X-Message-Number: 20378 From: "Gina Miller" <> Subject: The Nanogirl News~ Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 13:30:16 -0800 The Nanogirl News October 29, 2002 Nanotechs called to duty at Picatinny. Several nanotechnology companies will be aiding in the development of smaller - but just as lethal - weapons at Picatinny Arsenal, officials said Friday. The military base reached six partnership agreements - two with businesses, the other four with universities - to help launch a Manufacturing, Research, Development and Education Center for Nanotechnologies, said Picatinny officials, who have dubbed the center "Nano Valley." The center is being funded by $9.5 million in federal grants received over the past two years. It will be spread out among several of the 1,000 buildings at the 6,500-acre arsenal. (Daily Record News 10/26/02) http://www.dailyrecord.com/news/02/10/26/news7-nano.htm The Simplest Pump. Researchers have created a nanoscale ion pump by punching a tiny hole in a plastic sheet and applying an oscillating electric field. Their modeling indicates that the single conical pore works like a ratchet, according to the 4 November print issue of PRL. The group hopes that the device will eventually help explain ion pumps and channels in biological cells, the inspirations for their work. Micron-sized beads have already been pushed "uphill," against electrochemical forces, through specially shaped small holes. Zuzanna Siwy of the Institute for Heavy Ion Research (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany, and Andrzej Fulinski of Jagellonian University in Krakow wanted to take the next step and pump single ions through nanosized pores. (Physical Review Focus 10/23/02- to appear in the Nov. 4 02, paper issue) http://focus.aps.org/v10/st19.html The Drive Toward Intel 'Everywhere'. Intel says it wants to update the majority of its semiconductor lineup by the end of 2004 to better reflect emerging know-how like nanotechnology. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip making giant said it would focus on 90-nanometer process technology to advance its next generation of processors like it's next Pentium release - Prescott. (internet.com 10/23/02) http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/1487471 IBM builds circuit with carbon monoxide modules. The smallest circuit yet could mean big advances for processing power Just as a falling apple spurred Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity, toppling dominoes have inspired researchers to build the world's smallest computer circuits. Scientists at IBM's Almaden Research Centre in San Jose, California, have built and operated working computer circuits at a nanoscale using an innovative approach in which individual molecules stream across an atomic surface like toppling dominoes. (ZDnet10/25/02) http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?j50433760&w=501400 Or read the CNN report at: http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/biztech/10/25/ibm.nanotechnology.reut/index.htm l Computer Simulations Showcase Aluminum's Odd Behavior. Aluminum, a metal known for its conductivity, could behave like a ceramic or semiconductor in some situations, according to a new report. The metal may also endure mechanical stress better than copper, which is typically considered to be a stiffer metal, in nanotechnology applications. The findings, published today in the journal Science, could point to improved nanoelectronics. (Scientific American 10/25/02) http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=000B8B89-8441-1DB8-9 4E2809EC5880108 Plans set for Arlington Technology Incubator. Armed with $2.3 million for nanotechnology tucked into the defense appropriations bill signed by President George W. Bush on Oct. 23, university and chamber of commerce officials have cemented plans to break ground for the Arlington Technology Incubator and hope to launch the unusual facility by next March. The 12,500-square-foot center will house between 30 and 35 technology companies, which will be startups or young companies doing cutting-edge research in the fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology - the use of devices or materials built to operate at a molecular level. (Dallas Business Journal 10/25/02) http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2002/10/21/daily61.html Molecular Shuttlecocks.C60 feathered with aromatic groups forms polar liquid-crystalline materials. Japanese researchers have unveiled a new design strategy for polar liquid-crystalline materials that they expect will be applicable to optoelectronic devices. Other groups have attempted to make such materials by using conical molecules, which stack to form columns with a polar orientation. But the flatness of those conical molecules and their ability to flip "have limited the success of this approach to making polar liquid-crystalline materials," according to chemistry professors Eiichi Nakamura, Masaya Sawamura, and Takashi Kato of the University of Tokyo and their coworkers.