Nanogirl News

The Nanogirl News~
From: "Gina Miller"

The Nanogirl News
October 18, 2002

House Gets Own Nanotech Legislation to Consider. One month after the Senate Commerce Committee passed legislation promoting nanotechnology funding and development, Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., introduced the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Advisory Board Act on Thursday. The bill, H.R. 5669, would establish an independent advisory board comprised of leaders from industry and academia to advise the President and Congress on research investment strategy, policy, objectives and oversight related to the government's National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). (DC Internet 10/18/02) http://dc.internet.c...cle.php/1484461

Nano-Machines Get Some Fresh Air. For nanometer-sized machines, air is so thick it saps their energy. That means most contraptions must be confined to vacuum chambers. But now physicists report that a little laser light can help nanomachines operate in open air. The advance could open the way for ultrasensitive biodetectors. (inSight 10/2/02) http://www.academicp...2002/graphb.htm

Study reveals nanoscale structure in amorphous material. The common view that amorphous materials are simply jumbled collections of atoms may give way to a more ordered theory of the materials' formation, according to experiments conducted at the University of North Carolina. Studies of an amorphous form of zinc chloride have revealed an unexpected order at nanoscale distances that may lead to new engineered materials in a wide number of industries, said project head James Martin. "What I'm calling 'amorphous-materials engineering' will allow us to design nanostructures and then go in there and make them, [just as] we do with crystalline engineering today," (EETimes 10/18/02)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20021017S0040

MIT model predicts birthplace of defect in a material. Applications include anotechnology, more. Defects such as cracks in a material are responsible for everything from malfunctioning microchips to earthquakes. Now MIT engineers have developed a model to predict a defect's birthplace, its initial features and how it begins to advance through the material. The model could be especially useful in nanotechnology. "As devices get smaller and smaller, understanding the phenomena of defect nucleation and growth becomes more and more important," said Subra Suresh, head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE). A seemingly minuscule dislocation--a local disorder in the arrangement of atoms inside a
material--or a crack can drastically compromise the performance of a device.
(Eurekalert 10/1/02)
http://www.eurekaler...t-mmp100102.php

(Profile) Even though Lucent Technologies' recent bad news could spell trouble for its famous R&D facility, Bell Labs' Nanotechnology Research Director John A. Rogers is hopeful his people and projects will escape the budget axe. On Friday, the company announced an additional 10,000 company-wide job cuts, reduced earnings expectations and $4 billion of additional charges against its third quarter revenues and equity. Not good news, certainly, and coming on the heels of Bell Labs' recent announcement it fired ethically-challenged researcher Hendrik Schön for falsifying data and results, the timing could have been better. (Nanotech Planet 10/15/02)
http://www.nanoelect...ticle/0,4028,10
500_1481591,00.html

Chemists Synthesize Key Component in Drive Toward Molecular Electronic Devices. University of Chicago chemists have successfully synthesized an electronic component the size of a single molecule that could prove crucial in the continuing push to miniaturize electronic devices. The component, called a molecular diode, restricts current flow to one direction between electronic devices. In the semiconductor industry these components, called p-n junctions, form half of a transistor. Man-Kit Ng, a 2002 Ph.D. in Chemistry, and Luping Yu, Professor in Chemistry, describe their diode in the Oct. 2 issue of the journal Angewandte Chemie and online Sept. 12 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. (aScribe 10/1/02)
http://www.ascribe.o...133336&time=21%
2004%20PDT&year=2002&public=1

Advances in materials science excite professor. Arthur J. Freeman, an oft-quoted expert in quantum modeling, sees the most exciting days ahead in the field to which he has dedicated more than 40 years of work. The reason? An opportune convergence of affordable supercomputing, breakthroughs in nanotechnology, and a new field of study called computational materials science. (The Sun Times 10/16/02)
http://www.suntimes....fin-ecol16.html

Bugs trained to build circuit. Bacteria lay bricks on nano scale building site. Bacteria have found a new vocation - as nanoscale construction workers. Such bugs might form microbial machines that could repair wounds or build microscopic electrical circuits. Tetsuo Kondo of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Ibaraki, and his colleagues, used a grooved film to train the bacterium Acetobacter xylinum to exude neat ribbons of a biological building material - cellulose1. The bug laid down strips at a rate of 4,000ths of a millimetre per minute. (Nature Science
Update 10/8/02)
http://www.nature.co...7/021007-1.html

Nanoscale electronics. Bustling research is producing sophisticated laboratory demonstrations, but commercialization of nanometer-sized devices remains a ways off. At first there were only a few of them, but recently, their numbers have multiplied wildly. Newspaper headlines, magazine articles, journal papers, even television commercials now are loaded with those big "nano" words: nanometer, nanoscale, nanosecond, and nanotechnology, to name a few. And it seems that every week some
organization is announcing yet another "nanoconference." -2 pages-(C&E cover story 9/30/02)
http://pubs.acs.org/...lectronics.html

IBM grows nanotube patterns on silicon wafers. IBM Corp. has grown catalyst-free nanotube networks on silicon carbide substrates, the company said last week. With atomic-force microscopy verifying the results, researchers at the T.J. Watson Research Center set up grids of nanotubes (in rows and columns), bringing the promise of nanotube transistors arrayed across silicon chips one step closer to reality, IBM said. (EETimes 9/30/02)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20020930S0013

Altair Nanotechnologies Receives Order From F.W. Gartner Thermal Spraying Co.; Shipment of Nano-Structured Thermal Spray Product Produces $60,000 in Revenues. Altair Nanotechnologies (Nasdaq:ALTI) today announced that it has received another order from Houston-based F.W. Gartner Thermal Spraying Co. to provide more than 1,000 pounds of one of its patented, nano-structured titanium dioxide-based thermal spray products. (Stockhouse 10/17/02)
http://www.stockhous...&newsid=1358937

Nanocylinders Open Way To Polymer Electronics. International team of scientists succeeds in synthesizing new supramolecular materials for optoelectronics from organic crystals and polymers. A team of German and American scientists have succeeded in combining conventional organic molecules and conductive polymers to form highly symmetric, structured materials with new electronic properties. After the attachment of specific functional groups, the disc-like or ring-shaped organic molecules organize into highly symmetric cylinders, three nanometers in thickness and 50-100 nanometers in length, just like a roll of coins. (MaxPlanck Society-Press
Release- 10/2/02)
http://www.mpg.de/news02/news0223.htm

Intel Tuesday unveiled its strategy to cram some of its chips with 1 billion transistors by 2007. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip making giant said it is using a combination of nanotechnology (define) and design changes to its semiconductors to help extend Moore's Law (define) by a few more years. The plan is to use its upcoming mobile Banias processors Itanium, Xeon and, along with its Hyper-Threading technology as the testing ground for its initiative. "We are looking at a lot of different ideas about what specific apps would be the drivers for the 1 billion transistor chips," Intel fellow John Crawford said at the Microprocessor Forum 2002 here. "I'm not speculating, but I think that some of the advances will help extend memory chip designs further and further." (Siliconvalley 10/16/02)
http://siliconvalley...cle.php/1482341

The Amazing Vanishing Transistor Act. Radical changes are in the offing for transistors as their dimensions shrink to a few tens of nanometers. A decade from now you won't recognize a transistor even if it's walking toward you up the street, assuming you could see it, of course. The gate length-the marker for gauging how small that CMOS transistor is-will be roughly one-fifth the size of the smallest in production today, only 10 nm instead of today's 50 nm. To get to that size and ensure that the transistor still operates will require many changes:....(IEEE Spectrum Online 10/18/02)
http://www.spectrum....oct02/nano.html

Diffraction gradient lithography aids nanofluidics. Small fluidic structures are important tools in the emerging field of bionanotechnology, but it can be difficult to stretch out long molecules such as DNA so that they can enter the nano-sized channels. Now, researchers from Princeton University, US, have developed a relatively cheap technique for making devices that gradually uncoil the molecules before guiding them into the channels. (nanotechweb.org 10/11/02)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/1/10/9/1

It would send and receive faxes and video and have the processing power of a personal computer. The cell phone of the future would be on the market today but for one hitch: the battery...So Martin and his team are making progress on a new approach: Batteries inspired by the emerging field of nanotechnology. The research could both improve the small batteries used in portable electronics and lead to truly miniscule power packs for so called "microelectromechanical" machines, or MEMS, devices. In the first year of a five-year collaborative effort with three other institutions funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, the research is showing progress toward its goal of creating a three-dimensional,
millimeter-sized battery...(Eurekalert 10/10/02)
http://www.eurekaler...of-ab101002.php

Brain on a chip. Researchers in California have found a way to keep slices of living brain alive for weeks, which could soon become a powerful tool for testing new drugs. The mini-brain consists of a glass chip containing tens of thousands of interconnected living brain cells, taken from rats or mice. (Eurekalert 10/16/02)
http://www.eurekaler...s-boa101602.php

Phlesch Bubble awarded the IMM Computational Nanotechnology Prize. Phlesch
Bubble has been awarded the IMM Computational Nanotechnology Prize (Simulation category) for their animation of a working respirocyte (a hypothetical artificial red blood cell). David Forrest, President of the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing, commented about the animation: "The judges were very impressed with the quality of (the) work, the level of detail, and the fidelity to the physics of fluid motion in the bloodstream and the biological environment of the respirocyte. The operation of the
respirocyte was communicated with clarity, attention to detail, scientific accuracy, and high visual impact." (Nanotech-now.com 10/17/02)
http://nanotech-now....se-10172002.htm

Polymers self-assemble to form 2.5-nm diode. diode measuring just 2.5 nanometers was recently demonstrated by University of Chicago professor Luping Yu, who called it the world's smallest. The operation of the polymer-based p-n junction diode, synthesized using organic chemistry by postdoctoral assistant Man-Kit Ng, was verified with a scanning tunneling microscope. (EETimes 10/16/02)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20021015S0040

'Nanotechnology' opens windows into medicine. Microscopic capsules at least a million times smaller than the average pill may soon advance medicine on Earth and open new frontiers for long-term space habitation. These miniature wonders known as "nanoparticles" would be injected into the bloodstream of human beings and they would travel on a permanent high alert mode looking for damaged cells as they cruised through the body. (Galveston County Daily News 10/16/02)
http://galvestondail....lasso?wcd=5161

DOE picks head for chemical division. Research in catalysis, nanoscience, bioscience, and computational chemistry targeted for growth. Stevens singled out four areas in the division where he would like to see growth in the near and long term: research in catalysis, theory and modeling in nanoscale science, bioscience research, and computational chemistry (C&E 10/1/02) http://pubs.acs.org/...today/oct1.html

Microsoft Windows is now compatible with one of the best-selling computer modeling (CM) suites, which are among the most important nanotechnology R&D lab tools. But some nanotech experts are less than impressed. CM software is used to create models of structures down to the molecular level and produce simulations, graphics and analyses. One of the leading CM suites, Materials Studio (MS) from Accelrys Inc., added the ability to run under Windows recently. (Small Times 10/15/02)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=4822

The Birmingham Post: Nano-technology is next big thing. BA battle is developing over the UK's planned nano-technology centre. The West Midlands, which has considerable expertise in the science, is bidding strongly to bring it to the region. But Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt has told The Birmingham Post that no decision has yet been taken on the multimillion pound project. (Hoover's online 10/11/02)
http://hoovnews.hoov...NR20021011670.4
_4a70000bc7f10aa5

P.S. I had a great time chatting with some of you at the Foresight
Conference!

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."

I will add this site for review by those that are serious in their study of Nanotech


http://nanotechweb.org/

I have been meaning to create this links page for a while to what I have seen as reputable peer review sites for a consolidated links page for serious study of this technology. A search of Yahoo Groups shows 245 sites listed under Nanotechnology Discussion Groups and a AOL sponsored Google Search brings up 412000 Nanotechnology Related Sites It is obvious that many around the world are hearing the call of this avenue of endeavor and unlike many efforts that are organized through exclusively Bureaucratic Structures this is comparabl;e to seeing a Grass Roots development in Nuclear Technology having outpaced the efforts of government in the 1930's.

Oh yeah I am trying to get to also reposting Ziana's Newsletter that I have seen posted on the technocalypse site. It is highly informative, like Gina's, but I am going to be very busy and if somebody decides to beat me to it, please feel free to.

At times it is redundant in regard to Gina's but it is usually broader in scope and deserves to be reposted here as a very serious and informative reference for global review. Oh and since I believe you ar both members of this forum Ziana and Gina, I would like to take this moment to commend and thank you both for your dedicated and decidedly helpful work. Accolades and applause, [!] [!] :D [ggg] :D [!] [!]

I hope neither of you are offended by my desire to spread the wealth of information you gather and share what you have gathered on your more personally established sites, here in this forum as well. I in fact think we need to make an effort to do more of this in order to speed up the ability to cross reference through here as a sort of virtual Grand Central Station for Transhumanist Discussion and Advanced Scientific And Philosophical Review.

Before I go again Cudos [!] :D [!]

There is 1 message in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

1. The Nanogirl News~
From: "Gina Miller"
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 13:30:16 -0800
From: "Gina Miller"


Subject: The Nanogirl News~

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.dailyreco.../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.internetn...cle.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.co...433760&w=501400
Or read the CNN report at:
http://www.cnn.com/2....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...B89-8441-1DB8-9
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.bizjou...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/.../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.chinadai...0-26/91319.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-i...ope/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.o.../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.o...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.newscient...p?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.wus...asw/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.bizjourna.../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...y=view
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/e...plit/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.smalltime...ocument_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.materials..._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.co.../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.hoov...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.c...rticles
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 havetheir 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.prnewswir...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....?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 ynthesize 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.eurekaler...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/b...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.wus...asw/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.o...eature/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.nanoelect...ticle/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."

The Nanogirl News
November 7, 2002

Molecular wheel gets a brake. Switch turns microscopic motor on and off.
Scientists have redesigned one of nature's molecular machines to make the
world's smallest switchable motor. The rotating machine can be turned on and off like a pocket fan - but it is only about 14 millionths of a millimetre
across. The invention brings mechanical devices made from single molecules a step closer. Such machines might form part of electronic circuits, carry out delicate surgery on cells or gather solar energy.
(Nature Science Update 11/2/02)
http://www.nature.co...8/021028-3.html

Tech group gets federal money for nanotechnology initiative. Ben Franklin
Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania said Friday it has received a $600,000 earmark from the U.S. Department of Education to develop an associate degree program in nanotechnology involving a number of area colleges. (Philadelphia Business Journal 11/1/02)
http://philadelphia....28/daily67.html

Next Generation Data Storage on the Nanometer-Scale. Imagine having all of the information recorded on a stack of 1,540 CDs on a disk the size of a
single CD. Or visualize having all of the information recorded on a stack of
154 CDs written on a one-inch square chip. New probe microscopy techniques and new organic materials could be combined in the next generation data storage technology - which will be nanometer-scale technology with probable major impact on related storage technologies, University of Arizona optical scientists say.
(Cosmicverse News 10/31/02)
http://www.cosmivers...ch10310203.html

Rushford technology explained to MnDTED Commissioner Yanisch. The Minnesota Commissioner of Trade and Economic Development, Rebecca Yanish, toured southeast Minnesota last week. The longest stop was in Rushford Sept. 25 where she toured TRW, met with staff members of the Southeast Minnesota Development Corporation, then settled into a small luncheon group at Sprigs for briefings.Reports came from Kevin Klungtvedt on the formation of the Rushford Institute of Nanotechnology and John Brodd of the Aveka Group which will start a nanoparticle manufacturing facility in Rushford next year. The Rushford company name is now Cima Nanotechnologies. It is the result of a merger between Aveka Nanotechnologies and Nanopowders Industries an Israeli
company founded in 1997 and backed by the Millenium Material Fund, a venture capital group.(Tri-County Record Online/Rushford.net Nov. 2002)
http://www.rushford....21&EC=0#8115764

Q&A: From the Front Lines of Nanotech. Many scientists are betting on
nanotechnology to deliver new levels of control over engineering materials.
Philip Wong, senior manager of nanoscale materials processes at IBM Research Laboratory, explains why he's excited about the ability to manipulate properties of materials less than 100 nanometers in size.
(PC Magazine 10/29/02)
http://www.pcmag.com...9,640410,00.asp

Researchers produce strong copper that retains ductility. Extreme cold and
high heat help optimize the metal's microstructure. Combining old-fashioned
metal-working techniques with modern nanotechnology, engineers at The Johns Hopkins University have produced a form of pure copper metal that is six times stronger than normal, with no significant loss of ductility.
The achievement, reported in the Oct. 31 issue of the journal "Nature," is
important because earlier attempts to strengthen a pure metal such as copper have almost always resulted in a material that is much less ductile, meaning it is more likely to fracture when it is stretched. Strength, on the other hand, refers to how much stress a metal can tolerate before its shape is permanently deformed. (EurekAlert 10/30/02)
http://www.eurekaler...u-rps102902.php

Scientists to further explore nanohybrid structures. A select group of 60
scientists from across the country will convene at the University 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. (U of Chicago Chronicle 10/24/01)
http://chronicle.uch...anohybrid.shtml

Nanoparticles save paper. A sprinkling of slaked lime conserves old
documents. Tiny particles of a strong alkali are helping preserve historical
documents. Piero Baglioni of the University of Florence and his coworkers
have treated manuscripts dating back to the fourteenth century with a
sprinkling of calcium hydroxide grains just 200 millionths of a millimetre
across. The nanoparticles of what is commonly called slaked lime penetrate
between paper's fibres. They combat the ravages of acids introduced when
paper is made, without altering documents' apperance1. The technique is
cheap and green and could also be used on canvas. (Nature Science Update 10/22/02)
http://www.nature.co...1/021021-1.html

Speed reader. Craig Venter sequenced the genome in record time, ushering in a new era of drug discovery. Next step: fast, cheap scans of your DNA that you can take home. The gene guru J. Craig Venter stunned the scientific world in 2000 when his company, Celera Genomics, deciphered the entire human genetic code in little more than two years with an R&D Budget of $270 million. A consortium of U.S. government researchers took 13 years and spent $2.5 billion to reach the same finish line. (The government says it spent only $300 million on the actual sequencing of the genome.) But Venter says that even his rapid-fire breakthrough didn't come nearly fast enough.
(Forbes via Yahoo 10/30/02)
http://biz.yahoo.com...d_reader_2.html

Nanotechnology, the process of manipulating matter on an atomic or molecular scale, has been a staple of science fiction for a decade. Now it's
beginning to break out into real science, and some technology critics are
already starting to complain. If they're listened to, the most important
technology of the 21st century may be strangled in its crib.
(Fox News Channel 10/31/02)
http://www.foxnews.c...3,67119,00.html

Nanocrystals, Quantum Dots, and Nature's Own Assembly Line. Chemist Paul Alivisatos's pioneering research into tiny nanocrystals and nanorods is
paying off in big ways. Chemically-pure clusters of anywhere from 100 to
100,000 atoms, Alivisatos's nanocrystals and nanorods have myriad
applications that impact the macroworld - from tagging biological samples
for genetic analysis and drug discovery to the creation of plastic solar
cells that can be painted onto any surface. (Berkeley College of Engineering
11/1/02)
http://www.coe.berke...alivisatos.html

