a significant contributor to renewable energy production in Europe by 2020.

The DSC was invented by Michael Gratzel, one of the speakers and vice chair at the ESF conference.

The key point to emerge from the ESF conference, though, is that there will be growing choice and competition between emerging nanotechnology-based solar conversion technologies.

'I think the important fact is that there is strong competition and that installed solar power is growing very rapidly, albeit from a small base,' said Kasemo.

'This will push prices down and make solar electricity more and more competitive.' Some of the most exciting of these alternatives lie in the field of biomimetics, which involves mimicking processes that have been perfected in biological organisms through eons of evolution.

Plants and a class of bacteria, cyanobacteria, have evolved photosynthesis, involving the harvesting of light and the splitting of water into electrons and protons to provide a stream of energy that in turn produces the key molecules of life.

Photosynthesis can potentially be harnessed either in genetically-engineered organisms, or completely artificial human-made systems that mimic the processes, to produce carbon-free fuels such as hydrogen.

Alternatively, photosynthesis could be tweaked to produce fuels such as alcohol or even hydrocarbons that do contain carbon molecules but recycle them from the atmosphere and therefore make no net contribution to carbon dioxide levels above ground.

Biomimetics could also solve the longstanding problem of how to store large amounts of electricity efficiently.

This could finally open the floodgates for electrically-powered vehicles by enabling them at last to match the performance and range of their petrol or diesel-based counterparts.

One highlight of the ESF conference was a presentation by Angela Belcher, who played a major role in pioneering nanowires made from viruses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.

Bizarre as it sounds, there is a type of virus that infects E.coli bacteria (a bacteriophage) capable of coating itself in electrically-conducting materials such as gold.

This can be used to build compact high capacity batteries, with the added advantage that it can potentially assemble itself, exploiting the natural replicating ability of the virus.

The key to the high capacity in small space lies in the microscopic size of the nanowires constructed by the viruses - this means that a greater surface area of charge carrying capacity can be packed into a given volume.

However, commercial realisation of biomimetic and other emerging technologies lies far in the future.

Meanwhile, as delegates heard from several speakers at the ESF conference, nanotechnology has an important contribution to make, improving the efficiency of existing energy-generating systems during the transition from fossil fuels.

For example, Robert Schlogl outlined how nanoscale catalysts can be used to improve the efficiency of engines or systems consuming fossil fuels.

Inspired by such presentations, delegates at the conference were unanimous in calling for a follow up.

'The conference was regarded as a real success and a new proposal for a conference in 2010 (chaired by Gratzel) will soon be submitted,' said Kasemo.

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laboratorytalk.com/news/eun/eun143.html

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Researchers Write Protein Nanoarrays Using A Fountain Pen And Electric Fields

Admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:32:20 +0000

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Nanotechnology offers unique opportunities to advance the life sciences by facilitating the delivery, manipulation and observation of biological materials with unprecedented resolution.

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Nanotechnology offers unique opportunities to advance the life sciences by facilitating the delivery, manipulation and observation of biological materials with unprecedented resolution. The ability to pattern nanoscale arrays of biological material assists studies of genomics, proteomics and cell adhesion, and may be applied to achieve increased sensitivity in drug screening and disease detection, even when sample volumes are severely limited.

Unfortunately, most tools capable of patterning with such tiny resolution were developed for the silicon microelectronics industry and cannot be used for soft and relatively sensitive biomaterials such as DNA and proteins.

Now a team of researchers at Northwestern University has demonstrated the ability to rapidly write nanoscale protein arrays using a tool they call the nanofountain probe (NFP).

"The NFP works much like a fountain pen, only on a much smaller scale, and in this case, the ink is the protein solution," said Horacio Espinosa, head of the research team and professor of mechanical engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern.

The results, which will be published online the week of Oct. 13 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), include demonstrations of sub-100-nanometer protein dots and sub-200-nanometer line arrays written using the NFP at rates as high as 80 microns/second.

Each nanofountain probe chip has a set of ink reservoirs that hold the solution to be patterned. Like a fountain pen, the ink is transported to sharp writing probes through a series of microchannels and deposited on the substrate in liquid form.