-A buckyball feathered with five aromatic groups stacks like shuttlecocks to form a polar columnar assembly- (C&E 10/21/02) http://pubs.acs.org/cen/topstory/8042/8042notw4.html Scientific breakthrough no ordinary yarn. A Chinese research team have found new approaches to pull carbon nanotubes into continuous yarns up to 30 centimetres long - an achievement that may facilitate mankind's manipulation of matter atom by atom in the future. The breakthrough was made by Jiang Kaili and his colleagues at Beijing-based Tsinghua University in May, the latest issue of science magazine Nature stated. Jiang described the carbon nanotube yarns as thin ribbons composed of parallel threads that have diameters in the range of several hundred nanometres, with the width of the yarn roughly depending on the number of threads in it. (China Daily 10/26/02) http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/hk/2002-10-26/91319.html The 3rd annual Upstart Europe conference, included topics: Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Mergers & Acquisitions, New Funds, Wireless, Payment along with the announcement of the winners of the Tornado 100. For those who where unable to attend this year we have some of our speaker presentations available in PDF format...Includes PDf of Tim Harper. See list below first graphic of this website. (Tornado Insider) http://www.tornado-insider.com/upstarteurope/default.asp Sugar coating insulates molecular wires. A team of scientists from University College London, Cambridge University and Oxford University in the UK, and Humboldt University Berlin, Germany, has used supramolecular chemistry to insulate molecular wires made from conducting polymer molecules. Coating the molecules with ring-like sugars called cyclodextrins improved their light-emitting properties. (nanotechweb.org 10/23/02) http://nanotechweb.org/articles/news/1/10/18/1 Nanoscientists to Brainstorm Processes for Building Hybrid Structures at Atomic Scale. A select group of 60 scientists from across the country will convene at the University of Chicago Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16, to discuss the emerging field of nanohybrid structures. Nanoscientists build these structures to develop smaller, faster computers, accelerate drug discovery and development, and spur a variety of other potential applications. (Ascribe 10/25/02) http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid=20021025.065746&time=07% 2041%20PDT&year=2002&public=1 Gene Tweaking Safely Doubles Life Span. A US team has doubled the lifespan of the nematode worm with no apparent physiological side effects. The key to what appears to be uncompromised longevity is to silence a gene involved in ageing at just the right point in a worm's life cycle. In previous work involving interfering with the gene, longer life was only achieved at the cost of a loss of ability to reproduce in C. elegans. "But knocking down the gene after the worms reach adulthood increases their life span without affecting their reproduction," says Cynthia Kenyon at the University of California, San Francisco, who led the research. (New Scientist 10/24/02) http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992969 New nanoparticle coating mimics dolphin skin. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are seeking to splice RNA-docking molecules to a novel breed of nanoparticles -- specially structured "nanocages" -- for on-the-mark, stay-put delivery of diagnostic and disease-fighting agents. Said nanoparticles, dubbed knedels for their similarity to a popular Polish dumpling, also hold promise for other, non-medical payoffs (e. g., as a foil to maritime fouling). (Washington University 10/27/02) http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/casw/wooley.html Thinking small and big. Researchers across the Carolinas are thinking big thoughts about small things, pioneering in a field that promises one of greatest technological advances of the 21st century. By thinking small - at the molecular level - these researchers hope to develop a device that can travel through the body's circulatory system, tracking down and destroying any cancer cell in its path. They expect to manipulate the structure of carbon atoms to create products that are 100 times as strong as steel, so tough that a tube the size of a pencil could carry the weight of 20 cars. (Charlotte Business jrnl. oct.25 print issue) http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2002/10/28/focus1.html Israel on cutting edge of the nanotech revolution. Good things come in small packages. And, in this case, they come in microscopic packages of one-millionth of a millimeter. This is nanoworld, where a DNA string is a veritable giant, and a single cell is unthinkably huge. This is the last frontier of chemistry, one step before sliding into physics...And, the Israeli scientific and business community is at the forefront of this emerging field. Israel is widely recognized one of the leading powers