Nanotechnology

NANO Blog & Podcast

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Prof. Endo: Nanotech is a ‘matter of life and death’ for developing nations

Prof. Endo, of Shinshu University in Japan, recently said “nanotechnology is certain to play a crucial role in creating technological innovations in the 21st century.” Ho goes on to say that success in nanotechnology is a ‘matter of life and death’ for developing nations, because developing nations are rapidly catching up in the mature technologies that led the 20th century, such as antibiotics and semiconductors. According to him, nanotech is now developing into a huge multidisciplinary field that covers a wide academic spectrum, from chemistry, physics and biology to economics, sociology and religious studies. "People with all sorts of scholarly backgrounds are joining the world of nanotechnology to explore various possibilities for a better future," Endo says. "It is becoming the area where academic disciplines are being fused--an extremely exciting place to be." See the full report here, or click here for an interview with Dr. Endo by MIT.

2nd International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health

The University of Minnesota is hosting the 2nd International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health, a multinational meeting addressing the potential implications and applications of nanotechnologies in the workplace. This conference intends to provide a multi-stakeholder forum for presenting, assimilating, and discussing the latest breakthroughs and activities in addressing nanotechnology and worker safety and health. Seminars include Neuronal Translocation of Inhaled Nanoparticles to the Brain: Cause for Concern? by Gunter Oberdörster, University of Rochester and The Effects of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes on Cells that Clear Particles from the Body by David Brown, Napier University, among many others. The conference is being held in Minneapolis, MN, October 3-6, 2005. Here for a brochure or here to register.

THONGS Aganist Nanotechnology?

What would induce citizens of the public health group THONG to join together on a Saturday at Eddie Bauer in Chicago? Nanotechnology! Members of the group were protesting the nano-fibers contained in the in new NanoTex clothing line. Ironically, THONG members are probably the least likely folks to be affected by the clothing line, since they are a bare all public-interest group that uses nudity to educate. At Howard Lovy's NanoBot, protestor Kiki Walters said “We’re out here naked so people can SEE THE PROBLEM, nanotech is such a radical and unpredictable new technology, like biotech, that it takes something highly visible, like a naked body, to get people to focus on the need to stop corporations from using humans as guinea pigs for new, untested, and unstable new technologies!” You can see more of Kiki at NanoBot. A column by Kevin Maney at USA Today also covers this event. In all fairness, EB does have a policy committed to enhancing life in the communities where they do business. Through funding and employee volunteerism EB supports caring for the environment and the protection of human rights. NanoTex seems to be growing however, as venture capital continues to increase.

EU Supports Nano Working Group on Active Biomimetic Systems

A newly formed European research group composed of scientists from the Max Planck Institute and eight other scientific institutions across Europe received 2 Million Euro from the European Union for research on "Active Biomimetic Systems". These systems involve biomolecular nanomachines, including growing filaments and stepping motors. The group, which is led by Prof. Reinhard Lipowsky, will conduct primary research on the molecular mechanism underlying this force generation and will explore new possibilities for the integration of these molecular machines into nano- and microsystems. More information (German).

Upcoming Nanotechnology Meetings June 2005

International Conference on Communication and Cooperation, June 1-3
European Congress & Exhibition NanoTrends, June 6-8
NASA Tech Briefs 2005 Conference June 7-8
Nanoscale Solutions for Research and Industry UK, June 7
China International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology, June 9 - 11
NanoForum Canada '05, June 15-17
X-rays and Neutrons: Essential Tools for Nanoscience Research, June 16-18
Nanotec Forum, Xpo & Conference in Stockholm, June 20-June 22
Nano4Food 2005, June 20-21
EPA Public Meeting on Nanoscale Materials, June 23
Nanotechnology in BioDiagnostics and Analytics, June 29-30

Piva Reports Findings on Alterations to Single-molecule Conductivity by a Charged Surface Atom

Paul G. Piva and colleagues report that although electrical transport through molecules has been much investigated and research has shown that single-molecule electronic effects have been observed, transport is sensitive to structural variations on the atomic scale. Understanding how the structural features affect such properties is of importance. His group has demonstrated that the electrostatic field emanating from a fixed point charge regulates the conductivity of nearby substrate-bound molecules. These results show that molecular conduction is shifted by altering the charge state of a silicon surface atom, or by varying the spatial relationship between the molecule and that charged center. Read their article, appearing in Nature, here.

Nanonews and Activities through May

Nanonews! including the President's Advisory Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Report on the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the UK citizen's NanoJury, a Science journal article on an American Chemical Society report on nanofibers seeding blood vessels, Nanotechnology Law and Business Journal's article on nano weapons of mass destruction, and Rutgers University Professor Stephen Danforth on student involvement in nanotechnology and the future. Also highlights from the Chemical and Engineering News cover story on nanotechnology investing. To listen click here. Subscribe here.

High Flying on the 2010 Space Ribbon

Do you still think of nanotechnology in the abstract? Elevate your perspective by learning about the Space Elevator, a thin ribbon, with a cross-section area roughly half that of a pencil, extending from a ship-borne anchor to a counterweight well beyond geo-synchronous orbit. Using vehicles, called climbers, one can ascend the ribbon using electricity generated by solar panels and a ground based booster light beam. How is this possible? The ribbon is 62,000 miles long, about 3 feet wide, and is thinner than a sheet of paper. It is made out a material called Carbon Nanotube Composite. Learn more. 

Conference on the uses of Nanotechnology in Food

Even your Big Mac could be improved through tiny science. At this June conference, stakeholders discuss food industry issues and nanotechnology including productivity, cost effectiveness, and disease prevention. NANO4FOOD is the first conference to offer a broad analysis on the requirements of the food industry, including manufacturing, distribution and consumption, and how nanotechnologies can address those needs by opening up new ways to develop more productive, economically feasible, fast-response and simple-to-use solutions that can provide a clear return on investment. Learn more.