Supercomputer for a day. Thousands of computers across Canada have been interconnected to create a supercomputer that only operated for a day. The 1,360 processor strong supercomputer was used to tackle a problem in computational chemistry that would otherwise take years to
complete... Professor Schaeffer said the supercomputer could be used up to
three days of every month, helping Canadian scientists tackle problems in
climate prediction, genomics, protein folding and nanotechnology. (BBC
11/6/02)
http://news.bbc.co.u...ogy/2400811.stm

Scientists Use Microscope to View Magnetism at Atomic Level. Scientists and
engineers build the transistors that run televisions, radios and similar
electronic devices based on the moving electric charges of electrons. But
the electron also has another key property: a magnetic "spin" that
scientists believe could be exploited to develop faster, smaller and more
efficient devices. The first step is to determine the magnetic properties of
materials that could be used to create futuristic nanoscale devices, a task
that has escaped scientists until now. (Ohio university 11/6/02)
http://www.ohio.edu/...anotech_02.html

World record for silicon light-emission. Silicon is ideal for electronic
applications, but its inability to emit light has limited its potential for
optical processing. Now researchers at STMicroelectronics in Italy have
increased silicon's light-emitting efficiency by a factor of a hundred,
making silicon competitive with conventional light-emitting semiconductors
such as gallium arsenide. This advance, achieved by adding rare-earth metals to silicon, will allow optical and electrical functions to be combined on a single silicon chip. Researchers at ST's Corporate Technology R&D
Organization in Catania, Sicily, carried out the work. They implanted ions
of rare-earth metals such as erbium and cerium into a layer of silicon rich
oxide (silicon dioxide enriched with silicon nanocrystals 1-2 nanometres in
diameter). The frequency of the light emitted by the silicon depended on
which metal was chosen. (Physics Web 11/5/02)
http://physicsweb.or...cle/news/6/11/2

One-way transport in quantum dots. Rectifiers are devices that only allow
movement in one direction. Examples include self-winding wristwatches and
rectifiers in electrical circuits. Even though the exact mechanism is different for each, all rectifiers share a common principle: the rectification is based on an asymmetry in the system that makes it much easier for motion to occur in one direction than another...Now Keiji Ono of Tokyo University in Japan and co-workers have developed an entirely different rectification mechanism in which the spin of the electrons plays a crucial role (K Ono et al. 2002 Science 297 1313-1317). Their quantum rectifier, which consists of two weakly coupled quantum dots, has two important advantages: it is fully controllable and it is capable of blocking current entirely in one direction. (nanotechweb.org 11/01/02)
http://nanotechweb.o...eature/1/11/1/1

Thinner chips with everything. Engineers have crossed a symbolic barrier
with a new way to make microchips with transistors that are a thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair or as small as a flu virus. The
90-nanometre width is regarded as a major milestone because scientists
believe it will eventually lead to the production of transistors with atomic
level dimensions. (BBC 11/6/02)
http://news.bbc.co.u...ogy/2404599.stm

Nanotechnology News TV. Finally, someone with vision has stepped to the fore and is launching a revolutionary news service all about nanotechnology. I would like to direct you to the new streaming video news program website that is just about to launch - see http://www.nanonews.tv/ Take a look at the short video segments, located under "Nano in the AM" - the password for the demonstration segments is "nano" (Rocky Rawstern Nanotechnology Now 11/6/02)
http://nanotech-now....ano-news-tv.htm

Nanotechnology industry's next feature: Invasion of the lawyers. Several law firms are joining a growing group that sees opportunities in nanotechnology. A firm in Texas and another in Minneapolis recently opened their nanotech practices within a week of one another. Each offers something unusual - a team of lawyers with degrees in engineering, or experience nurturing life science or high-tech startups, or an understanding of the patent office.
(Small Times 11/7/02)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=4975

Researchers stamp out polymer nanowires. A team of scientists has used
micromoulding in capillaries and soft-embossing to stamp out nanowires and nanodots from conducting and semiconducting polymers. (nanotechweb.org
11/7/02)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/1/11/4/1

Nanodiagnostic chip to debut. NANOBIOTECH Sdn Bhd, the tentatively-named joint venture company between Open Source Systems Sdn Bhd (OSS) and US-based Nano DiagnostiX Inc, plans to produce a working prototype of a nanodiagnostic microarray chip within six months. "Within a year, the chip is expected to hit the US and the European markets, of which command about 70 to 80 per cent of the worldwide microarray chip market," Open Source Systems Sdn Bhd's founder, chairman, and chief executive Azman Firdaus Shafii informs Business Computing recently. However, no target revenue was given. (NSTP e-media 11/8/02)
http://www.nst.com.m...0259/wartrevamp

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."

The Nanogirl News
November 18, 2002

Quantum Dot Corporation Launches First Bio-Nanotechnology Product. Quantum
Dot Corporation (QDC), the leader in quantum dot biotechnology applications,
announced today the launch of its first Qdot™ product. The Qdot™ 605
Streptavidin Conjugate, the first in a line of Qdot products, enables
dramatic improvements in a wide range of bio-sensing applications. "This
first product launch is an enormously significant milestone in our evolution
into a commercial organization," said Carol C. Lou, QDC's President and
Chief Operations Officer. "We have made many significant innovations in
converting an academic curiosity into a business reality. Our core expertise
in the commercialization of biologically active nanomaterials will enable
the rapid launch of many additional products in 2003 and beyond. Our Qdot
products give substantial performance improvements with a wide variety of
installed instruments. We anticipate rapid adoption by the large number of
scientists who require sensitive detection and visualization of
biomolecules." (Business Wire 11/14/02)
http://www.businessw...11402/223180430

An Innovation Recession? Amid Tough Times, Lab Chiefs Say Research Still
Moving Forward. The technology slump of the past two years has cost
thousands of workers their jobs, decimated some companies and slowed down
the economy. Will it also result in fewer innovations from America's
high-tech firms? That question can produce contentious responses inside
Silicon Valley. But it's also a significant long-term economic issue. A U.S.
Commerce Department study shows that information technology companies
accounted for nearly 30 percent of national growth between 1995 and 2000,
despite comprising just 8 percent of the national GDP. And tech firms grew
in large part due to innovations cooked up in America's research
labs. -Included: IBMs nanotechnology research- (ABC News 11/11/02)
http://www.abcnews.g...ion_021111.html

Scientists shell out on nanowires. Researchers from Harvard University, US,
have used chemical-vapour deposition to grow multiple shells around
nanowires of silicon and germanium. Charles Lieber and his team also
demonstrated a field-effect transistor based on a nanowire with a silicon
core coated with layers of germanium and silicon oxide. nanotechweb 11/8/02)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/1/11/6/1
Or read at PhysicsWeb- Nanowires within nanowires:
http://physicsweb.or...cle/news/6/11/5

Bay Area firms, people, win 'Scientific American 50'. Ten Bay Area-based
firms and people made the grade for outstanding achievement in progressive
science and technology, according to Scientific American magazine first
"Scientific American 50" awards. Visit the link to view the winners.-two
nanoscale winners- (San Francisco Business Times 11/11/02)
http://sanfrancisco....2/11/11/daily17.
html

Molecular Film on Liquid Mercury Reveals New Properties. A team of
scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National
Laboratory, Harvard University, and Bar-Ilan University in Israel have grown
ultrathin films made of organic molecules on the surface of liquid mercury.
The results, reported in the November 15, 2002, issue of Science, reveal a
series of new molecular structures that could lead to novel applications in
nanotechnology, which involves manipulating materials at the atomic scale.
(BNL 11/14/02)
http://www.bnl.gov/b...bnlpr111402.htm

UT to reap money from Dow partnership. The University of Texas will get a
percentage of the revenue from a drug technology collaboration between UT
and Dow Chemical Co., the Midland, Mich.-based chemical and pharmaceutical
company announced...UT researchers have discovered methods using
nanotechnology to break drugs into extremely small particles, making them
more soluble. Nanotechnology is the science of developing materials from
minute particles to improve conventional products. (San Francisco Business T
imes 11/12/02)
http://austin.bizjou...11/daily12.html

NIST Keeps You In Position In Space And Time. Phoning home from 93 billion
miles away - -only E.T. and other science fiction characters can do that.
But with the help of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
know-how, reality soon may catch up with imagination... The prototype NIST
device acts as a mechanical filter that generates very straight lines by
screening out all other motions. Primarily intended for use in the delicate
assembly and alignment of optoelectronic devices and applications in micro-
and nano-manufacturing, the micro-positioner in a different application
offers a promising means for meeting the demanding range, mass and power
requirements for the RISE. (Space Daily 11/15/02)
http://www.spacedail...gation-02c.html

CMP self-aligns carbon nanofibre cathodes. Researchers at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory and the University of Tennessee in the US have used chemical
mechanical polishing (CMP) to make gated field-emission devices with single
carbon nanofibre cathodes. The technique has the advantage that it
self-aligns the carbon nanofibre with the aperture and does not need complex
photolithographic equipment. (nanotechweb.org 11/15/02)
http://nanotechweb.o.../news/1/11/11/1

Young Inventors Awards: Finalists: The Inventions. Asia's Magicians. THE
VISIONARY science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once said: "Any
sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." That's as
true for the earliest "magicians" who invented the mariner's compass, the
printing press and the steam engine as it is of current breakthroughs in
everything from third-generation telephony to mapping the human genome. Over
the centuries, the exchange of technologies has inspired new developments
and improvements. Today, we are witnessing unparalleled advances in
technology and mass production, while scientific discovery in such areas as
genomics, biochemistry and nanotechnology will change the way we live and
work. (FarEasternEconomic Review Issue Nov. 21, 2002)
http://www.feer.com/.../p041innov.html

STMicro shows dual-function DNA analysis chip. STMicroelectronics
demonstrated a dual-function microfluidic chip that can both amplify DNA and
analyze the results of the reaction at the recent Chips-to-Hits conference
here. The MEMS system was created as a spin-off from inkjet print heads,
which are essentially a silicon-based microfluidic technology. Tiny samples
of DNA go through a temperature cycle that doubles the amount of genetic
material in the sample each time, and the results are piped into another
area of the chip containing gold electrodes with specific DNA strands
attached. A match is detected optically, offering a single-chip solution for
bedside medical diagnostics. (EETimes 11/11/02)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20021108S0017

Lotus effect shakes off dirt. The lotus - a flowering wetland plant native
to Asia - may not, at first glance, be of interest to the nanotechnologist.
But researchers at German chemical company BASF are developing a spray-on
coating that mimics the way lotus leaves repel water droplets and particles
of dirt. (nanotechweb 11/8/02)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/1/11/5/1

>From wall plug to nano circuit: power chips go hand-in-hand with SoC
technology. System on a chip (SOC) companies are coming out with strong
predictions, claiming that the entire signal path (digital + analog +
memory) and even a full GSM system----including power management----will be
integrated in the next few years. However, the reality is that this
up-integration march, fueled by nano scale lithography (minimum features
less than 100nm), ends up defining the product's own technology boundaries:
the higher the number of transistors on a chip, the lower their voltage and
the more fragile their technology. At the 0.13um juncture, for example, the
SOC processes work at voltages in the range of 1-2V! (PlanetAnalog.com
11/16/02)
http://www.planetana...EG20021113S0045

HP wins molecular electronics patent. HP has received a US patent that
covers "chemically synthesized and assembled electronic devices". The patent
describes a scalable chemical process for making devices based on
electrically switchable molecules positioned between crossed wires just a
few atoms wide.(nanotechweb.org 11/13/02)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/1/11/8/1

Biotech early bird flies pharma coop. Larry Bock is not a household name in
Silicon Valley, but perhaps he should be. During the past 17 years, he has
been one of the most prolific and successful entrepreneurs in biotechnology.
An early bird in biotech, the 43-year-old Bock founded 12 biotech start-ups,
eight of which trade on the Nasdaq, and has made good money on most of them.
He has seeded several others that have gone public. Last year, though, Bock
flew the biotech coop. A consolidation in the industry had made it too hard
to sell products to the big pharmaceutical companies, he said. Instead, he
has incubated a Palo Alto start-up, Nanosys, which plays in the emerging
field of nanotechnology. (Mercury News 11/17/02)
http://www.ledger-en...chnology/454062
4.htm

Researchers Have Big Hopes for Nanotechnology. The future of science and
technology lies in a small world -- so tiny it can't be seen with the
unaided human eye. Broadly known as nanotechnology, it's the hottest area in
research and development. Embracing various sciences, engineering and
technology, it holds out enormous potential for advances in everything from
drug delivery to consumer products. Nanotechnology, which focuses on the
ability to work at the molecular level to create new structures and
functions, is now attracting millions of dollars in government funding and
corporate investment.
(The Salt Lake Tribune 11/17/02)
http://www.sltrib.co...iness/17040.htm

Europe has massive interest in nanotechnology at the academic level, but
successfully moving it all to market will require the combined efforts of
the European Union, individual governments and trade groups, according to a
new report.
(SmallTimes 11/15/02)
http://www.smalltime...ief.cfm#brief_2

BioTrove eyes 'giant leap' in drug-discovery process. Two products aim to
cut down time, cost of drug development. On the fourth floor of Pfizer Inc's
Memorial Drive research facility, BioTrove Inc. is quietly making
nanotechnology a reality. Nanotechnology promises to speed up the
drug-discovery process by reducing assays to a fraction of their present
size. Though still a nascent field, the market is ripe for it, said Colin
Brenan, president and CEO of BioTrove.
(Boston Business Journal 11/18/02)
http://boston.bizjou.../18/story7.html

Avogadro Partners has small plans for future. Seattle-based venture capital
firm is betting its future on the 'science of small'. Leonard Pritchard and
James Stanton see a bright future in drops of red wine bouncing off a pair
of khaki slacks. Pritchard and Stanton are co-founders of the Seattle
venture-capital firm Avogadro Partners. The partners are staking their
future on the "science of small" - micro- and nano-small, as in a millionth
and a billionth. Investment in small technology is already placing
ultra-stain-resistant pants on the shelves of stores such as Eddie Bauer and
the Bon Marché.
(Puget Sound Business Journal 11/18/02)
http://seattle.bizjo.../18/focus1.html

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."

Date: Thu, 5 Dec 2002 03:58:21 -0800
From: "Gina Miller"
Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
December 5, 2002

Digital image stored in single molecule. An image composed of over 1000 bits
of information can be stored in the atoms of a single molecule, US
researchers have shown. Bing Fung and colleagues at the University of
Oklahoma found that the 19 hydrogen atoms in a lone liquid crystal molecule
can store at least 1024 bits of information. The data are stored in the
complex interaction of the protons' magnetic moments. Fung hopes the
technique, dubbed "molecular photography", could one day be used to pack
massive amounts of digital information into a tiny space but admits that the
process is currently experimental. "It's a very, very first step towards
using nuclear spins for molecular information processing," he told New
Scientist. (New Scientist 12/2/02)
http://www.newscient...p?id=ns99993129

Boulder firm uses nanotechnology to improve tennis game. A European company
with U.S. operations based in Boulder is marketing a line of tennis rackets
constructed with nanotechnology. These high-tech rackets aren't for the
pros, however; they're made for the amateurs, or "club players," among us.
"Players who don't have a nice full swing need a stiff racket to get speed
into the ball," said Jean-Louis Boyre, president of Babolat VS North
American Inc. "By using nanotechnology, we increase the resistance of a
racket."
(The Denver Business Journal 12/2/02)
http://denver.bizjou.../02/story6.html

Magnets double up. Researchers in the US have developed a new technique for
making small and powerful permanent magnets. These so-called
'exchange-coupled nanocomposites' contain two magnetic phases, which makes
them stronger than conventional magnets made from single phase materials (H
Zeng et al. 2002 Nature 420 395) (PhysicsWeb 11/27/02)
http://www.physicswe...le/news/6/11/15

Stanford study may unlock secrets to aging. A new form of nanotechnology
developed at Stanford may lead to a better understanding of the life and
death of human cells. Writing in the Nov. 18 "Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences" (PNAS), Stanford researchers describe how newly created
circles of synthetic DNA -- called "nanocircles" -- could help researchers
learn more about the aging process in cells. (San Jose Business Journal
11/29/02)
http://sanjose.bizjo...25/daily58.html

ChevronTexaco finds nanotechnology blocks. San Francisco-based oil giant
ChevronTexaco Corp. (NYSE: CVX) said researchers at its Energy Research and
Technology Co. discovered a new class of nanometer-sized materials that may
help advance the field of nanotechnology. The materials, called diamondoids,
are found in petroleum and have the same internal structure as diamonds.
ChevronTexaco scientists have produced higher diamondoids with the weight of
less than a billionth of a billionth of a carat. ChevronTexaco has been the
only company able to isolate higher diamondoids to date. (San Francisco
Business Times 12/2/02)
http://sanfrancisco....2/12/02/daily11.
html

Growing Smaller. In "Prey," Michael Crichton's latest novel, to be released
this week, the master of technology-run-amok visions sets his sights on
nanotechnology and describes a horde of bacterium-size machines that break
out of a lab and evolve into flesh-eating, self-reproducing predators. While
even experts in nanotechnology consider it "so new that it barely exists,"
the science already sparks widespread alarm among environmentalists and
disarmament proponents, not to mention science fiction writers. (eweek
11/25/02)
http://www.eweek.com...9,728185,00.asp
Or see ABC:
http://www.abs-cbnne...inion&OID=10066

NASA looks to mud-dwelling bacteria for nanoelectronics templates.
Scientists from NASA Ames Research Center, SETI Institute and Argonne
National Laboratory in the US have genetically engineered a protein from a
mud-dwelling microbe so that it can form nanoscale arrays of metal and
semiconductor quantum dots. The technique could have applications in making
nanoelectronic devices. (nanotechweb.org 11/25/02)
http://nanotechweb.o.../news/1/11/16/1

Nanotech seen enabling steady semiconductor growth. Nanotechnology will
catapult the semiconductor industry into a new phase of relatively steady,
sustained growth that will replace its historical boom-and-bust cycles,
microprocessor veteran Nick Tredennick said Tuesday (Nov. 19) in a keynote
at the Embedded Systems Conference here. Just as the increased circuit
complexity posited by Moore's Law enabled the PC and its derivatives,
nanotechnologies will enable ever more diverse embedded applications that
will outnumber those spawned by the PC, Tredennick said. (11/21/02)
http://www.eet.com/s...EG20021120S0024

Artificial cell gets light-powered nanopump for calcium ions. A team of
chemists have found a new way to power artificial cells or liposomes: using
an shuttle molecule, calcium ions are transported across the membrane
barrier to the interior of the cell. The process is powered and controlled
by light, using an artificial reaction center molecule adapted from
photosynthesis. (Eurekalert 11/27/02)
http://www.eurekaler...u-acg112502.php

New Nano Capacity. As conventional transistors shrink in size, they lose
their ability to amplify signals, and thus their very status as transistors.
Now researchers have taken advantage of a proposed quantum effect to
construct a Y-shaped, nano electronic circuit that boosts signals
spontaneously. The unique device, described in the 25 November print issue
of PRL , is one of just a few known designs that might lead to circuits of
atomic proportions. (Physical Review Focus, Print issue 11/25/02)
http://focus.aps.org/story/v10/st23

