From: Gina Miller (nanogirl@halcyon.com)
Date: Wed Mar 26 2003 - 03:05:07 MST
(I tried to send this earlier, I don't know if it didn't work because I had
a stationary background on it?)
The Nanogirl News
March 25, 2003
Nanotechnology: Congress Thinks Big About Small Tech. Nanotechnology experts
told Congress
Wednesday that pending legislation in the House and the Senate is a
"significant step" in
overcoming the current obstacles facing the fledgling industry. Bills in
both houses would
dedicate more than $2 billion over three years for nanotechnology research
and development
programs...The House legislation is expected to be reported to the House
floor as early as
next month while Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R.-Ariz.)
has put the
legislation on the fast track. (Internet News 3/20/03)
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/2119771
New Measurements Show Silicon Nanospheres Rank Among Hardest Known
Materials. University of
Minnesota researchers have made the first-ever hardness measurements on
individual silicon
nanospheres and shown that the nanospheres' hardness falls between the
conventional hardness
of sapphire and diamond, which are among the hardest known materials. Being
able to measure
such nanoparticle properties may eventually help scientists design low-cost
superhard
materials from these nanoscale building blocks. (NSF 3/20/03)
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/03/pr0331.htm
Nanotechnology Could Block Viruses from Entering Cells. Researchers hope to
stop viruses such
as HIV from entering cells by using nanotechnology to create tiny particles
that interfere
with the proteins to which viruses attach. "The idea is to make decoys for
the virus," says
Jacquelyn Gervay Hague, professor of chemistry at University of California
Davis School of
Medicine. HIV attaches itself to host cells through a protein called gp120
on the virus's
surface. (Better Humans 3/20/03)
http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2003-03-20-1
Gold "Nanoplugs" Wire Up Enzymes. Could yield biosensors with greater
sensitivity,
specificity. Scientists at Hebrew University, Israel, in collaboration with
researchers at
the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, have devised
a way to use
gold nanoparticles as tiny electrical wires to plug enzymes into electrodes.
The gold
"nanoplugs" help align the molecules for optimal binding and provide a
conductive pathway for
the flow of electrons. The research, described in the March 21, 2003, issue
of Science, may
yield more sensitive, inexpensive, noninvasive detectors for measuring
biological molecules,
including, potentially, agents of bioterrorism.-Two images- (3/20/03
Brookhaven)
http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/2003/bnlpr032003.htm
Students glimpse the future. And it's tiny. After weeks of preparation, the
teams finally
face the test. They must examine the prospects and pitfalls of using
nanotechnology aboard
the space station Athena in the year 2033. What could the tiny science do
for surveillance
and defense, the competitors asked themselves. Where would it fall short?
Now, chatting
heatedly and scribbling furiously, they spend the next two hours applying
themselves to the
task. Finally the time is up. Pencils are set down and a lively discussion
of nano-technology
ensues. Not bad for a group of elementary school students. Students at the
Dutch Hill
Elementary School in Snohomish, Wash., are among several hundred thousand
students across the
country who this year are devoting class time to nanotechnology - the
science of manipulating
structures from the atom up, or literally, the technology of one-billionth.
(Christian Science Monitor 3/18/03)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0318/p15s01-lecl.html
Porous ceramic can sort proteins magnetically. In recent years chemists and
materials
scientists have enthusiastically searched for ways to make materials with
nanoscale pores --
channels comparable in size to organic molecules -- that could be used,
among other things,
to separate proteins by size. Recently Cornell University researchers
developed a method to
"self-assemble" such structures by using organic polymers to guide the
formation of ceramic
structures. (Eurekalert 3/24/03)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-03/cuns-pcc032103.php
SNAPing Out Small, Perfect, Dense Nanowire Lattices. Researchers
participating in the
California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at the University of California at
Santa Barbara
(UCSB) and at Los Angeles (UCLA) have invented a new technique for producing
"Ultra High
Density Nanowire Lattices and Circuits. The method, which was first
published online March 13
at Science Express,is akin to intaglio printmaking processes in which
printing is done from
ink below the surface of the plate. Intaglio processes emboss paper into the
plate's incised
lines. (Spacedaily.com 3/17/03)
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nanotech-03t.html
Look for tiny inventions to appear. Expert: Nanotechnology will have an
impact on society
within five years. Everybody's looking for the next big thing in technology,
but
breakthroughs will probably be much smaller than expected, a top federal
science official
said Tuesday. So small, in fact, that you'll need an electron microscope to
see them. Mihail
C. Roco is the National Science Foundation's senior adviser for
nanotechnology, a new field
that creates high-tech devices at the atomic and molecular levels. Roco was
the guest speaker
at the Lehigh Valley Technology Network's breakfast meeting at Lehigh
University in
Bethlehem, where he told local business leaders that nanotechnology will
play a key role in
everything from diagnosing cancer to feeding the world. (mcall.com 3/19/03)
http://www.mcall.com/business/local/all-nanotechmar19,0,6541146.story?coll=a
ll%2Dbusinessloca
l%2Dhed
Opals bring good fortune to nanotube researchers. Although some people
associate opals with
bad luck, the gemstones have brought success to a group of researchers from
the New Jersey
Institute of Technology, US. The scientists grew carbon nanotubes into voids
between the
silica spheres making up a synthetic opal to produce a material with
specific optical
properties. (nanotechweb.org 3/17/03)
http://nanotechweb.org/articles/news/2/3/9/1
Nanotechnology: What it is and why you need care. We take for granted so
much that would have
been considered science fiction just a few years back. Cellphones, the
Internet, Blackberries, GPS
and the like used to be the stuff of comic books and B movies. Now, we don't
think twice about these
things. The authors of The Next Big Thing believe that nanotechnology, much
like genomics, will
revolutionize the economic and social landscape. But what is nanotechnology?
