X-Message-Number: 21470 From: "Gina Miller" <> References: <> Subject: The Nanogirl News~ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 16:16:27 -0800 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 "Nanotechnology: Solutions for the future." Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=21470