Diffusion narrows contact gap. Researchers have come up with a technique
that may ultimately overcome the resolution limits of conventional
lithography to create contacts with very narrow gaps for nanoelectronic
devices. The scientists, from the Institute of Organic Synthesis and
Photoreactivity (ISOF) at Italy's National Research Council and the Canadian
National Research Council's Institute for Microstructural Sciences and
Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, reckon the key to the solution
could be the diffusion of titanium from titanium silicide. (nanotechweb.org
11/20/02)
http://nanotechweb.o.../news/1/11/13/1

Quantum dot 'basketball' promises new architectures. A group of European
scientists has used a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to add and remove
quantum dots from a gold substrate. The researchers, from Gent University in
Belgium, the University of Hamburg, Germany, and Utrecht University in the
Netherlands, first attached the dots to the substrate using molecular
bridges with thiol (sulphur containing) and carboxylate end functions.
(nanotechweb.org 11/26/02)
http://nanotechweb.o.../news/1/11/18/1

Protein based nanomachines for space applications. A 24 page pdf. Department
of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Rutgers, The State University of
New Jersey. MIAC Phase I Grant. "Our Vision: To Develop Protein Based Nano
Machines and Robots. Novel, Biological, Multi-Degree of Freedom, Apply
Forces, Manipulate Objects, Move from Nano to Macro, Lightweight/Efficient,
Self-Assembling, Self-Reproducing.
http://www.niac.usra...pdf/806Mavroidi
s.pdf

Patently absurd. Too many patents could kill nanotechnology. Cosmetics
company L'Oréal Group hopes to make its products more colorful (patent No.
5,612,021). The U.S. Department of Energy wants to enable the long-term
storage of nuclear waste (patent No. 5,350,569). And the University of
California aspires to arrest the spread of HIV (patent No. 20,010,041,801).
All of these ambitious plans depend on a tiny molecule, the
buckminsterfullerene, or "buckyball" as it's known colloquially, discovered
in 1985 and named after the architect Buckminster Fuller, because its
spherical structure of 60 carbon atoms resembles Fuller's famous geodesic
domes...(Red Herring 11/20/02)
http://www.redherrin...ents112002.html

Rice deciphers optical spectra of carbon nanotubes. Building upon this
summer's groundbreaking finding that carbon nanotubes are fluorescent,
chemists at Rice University have precisely identified the optical signatures
of 33 "species" of nanotubes, establishing a new methodology for assaying
nanotubes that is simpler and faster than existing methods. The research is
detailed in a paper published online this week by Science magazine.
(Eurekalert 11/28/02)
http://www.eurekaler...u-rdo112502.php

Altair Nanotechnologies' RenaZorb Begins Animal Testing; First
Nanotechnology Based Drug for Phosphate Control in Kidney Dialysis
Patients -- a $400 to $600 Million Market. Altair Nanotechnologies
(Nasdaq:ALTI) today announced that RenaZorb™, its new non-calcium
containing pharmaceutical for removal of phosphate ions from patients with
end-stage renal disease undergoing kidney dialysis, has begun in vivo
testing in animals. This battery of tests will determine if RenaZorb
performs as well in animals as in the in vitro laboratory tests. The testing
should be completed by the end of February 2003 and is being conducted at no
expense to Altair. "It is significant that RenaZorb is being tested in
dogs," commented Dr. Rudi E. Moerck, president of Altair Nanotechnologies.
(StockHouse USA 12/4/02)
http://www.stockhous...&newsid=1427701

Guinness calls Japanese thermometer world's smallest. The Guinness World
Records book has named a thermometer using a carbon nano tube as the world's
smallest thermometer, its developer, the National Institute for Materials
Science, said Tuesday...The device, a tube formed by carbon atoms, measures
about 85 nanometers in diameter and several thousand nanometers in length.
One nanometer is one-millionth of a millimeter. (Japan Today 12/3/02)
http://japantoday.co...cat=4&id=241209

New US Patent for Gradiflow. The potential value of Gradipore's (ASX Code:
GDP) breakthrough separations platform - Gradiflow has been extended with
the granting of a new US patent. The patent covers Gradiflow's unique
ability to remove biological contaminants such as viruses and bacteria.
Unlike other large-scale purification technologies, Gradiflow can purify
proteins and remove viral and bacterial pathogens simultaneously. This
offers pharmaceutical manufacturers the opportunity to reap the economic
benefits of faster, higher yielding manufacturing processes, reduced
processing costs and improved product safety and quality.
(StockHouse USA 12/4/02)
http://www.stockhous...&newsid=1427148

Look, Ma, No Stains. New techno-clothes let a man be a mess without looking
like one. Will shoppers buy slob chic? ...The idea of pants as a bib is one
whose time has come. Levi's Dockers brand has unveiled its Go Khaki with
Stain Defender line. Treated with DuPont Teflon, these trousers allow the
wearer to spill any "oil or water-based liquid" (e.g., beer, salad dressing)
and have it bead up and roll off. Earlier this year, Lee introduced its
Performance Khaki, which uses Nano-Care, microscopic whiskers that repel
spills.
(Time.com from the 12/9/02 issue of TIME magazine)
http://www.time.com/...-395345,00.html

Startup debuts 'nanoimprint' litho tool for 20-nm designs. Paving the way
for a new class of applications, startup Molecular Imprints Inc. (MII) next
week will unveil its first product--a tool aimed at the emerging
"nano-imprint" lithography market, SBN has learned.
MII will roll out what the company calls a "step and flash imprint
lithography" (S-FIL) tool for use in processing a range of emerging devices
at the 100-nm (0.10-micron) node and below. The Austin-based company also
claims that it has demonstrated the ability to process devices at linewidth
geometries down to 20-nm (0.02-micron).
http://www.eetimes.c...EG20021202S0082

(Small Piece) Triton, Thermonix merge to target breast cancer.
Chelmsford-based Triton BioSystems Inc. has merged operations with
Minneapolis-based Thermonix Inc. for an undisclosed sum. The companies will
continue operating under the Triton name at the Chelmsford facility. The
former partners decided to merge the companies to focus on developing
nanotechnology-based therapies for advanced breast cancer. Nanotechnology is
a fast-growing field that merges chemistry and engineering to manufacture
devices on a molecular or atomic scale. (Boston Business Journal 12/3/02)
http://boston.bizjou...02/daily18.html

Plant sucks up gold particles through roots. US researchers have found that
alfalfa plant sucks up gold through its roots in a form that perfectly suits
the needs of the field of nanotechnology. They have shown that alfalfa
produces specks of gold less than a billionth of a metre across in a form
needed in devices a billionth of a metre in size, according to the American
Chemical Society's Nano Letter. (The Times of India 12/3/02)
http://timesofindia....ow?artid=300944
51

University At Buffalo Engineer Develops Novel Method For Assembly Of
Nanoparticles; Process May Lead To Manufacture Of Nanoscale Devices. A
University at Buffalo engineer has developed a novel method for assembling
nanoparticles into three-dimensional structures that one day may be used to
produce new nanoscale tools and machines. The work could be an important
step in fulfilling the immense potential of nanotechnology because it gives
scientists and engineers improved control and flexibility in the creation of
materials for the manufacture of many nanoscale devices, according to
Paschalis Alexandridis, associate professor of chemical engineering in UB's
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
(ScienceDaily 12//4/02)
http://www.scienceda...21204081355.htm

The United Kingdom's business community has to put nanotech and MEMS "on its
research agenda" or lose the race to commercialize the technology, according
to Marc Desmulliez, author of a recent report, "2010 Micro/Nanotechnology in
the U.K." Desmulliez is chairman of the Institution of Electrical Engineers'
(IEE) Microsystems and Nanotech Professional Network (PN). The report was
based on a survey of about 200 U.K. company officials his team at the Micro
Systems Engineering Center at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh conducted
for the IEE. (Small Times 12/4/02)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=5139

Nano-lubrication: facts and friction. The sickening grinding noise that a
car engine makes if it runs out of oil is unforgettable. Without suitable
lubrication, the microscopic 'nanoscale' machines and gears of the future
will fail in the same way. US chemists have now worked out how to reduce
friction at the molecular level. Their findings should help keep tomorrow's
micro-machines running smoothly and may even speed up computer processing.
Hyun Kim and Jack Houston of Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New
Mexico, have separated out the roles played by physical and chemical
resistance, which, when combined, cause friction. They studied the friction
between gold film and a one-molecule-thick lubricating layer. (Nature
Science Update 12/6/02)
http://www.nature.co...7/001207-7.html

"Happy Holidays!"

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."

Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 11:12:27 -0800
From: "Gina Miller"
Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
December 18, 2002

Fractal Magnets May Fracture Old Technologies. Scientists have announced a
precocious new offspring of magnets and plastic -- conveniently embedded in
every card with a magnetic strip -- that could reinvent smart card
technology and yield a dazzling new array of high-tech gadgets. Plastic
magnets, surrounded by unusual magnetic fields shaped like branches and
snowflakes, may one day be the heart of computer hard drives small enough to
power the denizens of nanotechnology: ultra-small surgical robots or tapes
no larger than a molecule that house vast information libraries. (Yahoo news
12/13/02)
http://story.news.ya...=3&u=/nf/200212
13/tc_nf/20248

(CD-ROM) 'What Is Nanotechnology?' Now available , this 1-hour CD-ROM
production - 'What Is Nanotechnology?' presents developments in key areas
heavily influenced by nanotechnology, including: novel foods, smart
clothing, renewable energy, revolutions in medicine, advanced techniques in
security & crime detection, new approaches to tissue engineering and medical
implants, the latest in sunscreens and cosmetics, as well as
nanotechnologies in space travel and exploration.-Limited amount-
(Institute of Nanotechnology UK) http://www.nano.org.uk/cd.htm

Trouble in nanoland. Plagued by both pessimism and hype, can nanotechnology
grow up? "HUMANITY, get down on your knees", scream the billboards
advertising "Prey", the latest novel by Michael Crichton, author of
"Jurassic Park". The horrible beasties threatening humanity in this new
thriller are not giant dinosaurs, but swarms of minute "nanobots" that can
invade and take control of human bodies. Nanobots are putative machines with
working parts that are smaller than 100 nanometres (billionths of a metre).
A film is, inevitably, in the offing. And to increase the impending
nano-horror, the chief scientist at Sun Microsystems, Bill Joy, is due next
autumn to publish a book fleshing out his own nano-Luddite views. (Economist
12/5/02)
http://www.economist...tory_id=1477445

(Related to above) How much nano-danger can fit on the head of a pin? The
writer is a public policy scholar at the Smithsonian Institution's Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars. This commentary first appeared in
the Los Angeles Times. It's official. The nanotechnology debate is under
way. Michael Crichton's alarmist novel, Prey, with menacing swarms of
molecule-sized robots, hit bookstores last week, with a Hollywood
spectacular soon to follow. Nongovernmental groups, scientists and industry
are lining up for a major public relations battle over the good and evils of
nanotechnology. One side says nanotech will fill the world with
self-replicating microscopic ``nanobots'' -- 1,000 times smaller than the
diameter of a human hair -- that will wipe out humanity. The other calls
nano a silver bullet that promises a cure for cancer, an end to crop
shortages and the solution to cleaning up pollution.
(The Beacon Journal 12/9/02)
http://www.ohio.com/...ial/4699072.htm

Nanotubes line up to make photonic crystals. A team of scientists has
produced photonic crystals by growing aligned carbon nanotubes onto an array
of nickel dots formed by self-assembly nanosphere lithography. The
researchers, from the US Army Soldier Systems Center (Natick), Boston
College, NanoLab and University of Massachusetts, Boston in the US and the
Hahn-Meitner Institute in Germany, reckon the crystals could have
applications in optoelectronics and telecoms. (nanotechweb.org 12/4/02)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/1/12/3/1

New Center for Nanoscience Innovation for Defense transfers knowledge from
universities to industry. The Center for Nanoscience Innovation for Defense
(CNID) has been created to facilitate the rapid transition of research
innovation in the nanosciences into applications for the defense sector.
U.S. government allocations of $13.5 million are being shared equally by
three University of California institutions: Santa Barbara (UCSB), Los
Angeles (UCLA), and Riverside (UCR), and a second increment is anticipated
that will ultimately bring total funding to more than $20 million over three
years. (EurekAlert! 12/10/02)
http://www.eurekaler...s-ncf121002.php

IEDM: Intel, IBM joust at 90-nm. Intel and IBM each came to the 2002
International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) claiming logic performance
leadership at the 90-nm. But the two companies take much different
technology paths: IBM uses partially depleted silicon on insulator, while
Intel has adopted strained silicon technology for its 90-nm process. And the
two companies emphasize different metrics. IBM claims it has the fastest
ring oscillator reported in 90-nm CMOS, while Intel, which said it does not
report ring oscillator results because each company has a different method
of benchmarking that circuit, claims it has the fastest drive currents seen
to date for 90-nm silicon. (EE Times 12/10/02)
http://www.eetimes.c...EG20021210S0049

NRC, Helmholtz of Germany Fund $9M in New Science and Technology Research
Projects. Canada's National Research Council (NRC) and the Hermann von
Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren e.V. of Germany have
recently announced the joint funding of eleven collaborative science and
technology (S&T) research projects worth $9 million over the next 3
years...The eleven projects approved for funding vary in scope from
nanotechnology to genomics and aeronautics research. They are intended to
develop new international science and technology (S&T) alliances that will
benefit partners in both countries, as well as encourage scientific
exchanges between Canadian and German researchers. (NRC 12/10/02)
http://www.nrc.ca/co...lmholz02_e.html

Biology aiding nanotech researchers. The latest avenue in nanotechnology,
the science of manipulating matter at the atomic or molecular scale,
involves harnessing biological structures and processes, scientists said
Wednesday at a conference. The National Science Foundation sponsored the
event at its headquarters to highlight ongoing nanotech research the agency
is funding. The work occurs at the nanometer scale -- a nanometer is to an
inch what an inch is to 400 miles. One project, run by the University of
Texas at Austin, looks to improve on natural nanoscale processes such as
those that build seashells out of calcium carbonate, said Angela Belcher, a
professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the university. (UPI 12/11/02)
http://www.upi.com/v...11-043234-2067r
Also view the report on the National Science Foundation sponsored conference
"Education key part of nano research". (UPI 12/12/02)
http://www.upi.com/v...12-042358-9709r

Nanoparticles could aid biohazard detection, computer industry.
Nanotechnology could make life easier for computer manufacturers and tougher
for terrorists, reports a Purdue University research team. A group led by
Jillian Buriak has found a rapid and cost-effective method of forming tiny
particles of high-purity metals on the surface of advanced semiconductor
materials such as gallium arsenide. While the economic benefits alone of
such a discovery would be good news to chip manufacturers, who face the
problem of connecting increasingly tiny computer chips with macro-sized
components, the group has taken their research a step further.
(Cosmiverse 12/11/02)
http://www.cosmivers...ch12110202.html

Nanotech. journal credits N.Y. with top breakthroughs. The December issue of
a journal on nanotechnology co-published by Forbes credits researchers in
New York state with three of the top five breakthroughs in nanotechnology in
2002, according to Gov. George Pataki's office. The journal, the
Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report, surveyed more than 30 researchers and industry
experts to compile the list. (The Business Review 12/23/02)
http://www.bizjourna...09/daily63.html

The Nanodrive Project. Inventing a nanotechnology device for mass production
and consumer use is trickier than it sounds. Many engineers have had the
thrill of designing a novel product that then enters mass production and
pops up all over the world. We hope-- in fact, we would lay better than 50-
50 odds on it-- that within three years we will experience the rarer
pleasure of having launched an entirely new class of machine. (Scientific
American January 2003 issue)
http://www.sciam.com...FEC-C4F4-1DF7-9
733809EC588EEDF

AMD discovers a flash nanowire structure. A novel nanoelectronic structure
has startled researchers at AMD with a sudden show of promise for future
flash memory devices. The structure, called a polysilicon nanowire, was
under investigation as a possible method for fabricating flash cells in
processes below 65 nm. But it caught the attention of researchers by
demonstrating an entirely unanticipated - and quite possible quantum
electronic behavior. AMD believes it can probably scale the existing
stacked-gate flash cell to the 65 nm process node, according to vice
president of technology Craig Sander. But the company is searching for novel
structures that can be fabricated below that level. (EETimes 12/12/02)
http://www.eet.com/s...EG20021211S0001

Taming The Machine. Too many technologies waste our time rather than improve
it. But next year will see technology get closer to serving man - by
anticipating what we need...Nanotechnology, the science of the super-small,
is also expected to help streamline production, improving the economics of
everything from refining petrochemicals to manufacturing sources of
alternative energy, says Tim Harper, founder of Madrid-based CMP Cientifica.
And nanotechnology is fighting bioterrorism. Dendrimers - tree-shaped
synthetic molecules - have the ability to capture smaller molecules in their
cavities, making them perfect to deal with biological and chemical
contaminants. The U.S. Army hopes to use them to clean up after bioterror
attacks. James Baker, head of the University of Michigan School of
Medicine's Center for Biologic Nanotechnology, wants to use dendrimers to do
everything from zap cancer cells to protect astronauts from radiation. (TIME
Europe Magazine 12/16/02 paper issue-Forecast 2003)
http://www.time.com/.../html/tech.html

MEMS For Masses: Design Centre For Nanotech-based Products On Cards. The
National Programme for Smart Materials (NPSM) is working towards setting up
a industrial centre for design, manufacture and marketing of products based
on micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology devices.
Speaking to eFE, scientific advisor to the defense minister, secretary-
department of defense research and development and NPSM chairman VK Atre
said the plan was to have a corpus fund of Rs 150-200 crore for the
public-private partnership. (Financial Express 12/13/02)
http://www.financial...ontent_id=23709

Dialogue between Ray Kurzweil and Eric Drexler. By Ray Kurzweil and K. Eric
Drexler. What it would take to achieve successful cryonics reanimation of a
fully functioning human brain, with memories intact? A conversation at the
recent Alcor Conference on Extreme Life Extension between Ray Kurzweil and
Eric Drexler sparked an email discussion of this question. They agreed that
despite the challenges, the brain's functions and memories can be
represented surprisingly compactly, suggesting that successful reanimation
of the brain may be achievable. (Kurzweilai.net 12/3/02)
http://www.kurzweila...es/art0533.html

(Non-nano) Primitive Housing: Potential Homes for Earth's First Life Found
in Space Rock. Organic bubbles that could serve as dwellings for primitive
life have been discovered inside a space rock that fell to Earth nearly
three years ago. The frozen chunk of stone and metal was recovered in the
Yukon Territory after eyewitnesses saw it's dramatic breakup in the sky.
Inside the so-called Tagish Lake meteorite, frozen and well preserved,
researchers have now found what they call organic hydrocarbon globules...The
new finding, accomplished after months of investigation with electron
microscopes, does not mean life exists in space rocks. The hydrocarbon
globules are seen as the sort of thing which, once delivered Earth, could
have helped jumpstart life. (Space.com 12/13/02)
http://www.space.com...ics_021213.html

PopSci's Brilliant 10. Popular Science first annual celebration of
scientists who are shaking up their fields and whose work will touch your
life. Spend a day with- Charles Lieber (Nanotech, Harvard University): A big
player in the world of the super-small turns gold into nanowire. 2 pages.
See the right to click to the other top nine. (Popular Science)
http://www.popsci.co...,364572,00.html