in nanotechnological research, with one team, led by Reshef Tenne of Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, recently being nominated for the World Technology Award alongside teams from IBM, Harvard and MIT. (Israel21c via Israel High-Tech Investor Magazine 2002, 10/28/02) http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWh at=object&enDispWho=Articles%5El214&enZone=technology&enVersion=0& Neutron Holography. Neutron holography with atomic-scale resolution has been performed, for the first time, with an "inside-detector" approach. Holography generally includes a source of illuminating waves, an object to be imaged, and a detector or film in which waves direct from the source interfere with waves scattered from parts of the object. The interference pattern, stored in the detector medium, is later read out (and a 3D image of the object viewed) by sending waves into the detector. (AIPS 10/15/02) http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2002/split/609-1.html Hybrid Plastics' nanomaterials: From inner molars to outer space. Hybrid Plastics is working with several partners to roll out a rather impressive little molecule with a plethora of possible applications. Pentron Corp., a dental supply firm, announced a dental bonding agent called NanoBond, based on Hybrid's POSS technology and NASA is testing versions of Hybrid's plastics on the exterior of the International Space Station. (Small Times 10/28/02) http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=4904 Nanotechnology: Opinion: Big opportunities for small objects - Mildred Dresselhaus (PDF) (from Materials Today) Midred Dresselhaus (MIT) discusses nanotechnology. (10.24.02) (Material Research Society News page 10/24/02) http://www.materialstoday.com/pdfs_5_11/opinion.pdf Nanotubes hang tough. Tiny nanotubes form super-tough material when glued together. By sandwiching tiny but super-tough carbon nanotubes between layers of polymer, researchers have created a revolutionary material that is six times stronger than conventional carbon-fibre composites and as hard as some ultrahard ceramic materials used in engineering. An international team led by Nicholas Kotov of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater say their new material could be used in space engineering or for long-lasting medical implants. Because the composite is completely organic (carbon-based), it is as lightweight as traditional carbon-fibre materials. (Nature 10/14/02) http://www.nature.com/nsu/021007/021007-13.html US Global Aerospace, Inc.,formerly Caring Products International, Inc., Acquires NanosilTSuper-Hydrophobic Treatment Technology through an exclusive license agreement with Moose River Consulting, Inc. NanosilT is a proprietary super hydrophobic surface modification process that produces surfaces that are designed to repel water completely. NanosilT actually modifies the chemical structure of the polymer surface on a nano-scale (molecular level). Atoms of silicon are incorporated into the molecular structure at key points to change the electrical nature of the polymer material. Using this method, the water repellancy can be "tuned" for optimum performance. (Hoovers Online 10/29/02) http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=displaynews&doc_id=NR20021029290.2 _05da000de250d777 Army researchers eye nanomachine-based 'smart' paints for combat vehicles. U.S. Army experts are trying to embed microscopic electromechanical machines in paint that could detect and heal cracks and corrosion in the bodies of combat vehicles, as well as give vehicles the chameleon-like quality of rapidly altering camouflage to blend in with changing operating environments. Officials of the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command's Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (TACOM-ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., are working with scientists at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, N.J., to develop nanotechnology-based "smart" coatings for Army vehicles and other material. (Military & Aerospace Electronics, October 2002) http://mae.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=Articles&Subsect ion=Display&ARTICLE_ID=158414 Nanosys Licenses Seminal Technology in Semiconductor Nanowire Heterostructures from the Regents of the University of California. Nanosys Inc. completed an exclusive licensing arrangement, with The Regents of the University of California, for key intellectual property from the Laboratory of Dr. Peidong Yang. Dr. Yang's patent portfolio covers fundamental compositions of matter and methods for the creation of novel nanowire heterostructures; nanoscopic semiconductor wires, one ten-thousandths the width of a human hair, that have their composition controllably modulated along their length and/or width to create features that are hundreds of times smaller than those on a current generation Pentium microprocessor chip. (PR Newswire 10/28/02) http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-28 -2002/0001829609&EDATE= Wear your nanotech attitude to work. You are at a party and somebody jostles you and knocks your drink, or maybe some chutney or chocolate sauce, onto your cool Rs 1,000-plus cotton shirt you bought for the occasion and ruins it. Your worst fears have come true. But such fears could soon be history, thanks to nanotechnology. US-based Nano-Tex, LLC, which is using this revolutionary new technology to create, change and improve textiles at the molecular level, has introduced products that markedly improve the performance of everyday fabric like cotton. And six months into their global commercial introduction, one of these products is available in India __ in Arvind Brands' flagship formalwear brand Arrow. ( Times of India 10/24/02) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=26200196 Duke researchers report technique to make more-uniform 'buckytubes'. Duke University chemists report they have made a significant advance toward producing tiny hollow tubes of carbon atoms, called "nanotubes," with electronic properties reliable enough to use in molecular-sized circuits. In a report posted Oct. 28, 2002, in the online version of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the Duke group described a method to synthesize starting catalytic "nanocluster" particles of identical size that, in turn, can foster the growth of carbon nanotubes that vary in size far less than those produced previously. (EurekAlert 10/28/02) http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-10/du-dr102802.php New Technique Reveals Structure of Films With High Resolution. Scientists have developed and tested a new imaging technique that reveals the atomic structure of thin films with unprecedented resolution. For the first time, the technique has shown very precisely how the atoms of the first layers of a film rearrange under the action of the substrate on which the film is grown. The results of the study are reported as the cover story of the October issue of Nature Materials. "This technique directly provides a very precise image of atomic positions within a film and at the interface between a film and a substrate," says Ron Pindak, a physicist at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and one of the authors of the study. "With the current growing interest in the study of nanomaterials, which are the size of a few atoms, this technique will probably be key in devising such materials and understanding their properties." (Brookhaven National Laboratory press release 10/29/02) http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/2002/bnlpr102902.htm Tailor-made Cancer Drugs: Wave of the Future? Washington University chemist offers radical new strategy in fight against cancer. Today, even the best cancer treatments kill about as many healthy cells as they do cancer cells but John-Stephen A. Taylor, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis, has a plan to improve that ratio. Over the last several years, Taylor has begun to lay the conceptual and experimental groundwork for a radical new strategy for chemotherapy -- one that turns existing drugs into medicinal "smart bombs," if you will...In related work, Taylor said he will be using overexpressed RNA sequences to help target drugs in research with Washington University colleague Karen Wooley, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, and other collaborators. The group hopes to splice Taylor's RNA-docking molecules to Wooley's new breed of nanoparticles for on-the-mark, stay-put delivery of diagnostic and disease-fighting agents. (Washington University 10/27/02) http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/casw/taylor.html Nanomechanic devices sniff out whisky. Back in the mid-1980s the inventors of the atomic force microscope (AFM) - a device that profiles surfaces by scanning them with a sharp probe mounted on a cantilever beam - probably never imagined that one day sensors based on AFM technology would be able to "smell" whisky. But now cantilever-based nanomechanic devices can do all this and more. Liz Kalaugher reports. (Nanotechweb October 2002) http://nanotechweb.org/articles/feature/1/10/4/1 Nanoco Offers Samples to Prove Quantum Dot Process. Nanoco Ltd., a start-up spun out of the U.K.'s University of Manchester, is not only shipping multi-gram quantities of quantum dots, it's also giving away free samples. The company calls its quantum dots "NanoDots," and it uses a patented process to make standard dots or dots made to custom specifications. The process Nanoco has patented uses a unique "single source" precursor that does not rely on the toxic, flammable and unstable materials used in the "double source" process. (Nanoelectronicsplanet 10/23/02) http://www.nanoelectronicsplanet.com/nanochannels/products/article/0,4028,10 460_1486891,00.html Happy Halloween Ghouls and Ghosts! 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 "Nanotechnology: Solutions for the future." Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=20378