And how will it affect
our lives and our businesses? In short, why should we care about it? (Miami
Herald 3/17/03)
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/2003/03/17/business/5398047.htm
Ink changes colour at flick of a switch. Iridescent nanospheres may deliver
full-colour
electronic newspaper. A new ink changes colour at the flick of a switch. It
could give rise
to newspapers that show shifting images, or chemical sensors that display
different hues
depending on what substance they detect. The substance is called P-Ink or
'photonic ink', and
is being developed by Geoffrey Ozin, Ian Manners and their colleagues at the
University of
Toronto, Canada. (Nature Science Update 3/18/03)
http://www.nature.com/nsu/030317/030317-1.html
(No language pack install required for English readers) National center for
nanoscience,
nanotechnology set up in Beijing. With the joint efforts of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences
(CAS) and the Chinese Ministry of Education, the National Center for
Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology was set up in Beijing Saturday. Lu Yongxiang, president of
CAS, said rapid
development in nanometer science and technology will greatly promote
sci-tech development and
innovation, and accelerate the development of information technology and
biotechnology.
(Xinhuanet.net 3/22/03)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-03/22/content_793485.htm
Carnegie Mellon Scientists Create Unique DNA Probe With Great Potential. A
team of
investigators at Carnegie Mellon University has formed the first hybrid
quadruplex of peptide
nucleic acids, or PNAs, with DNA, the genetic code. This result opens new
opportunities to
study the activity of genetic regions occupied by recently described
quadruplex DNA
structures, as well as providing a new compound that could be used as a
biosensor or to block
gene activity associated with diseases such as cancer..."Michael Crichton
might not use this
in his next book, but the opportunities for building functional
nanostructures based on the
PNA2-DNA2 hybrid quadruplex are very interesting to us, and we hope to
exploit this novel
recognition mode," notes Armitage. (ScienceDaily 3/21/03)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/03/030321075058.htm
The Next Material World. Get ready to research, reengineer, reinvent and
innovate new
products and processes. The National Science Foundation has predicted a $1
trillion market by
2015 for nano products.
http://nanodot.org/article.pl?sid=03/03/23/036215
City-based National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) is developing a DNA chip which
would help
identify and treat specific genetic disorders such as thalassaemia. The
department of science
and technology (DST) is funding the three year project..."We are confident
of completing the
project by the middle or end of 2004," Sastry said, pointing out that this
cheaper
alternative to DNA sequencing could be used to treat India-specific genetic
disorders such as
hypertension. Elaborating on the project, Sastry said the idea was to plant
the DNA chip into
the body to treat ailments. "This will not only reduce the cost of drugs
production and
enhance the level of automation, but also revolutionize medical science," he
said.
(Times of India 3/23/03)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=41197
322
High school students to discover tiny miracles. NSF's Art Ellis is bringing
nanotechnology to
the students of D.C.'s Banneker High School. In a presentation that reveals
the impact of
nanotechnology on our daily lives, the National Science Foundation's Art
Ellis will be
bringing hands-on nanotech exploration to the students of Banneker High
School in Washington,
D.C. on March 26, o3 at 8:50sm.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-03/nsf-hss032103.php
Nature inspires DNA/protein. A new generation of nanoscale devices are being
developed based
on inspiration found in nature. Grazyna Sroga, a postdoctoral researcher at
Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, is using DNA and related proteins to construct
microscopic structures
that may one day conduct electricity, deliver drugs, boost computer memory,
or sense the
presence or absence of chemicals. She is working in the laboratory of
Jonathan S. Dordick,
the Howard P. Isermann '42 professor of chemical engineering. (Eurekalert
3/24/03)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-03/rpi-nid032103.php
Nano-sediment highways in catalyst. Dutch chemists have visualized how the
porous structure
of a zeolite catalyst depends on the production method. Zeolite made with
carbon fibres as a
template, has particles with straight canals that act as highways for the
oil components
which must be converted into benzene components. (Netherlands Org. for Sci.