A Nanotech Company That's so Clean, you Could Eat Off It. Consider what you
could do with something that disinfects as thoroughly as chlorine bleach but
is not poisonous. Factories that process cold food such as lunch meat could
constantly clean equipment without risking the safety or taste of the
finished product. Apple cider could stay fresh and cold from the press to
your refrigerator, since the mill would no longer have to boil the juice to
eliminate the chance of botulism. That's the promise of a range of
disinfecting creams, tonics and sprays being developed by NanoBio Corp. in
Ann Arbor, Mich. (Smalltimes 12/13/02)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=5187

In the World of the Very Small, Companies Make Big Plans. This may be
remembered as the "Alice in Wonderland" decade for new technology. More and
more businesses are moving into the world of nanotechnology, where particles
of common materials are shrunk to such a minuscule size that they behave in
unexpected - and often useful - ways. Entrepreneurs and multinationals alike
are building on research from the 1980's and 1990's that led to relatively
simple ways to fashion silicon, metals, plastics and even workaday
substances like clay into particles of no more than a few molecules apiece.
(The New York Times 12/16/02)
http://www.nytimes.c...NANO.html?ex=10
40706000&en=ebcdf9eef42ae3d7&ei=5040&partner=MOREOVER

Researchers Control Love-Hate Relationship Between Atoms. Research that
makes ultra-cold atoms extremely attractive to one another may help test
current theories of how all matter behaves - a breakthrough that might lead
to advanced transportation systems, more efficient energy sources and new
tests of astrophysical theories. The experiment was conducted by a team led
by Dr. John Thomas, a physics professor at Duke University, Durham, N.C.,
under a grant from NASA's Biological and Physical Research Program through
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. (JPL News Release 12/11/02)
http://www.jpl.nasa....es/2002/226.cfm

BioForce Nanosciences wins breast-cancer research grant. BioForce
Nanosciences, US, has won a grant to develop a nanoscale protein-array
platform that will help researchers to study changes in cellular signaling
pathways that accompany the progression of breast cancer. The cash came from
the US department of defense. (nanotechweb.org 12/12/02)
http://www.nanotechw...s/news/1/12/7/1

Artificial nanopore spots DNA molecules. Scientists at Princeton University,
US, have produced an artificial nanopore by micromoulding
poly(dimethylsiloxane) - (PDMS) - elastomer. The on-chip electronic sensor
was able to detect single DNA molecules. "With our fabrication and
measurement techniques - micromoulding and four-point measurement of the
electrical current - we have shown our ability to easily and reproducibly
create artificial pores that can sense single molecules of lambda DNA," said
Princeton researcher Lydia Sohn. (nanotechweb.org 12/11/02)
http://www.nanotechw...s/news/1/12/6/1

Nanotech discussion at Slashdot. "Nanotech Assembly One Step
Closer". -scroll all the way down, past the white space to see the
responses. (Slashdot.org 12/4-6)
http://science.slash...ode=thread&tid=
134

Loomis tapped to help nanotech group. The Austin office of San
Francisco-based communications agency The Loomis Group Inc. will provide
public relations for New Jersey's new Nanotechnology Consortium. (Austin
Business Journal 12/17/02)
http://www.bizjourna...16/daily23.html

Thinking Big. Teen's nanotechnology project wins $50,000. Apparently Madelyn
Ho is blessed from head to toe. Ho, a cheerful 16-year-old from Sugar Land,
is both a skilled ballerina and one of America's most brilliant young
scientists. But it is her mental pirouettes, so to speak, in the
nanotechnology laboratory (where incredibly small, molecular-sized things at
least 10 to the negative ninth meters in size are studied) that recently
proved quite profitable. (Houston Chronicle 12/18/02)
http://www.chron.com...politan/1706520

Morristown scientist works on smart paint. The job: Zafar Iqbal is a
research professor of chemistry at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Joined faculty in 2001. Also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses. "I
like the interaction with the students. Teaching freshens your mind . and
provide you with new insights." Nanotechnology research: At NJIT, developed
a new course related to nanotechnology, which is "the fabrication of devices
at the scale of nanometers." (A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.)
Still in its "early stages," practical applications of nanotechnology are
sensors that could detect anthrax or smallpox and the fabrication of
"extremely strong" composites. (Daily Record Business 12/18/02)
http://www.dailyreco...iness4-doss.htm

"Merry, Merry, and Nano, Nano!"

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."

Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 00:54:00 -0800
From: "Gina Miller"
Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
January 08, 2003

Breakthrough Brings Laser Light To New Regions Of The Spectrum. Combining
concepts from electromagnetic radiation research and fiber optics,
researchers have created an extreme-ultraviolet, laser-like beam capable of
producing tightly-focused light in a region of the electromagnetic spectrum
not previously accessible to scientists. Between 10-100 times shorter than
visible light waves, the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths will allow
researchers to "see" tiny features and carve miniature patterns, with
applications in such fields as microscopy, lithography and nanotechnology.
(ScienceDaily 1/1/03)
http://www.scienceda...30101222126.htm

K. Eric Drexler responds to the question: "What are the pressing scientific
issues for the nation and the world, and what is your advice on how I can
begin to deal with them?" The Edge: The World Question Center 2003. Advanced
nanotechnologies, based on molecular manufacturing, will enable the
production of computer systems a billion times more powerful than today's,
aerospace vehicles with 98% less structural mass, and medical tools enabling
molecular repair of cells, tissues, and organs. These and related
technologies will be economically and strategically decisive. (Response by:)
K. Eric Drexler.
Dear Mr. President: I must respectfully decline your invitation, as I am
unsuited to such a role, but I wish to take this opportunity to offer a
potentially crucial piece of advice regarding strategic research directions.
The United States, like all the leading technological powers, has recently
turned its research efforts toward a broad field called "nanotechnology". I
introduced this term in the mid-1980s and described long-term prospects that
helped motivate the recent explosion of interest and investment. (The Edge
03)
http://www.edge.org/...03_drexler.html

Molten metal in motion. Nanoscale inclusions of lead in aluminum don't melt
until they're over 100 degrees hotter than the melting temperature of lead
in bulk. Then watch out! The tiny blobs of liquid careen through solid
aluminum just the way Einstein described in his classic 1905 paper on
Brownian motion. (Berkeley Lab science beat 12/17/02)
http://enews.lbl.gov...ian-motion.html

Researchers in industry and academia tinker with self-repairing systems,
molecular circuits and more. The customarily languid pace at which
scientific research blossoms into practical applications appeared to speed
up this year with a number of discoveries being rushed toward
commercialization. Autonomic computing, in which systems can configure and
repair themselves, took a big leap forward when Pennsylvania State
University researchers said they had developed software that can repair--on
the fly--an attacked database while allowing it to continue processing
transactions. (ZDnet 12/30/02)
http://c.moreover.co...922320&w=501400
Or:
http://www.zdnet.com...1,20270873,00.h
tm

Chemical attraction solves geometric puzzles. Circuit builders could
capitalize on self-assembling floating patterns. Chop up a square into four
pieces, and reassemble them into a triangle. This kind of geometric
dissection puzzle delighted ancient Chinese scholars. Chemists have now
created self-solving dissections. Their trick could help in building
easy-to-modify circuits. George Whitesides of Harvard University in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, and colleagues design the edges of floating
polygonal shapes so that they stick together in a particular arrangement.
(Nature Science update 12/23/02)
http://www.nature.co...3/021223-2.html

Nanotechnology makes Smallbany the place to be...nanotechnology may well
make Albany a hot spot. Nanotechnology is the creation and use of materials,
devices and systems that are formed through the control of matter at the
nanometer-length level. A nanometer is 75,000 times smaller than the width
of a human hair. In the 21st century, nanotechnology is expected to change
everything. It may certainly give new meaning to the phrase Smallbany.
(The Business Review 12/27/02)
http://www.bizjourna...editorial1.html
Also see a readers letter to the editor regarding the above editorial:
http://www.bizjourna...editorial2.html

Nanoimprint lithography ready to make its mark. A potentially low-cost form
of lithography affectionately known as "squish and flash" by its backers is
coming to market. Three vendors have announced or released tools for the
technique, properly known as nanoimprint lithography. And the concept has
garnered enough interest among research entities in the United States,
Europe and Japan to have warranted its own conference this month. Imprint
lithography uses polymers that harden into patterns when exposed to
ultraviolet light through a 1:1 proximity mask. The patterns on the template
are written with an electron-beam system at the same line width as the
pattern on the wafer, rather than at the 4x reduction possible with
conventional optical lithography. Molecular Imprints Inc. (MII), based here,
next month will ship a development tool, the Imprio 100, with a $2 million
price tag, said CEO Norm Schumaker. Nanonex Corp. (Princeton, N.J.) is
shipping nanoimprint lithography tools that range in price from $300,000 to
$700,000. (EE Times 12/20/02)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20021220S0022

(AI) Composer harnesses artificial intelligence to create music. Just as
IBM's Deep Blue showed the world a computer can play chess as well as a
human master, Eduardo Reck Miranda, a researcher for the Sony Computer
Science Laboratories Inc., aims to demonstrate a computer program able to
compose original music. So far, neural networks have succeeded in imitating
distinct musical styles, but truly original compositions have remained
elusive. Miranda is tackling that problem with an orchestra of virtual
musicians - called agents - that interact to compose original music.
(EETimes 12/30/02)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20021230S0015

The Incredible Shrinking Technology. Nanotechnology used to be a playground
for speculation and science fiction. It is now one of the most exciting
research fields in contemporary science. It is true that nanotechnology has
been heralded as the "next big thing" for years and the excitement
surrounding it certainly increased after the dot com bubble burst and people
started looking for another wonder technology. Nevertheless, despite the
hype, big strides have been taken and more are imminent. Nanotechnology is
an umbrella term for approaches from different scientific disciplines which
share the defining element of operating within the very small world of
molecules, where distances are measured in nanometres, or millionths of a
millimetre. The computer industry has already entered the nanoworld. Chip
production operates with features as small as 100 nanometres, and they are
getting smaller. But can this success be extended to other fields? will
there be houses, cars, space stations built by manipulation on the nanometre
scale? -6pg length review.
(Financial Review 1/2/02) http://afr.com/revie...FXJQLT3EAD.html

Tomorrow's technology begins today. The customarily languid pace at which
scientific research blossoms into practical applications appeared to speed
up this year with a number of discoveries being rushed toward
commercialization...Nanotechnology developed in research and development
centers run by companies like Intel and IBM made a big splash, underscoring
that technology built at the atomic level is no longer limited to academic
labs.-small paragraph concerning nanotech. (ZDnet 12/30/02)
http://www.zdnet.com...024993,20270873,
00.htm

Tuning Carbon Nanotube Resonance Frequencies. Tuning carbon nanotube
resonance frequencies can be achieved by varying a static voltage applied
between the nanotubes and a counter electrode. This was demonstrated for
several nanotubes (NT) grown on a nickel support tip. The natural resonant
NT frequencies are those where the NT oscillates with a large amplitude, a
motion that can be monitored directly by watching the pattern of electrons
spraying out the end of the tubes (like water spraying out of a wiggling
garden hose). (Physics News Update 12/23/02)
http://www.aip.org/e...plit/618-1.html

NSC upbeat on new industrial park initiatives. The National Science Council
outlined new developments and major policy programs Taiwan will implement in
order to maintain its high-tech edge over competitors at its year-end press
conference yesterday. In particular, a major direction would be attracting
investments and fresh talent for Taiwan's three major science-based
industrial parks, with the focus on "IC production in the north,
nanotechnology in the central region, and the optoelectronics industry in
the south," according to NSC Chairman Wei Che-ho. (eTaiwanNews 1/3/03)
http://www.etaiwanne.../1041555655.htm

The good of small things. Living cells are natural nanotechnology.
Artificial nanotech is about to give them a helping hand. Nanotechnology is
a word that seems to mean all things to all men. All it is, however, is
technology on a "nano" scale: ie, employing devices with dimensions measured
in nanometres (billionths of a metre). Since that is the scale of large
molecules, many cynics regard it as merely a fancy name for chemistry. The
inventor of the term, Eric Drexler, then an engineer at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, had greater ambitions. In "Engines of Creation", a
book published in 1986, he argued that it would be possible one day to
construct self-replicating "nanomachines" that could assemble atoms into
molecules, thus building new objects from the inside out. (Econimist.com
12/20/02)
http://www.economist...Story_ID=916725

Small Worlds. Nanotechnology wins over mainstream venture capitalists.
Nanotechnology is coming in from the fringe. Once dismissed as just so much
science fiction and Silicon Valley hokum, nanotechnology now represents no
less than the next industrial revolution. "If you're looking for analogies
to put the impact of nanotech into context, I'd say the invention of the
internal combustion engine is a good one," says Tim Harper, a physicist
formerly with the European Space Agency who now runs an early-stage nanotech
fund and nanotech conference group in Madrid. Talk like that would be purely
hyperbolic if not for the fact that many of the world's most prominent
scientists see this tiny art as the next big thing. (Red Herring 12/18/02)
http://www.redherrin...1/1218/341.html

Hot stuff. Advanced materials are moving out of the lab and into the
commercial world. Once regarded as laboratory curiosities, smart materials
are beginning to make their mark on some high-profile commercial
applications. This class of materials encompasses a broad range of ceramics,
metal alloys, gels, and polymers. What sets them apart is their ability to
adapt when they're exposed to external stimuli, such as temperature,
magnetism, or electricity. Piezoelectric crystals and magneto-rheological
fluids have been around for years. Now, newer exotic alloys and polymers
with intriguing properties are joining them. Some of the more recent
arrivals in the lab, such as carbon nanotubes, are still the subject of
basic research. Yet others have made the transition into commercial
applications.
(Memmagazine Dec., 02)
http://www.memagazin...f/hotstuff.html

Nanosphere Inc. Receives Additional $5 Million in Third Round of Financing.
Nanosphere Inc., a nanotechnology-based life sciences company, today
announced it has received an additional $5 million in third round financing,
bringing the total third round financing to $15 million. These proceeds
will provide further capital to fund the commercialization of the company's
first biomolecular detection system, which will be released in the second
half of 2003. Third round investors include Lurie Investments of Chicago,
NextGen Partners LLC of Santa Barbara, and Takara Bio Inc. of Kyoto , Japan.
(BioPortfolio.com 1/6/02)
http://www.bioportfo...anosphere_3.htm

Physicist proposes deeper layer of reality. New theory takes the chance out
of quantum mechanics. God does not play dice, but he might just as well do,
a Dutch physicist is suggesting. Returning to Einstein's nagging doubts
about quantum mechanics, Nobel laureate Gerard 't Hooft of Utrecht
University has begun to outline a way in which its apparent play of chance
might be underpinned by precise physical laws that describe the way the
world works. Other physicists seem impressed by 't Hooft's creativity. "The
work certainly deserves to be taken seriously," says quantum theory
specialist Richard Gill.
(Nature Science Update 1/8/03)
http://www.nature.co...6/030106-6.html

The Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy. From the Lab to the
Battlefield? Nanotechnology and Fourth-Generation Nuclear Weapons. By André
Gsponer. In Disarmament Diplomacy No. 65, Sean Howard warned of the dangers
of enhanced or even new types of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) emerging
from the development of 'nanotechnology', an umbrella term for a range of
potentially revolutionary engineering techniques at the atomic and molecular
level.1 Howard called for urgent preliminary consideration to be given to
the benefits and practicalities of negotiating an 'Inner Space Treaty' to
guard against such developments. While echoing this call, this paper draws
attention to the existing potential of nanotechnology to affect dangerous
and destabilizing 'refinements' to existing nuclear weapon designs.
Historically, nanotechnology is a child of the nuclear weapons labs, a
creation of the WMD-industrial complex. The most far-reaching and fateful
impacts of nanotechnology, therefore, may lie - and can already be seen - in
the same area.
(The Acronym Institute oct/Nov. 02 issue)
http://www.acronym.o.../dd67/67op1.htm

Pacific Nanotechnology Unveils Nano-IT Atomic Force Microscope. Pacific
Nanotechnology, Inc. (PNI), the global leader in high-performance,
easy-to-use, and affordable atomic force microscopes (AFMs), today announced
the new Nano-IT AFM for inspection and metrology of nanodevice wafers and
storage media disks. It has applications in R&D, process development,
failure analysis, and quality assurance for MEMS and semiconductor devices,
data storage media, magnetic read/write heads, and photonic devices. The
Nano-I AFM can routinely visualize and quantitatively measure surface
structures having nanometer-sized dimension. Priced at $100K, the Nano-I AFM
sets a new standard for affordability, yet it also offers high-performance
and ease-of-use. (Hoovers Online 1/7/02)
http://hoovnews.hoov...=NR200301071680.
2_87aa000b7312a70e

Human Cloning is the Least Interesting Application of Cloning Technology. By
Ray Kurzweil. Cloning is an extremely important technology--not for cloning
humans but for life extension: therapeutic cloning of one's own organs,
creating new tissues to replace defective tissues or organs, or replacing
one's organs and tissues with their "young" telomere-extended replacements
without surgery. Cloning even offers a possible solution for world hunger:
creating meat without animals. (Kurzweilai.net January 03)
http://www.kurzweila...es/art0535.html

Nanomechanic devices warn of heart attacks. A team of scientists from the
University of Basel and IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland, has
developed a cantilever-based device that can detect two cardiac biomarker
proteins in the bloodstream. The proteins can act as an early warning system
for heart attacks. (nanotechweb.org 1/7/03)
http://www.nanotechw...es/news/2/1/1/1

"I hope you all had a happy new year!"

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."

Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 12:53:27 -0800
From: "Gina Miller"
Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
January 19, 2003

Nanotech oversight bill reintroduced. Legislation establishing a government
advisory board to oversee a U.S. nanotechnology initiative was reintroduced
this week in the House of Representatives. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike
Honda, D-Calif., calls for industry and university experts to serve on an
advisory panel that would advise the Bush administration and Congress on
research investments and goals for the U.S. National Nanotechnology
Initiative. Similar legislation was introduced in October by Honda, a member
of the House Science Committee. The bill calls for the formation of an
advisory panel that would develop short-, medium- and long-range objectives
for nanotechnology development over the next decade and beyond. (EE Times
1/10/03)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20030110S0047

CEPD touts nanotech boost to industry. Vice Premier Lin Shin-yi urged
yesterday Taiwanese companies and government research laboratories to work
together to build a global leadership niche in the coming wave of
applications of nanotechnology. Accompanied by staff of the Council for
Economic Planning and Development, Lin, who is concurrently CEPD chairman,
said "many breakthroughs in research and development" made at the
Nanotechnology Research Center of the Industrial Technology Research
Institute (ITRI) would make a major contribution to upgrading the island's
"traditional" industries. (eTaiwanNews 1/14/03)
http://www.etaiwanne.../1042505798.htm

UMass team develops novel self-assembly processes for nanotech applications.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a
series of novel techniques in nanotechnology that hold promise for
applications ranging from highly targeted pharmaceutical therapies, to
development of nutrition-enhanced foods known as "nutraceuticals," to
nanoscopic sensors that might one day advance medical imaging and
diagnostics. The research, published in the Jan. 10 issue of Science, was
funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.
(EurekAlert 1/9/03)
http://www.eurekaler...a-utd010703.php

Nanoparticles encapsulate water droplets. Scientists at the University of
Massachusetts Amherst, US, have come up with a technique for assembling
nanoparticles into robust 3D structures by encapsulating and stabilizing
water droplets. The researchers attached ligands to the nanoparticles to
achieve the results. (nanotechweb.org 1/10/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...es/news/2/1/4/1
also see:
http://www.eurekaler...a-utd010703.php

Competitive Technologies Announces Exclusive License for Bone Cement and
Bone Substitute Technology. Competitive Technologies, Inc. (Amex: CTT)
announced today that it has signed an exclusive agreement with the
University of South Carolina Research Foundation (USCRF) to license and
commercialize a new nano-technology invention of injectible calcium
phosphate-based biomaterial for use in skeletal repair. The technology is
from the research of Dr. Brian Genge, a research professor in the Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina.
(StockHouse USA 1/17/03)
http://www.stockhous...&newsid=1473523

(Space) Researchers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reported today they
are seeing the conclusion of the cosmic epoch called the "Dark Ages," a time
about a billion years after the big bang when newly-formed stars and
galaxies were just starting to become visible. "With the Hubble Telescope,
we can now see back to the epoch when stars in young galaxies began to shine
in significant numbers, concluding the cosmic 'dark ages' about 13 billion
years ago," said Haojing Yan, a Ph.D. graduate student at Arizona State
University (ASU)...The ASU team reports that Hubble's Advanced Camera for
Surveys (ACS) is revealing numerous faint objects that may be young
star-forming galaxies seen when the universe was seven times smaller than it
is today and less than a billion years old.-image on the website-
(HubbleSite 1/9/03)
http://hubblesite.or...ve/2003/05/text

UT consortium formed for nanotechnology research. The provosts of five
University of Texas campuses signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday
intended to position their schools in the forefront of nanotechnology
research. Nanotechnology involves working at atomic, molecular and
supramolecular levels to create materials with entirely new physical or
chemical properties by virtue of their sizes, which are smaller than the
wavelength of light.
The most fascinating aspect of nanotechnology is that the properties of
familiar substances change at very small sizes, said Paul Barbara, the
director of the Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology at
UT-Austin.
(Brownsville Herald 1/17/03)
http://www.brownsvil...p/1-17-03/News4.
htm

Scientists develop enhanced biomedical nanoapplications. Taiwan's dedicated
scientific research is helping to propel the country to a spot in the
international forefront of nanotechnology. As part of a joint National
Science Council project, a top research team has been demonstrating the
enormous potential and commercial benefits of "nanoparticle" applications in
biomedical sciences, some of which were on display yesterday. (eTaiwanNews
1/17/03)
http://www.etaiwanne.../1042773304.htm

Nanoshells offer sensor for single molecules. Rice University researchers
have come up with a way of tailoring the local electromagnetic field around
metal nanoshells. The scientists claim this could enable chemical screening
for single molecules using the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)
effect. "This is the first time that anyone has designed and engineered a
nanosensor specifically for obtaining chemical information," said Naomi
Halas of Rice University. (nanotechweb.org 1/14/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...es/news/2/1/6/1

Lasers slim enough for chips. Optical fibres thousand times narrower than
human hair produce laser light. US scientists have made tiny lasers that can
be incorporated into silicon microchips. The devices could help make
information technology faster and more compact. Built by Charles Lieber and
coworkers at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the lasers are
single wires of the semiconductor cadmium sulphide. Called nanowires, they
measure just a hundred millionths of a millimetre across. (Nature Science
Update 1/16/03)
http://www.nature.co...3/030113-5.html

Nanotechnology developments poised to redefine electronics markets.
Nanotechnology promises devices that are small, fast, and inexpensive. These
devices are poised to enable a range of innovative products, transforming
industries from medicine to transportation. It is in electronic markets,
however, that nanotechnology is likely to have the most significant and most
immediate impact. (Technical Insights via EurekAlert 1/14/03)
http://www.eurekaler...i-ndp011403.php

University, Argonne Lab to launch a flagship nanoscience program. The
University and Argonne National Laboratory have launched a joint $1 million
Consortium for Nanoscience Research to serve as a flagship science program
focused on emerging science and technology and as an incubator for the next
generation of nanoscience research. "We can achieve something together in a
way that we couldn't do individually, and that's why we have this
consortium," said consortium Director Heinrich Jaeger, Professor in Physics
and the College. "It is an effort that goes way beyond what would be
possible on an individual-investigator basis." (The University of Chicago
Chronicle 1/9/03)
http://chronicle.uch...0109/nano.shtml

Claude Vorilhon, (aka Rael) leader of the Raelians who has just been in the
news recently for proclaiming the development of an unconfirmed cloned
birth(s), is also dropping technowords like nano-robots and artificial
intelligence into the press. (Washington Post 1/17/03)
http://www.washingto...-2003Jan16.html

Thomson Derwent Introduces Derwent Web of Nanotechnology. Thomson Derwent
has announced the development of Derwent Web of Nanotechnology, a Web-based
patent resource that delivers up-to-the-minute Nanotechnology-related patent
records from Derwent, journal literature from Thomson ISI, and editorially
evaluated Web sites. Derwent Web of Nanotechnology houses 35,000 patent
records from the Derwent World Patents Index (10,000 added per year) and
more than 185,000 journal records from ISI Web of Science (25,000 added per
year). (1/17/03 EContent Xtra)
http://www.econtentm...003_0117_6.html

The possibility for the production of new types of weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) is emerging as the burgeoning field of nanotechnology
(NT) - the science of designing microscopic structures in which materials
are machined and manipulated atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule - matures.
While specialists agree that its widespread use by the military is some ways
off, it is likely that it will be increasingly employed, especially as this
new science develops. Under such monikers as "micromechanical engineering"
and "microelectromechanical systems" (MEMS), the field of NT was born 30
years ago in nuclear weapons laboratories. Its present application has been
to refine existing nuclear weapon designs. But its greatest potential,
however, remains on the drawing board. Nanotechnology has the potential to
create entirely new weapons. Fourth-generation nuclear weapons are new types
of nuclear explosives that would use inertial confinement fusion (ICF)
facilities.
(Janes 1/15/03)
http://www.janes.com...w/jcbw030115_1_
n.shtml

Purdue leads NASA project to create tiny, super smart computers. Purdue
University scientists are teaming up with NASA on a nanotechnology institute
devoted to creating tiny computers with enough brainpower to allow future
space probes to think for themselves. The goal of the new NASA Institute for
Nanoelectronics and Computing is to design miniature supercomputers that can
make unmanned probes autonomous enough to react quickly when unexpected
problems arise far from Earth. But the same technology would also lead to
tiny, lightweight and energy-efficient sensors, and communication,
navigation and propulsion systems for spacecraft, said Supriyo Datta, the
new institute's director. (Indystar 1/15/03)
http://www.indystar....n0eisjf109.html

Add Ceramic Fracture Protection to the List of Nanotube Attributes. Ceramics
are famous for being hard, but easy to break. Now, researchers have
demonstrated that adding carbon nanotubes to a ceramic material can nearly
triple its resistance to fracturing. Since carbon nanotubes were discovered
a decade ago, ceramics researchers have tried to exploit the tiny tubes'
extraordinary strength and flexibility to make much more fracture-resistant
materials. Such durable materials could eventually replace conventional
ceramics or even metals in countless products, says Joshua D. Kuntz of the
University of California, Davis. (Small Times 1/13/03)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=5308

Microelectronics goes nanomechanical. In modern electronics, components are
being designed on increasingly tiny scales. As we approach dimensions of one
billionth of a metre ­ the nanometre scale ­ it is now appropriate to talk
about nanoelectronics rather than microelectronics...a new type of device in
which electron transport is manipulated by both electrical and mechanical
means has been built by Dominik Scheible, Artur Erbe and Robert Blick at the
Center for NanoScience at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich (D
Scheible et al. 2002 New Journal of Physics 4 86.1­86.7).
(PhysicsWeb January 2003)
http://physicsweb.or...le/world/16/1/7

Nanotechnology is good for the heart. A Swiss team of physicists,
biochemists and doctors has constructed an array of sub-millimetre sized
cantilevers to monitor blood proteins. The device, built by Youri Arntz of
the University of Basel and colleagues at Basel and IBM's Zurich Research
Laboratory, can measure proteins whose concentration reflects the state of a
person's heart. It promises quicker and easier diagnoses of heart attacks
than existing technologies, which rely on the radioactive labeling of
proteins. (PhysicsWeb 1/10/03)
http://physicsweb.or...icle/news/7/1/4

Researchers create novel life form. Researchers said Monday they have
manipulated an organism successfully to make it produce an unnatural amino
acid in addition to its natural counterparts. "It's a bona fide unnatural
organism now," said lead researcher Ryan Mehl, previously at Scripps
Research Institute where the study was conducted and currently an assistant
professor of chemistry at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.
Manufacturing this unnatural bacterium could lead to the manipulation of
others to manufacture antibiotics, enzymes or other compounds for human use,
Mehl said. By adding a novel amino acid, another protein building block, the
bacterium could produce proteins not found in nature and with unknown
potential, he said. (United Press International 1/13/03)
http://www.upi.com/v...13-061458-1878r

(More _Prey_ reaction) Devil in the details? The molecule-size machines long
promised by nanotechnology now seem menacing to some. Nanotechnology, touted
as promising supermaterials and molecule-size robots, is starting to know
sin-or at least some bad PR. In his new techno-thriller, Prey, author
Michael Crichton presents supersmall, supersmart nanobots as itsy-bitsy
baddies. And in some corners of the real world, environmental groups and
arms control advocates are raising questions about possible health effects
of nanotech's tiny particles and the weapons potential of its tiny machines.
(U.S. News 1/27/03)
http://www.usnews.co...misc/27nano.htm

Economic slowdown stalls Biotech's 'next big thing'...Scientists and
businesses also are excited about nanotechnology, the development of
products and applications at the atomic and molecular level that could
revolutionize a broad range of industries. Tiny medical devices and sensors
with military and civilian uses are among some of the first applications
under study, but development is still years away. At the moment, financing
new technological advancement has become a problem in a slow economy saddled
with too much capacity. Money is scarce for entrepreneurs, but some new
ideas are getting financing. (Contra Costa Times via BayArea.com 1/19/03)
http://www.bayarea.c...mes/4983226.htm

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."

Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 02:41:35 -0800
From: "Gina Miller"
Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
February 1, 2003

London's little idea. Nanotechnology may be the science of the small, but it
is surely destined for bigger things. The new London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), due to open in 2004, is a joint venture between University College London and Imperial College, designed to put British science at the centre of this emerging field. Based in a new building with purpose-built clean rooms and laboratories, the centre is funded by a £13.65m higher education grant under the Science Research Infrastructure Fund. (BBC 1/27/03)
http://news.bbc.co.u...ure/2698649.stm

Jefferson Lab's Free-Electron Laser explores promise of carbon nanotubes. A
research team led by Brian Holloway, an assistant professor at the College
of William & Mary's Department of Applied Science, used Jefferson Lab's
Free-Electron Laser to explore the fundamental science of how and why
nanotubes form, paying close attention to the atomic and molecular details.
Already, in experiments, the William & Mary/NASA Langley collaboration has
produced tubes better than those at other laboratories or in industry.
(EurekAlert 1/27/03)
http://www.eurekaler...a-jlf012703.php

Nanotech can be tragedy or triumph, says new group. A new non-profit organization has been formed to advance the safe use of molecular nanotechnology. The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN) was founded
by Chris Phoenix and Mike Treder in December 2002. The vision of CRN is a
world in which nanotechnology is widely used for productive and beneficial
purposes, and where malicious uses are limited by effective administration
of the technology.
(Center for Responsible Nanotechnology 1/17/03) http://www.CRNano.org

Very small solutions. One of the biggest names in the field of teensy science was a huge hit with students at Dutch Hill Elementary School Tuesday morning. Viola Vogel, director of the Center for Nanotechnology at the University of Washington, wowed a roomful of curious students with her expertise in the revolutionary field of nanotechnology. "We were so lucky she came," said sixth-grader Anna Boll. "She knows the most, and it's going to help us sound smarter in the competition." Boll and her classmates are working to qualify for a state problem-solving competition. This year's topic is nanotechnology. (Herald Net 1/29/03)
http://www.heraldnet...29/16433363.cfm

Watchdogs say stop nanotech, start worldwide dialogue. An advocacy group
that helped quash efforts to introduce genetically modified products in Europe, Africa and elsewhere intensified the spotlight on nanotechnology Wednesday with a report recommending a halt to some nanotech activities. Nanotechnology officials and observers said the report raises important questions, but is flawed and its recommendations are misguided.-ETC Group- (Small Times 1/31/03)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=5417

Nanowires form nanoelectronic devices. Scientists from Lund University in
Sweden have created one-dimensional heterostructure electronic devices based
on nanowires. They made the resonant tunneling diodes by bottom-up assembly
of different III/V semiconductor materials. (nanotechweb.org 1/21/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/2/1/12/1

Nanotechnology, Coming Soon. There is currently a race in progress to commercialize nanotechnology disk drives. The companies involved are IBM,
Hewlett-Packard, Philips, Seagate and Nanochip, and possibly others. Disk
technology based on a moving head that hovers over a spinning disk is reaching its physical limits and if greater density of storage is to be achieved then a different mechanism is required. Research in nanotechnology has unearthed a mechanism that fits the bill. (IT-Director 1/27/03)
http://www.it-direct...cle.php?id=3501

Devil in the details? The molecule-size machines long promised by nanotechnology now seem menacing to some. Nanotechnology, touted as promising supermaterials and molecule-size robots, is starting to know sin-or at least some bad PR. In his new techno-thriller, Prey, author Michael Crichton presents supersmall, supersmart nanobots as itsy-bitsy baddies. And in some corners of the real world, environmental groups and arms control advocates are raising questions about possible health effects of nanotech's tiny particles and the weapons potential of its tiny machines. Sean Howard, a British political scientist and editor of Disarmament Diplomacy, believes it threatens "some very dangerous developments, some globally shattering things" and favors an "inner space" version of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty banning weapons of mass destruction there. (U.S. News 1/27/03)
http://www.usnews.co...misc/27nano.htm

Bucky Diamonds In The Rough. Nanometer-size diamonds could have a
buckyball-like shape, prompting researchers to coin a new term: "bucky diamonds." Both diamonds and the soccer ball-shaped cage molecules called buckyballs are made of pure carbon, and according to the 24 January print issue of PRL, nanoscale diamonds could surround themselves with buckyball shells. But several experts in the field are not convinced by the data. If the work is confirmed, this new family of carbon clusters may provide new insights for the development of optoelectronics--futuristic devices that process both light and electrical signals. (Physical Review Focus 1/30/03)
http://focus.aps.org/story/v11/st4

(Join the discussion at Geek.com) The nascent field of nanotechnology is attracting increasing attention from electrical engineers. The field of nanotechnology, which at this point is really only nanoscience, has only recently gained legitimacy. All signs indicate, however, that it is poised for robust growth during the coming decade. One of the problems with this subject, however, is that there is little agreement on what constitutes "nanotechnology." Some (including Intel) refer to nanotechnology as any technology that utilizes components smaller than 100 nanometers. Others have more radical visions of nanotechnology. These proponents foresee molecular assemblers building computers that are millions of times faster than current computers. User discussion: what jobs are there, Crichton's book Prey, and education. (Geek.com 1/28/03)
http://www.geek.com/...30128018378.htm

Ultra-High-Density Data Storage May Become Practical with Breakthrough in
Nanoscale Magnetic Sensors. A simpler and more reliable manufacturing method
has allowed two materials researchers to produce nanoscale magnetic sensors that could increase the storage capacity of hard disk drives by a factor of a thousand. Building on results reported last summer, the new sensors are up to 100 times more sensitive than any current alternative technology. Susan Hua and Harsh Deep Chopra, both professors at the State University of New York at Buffalo, report in the February issue of Physical Review B on their latest experiments with nanoscale sensors that produce, at room temperature, unusually large electrical resistance changes in the presence of small magnetic fields. (NSF 1/30/03)
http://www.nsf.gov/o...s/03/pr0316.htm

Rice University Announces Nanotechnology Research Agreement with IBM. CBEN
Supercomputer Helps Decipher Quantum Phenomena of Carbon Nanotubes. Rice
University today announced a research agreement with IBM that will provide
nanotechnology researchers at Rice's Center for Biological and Environmental
Nanotechnology (CBEN) with a supercomputer powerful enough to decipher the
quantum phenomena of carbon nanotubes and other nanomaterials. CBEN researchers plan to use the supercomputer to find new ways to use nanomaterials to treat and diagnose disease and to clean pollutants from the environment. (Rice University 1/29/03)
http://www.rice.edu/...9_cbenibm.shtml

Disruptive technologies. Now is the time to prepare for two coming disruptors: open-source software and nanotechnology. Two potentially disruptive technologies watched closely by integrators today are open-source software and nanotechnology. Each holds the promise of radically changing the landscape of information technology. The concept of open-source software, for example, challenges many notions about how software should be created and sold. Linux, developed under the open-source license, is already provoking turmoil in the market for operating systems. "If you are an entrenched proprietary software vendor, this paradigm shift can be alarming," said John Weathersby, chairman of the Oxford, Miss.-based Open Source Software Institute. However, integrators and vendors that exploit the growing open-software movement in government can crack new markets, especially in the Department of Defense, where numerous offices are using open-source solutions as low-cost alternatives to commercial software. The same holds true for nanotechnology. Although still a few years out, nanotechnology can greatly expand the role of integrators as small, cheap computational devices are placed in everything from shoes to unmanned aerial vehicles. (Washington Technology 1/27/03)
http://www.washingto...es/19859-1.html

(Event) Announcing the World Nanotechnology Summit 2003. Emerging Technologies Limited is proud to announce that it will hold the first World Nanotechnology Summit (WNS2003) in New York on April 7-10, 2003...bringing together leading executives, investors and advisors from around the world to
discuss the next 3-5 years of opportunity. It is a major opportunity to hear about the latest developments worldwide and to make important new contacts.
http://www.nanotechsummit.com/

Tiny particles, enormous future. Government, industry rally to turn Bay Area into nanotechnology center. The Bay Area staked its claim to the hot new high-tech arena of nanotechnology Thursday as two dozen movers and shakers in industry, government and finance converged for a combination networking session and pep rally in San Francisco. The same killer combination of research universities, early-stage investors and pioneer companies that put the Bay Area ahead of the pack in biotechnology and the computer revolution could also make it a nanotechnology front-runner, said Scott Mize, co-founder of San Francisco's AngstroVision Inc., which creates 3-D imaging devices in the nanometer range.
(San Francisco Chronicle 1/31/03)
http://www.sfgate.co...hive/2003/01/31
/BU52571.DTL&type=business

Fighting hazards from a computer. If we are attacked with nerve gas or anthrax, we'll need to know what's coming our way as quickly as possible. Nanotechnologists are working on new sensors that are both small and sensitive enough to work anywhere that we are threatened with biological or chemical weapons. At Purdue University, chemist Jillian Buriak has come up with a detection lab on a chip. She uses extremely tiny pieces of gold that can connect from a computer to natural sensors found in living cells to pick up traces of biochemical agents. This article includes a video, to the right. (ScienCentral 1/29/03)
http://www.sciencent...english&type=ar
ticle&article_id=218391873

Also on the above website is an article and video from January 16, 2003.
Nanodesigner video, Silicon chips have made everything electronic smaller,
faster, and cheaper. As this ScienCentral News video reports, scientists are
working hard to make circuits so small, we won't see them at all.
(ScienCentral 1/19/03)
http://www.sciencent...english&type=ar
ticle&article_id=218391865