"This is important for a number of reasons," said Owen Loh, a graduate student at Northwestern who co-authored the paper with fellow student Andrea Ho. "By maintaining the sensitive proteins in a liquid buffer, their biological function is less likely to be affected. This also means we can write for extended periods over large areas without replenishing the ink."

Earlier demonstrations of the NFP by the Northwestern team included directly writing organic and inorganic materials on a number of different substrates. These included suspensions of gold nanoparticles, thiols and DNA patterned on metallic- and silicon-based substrates.

In the case of protein deposition, the team found that by applying an electrical field between the nanofountain probe and substrate, they could control the transport of protein to the substrate. Without the use of electric fields, protein deposition was relatively slow and sporadic. However, with proper electrical bias, protein dot and line arrays could be deposited at extremely high rates.

"The use of electric fields allows an additional degree of control," Espinosa said. "We were able to create dot and line arrays with a combination of speed and resolution not possible using other techniques."

Positively charged proteins can be maintained inside the fountain probe by applying a negative potential to the NFP reservoirs with respect to a substrate. Reversing the applied potential then allows protein molecules to be deposited at a desired site.

To maximize the patterning resolution and efficiency, the team relied on computational models of the deposition process. "By modeling the ink flow within the probe tip, we were able to get a sense of what conditions would yield optimal patterns," says Jee Rim, a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern.

Espinosa collaborated closely with Neelesh Patankar, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Northwestern, and Punit Kohli, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

"We are very excited by these results," said Espinosa. "This technique is very broadly applicable, and we are pursuing it on a number of fronts." These include single-cell biological studies and direct-write fabrication of large-scale arrays of nanoelectrical and nanoelectromechanical devices.

"The fact that we can batch fabricate large arrays of these fountain probes means we can directly write large numbers of features in parallel," added Espinosa. "The demonstration of rapid protein deposition rates further supports our efforts in producing a large-scale nanomanufacturing tool."

The paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences was authored by Loh, Ho, Rim, Patankar, Kohli and Espinosa.

Source information

Northwestern University (2008, October 13). Researchers Write Protein Nanoarrays Using A Fountain Pen And Electric Fields. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/10/081013171417.htm

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Nanotechnology could kill small farmers

Admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:46:47 +0000

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Despite the many benefits of nanotechnology on electronics, medicines, and foods, a non-government organization is now seeing the pains such technology could bring.

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In the field of nano agriculture, it is believed that it could hurt small-scale farmers who supply the world with small-scale raw materials.

ETC Group or the Action Group on Erosion, Technology, and Concentration executive director Pat Mooney, in his briefing with members of the Davao media, Mooney shared the impacts it could cause the world especially those in the Third World.

With the advent of nanotechnology or the manipulation of matter at the level of atoms and molecules, ETC has seen how such technology would change every step of the food chain as well as the people involved in the process.

Mooney explained that the highly-developed countries lead the world market, however, they still recognize and get raw materials from other countries like the Third World.

But with nanotechnology, where the power and manipulation is at the hands of the scientifically-advanced, the group is seeing a rapid change in the world's economy.

The expert disclosed Kraft Foods' move of coming up with a product that would automatically change clear water to any kind of drink like soda, coffee, or tea in just a matter of click on the microwave machine.

"This product will soon flood the grocery stores and would eventually kill all other beverage products as well as the farmers who provide the raw materials," he said.

ETC is now mindful on the world's $3 trillion food retail market, agricultural export markets valued at $544 billion, and the livelihood of some 2.6 billion farming people.

It is believed that the poor and marginalized are seldom in a position to foresee or adjust quickly to abrupt economic changes.

"Among the most vulnerable will be small-scale farmers and agricultural workers who produce raw commodity exports in the developing world.

Mooney visited Philippines to talk to different sectors in the community and share vital information needed by the public to prepare them for the big changes in the world market.

In the field of nano-foods, huge companies have started to invest on their research department to explore nano-scales by enhancing the taste and adding health benefits without having to add production cost.