Research 3/18/03)
http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/NWOP_5KRJ7R?OpenDocument&g=NWO&n=ACPP_4W
MESE&rc=1
The next big thing (is practically invisible). Nanoparticles - objects on a
scale of
one-billionth of a meter - now turn up in everyday products from tennis
balls to sunscreen.
(Christian Science Monitor 3/24/03)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0324/p17s03-wmcn.html
New Crystalline Structures May Open Door To Molecular Filters. Imagine a
mask that could
allow a person to breathe the oxygen in the air without the risk of inhaling
a toxic gas,
bacterium or even a virus. Effectively filtering different kinds of
molecules has always been
difficult, but a new process by researchers at the University of Rochester
may have paved the
way to creating a new kind of membrane with pores so fine they can separate
a mixture of
gases. Industries could use these types of membranes for extracting hydrogen
from other gases
for fuel cells that will power the next generation of automobiles.
(ScienceDaily 3/17/03)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/03/030317074038.htm
Biotech, nanotech need aid. Survey indicates government money, space needs
are vital to
region's hope for industry hub. The Austin-San Antonio corridor has a long
road to travel
before it can consider itself a biotechnology and nanotechnology hub,
according to a report
released by the University of Texas' IC2 Institute. To make it as a cluster
for nanotech and
biotech, the area needs government assistance in offsetting costs for lab
space and funding
disparities, the report indicates. (BizJournals 3/21/03)
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2003/03/24/story4.html
Spider silk delivers finest optical fibres. Delicate threads of spider's
silk are about to
solve a major problem in photonics: how to make hollow optical fibres narrow
enough to carry
light beams around the fastest nanoscale optical circuits. To make the
fibres, Yushan Yan and
a team of engineers from the University of California at Riverside give the
silk thread a
glassy coating, and then extract the silk by baking. They soon expect to be
able to make
hollow fibres with cores just two nanometres wide - or 50,000 times thinner
than a human
hair. (New Scientist 3/19/03)
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993522
University of South Carolina Hosts International Conference on Global
Societal Impacts of
Nanoscience. Scholars from the United States and Europe will converge at the
University of
South Carolina (USC) March 20-23 for the first of two international
conferences to discuss
the societal implications of nanoscale science and technology on a global
scale. The
conference is the first ever focusing on "nanoscience studies" - the
examination of the
philosophy, ethics, politics, and culture of nanoscience. (AScribe 3/14/03)
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid=20030314.055829&time=07
2017%20PST&year=2
003&public=1
NEC Tries to Grab the Fuel Cell Market by the Carbon Nanohorns. Twelve years
after NEC
Corp.'s Sumio Iijima discovered the carbon nanotube, the company's fuel
cells - powered by a
variant called the carbon nanohorn - are getting ready to power portable
devices.
Yoshimi Kubo, senior manager of NEC Fundamental Research Labs' Nanotube
Technology Center,
said the fuel cells will start shipping for laptops in 2004 and cell phones
in 2005.
(SmallTimes 3/25/03)
http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=5719
Me, You Could Become Grey Goo. One of the more interesting concerns of
nanotechnology is grey
goo. The term was invented by Eric Drexler to describe one of the dangerous
issues that must
be faced as nanotechnology capabilities evolve. Here's how it works:
(eprarie 3/24/03)
http://eprairie.com/news/viewnews.asp?newsletterID=4521
DuPont nanotube composite forms printable conductor. Researchers at DuPont,
US, have
developed a polyaniline/single-wall carbon nanotube composite. The material
is designed for
use in a laser ablation "dry printing" process to produce plastic
transistors. We developed
these composites as printable conductors for organic electronics
applications," researcher
Graciela Blanchet told nanotechweb.org. "As they stand today, their
conductivity and
resolution make them adequate for use as the conductor in the source/drain
and gate layers of
electrophoretic display backplanes such as e-books, panels and posters."
(nanotechweb 3/21/03)
http://www.nanotechweb.org/articles/news/2/3/12/1
Carnegie Mellon University chemists create versatile polymer brushes. Many
potential
applications. Carnegie Mellon University scientists are creating molecularly
engineered
polymer brushes using a revolutionary catalytic polymerization procedure
developed in their
laboratory. These nanoscale brushes have numerous potential applications in
a number of
fields, including medicine, computers and environmental engineering,
according to Krzysztof
Matyjaszewski, professor of chemistry at Carnegie Mellon and director of the
Center for
Macromolecular Engineering at the Mellon College of Science. Professor
Matyjaszewski is
presenting his most recent findings on these nanoscale marvels Tuesday,
March 25, in the
opening lecture of a session on polymer brushes at the American Chemical
Society's (ACS)
225th annual meeting in New Orleans. (NanoApex 3/25/03)
http://news.nanoapex.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3250
Gina "Nanogirl" Miller
Nanotechnology Industries
http://www.nanoindustries.com
Personal: http://www.nanogirl.com
Foresight Senior Associate http://www.foresight.org
Extropy member http://www.extropy.org
nanogirl@halcyon.com
"Nanotechnology: Solutions for the future."
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