Campus Research Review. The color of cancer: nanoparticles offer new detection method. Associate professor Shuming Nie is trying to dramatically improve clinical diagnostic tests for the detection of cancer through the use of quantum dots, a type of nanoparticle. Quantum dots glow and act as markers on cells and genes, thereby allowing scientists to rapidly analyze biopsy tissue from cancer patients. (Georgia Tech 1/31/03)
http://nique.net/iss...3-01-31/19.html

Scientists See Progress in Untangling Nanotubes. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania claim they have made progress toward a solution for one of the biggest obstacles against implementing carbon nanotubes in electronics, materials and healthcare applications. Carbon nanotubes have frustrated researchers in every field with their stubborn and unhelpful tendency to clump together in solution. According to the Penn scientists, a readily available chemical, a surfactant called sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (NaDDBS), disperses nanotubes in water with remarkable efficiency. The discovery is described in a paper published this month in the journal Nanoletters. "Scientists have suggested many possible applications for carbon nanotubes, but tube aggregation in solution has obstructed progress," said lead author Mohammad Islam, a postdoctoral researcher in Penn's Department of Physics and Astronomy. "This new approach improves our ability to manipulate single tubes. Single nanotubes can now participate in controlled self-assembly, form fibers and composites, and serve as
microfluidic sensors in water." (Nanotech Planet 1/30/03)
http://www.nanoelect...ticle/0,4028,10
497_1576841,00.html

Braille-like system shrinks storage. A team of European scientists is experimenting with a molecular-scale storage device that can be read like Braille and could lead to systems that hold nearly 100 gigabits of data per square inch. The researchers from the chemistry departments at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the University of Bologna in Italy said they have discovered a class of materials that when gently nudged, form bumps in a predictable pattern that could be used to encode data. (MSNBC 1/23/03)
http://www.msnbc.com/news/863373.asp

Nanoscale waveguides provide view of single molecules. A group of researchers at Cornell University here perforated the top layer of a chip with two million "holes" that serve as nanoscale waveguides for a 488-nanometer laser, allowing them to film individual molecules during chemical reactions. Professor Watt Webb's group put 40-nanometer holes in the aluminum top layer of a 25 millimeter square chip. "Conventional wisdom would tell you that this is not a single- or multimode waveguide, since its size is ten times smaller than the light going through it. Rather, we call it a zero-mode waveguide," said postdoctoral fellow Michael Levene. (EETimes 1/31/03)
http://www.eetimes.c...EG20030131S0022

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

Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 16:08:33 -0800
From: "Gina Miller"
Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
February 16, 2003

Nanotechnology could save the ozone layer. Whilst experimenting with
nanospheres and perfluorodecalin, a liquid used in the production of
synthetic blood, researchers at Germany's University of Ulm have stumbled
across a phenomenon that could ultimately help remove ozone-harming
chemicals from the atmosphere. The perfluorodecalin, against all
expectations, was taken up by a water-based suspension of 60 nm diameter
polystyrene particles. (nanotechweb 1/30/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/2/1/16/1

Twenty Years until Anti-aging Nanotech: Zyvex Head. Stick around 20 years
and you could live to see medical nanotechnology battle aging, says the head
of a company that's making it happen. "I think nanomedicine has such promise
for humanity that I have taken a small portion of my net worth and hired Rob
to write a book and to give us some ideas about what might be possible,"
Texan millionaire Jim Von Her said in Wellington, New Zealand, while
attending a nanotechnology conference. "We can't build any of the devices he
has designed yet because we don't have atomic precision. But in 20 years we
are going to be able to make little devices to go in your body and actually
fight diseases and cure some of the aging problems in cells. "The "Rob" Von
Ehr refers to is Robert A. Freitas Jr., who is writing the books on
nanomedicine, called, appropriately, Nanomedicine. He has currently produced
two volumes. (Betterhumans 2/14/03)
http://www.betterhum...ID=2003-02-14-2

'Sticky' DNA crystals promise new way to process information. Imagine
information stored on something only a hundredth the size of the next
generation computer chip--and made from nature's own storage molecule, DNA.
A team led by Richard Kiehl, a professor of electrical engineering at the
University of Minnesota, has used the selective "stickiness" of DNA to
construct a scaffolding for closely spaced nanoparticles that could exchange
information on a scale of only 10 angstroms (an angstrom is one 10-billionth
of a meter). The technique allows the assembly of components on a much
smaller scale and with much greater precision than is possible with current
manufacturing methods, Kiehl said. The work is published in a recent issue
of the Journal of Nanoparticle Research. (EurekAlert 2/6/03)
http://www.eurekaler...om-dc020603.php

Education overhaul urged for nanotech revolution. Nanotechnology is taking
on a life of its own, inexorably changing electronics in the same way as the
transition from tubes to integrated circuits. But the educational community
has yet to respond, and research officials are concerned that the fledgling
industry will not grow unless nanotechnology becomes a standard part of the
U.S. physics and chemistry curriculum. Academics and research leaders aired
their concerns at a workshop devoted to nanotechnologies held here last week
in conjunction with the DesignCon 2003 conference. Some asked for
nanotechnology to be introduced in a preliminary stage to students at the
K-12 level. (EETimes 2/6/03)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20030206S0026

Governor breaks ground on advanced nano-research center at UCLA. Officials
broke ground Friday on what was billed as the world's most advanced facility
for atomic-level research. The California NanoSystems Institute at the
University of California, Los Angeles will explore the power and potential
of manipulating atoms to engineer new materials and devices. "Nanotech may
be one of the world's smallest sciences, but it has the greatest potential,"
Gov. Gray Davis said at the ceremony. The state will provide $100 million
for the facility, with another $138 million coming from private industry,
foundations and federal grants, officials said. (Modbee.com 2/14/03)
http://www.modbee.co...p-7148391c.html

Biology to make mini machines. Computers of the future will be built not by
factory machines, but by living cells such as bacteria. That at least is the
vision which has been outlined by scientists speaking at the American
Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Denver. They
have described how wires can now be made by yeast organisms, and how solar
panels could be built using substances produced by sea sponges. (BBC
2/14/03)
http://news.bbc.co.u...003/2765077.stm

Race on to build first robot insect. Walking silicon chip only a year away.
By 2004 the world's densest computer - 400 of them could fit on the surface
of a grain of salt - could be powering the first walking silicon chip, with
legs that move like a Mexican wave. If that works, the next step could be a
robot insect the size of a housefly. Nanotechnology - the science of
materials and machines measuring a billionth of a metre - has become big
business, with more than 450 firms, 270 university departments and $4bn
(£2.48bn) worth of investment in the US, Europe and Japan. (Guardian
Unlimited 2/15/03)
http://www.guardian....,895903,00.html

Tiny technologies could help Oregon make it big. With a carefully trimmed
beard and wire-rimmed glasses, Kevin Drost seems like an ordinary man with
ordinary thoughts -- until the conversation turns to Siamese fighting fish.
In his eyes, the exotic fish holds an important key to Oregon's economic
future. Scientists believe they can produce a tiny biohazard sensor using
unique, toxin-detecting cells in the fish's skin. "If we can do what I think
we can do, we can have multiple million-dollar business here," said Drost,
co-director of the Microtechnology Breakthrough Lab at Oregon State
University. "We are way ahead of everyone else in this particular field."
Some of Oregon's most influential residents believe research done at the
tiniest of scales -- on molecules one-billionth and one-millionth of a meter
in size -- will save the state from its economic tailspin and prop up its
business infrastructure for years to come. Oregon has plenty of competition:
Dozens of states and individual universities have already delved into
so-called nano- and microtechnology research. (billingsgazette.com 2/15/03)
http://www.billingsg.../2003/02/15/bui
ld/business/65-tiny-tech.inc

Thousand CDs in a wristwatch. Miniaturization is the buzzword today.
Nanotechnology is not simply miniaturization. It is much more in frontier
science, with its scope and application limitless and mind-boggling. "1000
compact discs in a wrist watch", that is how Prof. CNR Rao, a noted
scientist, terms it...India is one of the few leading countries of the world
where work on nanotechnology is progressing at a faster pace in a number of
premier scientific institutions. The Minister for Science and Technology,
Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, a physicist by his own right, sums up,
'Nanotechnology could one day unravel the mystery of interconnectivity of
the whole universe'. (indiaexpress.com 2/15/03)
http://www.indiaexpr...20030215-0.html

Science of the small draws its own skeptics. FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN: Scientists
fear that scaremongering by those opposed to the development of
nanotechnology could result in a moratorium on research. Scientists and
activists are on a collision course over a new technology that operates on a
microscopic scale but could have massive ramifications, and the
confrontation could derail the rapidly emerging field of nanotechnology, a
Canadian study shows. (Taipei Times 2/15/03)
http://www.taipeitim...03/02/15/194681
More on this at BBC Nanotech may spark fierce ethical row 2/15/03
http://news.bbc.co.u...ure/2758191.stm

Acid stops bacteria swimming. Microbes' motors are sensitive to their
internal pH. Lowering the pH inside a bacterium stops its motor, shows new
research. The finding could help those trying to learn how to make
microbe-sized machines. Spinning hairs called flagella enable microbes to
swim towards nutrients or away from toxins: they turn anticlockwise for
forward motion, and clockwise to change direction. Researchers are keen to
understand such chemically driven biological motors, which are only
millionths of a millimetre across, as electronics do not work on this scale.
(nature science update 2/10/03)
http://www.nature.co.../030203-13.html

After Columbia: Small Tech Can Help Make Space Travel Safer...Ryne
Raffaelle, a physics professor and director of the NanoPower Research
Laboratory at the Rochester Institute of Technology, is working on several
nanotechnology projects at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. He
said that weight, power and volume are at a tremendous premium in space. The
sort of diagnostic devices NASA currently use are much heavier than MEMS
sensors. The current crop of diagnostic devices NASA uses are too heavy and
require too much power, Raffaelle said. (Small Times 2/14/03)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=5508

DNA acts like a "piston". Biophysicists have built a DNA nanomolecular
device that expands and contracts with the addition of "fuel" DNA. Patrizia
Alberti and Jean-Louis Mergny at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in
Paris constructed the piston-like device using a single strand of
nucleotides. They believe that it could be used as a structural component in
nanomolecular machines (P Alberti and J-L Mergny 2003 Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.
to be published)
(Physicsweb 2/3/03) http://physicsweb.or...icle/news/7/2/1

Chip is 400th the size of grain of salt. A microscopic computer chip so tiny
that 400 could fit on a grain of salt will begin to revolutionize
electronics next year, scientists said yesterday. Dr James Ellenbogen, a
physicist at the Mitre Corporation, a research institute based in Virginia,
said a working memory the size of a human cell would be complete by the end
of 2004. He told the American Association that it would be "the densest
memory ever". "When they introduced the IBM personal computer it came with
16 kilobytes of memory - eight times this," he said. "You would have shrunk
the memory of an old IBM PC into the space of about eight human cells. It's
awfully small." The memory chip is created from a lattice of minute wires
upon which are placed individual molecules capable of storing digital
information. Dr Ellenbogen said that by stacking the chips on top of each
other it should be possible to store a gigabyte of information on a device
the size of a grain of salt.
(Hoover's Online 2/15/03)
http://hoovnews.hoov...NR20030215670.4
_b0310007347792e9
Also: http://www.eurekaler...t-tfo021303.php

'Gadget printer' promises industrial revolution. The idea of printing a
light bulb may seem bizarre, but US engineers are now developing an ink-jet
printing technology to do just that. The research at the University of
California in Berkeley will allow fully assembled electric and electronic
gadgets to be printed in one go. The idea was revealed at a December
workshop on robotic algorithms in Nice. Instead of creating a casing and
then laboriously filling it with electronic circuit boards, components and
switches, the plan is to print a complete and fully assembled device. The
trick is to print layer upon layer of conducting and semiconducting polymers
in such a way that the circuitry the device requires is built up as part of
the bodywork. When the technique is perfected, devices such as light bulbs,
radios, remote controls, mobile phones and toys will be spat out as
individual fully functional systems without expensive and labor-intensive
production on an assembly line.
(New Scientist Jan. 03)
http://www.newscient...p?id=ns99993238

New technology sees through objects. As part of an effort sponsored by the
European Space Agency, which works to bring the continent up to speed in
outer-space research by coordinating multinational projects, scientists were
able to take the first "photographs" using terahertz radiation. Researchers
with the StarTiger project released on Tuesday images of a human hand taken
through a 15 millimeter stack of paper, as well as pictures taken of the
human body through clothing. (CnetAsia 2/13/03)
http://asia.cnet.com...39114080,00.htm

Huge progress on tiny scale. In the unlikely setting of the World War II US
army base that is now Lower Hutt's Gracefield Research Centre, Dr Andreas
Markwitz is at the forefront of a technology that could change the world. He
is one of a handful of people worldwide who are working on a commercial
process for making tiny slithers of silicon called "nanowhiskers".
His field, "nanotechnology", works on a scale of a nanometre - one-billionth
of a metre, or about one half-millionth of the size of the full stop at the
end of this sentence. -lengthy- (New Zealand News 2/8/03)
http://www.nzherald....esection=techno
logy&thesubsection=general

(Artificial Intelligence) Can Sentient Machines Evolve. It's coming, but
when? From Garry Kasparov to Michael Crichton, both fact and fiction are
converging on a showdown between man and machine. But what does a leading
artificial intelligence expert--the world's first computer science
PhD--think about the future of machine intelligence? Will computers ever
gain consciousness and take over the world? (SpaceDaily 2/12/03)
http://www.spacedail.../robot-03b.html

NanoLights! Camera! Action! Tiny semiconductor crystals reveal cellular
activity like never before. Last December, Sanford Simon attended a cell
biology meeting where researchers presented picture after picture of cells
colorfully highlighted by organic dyes or fluorescent proteins. Speakers
also debuted movies-featuring proteins as cellular action heroes. In these
little dramas, often lasting only seconds, viewers witnessed the complicated
molecular actions underlying cancer, diabetes, and other human diseases.
(Sciencenews 2/15/03)
http://www.sciencene...30215/bob10.asp

The Secret of Life. Future Visions. How will genetics change our lives? TIME
invited a panel of scientists and science writers to close their eyes and
imagine the world 50 years from now. This is what they see. Comments by:
James Watson President: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, David Baltimore:
President California Institute of Technology, Francis Collins:
Director National Human Genome Research Institute, Nancy Wexler: Professor
of Neuropsychology Columbia University, Matt Ridley: Author of Genome: The
Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters, Lee Silver: Professor Department
of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Ray Kurzweil: Inventor and
author of The Age of Spiritual Machines, French Anderson: Director Gene
Therapy Laboratories, University of Southern California, Kary Mullis:
Biochemist and inventor of the Polymerase Chain Reaction, Stanley Prusiner,
M.D. Professor of Biochemistry University of California, San Francisco and
Hamilton Smith: Nobel Laureate & Scientific Director, Institute for
Biological Energy Alternatives. (Time Magazine 2/9/03)
http://www.time.com/.../scdfuture.html

Manipulating Nanoparticles. Focused light beams called optical tweezers
excel at trapping and moving micron-sized objects, but nanometer-scale
particles generally slip through their grasp. Now researchers calculate that
a laser tuned to resonate with the internal energy levels of semiconductor
nanoparticles could strengthen its grip up to 100,000 times. A previous
study had suggested a similar but much less drastic enhancement. The paper,
appearing in the 7 February print issue of PRL, points the way toward size-
and shape-selective sorting of building blocks for efficient nano-patterned
materials.
(Physical Review Focus 2/11/03) http://focus.aps.org/story/v11/st6

(More from CRN) The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology. Patchwork
regulation of nanotech could be grave danger, warns CRN. The Center for
Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN) is deeply concerned about the potential for
abuse of nanotechnology, and also about the serious hazards of unwise
regulation. CRN's statement comes in response to a report by the University
of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, warning that a backlash against
nanotechnology development is gathering momentum and needs to be addressed.
(nanotech-now 2/15/03)
http://nanotech-now....se-02152003.htm

I hope you all had a nice Valentines day!

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."

Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 19:37:59 -0800
From: "Gina Miller"
Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
February 27, 2003

NNI Gets 9.5 Percent Increase in Proposed Budget. The budget for fiscal year
2004 presented by President George W. Bush provides $847 million for the
National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), a 9.5 percent increase over the
2003 budget. View the chart of the proposed budget here: (Nanotech Planet
2/5/03)
http://www.nanoelect...icle/0,4028,104
99_1579841,00.html
Or view the PDF from the National Nanotechnology Initiative website:
http://www.nano.gov/...ostp03_0204.pdf

Optical trap provides new insights into motor molecules - nature`s ultimate
nanomachines. When it comes to nanotechnology, many researchers turn to
nature for inspiration. Of particular interest to nanoengineers is the
naturally occurring protein kinesin. If kinesin-like nanodevices are to
become reality, researchers first need to solve a fundamental mystery about
how kinesin moves. A new laser microscope designed at Stanford University is
providing new clues. (Stanford University news 2/25/03)
http://www.stanford....weezers226.html

New crystals may shape better nanotech. Taking a cue from a starfishlike
marine creature, scientists at Bell Labs have created what they say are
high-quality crystals that may one day help improve communications networks
and nano-devices. (zdnet/cnet 2/21/03)
http://zdnet.com.com...103-985534.html
Or see StockHouse USA:
http://www.stockhous...&newsid=1533911

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of
Sheffield report in the Feb. 21 issue of Science that they have created
tree-like molecules that assemble themselves into precisely structured
building blocks of a quarter-million atoms. Such building blocks may be
precursors to designing nanostructures for molecular electronics or
photonics materials, which "steer" light in the same way computer chips
steer electrons. (Newswise/Scinews 2/21/03)
http://www.newswise....PERCEC.NSF.html

Researchers Develop 'Natural Bandages' That Mimic Body's Healing Process.
With the same compound the body uses to clot blood, scientists at Virginia
Commonwealth University have created a nano-fiber mat that could eventually
become a "natural bandage." Spun from strands of fibrinogen 1,000 times
thinner than a human hair, the fabric could be placed on a wound and never
taken off - minimizing blood loss and encouraging the natural healing
process. (ScienceDaily 2/11/03)
http://www.scienceda...30211072313.htm

Nanotech circuits could bud from brain's bane. Rogue proteins blamed for mad
cow disease could yet find a use - in tiny electrical wires, scientists
revealed this week in Denver. The proteins, called prions, are also thought
to cause the human brain disease variant Creutzfeld Jacob disease (vCJD)
when they wad together into tough, messy clumps.
(Nature Science Update 2/16/03)
http://www.nature.co.../030210-21.html

Tiny Battery May Power Next-Gen Gadgets. A radical new design that promises
to revamp and rewire a decades-old staple of electronics -- the battery --
may also be the elusive blueprint for powering so-called
"micro-electromechanical systems," or MEMS, futuristic devices no wider than
a human hair. No battery yet exists that will provide long-lasting power and
still fit inside devices this small," said Bruce Dunn, a materials science
professor from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied
Science. "Our team of engineers and chemists are establishing the enabling
science for a new battery that represents a real paradigm shift," he told
NewsFactor. (Yahoo! News 2/21/03)
http://story.news.ya...221/tc_nf/20819