An example cited is a beverage that claims no sugar in it but actually adds an enzyme that is capable in blocking some bitter taste buds.

He urged the government to share these information to the Filipino people and let them start preparing for the coming changes.

"The technology is moving so fast and yet our policymakers are so left behind. The people deserve to know all these," he said.

The world now estimates about 800 manufacturer-identified consumer products that use nanotechnology. These are already being sold in the world market in the absence of regulation and monitoring.

Data showed that the nanotech market for food and processing alone is estimated to be in excess of $2 billion and projected to surge to more than $20 billion by 2010.

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pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p081008.htm&no=02

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Mesothelioma Lawsuit Filed by California Woman

Admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:28:38 +0000

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Threat of Mesothelioma and Nanotechnology Causes Concern for Insurance Company

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Over the course of the past year, new reports have revealed the asbestos-like qualities of carbon nanotubes and their potential ability to cause mesothelioma (a cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure).

However, the research is by no means conclusive. One insurance company, Continental Western Insurance Group, has responded by saying they will exclude coverage of nanotechnology starting in November. The company’s reason for this is due to the “Unknown and unknowable risks created by the products and processes that involved nanotubes.”

The statement from the insurance company says, “Reports have raised concerns regarding health risks from workers that may be inhaling carbon nanotubes during the manufacture of certain products. The carbon nanotubes resemble asbestos fibers in appearance, raising the concern that they may cause illness similar to that linked to asbestos.”

CWG plans to attach a nanotube exclusion to all policy issues for business owners, motor carriers, and other various insurance products. The company has also called for further research into the possible long-term consequences of being exposed to nanotubes.

The result of current research is far from being conclusive. One study showed nanotubes caused lesions similar to those caused by asbestos, but involved the implantation of nanotube fibers into experimental rats. Another study suggested that only carbon nanotubes of a particular long, thin, shape have the potential to cause malignant mesothelioma.

Some believe CWG is just trying to save money by using the word “asbestos” as a trigger-word and relating it to carbon nanotubes. Insurance companies in the past have paid out big money due to asbestos-related claims concerning asbestosis, lung cancer, and pleural mesothelioma.

The EPA, as well as other environmental groups, are concerned about the possible consequences of the use of nanotechnology. However, Vicki Colvin, director of the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, says the potential benefits of carbon nanotubes are simply too powerful to ignore.

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asbestos.com/news/2008/10/13/threat-of-mesothelioma-and-nanotechnology-causes-concern-for-insurance-company/

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First grade reached by Iranin the nanotechnology between the Islamic countries

Admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:26:59 +0000

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Iran successfully reached the first grade in the nanotechnology activities among the Islamic countries in 2008.

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“The purpose of development of nano is to create wealth and increase the life quality,” said the vice-secretary of the special headquarters of nanotechnology.

“Iran should be able to reach the 15th grade in this technology by the next 10 years and should directly earn 10 billion Dollars,” added Saaber Mirzaaei.

“Creating electron-based microscopes which are of the complicated measuring systems are of the most successful achievements were reached by nanotechnology,” he continued.

“A special particular fund has devoted for this in order to support the active people of the field,” he affirmed.

“In the year 2000, Iran was the world’s 60th country and Islamic countries’ 6th and is 20th in the world and first among the Islamic countries, in 2008,” stated Mirzaaei.

A festival for exhibiting abilities of nanotechnology has opened today in the Center for Mental Culture of Children and Youth, located in the street “Hejaab” of Tehran and will be continued until the 24th of the month Mehr.\

Reported By: Mojgan Sattar

Translated By: Aref Mohammadzadeh

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iananews.com/english/details.aspx?id=1570

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Cut And Paste Nanotechnology With Single Molecules

Admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:42:51 +0000

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When the sample with the DNA scaffold is incubated with a solution of fluorescent nanoparticles, a rapid self-assembly process of these particles on the predefined scaffold takes place.

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Dr. Hermann E. Gaub, head of the Biophysics and Molecular Materials Group in the Physics Department at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) of Munich, together with Elias Puchner and colleagues from the university's Center for Nanoscience and the Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, combined the precision of atomic force microsccopy with the selectivity of DNA interaction to create freely programmable nanopatterns of DNA-oligomers on a surface and in aqueous environment.

What the LMU researchers did was create a DNA scaffold by picking biotin bearing DNA oligomers with an AFM tip and depositing them, one by one, in a desired pattern on a surface, basically creating a pattern of attachment points for fluorescent semiconductor nanoparticles conjugated with streptavidin. The small bacterial protein streptavidin is commonly used for the detection of various biomolecules and it binds with high affinity to the vitamin biotin. The strong streptavidin-biotin bond can be used to attach various biomolecules to one another or onto a solid support.

When the sample with the DNA scaffold is incubated with a solution of fluorescent nanoparticles, a rapid self-assembly process of these particles on the predefined scaffold takes place.

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thoughtware.tv/videos/show/2911

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Cal State Northridge has come a long way in 50 years

Admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:27:41 +0000

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NORTHRIDGE - In a basement lab at California State University, Northridge, students don astronautlike white suits to study the tiniest of molecules.

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Having a nanotechnology lab boasting $100,000 microscopes represents a giant leap for a university that 50 years ago sprouted amid orange groves and squash fields.

"It was all temporary buildings then, maybe 2,000 people on the entire campus," said Vince Barabba, a member of the school's founding class. "It was a close-knit environment where students and faculty came together. It was a rare opportunity to start a college with a clean slate."

Now, as the school celebrates its 50th anniversary, it is also engaging in its largest construction boom ever, including the addition of a $100 million performing arts center. And its enrollment has grown more than tenfold since those early days, reaching a record 36,600 this fall.

"We have had about 190,000 alums in 50 years. We are educating more teachers than the entire UC system and we are one of the largest employers in the San Fernando Valley, employing about 4,000 people," said CSUN President Jolene Koester. "This university has always been focused on this region."

But in many ways, the Valley's only public university is still a campus trying to find its way.

Koester's plans for the college include becoming a nationally recognized institution.

"Forever there have been conflicting visions of what this college should become," said John

Broesamle, a former CSUN history professor and author of the book "Suddenly a Giant: A History of California State University, Northridge."

From its inception, founding members of the school saw CSUN as competitive with UCLA and the University of Southern California, he said.

A satellite version of the school started in 1955 out of rented space in San Fernando High School. The first president's office was out of his car's front seat, Broesamle said.

CSUN's humble start, coupled with its suburban location, led many to think of the school as a small, semirural liberal arts college.

"But the small college in a rural environment was not sustainable," Broesamle said.

As the North Valley's fields gave way to tract homes, apartments and retail stores after World War II, CSUN also evolved.

The college began to plow its green space to make room for new classrooms, a library and student housing, and students began to ask for change inside the classroom.

By 1968, it felt its first round of growing pains when African-American and Chicano students, encouraged by the nation's ongoing civil rights movement, started protesting the school's lack of minorities.

Tensions reached a boiling point Nov. 4 that year when members of CSUN's Black Student Union accused a volunteer football coach of discrimination against a black football player.

They took over the fifth floor of the campus administration building. More than 100 LAPD officers were called in, and it all ended peacefully.

"It's ironic that the university that always aspired to national recognition was first recognized nationally as a fountainhead of student protests," Broesamle said.

As a result, CSUN created Pan-African Studies and Chicano/Chicana Studies departments as part of the agreement reached between student leaders and administrators.

Rudy Acuna, the founding faculty member for the Chicano/Chicana Studies Department, said getting the programs off the ground was difficult.

"Those first three years were hell," Acuna said. "Police were engaged in racial profiling. Originally even the Spanish Department objected to our program. They thought the programs would go away, but we kept pushing."

Today, the program serves 5,000 students a semester and is one of the largest of its kind in the country.

In 1994, CSUN was faced with a different kind of movement when the 6.7-magnitude Northridge Earthquake left most of the campus in rubble, with more than $300 million worth of damage.

It reopened weeks later in temporary bungalows with a lower enrollment, but 14 years later it has fully recovered.