Michigan Researchers Achieve Quantum Entanglement Of Three Electrons. The
quantum entanglement of three electrons, using an ultrafast optical pulse
and a quantum well of a magnetic semiconductor material, has been
demonstrated in a laboratory at the University of Michigan, marking another
step toward the realization of a practical quantum computer. While several
experiments in recent years have succeeded in entangling pairs of particles,
few researchers have managed to correlate three or more particles in a
predictable fashion. (Science Daily 2/27/03)
http://www.scienceda...30227071834.htm

Nanotechnology: The Shape of Tomorrow... Oak Ridge National Laboratory's
Dave Geohegan, Alex Puretzky and Ilia Ivanov are using laser ablation and
vapor deposition techniques to grow nanotubes up to millimeters long. They
also are developing ways to align them in polymers for new generations of
materials. The challenge now is to gain a better understanding of the tubes'
chemistry and how they grow so scientists can optimize the process.
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory Feb.. 2003)
http://www.ornl.gov/...co/storytip.htm

NanoMuscle eyes a giant market. What do cars and toys have in common? Very
little, except for a device the size of a paper clip that is wedging its way
into both markets. The device comes from Antioch-based NanoMuscle Inc. - a
little company that is making a big name for itself. This week at the
American International Toy Fair in New York City, the first consumer product
using NanoMuscle's technology hit the market. Hong Kong-based Playmates Toys
unveiled Baby Bright Eyes, a doll with eyes powered by NanoMuscle's tiny
actuator that open and close and move slowly, as if gazing around her
environs..."What they don't realize is this Christmas, their children will
be playing with it, and in 2005, cars will be driving with nanotechnology,"
MacGregor said. (East Bay bizjournals 2/21/03)
http://www.bizjourna.../24/story6.html

Connecticut is poised to become the nanotechnology capital of the world,
maker of novel materials, wonder drugs, super fuel cells and many more
miracles of the 21st century. So believe the invitation-only members of a
new organization called the Connecticut Nanotechnology Initiative, which met
for the first time over the weekend at Yale University. The provost of Yale
and the chancellor of the University of Connecticut gathered with Lt. Gov.
M. Jodi Rell, entrepreneurs, policy makers and some of the top
nanotechnology scientists in the world. (New Haven Register.com 2/24/03)
http://www.zwire.com...G=461&dept_id=3
1007&rfi=6

Nanotech to pave way for micro-machines. Disposable satellite transmitters,
inexpensive medical testing equipment and sensors for automatically tracking
inventory or traffic patterns will become possible over the next 10 years
through developments in nanotechnology, speakers at the Nanotech 2003
conference said Monday. (ZDnet 2/25/03)
http://zdnet.com.com...103-985770.html

Nanowires approach the quantum realm. Scientists at the City University of
Hong Kong have fabricated the smallest silicon nanowires ever. Shuit-Tong
Lee and colleagues believe that such wires - which have diameters
approaching 1 nanometre - could be used to make UV light-emitting diodes,
transistors and lasers (D D Ma et al. 2003 Sciencexpress to be published)
(PhysicsWeb 2/20/03)
http://physicsweb.or...icle/news/7/2/9

The so-called 'nanoforum' consortium supported by the European Union has
launched a pan-European Internet portal for nanotechnology research at
http://www.nanoforum.org . By providing an exhaustive source of information,
the site aims to help European nanotechnology experts work together and make
faster progress. It is also designed to give less developed countries in
Europe better access to cutting edge innovations in the field and encourage
young scientists to publish their results. (Newsfox 2/25/03)
http://www.pressetex...c?pte=030225028

Diatomists shell out on nanotechnology. It's unlikely that many
nanotechnologists are familiar with diatoms - a group of single-celled
shelled algae - but that could change following a world-first conference on
diatom nanotechnology that's set to take place in the US in October. Liz
Kalaugher spoke to conference organizer Richard Gordon of the University of
Manitoba, Canada, to find out more. (nanotechweb.org 2/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...feature/2/2/2/1

Pacific Nanotechnology Brings 'Developer's Corner' Resource to Customers.
AFM Users Can Stay Abreast of Application Options Available and Submit Their
Own Ideas and Requests Regarding AFM Imaging Problems or Solutions. Pacific
Nanotechnology, Inc. (PNI), the global leader in high-performance,
easy-to-use, and affordable atomic force microscopes (AFMs), has added a
Pacific Nanotechnology "Developer's Corner" feature to its Web site at
http://www.pacificnanotech.com. The Developer's Corner is a resource for
Pacific Nanotechnology customers that have modified or would like to
customize a PNI product for a specific application. (Prn newswire 2/24/03)
http://www.prnewswir...www/story/02-24
-2003/0001896450&EDATE=

Carbon nanotubes may be magical molecular wands. Thousands of times thinner
than a human hair but hundreds of times stronger than steel, carbon
nanotubes could play an important role in the next wave of technological
innovation...That's where Jun Jiao comes in. Jiao, co-director of Portland
State University's Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, leads a team
that is devising ways to build custom-designed nanotubes. "We're trying to
create new procedures to synthesize carbon nanotubes in controlled ways, to
produce carbon nanotubes with controlled properties," said Jiao, whose 1997
Ph.D. thesis at the University of Arizona compared different ways of making
nanotubes. (Oregon Live 2/26/03)
http://www.oregonliv...cience/10461784
8494540.xml

DNA strings along metal atoms. Researchers from the University of Tokyo and
the Institute for Molecular Science in Japan have used DNA to assemble
strings of up to five copper ions. The technique could have applications in
producing molecular magnets and wires. "One of the most important goals in
the field of inorganic chemistry is to control metal arrays spatially and
dynamically," Mitsuhiko Shionoya of the University of Tokyo told
nanotechweb.org. "DNA shows promise as the provider of a structural basis
for the bottom-up fabrication of inorganic and bio-organic molecular
devices." (nanotechweb.org 2/21/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/2/2/10/1

Tiny Computing Machine Fueled By DNA; Device Awarded In Guinness World
Record For "Smallest Biological Computing Device". Fifty years after the
discovery of the structure of DNA, a new use has been found for this
celebrated molecule: fuel for molecular computation systems. The research,
conducted by scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, will appear in
this week's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA
(PNAS). Whether plugged in or battery powered, computers need energy. Around
a year ago, Prof. Ehud Shapiro of the Weizmann Institute made international
headlines for devising a programmable molecular computing machine composed
of enzymes and DNA molecules. Now his team has made the device uniquely
frugal: the single DNA molecule that provides the computer with the input
data also provides all the necessary fuel. (Science Daily 2/27/03)
http://www.scienceda...30227074409.htm

U-M launches ambitious exploration of inner space. A path-breaking
collaborative effort of University of Michigan researchers will attempt to
capture never-before-seen views of the chemical activity inside living cells
in real time and 3-D...The U-M team will be using synthetic nanoprobes small
enough to fit inside a cell without interrupting its normal functions to
measure the activity of crucial metal ions like zinc and copper as the cell
works. Sophisticated statistical modeling programs will be used to interpret
data that looks something like a swarm of fast-moving fruit flies zinging
around a bowl of fruit.
(University of Michigan 2/20/03)
http://www.umich.edu...3/r022003a.html

Pace-Setting Nanotubes May Power Micro-Devices. New measurements by an India
n physicist and his team support the idea that nanotubes -- cylindrical
carbon rolls no thicker than an atom -- may make good batteries for tiny
devices or even power pacemakers, dispensing with cumbersome power packs.
Submersed in a slow-flowing liquid, a dense bundle of nanotubes develops a
voltage that ranges up to 10 millivolts and increases with flow speed,
according to Ajay Sood and his colleagues at the Indian Institute of Science
in Bangalore. (Yahoo! News 2/27/03)
http://story.news.ya...227/tc_nf/20867

Nanotech Research Center to Start. Officials broke ground Friday on what was
billed as the world's most advanced facility for atomic-level research. The
California NanoSystems Institute at the University of California, Los
Angeles will explore the power and potential of manipulating atoms to
engineer new materials and devices. "Nanotech may be one of the world's
smallest sciences, but it has the greatest potential," Gov. Gray Davis said
at the ceremony. (Yahoo! News 2/14/03)
http://story.news.ya..._on_sc/nanotech
_research_1

Photronics, MII devise first 'nano-imprint templates'. During the SPIE
Microlithography conference here, Photronics Inc. and Molecular Imprints
Inc. (MII) claimed to have demonstrated and built one of the world's first
masks--or templates--for nano-imprint lithography applications. (EE Times
2/26/03)
http://eetimes.com/s...EG20030226S0031

Canadian NanoBusiness Alliance News. The Canadian NanoBusiness Alliance and
key partners have expanded their effort to build a National Nanotechnology
Initiative (NNI) in Canada. As one of the world's only industrialized
countries without an NNI, Canadian industry is increasingly vulnerable to
miss out on the vast technological and economic opportunities developing
from nanotechnology. Canada's Nanotech SWAT Team was created last year to
prepare a position paper on the need for a Canada NNI by presenting the
viewpoints of various stakeholders in Canada. Some of Canada's foremost
nanotech business and regional leaders have been added to the SWAT team to
gain critical mass and industry representation.
(Nanotechnology Now 2/26/03)
http://nanotech-now....se-02262003.htm

Merkle resigns as Zyvex's nano theorist. Zyvex Corp. soon will be short a
nanotechnology theorist, but interested applicants need not apply. Nanotech
pioneer Ralph Merkle will step down from that post this week at Zyvex, a
Texas-based maker of tools and technologies for molecularly precise
manufacturing. He plans to pursue independent consulting and speaking about
nanotech, two of his main tasks since he joined Zyvex in 1999. (Small Times
2/25/03)
http://www.smalltime...ief.cfm#brief_4

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."

The Nanogirl News
Gina Miller
March 12, 2003

Optical microscopy sets new records. Scientists in the US have produced the
highest resolution optical image to date - showing details of structures that are less than 30 nm across. Lukas Novotny from the University of Rochester and colleagues from Portland State University and the University of Harvard used a technique known as "near-field Raman microscopy" to look at carbon nanotubes. (PhysicsWeb 3/7/03)
http://physicsweb.or...icle/news/7/3/4
Or at BBC-Zooming in on the nanoscale:
http://news.bbc.co.u...ure/2822251.stm

Navy grant launches minimally invasive surgical technologies institute at Cedars-Sinai Scientists in the newly formed Minimally Invasive Surgical Technology Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are working to develop a new generation of advanced surgical tools and procedures. Minimally invasive technologies, robotic surgery, optical imaging and gene and cellular "nano" therapy are major points of focus for the Institute, which is funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Navy. (EurekAlert 3/5/03)
http://www.eurekaler...c-ngl030503.php

A fold-your-own protein kit. The Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction is the Grand Prix of bioinformatics, where competitors start with gene sequences and try to determine the shape of unknown proteins. A new visualization tool called ProteinShop jump-starts the race with mathematical concepts that move chains of amino acids like a robot's very long arm. (Berkeley Lab 2/28/03)
http://enews.lbl.gov...roteinshop.html

Shaken Not Stirred. The progression toward smaller and smaller electrical and mechanical components presents tremendous challenges to engineers and scientists as they strive to create devices on scales measured in microns and nanometers. One solution may be to develop materials that automatically arrange themselves in useful patterns. Now a collaboration of researchers (Igor Aronson, 630-252-9725) at Argonne National Laboratory and Institute of Physics for Microstructures of the Russian Academy of Sciences has developed a new method for encouraging microscopic particles to self assemble into desired complex patterns. (Physics News Update 2/26/03)
http://www.aip.org/e...plit/626-3.html

Australian overturns 15 years of nano-science doctrine. An Australian mathematician has thrown 15 years of accepted scientific practice out the window by discovering a design flaw in a key component of the Atomic Force Microscope. His finding will force a rethink into the design and use of an instrument that has become a cornerstone of scientific measurement and analysis. Dr John Sader, at University of Melbourne's Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, used established mechanical principles to prove that the popular V-shaped cantilever inadvertently degrades the performance of the instrument, and delivers none of its intended benefits. (EurekAlert 3/6/03)
http://www.eurekaler...m-ao1030603.php

Physicists at the University of Missouri-Rolla have published the first-ever three-dimensional images of atomic collision processes. The images, which promise to further understanding of theoretical physics, accompany a paper by the physicists in the March 6 issue of the British journal Nature. The paper, "Three-dimensional imaging of atomic four-body processes," by three UMR physicists and colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany, has enormous implications to theoretical physics, the authors say, because it offers scientists a new look at how ions react when they collide with atoms. Previous studies have shown only two-dimensional images of the collisions, says Dr. Michael Schulz, professor of physics at UMR, and one of the authors. (Newswise 3/6/03)
http://www.newswise....OMIC3D.UMR.html

Interview with Christine Peterson. Questions by Sander Olson, NanoApex Corp...Christine Peterson has been investigating and promoting the concept of molecular nanotechnology for the past two decades. She wrote, along with Eric Drexler and Gayle Pergamit, Unbounding the Future in 1991. She is currently the President of the Foresight institute. (Interview at nanomagazine.com 3/2/03)
http://www.nanomagazine.com/2003_03_02

The Greater Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council Launches Region's First Nanobiotechnology Summit. The Greater Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council
announced a major economic development initiative today, bringing together
area organizations to host a technology summit that will link together the
mushrooming nanotech and infotech, and biomedical and biosciences sectors of
the Greater Austin-San Antonio Corridor. Scheduled for March 20, 2003, on
the campus of Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, the
event will serve as a catalyst for economic development along the I-35
corridor. (Hoovers Online 3/7/03)
http://hoovnews.hoov...=NR200303071680.


Simple optoelectronic devices based on silver nanoclusters perform logic operations Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated a new type of nanometer-scale optoelectronic device that performs addition and other complex logic operations, is simple to fabricate and produces optical output that can be read without electrical contacts. (Georgia Research News 3/7/03)
http://www.gtresearc...nocomputing.htm

Small is beautiful but only up to a point. Chris Benfield reports on new horizons in a microscopic world. The prophets of "nanotechnology" - the science of working in billionths of a metre, like Nature did when she created living things - say it could build ladders to the stars, cure all ills, make us richer than we ever dreamed, and record every move we ever make. Now a group of scientific heavyweights have published an essay warning that the whole booming business is heading for a row like the one about genetic modification, as soon as people realize what it is up to. The authors of the warning include Peter Singer, the former Oxford University scientist who predicted, in 1976, that animals' rights would be one of the issues of the coming decades. (Hoovers Online 3/5/03)
http://hoovnews.hoov...NR20030305670.4


Nobel laureate Smalley urges engineering initiative. The United States needs a Sputnik-like event to revive interest in careers in engineering and the physical sciences, a Nobel Prize-winning engineer told a government science board on Monday (March 3). Richard Smalley, the Rice University professor and nano-technology pioneer, told the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology that such a galvanizing event exists: the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States. (EETimes 3/4/03)
http://www.eetimes.c...EG20030304S0014

Nanorelay race is on. Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have theoretically modelled the properties of a nanorelay device. The nanorelay consisted of a conducting carbon nanotube beam, a stepped silicon substrate and three electrodes. "These results describe a basic idea, a way of building a nanoelectromechanical switch using small conducting cantilevers such as metallic nanotubes," researcher Jari Kinaret told nanotechweb.org. "The main aim with this first publication was to get the idea out in order to stimulate experimental work on nanorelays." (nanotechweb.org 3/6/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...es/news/2/3/4/1

Motorola shows 30-nm images with nano-imprint. Motorola Inc. here today disclosed new details about its internal nano-imprint lithography program, claiming it has demonstrated the ability to print feature sizes down to 30-nm with a tool from a U.S. startup. Douglas Resnick, a manager at Motorola Labs in Tempe, Ariz., said the lab is using a tool from startup Molecular Imprints Inc. (MII, Austin, Texas) to demonstrate the feasibility of nano-imprint lithography in future device production. (EETimes 2/25/03)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20030225S0037

Amino groups link up with carbon nanotubes. A team of scientists from Rice University, US, have come up with a new technique for attaching amino groups to the sidewalls of single-walled carbon nanotubes. They produced the functionalized nanotubes by reacting fluoronanotubes with terminal diamines. (nanotechweb.org 3/3/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...es/news/2/3/1/1

(Essay by by Sharon Smith, Director, Technology, Systems Integration Business Area, Lockheed Martin Corporation) The Defense Industry's 'Fantastic Voyage' into the World of Nanotechnology...To meet the needs of its military customers, Lockheed Martin Corporation is dedicated to incorporating advanced, proven technologies into our defense systems, giving our armed forces the best technological advantage possible. Our current areas of focus include military space products, precision munitions, information superiority, air and missile defense products, and combat, air mobility, and special mission/reconnaissance aircraft. As part of our on-going efforts to keep our defense systems the best in the world, we are very interested in nanotechnology. (Eurekalert)
http://www.eurekaler...ano&show=essays

(Scroll to second story) The Next Big Thing. Small Minnesota town looks for state help to be on the leading edge of emerging technology. Suspend your beliefs about the workings of nearly every product you've ever known. Imagine instead prescription drugs treat-ing pain the moment they touch your mouth's membrane. Supercomputers functioning from a wristwatch. Airplanes becoming invisible by blending into their surroundings. Buildings and machines repairing themselves. And clothing alerting its wearer to environmental hazards. The technology for such advances - called nanotechnology - is not relegated to imagination. It's well on its way. And if a group of busi-ness people has its way, it's a science that will be partially funded by the state of Minnesota. A bill to fund the Rushford Institute for Technology, still on the drawing board, has been approved by one House committee. (Rushford.net March 03)
http://www.rushford....6&PubID=10717


Green plans for tiny tech. Nanotechnologists take responsible approach to the environment. A US research centre is working to develop tiny technology in an environmentally friendly way, its director told this week's meeting of the American Physical Society in Austin, Texas. Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology in Houston, Texas, is trying to identify the potential impacts of manipulating matter on the scale of atoms and molecules to make devices over a thousand times thinner than a human hair. (Nature 3/10/03)
http://www.nature.co.../030303-12.html

Smart Dust Senses Bioweapons. How can you protect yourself from biological and chemical weapons? Forget duct tape. The answer is blowing in the wind...To make the particles, which Sailor calls "smart dust," he first creates a filter for light in the surface of a silicon wafer about the size of a quarter. He places the wafer in a conductive solution, and then electrochemically corrodes it with an alternating current. Sailor says, "as [the corrosion] drills down into the silicon, it bottlenecks and opens up again, then bottlenecks and opens up again." The result is a delicately etched network of parallel pores about two nanometers in diameter. Using ultrasound vibrations, Sailor then crumbles the wafer into particles about the width of a hair. (Technology Review 3/12/03)
http://www.technolog...arney031203.asp

Breaking Glass under a Microscope. If you dropped a wineglass, you'd expect it to shatter, not skitter across the floor like a silver goblet would. But research published in the 21 February print issue of PRL suggests that glass does in fact break like a metal--at least at the nanometer scale. The research may help explain some of the fracture properties of glass, and may someday lead to stronger versions of the material. (Physical Review Focus 3/5/03)
http://focus.aps.org/story/v11/st9

Indian scientist makes breakthrough in nanotechnology. It is a major step forward for nanotechnology--the science of manipulating individual molecules and atoms to build structures of complex atomic specifications. An Indian scientist and his team at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, have demonstrated that nanotubes--cylindrical carbon rolls no thicker than an atom -- may make good batteries for tiny devices or even power pacemakers, thereby dispensing with cumbersome power packs. (Economic Times/IndiaTimes 3/11/03)
http://economictimes...leshow?artid=39


Zyvex Introduces Innovative Business Partner Program. Zyvex Corporation, the
first molecular nanotechnology company, today announced the introduction of the Zyvex Business Partner Program. This unique program enables inventors, university professors, and large or small firms to capitalize on Zyvex's leadership position in the nanotechnology business arena. "Because of Zyvex's established brand equity, technical expertise, and healthy financial situation, we're able to create win/win business partnerships to commercialize products or license technologies for those that don't possess the required resources to position themselves in the burgeoning nanotechnology marketplace," said Dr. Thomas A. Cellucci, Chief Operating Officer at Zyvex. Zyvex offers much more than a simple
distribution relationship for finished products. They're prepared to provide partners with a comprehensive package of financial assistance, support, marketing prowess, and business advice. (biz ink 3/7/03)
http://www.prnewswir...tory&STORY=/www


The Big Letdown. A thorough report on nanotechnology, The Big Down is required reading. But it completely misses the biggest threat to the future: Democratic rot. Nobody who calls themselves a Transhumanist, a futurist, a technophile or even an environmentalist could have missed the recent release of the The Big Down, the poetically named, stop-nanotechnology-now report from tiny, Monsanto-tormenting ETC Group. But how many of you actually read it?
(Betterhumans 3/3/03)
http://www.betterhum...um...lumn.aspx?
BIG DOWN ARTICLE PDF: http://www.etcgroup..../TheBigDown.pdf

Check out the new Nanomedicine Book Site maintained by the author Robert A. Freitas Jr. Find out about Nanomedicine Volume I , when you can get the upcoming Volume IIA and volumes to come. More than that, it's also a great site with lots of information. http://www.nanomedicine.com

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."