Looking ahead, the college faces many challenges. As the Valley continues to diversify, CSUN has to adjust its programs to its changing student body.

Tom Spencer-Walters, chairman of the Pan-African Studies Department, said while minority programs have flourished - now including departments for women's studies, Asian-American studies, Central-American studies and most recently queer studies - the recruitment of minority faculty continues to be an issue.

"If ethnic studies were not on the campus, we would not be meeting our diversity objectives with faculty," Spencer-Walters said.

The current state budget crunch is also a growing issue for a college where more than half of the students are on financial aid.

"When I registered in the fall of 2005 my fees, with everything included, were about $1,500. ... Now they are almost $2,000," said Raul Marquez, 21, a 21 year-old senior majoring in kinesiology.

"I know we are getting a new science building, parking structure and a performance hall, but it seems like an inordinate amount of money in a small time frame. I hope CSUN continues to think about the college as a center for education, not a business."

For many, like nanotechnology professor Henk Postma, the mission remains clear. A Caltech doctoral graduate, he could have taught students the intricacies of the nanometer at pretty much any college.

But the Netherlands native said CSUN held a special attraction for him.

"I like the fact that we are teaching these types of students who typically don't go to research institutions - first-generation students," he said. "It's so important to engage these types of students."

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connie.llanos@dailynews.com
818-713-3634

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Secrets of superbug-busting antibiotic revealed by UCL researchers

Admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:06:56 +0000

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This week Nature Nanotechnology journal reveals how scientists from the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) at UCL are using a novel nanomechanical approach to investigate the workings of vancomycin, one of the few antibiotics that can be used to combat so-called ‘superbugs’, such as MRSA.

The researchers, led by Dr Rachel McKendry and Professor Gabriel Aeppli, developed ultra-sensitive probes capable of providing new insight into how antibiotics work, paving the way for the development of more effective new drugs.

“There has been an alarming growth in antibiotic-resistant hospital superbugs such as MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE),” said Dr McKendry. “This is a major global health problem and is driving the development of new technologies to investigate antibiotics and how they work.

“The cell wall of these bugs is weakened by the antibiotic, ultimately killing the bacteria,” she continued.

“Our research on cantilever sensors – tiny levers no wider than a human hair – suggests that the cell wall is disrupted by a combination of a local antibiotic and a polymer known as a mucopeptide binding together, and the spatial mechanical connectivity of these events.

“Investigating both these binding and mechanical influences on the cells’ structure could lead to the development of more powerful and effective antibiotics in future.”

During the study Dr McKendry, Joseph Ndieyira, Moyu Watari and co-workers used these cantilever arrays to examine the process that ordinarily takes place in the body when vancomycin binds itself to the surface of the bacteria.

They coated the cantilever array with polymers known as mucopeptides from bacterial cell walls and found that, as the antibiotic attaches itself it generates a surface stress on the bacteria, which can be detected by a tiny bending of the cantilever sensors.

The team suggests that this stress contributes to the disruption of the cell walls and the breakdown of the bacteria.

The interdisciplinary team went on to compare how vancomycin interacts with both non-resistant and resistant strains of bacteria. The ‘superbugs’ are resistant to antibiotics because of a simple mutation that deletes a single hydrogen bond from the structure of their cell walls.

This small change makes it approximately 1,000 times harder for the antibiotic to attach itself to the bug, leaving it much less able to disrupt the cells’ structure, and therefore therapeutically ineffective.

“This work at the LCN demonstrates the effectiveness of silicon-based cantilevers for drug screening applications,” says Professor Gabriel Aeppli, Director of the LCN.

“According to the Health Protection Agency, during 2007 there were around 7,000 cases of MRSA and more than a thousand cases of VRE in England alone. In recent decades the introduction of new antibiotics has slowed to a trickle but without effective new drugs the number of these fatal infections will increase.”

The research was funded by the EPSRC (Speculative Engineering Programme), the IRC in Nanotechnology (Cambridge, UCL and Bristol), the Royal Society and the BBSRC.

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ucl.ac.uk/silva/news/news-articles/08010/08101201/

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