Edited by Lazarus Long, 27 March 2003 - 04:39 AM.

Subject: 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.internetn...cle.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/o...s/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.betterhum...ID=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/b...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...15s01-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.eurekaler...s-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.spacedail...notech-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.....-businessloca
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.o...es/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...ess/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.co...7/030317-1.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.xinhuane...tent_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.scienceda...30321075058.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/a...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....w?msid=41197322

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.eurekaler...f-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.eurekaler...i-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/nw...CPP_4WMESE&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...17s03-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.scienceda...30317074038.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.bizjourna.../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.newscient...p?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.o.....17 PST&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.smalltime...ocument_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/...wsletterID=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.nanotechw...s/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...rticle&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."

Edited by Lazarus Long, 27 March 2003 - 03:51 AM.

Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 23:56:53 -0700
From: "Gina Miller"
Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
April 12, 2003

Defense Department expands nanotechnology research. Nanoscale materials and components, including some of the tiniest products ever manufactured, have already found their way into communications systems and weapons being used in the war with Iraq. But the role of nanotechnology is still so limited that the Iraq war will more likely be remembered as the last to be fought without its benefits than the first that fully deployed it. (SiliconValley 4/8/03)
http://www.siliconva...ews/5585217.htm

Electrifying claims for DNA are dashed. Can DNA conduct electricity? Some physicists claim it is a superconductor. Others believe it does not conduct electricity at all. And biologists have agonized about how conductivity might affect its function. A consensus is emerging. Although the much-hyped molecule can transport electrons over a length of a few base pairs, allowing it to deflect oxidative damage away from important sections (New Scientist print edition, 15 March), it fails to conduct over longer distances. That will dash long-held hopes that the self-replicating molecule could be harnessed to make self-assembling nanowires. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, have hammered the final nail in the coffin with an exhaustive paper submitted to Physical Review Letters. (NewScientist
3/30/03)
http://www.newscient...p?id=ns99993548

Don't miss this webcast of Chris Peterson and Ray Kurzweil nanotech
testimonies at the House Science Committee. Full Science Committee Hearing on The Societal Implications of Nanotechnology. (House Committee on Science 4/9/03) http://www.house.gov...bcast/index.htm

$1 billion places U.S. on nanoroad. The race for the high ground in
nanotechnology development and applications is heating as U.S. government efforts gain momentum, funding and direction. Legislation promoting nanotechnology development in electronics, energy and medicine has been introduced in both the House and Senate. At the same time, government science and technology agencies are working to funnel federal funds to the right programs, as industry and universities gear up to move promising technologies like carbon nanotubes from the laboratory to market. Congress approved $849 million for nanotechnology research and development in fiscal 2003. "We're rapidly heading toward a $1 billion program," said Richard Russell of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "Now's the time to shape the program." (EETimes 3/27/03)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20030327S0033

Carnegie Mellon University research story ideas on DNA. Carnegie Mellon University is advancing DNA research in many critical domains. These include computational molecular biology approaches to piece gene sequence data together in meaningful ways that account for and reduce error; creating groundbreaking approaches to elucidate and integrate different kinds of proteomics data to paint a complete picture of cell protein dynamics to aid disease diagnosis and drug discovery; and using DNA in radically new ways, such as nanotech devices, protein probes and biosensors. (Eurekalert
4/11/03)
http://www.eurekaler...u-cmu041103.php

Go-go Atoms Give Heat the Shake. Like so many go-go dancers gyrating in their cages, atoms in the nooks of a metallic crystal shake independently, physicists report in the 4 April PRL. The randomly rattling atoms deflect heat-carrying vibrations, and the observation could lead to new materials that cool by carrying a current, or that convert heat into electricity. (Physical Review Focus 4/3/03)
http://focus.aps.org/story/v11/st13

More Efficient and Reliable Refrigerators and Air Conditioners a Step Closer to Reality. Scientists have created the world's first working device that uses nanometer-scale materials to convert electric power into cooling or heating, or heat into electricity. (Eurekalert 3/24/03)
http://www.eurekaler...s-mea031103.php

UC Riverside Researchers' Discovery Of Electrostatic Spin Topples
Century-old Theory. In a discovery that is likely to impact fields as
diverse as atomic physics, chemistry and nanotechnology, researchers have identified a new physical phenomenon, electrostatic rotation, that, in the absence of friction, leads to spin. Because the electric force is one of the fundamental forces of nature, this leap forward in understanding may help reveal how the smallest building blocks in nature react to form solids, liquids and gases that constitute the material world around us.
(ScienceDaily 4/2/03)
http://www.scienceda...30403072949.htm

Argonne researchers use electric field to manipulate tiny particles.
Intricate patterns formed by granular materials under the influence of
electrostatic fields have scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's
Argonne National Laboratory dreaming of new ways to create smaller
structures for nanotechnologies. With a combination of electric fields and
fluid mixtures, researchers Igor Aronson, Maksim Sapozhnikov, Yuri Tolmachev and Wai Kwok can cause tiny spheres of bronze and other metals to self-assemble into crystalline patterns, honeycombs, pulsating rings and bizarre two-lobed structures that whirl like tiny propellers. Such self-assembling behavior could be exploited to create the next generation nanostructures or tiny micromechanical devices. (3/35/03)
http://www.eurekaler...l-aru032503.php

Experimental stress determination increases accuracy in microelectronics. With the advent of nanotechnology, miniature devices are increasingly becoming more popular and industries are continuously searching to improve techniques for achieving higher performance. Towards this aim, this EC funded project designed a new experimental method for determination of local strains with the aid of X-ray microdiffraction. The new method is expected to bring significant advances in crystalline structures that are used in a wide range of applications from microelectronics to bio- and engineering materials. (Cordis 3/31/03)
http://dbs.cordis.lu...003-4-1&DOC=3
BL=EN_OFFR&RCN=EN_RCN:975&CALLER=OFFR_O_SCIE_EN

Molecular might. Nanotech 'battle suits' could amplify soldiers' powers. As hollow-eyed troops laden with 75-pound packs slogged through a downpour before shipping out to Kuwait, nine MIT professors watching them in the rural Louisiana training field were asking questions like: How could those loads be made lighter? And what about making the soldiers impervious to infection? Invulnerable to bullets? Able to leap small buildings in a single bound? For these self-described "crazy MIT guys," those questions are not wild geek imaginings inspired by some superhero comic. It's their job. The professors who visited the Fort Polk training center in January are at the vanguard of a military initiative to harness the potential of the emerging field of nanotechnology. (SFGate 4/7/03)
http://www.sfgate.co...5.DTL&type=tech

Prions Offer Nanotech Building Tool. The same characteristics that make
misfolded proteins known as prions such a pernicious medical threat in
neurodegenerative diseases may offer a construction toolkit for
manufacturing nanoscale electrical circuits, researchers report this week in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Whitehead Institute 3/31/03)
http://www.wi.mit.ed..._nanowire2.html

Nano-scientists win research grants. Nanotechnology scientists at the
University of Texas at Dallas have won two federal research grants totaling more than $500,000, university officials announced. The largest is a three-year, $460,000 grant from the United States Air Force Office of
Scientific Research to Anvar A. Zakhidov, professor of physics and associate director of the UTD NanoTech Institute; John P. Ferraris, professor of chemistry and head of the department; and Kenneth J. Balkus Jr., professor of chemistry. (Bizjournals 4/4/03)
http://www.bizjourna...31/daily56.html

Scientists 'cast' single-crystal nanotubes. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US have developed an "epitaxial casting" technique to grow single-crystal nanotubes of gallium nitride (GaN). The method employs zinc oxide (ZnO)nanowires as templates. (nanotechweb.org 4/10/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...es/news/2/4/6/1

(Japan) Top patent attorney pursuing new policy. As companies pursue
technological progress and develop value-added products, patent attorneys must keep up with the advances and meet the demands of corporate customers, according to Sumiko Shimosaka, new president of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association. Sumiko Shimosaka, president of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association, discusses her group's increasing role at its headquarters in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. "We want to respond to corporate needs by sending out patent attorneys who can cope with rapidly advancing technology and cover new fields, such as nanotechnology and biotechnology," she said. (The Japan Times 4/5/03)
http://www.japantime...n20030405b2.htm

Business leaders: Silicon Valley may lose its edge. San Jose, Calif.,
business leaders warned Monday that the Silicon Valley -- the Austin area's bigger high tech cousin -- is in danger of losing its competitive edge from cuts in education spending, regulation of broadband and rising workers' compensation costs...The next 10 to 15 years could bring another boom to Silicon Valley thanks to the nanotechnology sector, says Bill Coleman, founder and chief customer advocate of BEA Systems Inc. [Nasdaq: BEAS], a San Jose software company. But Coleman cautions much of that development could move to Asia if the Valley doesn't place a higher emphasis on education, affordable housing and transportation. (Bizjournals 4/7/03)
http://www.bizjourna...07/daily11.html

Lobbyists make first trip to D.C....The core agenda for the business
alliance group is focused in four major policy areas: Continuing the
authorization and appropriation process for deepening the Columbia River channel. Securing authorization for key transportation projects such as an Interstate MAX extension, adding commuter rail from Wilsonville to Beaverton and creating a trade corridor on Interstate 5. Gaining federal backing for an Oregon-based research center in nanotechnology and microdevices. Identifying additional federal funds to support K-12 and higher education in the state. The guest list is a who's who of Portland-area businesses, from hospital and high-tech companies to banks and a bookstore. (4/9/03 The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonliv...88949558580.xml

State makes nanotech list but could use more tech transfer, VC. Magazine rankings should be taken with a grain of salt. But when Illinois goes from ho-hum status to No. 8 on a Top 10 list, it's worth a look. The state's strong showing in the rankings of SmallTimes magazine's nanotech and microtech "hot spots" is due in part to the Chicago City Council's $1 million tax-increment financing incentive for start-up firm NanoInk.
(Chicago Sun-Times 4/9/03)
http://www.suntimes....fin-ecol09.html

Thoughts from a Hot Zone: Give Me a New Immune System. The SARS scare in Toronto shows how bad a looming epidemic would be. There's little we can do to prevent it, so bring on the nanobots. "Infectious agents will always be present in the natural environment and their evolution into new forms will continue for the foreseeable future," says Robert A. Freitas Jr., a nanotechnology researcher and the author of Nanomedicine, a massive compilation of nanotech solutions to health problems. "So microbes will continue to attempt to colonize human bodies." What we need is a better immune system. Fortunately, Freitas has designed one. (Betterhumans 4/7/03)
http://www.betterhum...ID=2003-04-07-1

Hong Kong advances industrialization of nanotech discoveries. Five of the 16 Hong Kong nanotechnology related research projects funded by government and non-government sectors in the past five years have produced deliverables for transfer to local industry for further development. Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government Henry Tang said in a written reply at the Legislative Council Wednesday that Hong Kong will continue with its effort in sustaining the momentum and further enhancing HK's capability in applied research and development in nanotechnology. (Xinhua News Agency 4/9/03)
http://news.xinhuane...tent_824124.htm

Nanotubes of gallium nitride, not carbon, prove optically active; potential
use as sensors. As scientists rush to exploit new nano-structures to build
electronic circuits and sub-microscopic sensors, they also are trying to
make the building blocks more versatile. A UC Berkeley chemist has new
created nanotubes from gallium nitride, capturing the best attributes of
both semiconductor nanowires and carbon nanotubes. (Berkeley 4/9/03)
http://www.berkeley..../09_tubes.shtml

Virginia Tech inventions, creations can improve lives. Patents were awarded for power electronic improvements, including smaller power converters and switches for hybrid fuel cell vehicles; materials and sensors, including a sensor for surface friction in aircraft and a process for creating nanomaterials; an improved method for dewatering fine coal during processing; plant varieties, including wheat, a raspberry, and a peanut; a livestock supplement that improves the immune system; and human health inventions, including a correction for retinal detachment and a brucellosis vaccine.(Eurekalert 4/11/03)
http://www.eurekaler...t-vti041103.php

Carbon nanopipettes point the way. First there was the buckyball, then came the nanotube, nanocone, nanohorn and even the microtree. Now, researchers at the University of Louisville and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, US, have added to the range of novel carbon nanostructures by growing carbon nanopipettes. (nanotechweb 4/8/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...es/news/2/4/5/1

Nanotechnology task force to aid traditional sectors. The Industrial
Technology Research Institute (ITRI) yesterday announced a task force to promote the application of nanometer science, or nanotechnology, to the country's traditional sectors. So far hundreds of companies have already signed up for the task force, more than the 100-member space allowed during its initial phase, said Yang Ri-chang, ITRI vice president. "The news of the task force's formation has generated enthusiastic responses by Taiwan companies," Yang said. "Meanwhile, the task force has invited the participation of institutions such as National Taiwan Universities and National Cheng Kung Universities that are known for their nanotech research." (ChinaPost 4/12/03)
http://www.chinapost...?ID=36689&GRP=E

Taiwan scientists unveil sub-nano level high resolution laser measuring
system. Through a series of innovations in laser optoelectronics and
mechanical engineering, local scientists have unveiled a high performance laser device that is said to be world's leading system for precision measurement, capable of significantly improving resolution down to the sub-nanometer level. (eTaiwanNews 4/12/03)
http://www.etaiwanne.../1050130302.htm

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."

This is not quite directly from Gina's Digest but it is a timely post on her site and relevent none the less. Those who are talking about "regulating" nanotech need to better understand its ontological development.

LL/kxs

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 21:06:37 -0000
From: "Chris Allen"
Subject: Re: Question: Possible Nanotech Solutions for Future Energy Generation?

--- greenscitek@w... wrote:
> How will ongoing advances in nanotech impact energy tech such as microgeneration, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen sources, fuel cells in general, biofuels, terra solar, space solar, wind, ocean, hydro, geothermal or others ?
MikeF.

LexisNexis Academic Universe returned the following from a search for _nanotechnology_ in its _Industry & Market News_Energy & Utility News_ section.

-Chris

___________________________________________
Copyright 2003 Business Communications Co.
Fuel Cell Technology News
March 2003
SECTION: MATERIALS; Vol. 5, No. 6
HEADLINE: Nanotechnology Increasingly Important

BODY:
Four patents were awarded recently featuring nanotechnology in the
development of fuel cell applications. They are described below.

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.
1675 West Maple Rd., Troy, MI 48084;
Tel: 248/280-1900
Researchers created a low-temperature hydrogen storage alloy, which is not pyrophoric upon exposure to ambient atmosphere, even after hydrogen charge/discharge cycling.

In U.S. Patent 6,517,970, Stanford Ovshinsky, Rosa Young, and Baoquan Huang describe the basic means in which multi-elemental hydrogen storage materials are atomically engineered and designed into non-pyrophoric hydrogen storage alloys by considering them as a system. These multi-elemental alloys also can be made in a non- equilibrium manner so that not only compositional disorder is produced, but also the desired local chemical order is formed.

This revolutionary breakthrough was made possible by considering the
materials as a system, thereby utilizing chemical modifiers and the principles of disorder and local order, pioneered by Ovshinsky. This provided the necessary catalytic local order environments, such as surfaces. At the same time, it facilitated designing bulk characteristics for storage and high-rate charge/discharge cycling.

In other words, these principles allowed the tailoring of the material by controlling the particle and grain size, topology, surface states, catalytic activity, microstructure, and total interactive environments for storage capacity. The hydrides have a storage capacity of 1.5 to 1.9% by weight of hydrogen.

Jet Process Corp. [New Haven, CT] received U.S. Patent 6,509,067 for
its method for forming metallic nanoclusters upon a substrate.

Inventor Bret L. Halpern has created what he calls "a hybrid JVD/wet
chemistry process." The hybrid process can be used for the deposition
of metallic nanoclusters for use with fuel cell applications. He says
the process is effective, economical, and applicable to large-scale
production. The jet vapor deposition [JVD] increases the efficiency
of film deposition while reducing production costs.

The JVD process includes moving the substrate through a deposition chamber at a predetermined uniform velocity and depositing metallic precursor compounds onto the substrate. The metallic precursor compounds are subsequently bombarded with an ultrasonic jet of atomic hydrogen to form the metallic nanoclusters.

Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences [Changchun, China] researchers discovered a way of preparing nanometer electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cells.

According to developers Xing Wei, Rongbing Du, Rongbing, and Tianhong Lu, the resulting catalysts have uniform particle sizes in the range of 4.+.0.5 nm, and superior electrochemical properties.

U.S. Patent 6,518,217 describes the six-step process. The first is adding in water a platinum halogen compound or a mixture of platinum halogen
and ruthenium halogen compounds with active carbon.

The amount of noble metal in the solution is 0.5 to 10 g/L, and the amount of active carbon is 0.05 to 2 g/L. The second step involves adjusting the pH of the solution to 2.5 to 10.5 with potassium hydroxide and/or ammonium hydroxide . The third step is adding dropwise a reducing agent to an amount of 2.5 to 5 times in excess of that of the noble metal in moles, and allowing the reduction reaction to proceed.
Fourth is filtering off the liquid and fifth is washing the remains.
The sixth is drying the remains.

University of Connecticut [Storrs, CT] and Rutgers University
[Piscataway, NJ] researchers have developed a chemical synthetic
route for nanostructured materials that is scalable to large- volume
production. The process involves spray atomization of a reactant
solution into a precursor solution to form a nanostructured oxide or
hydroxide precipitate.

In U.S. Patent 6,517,802, Tongsan D. Xiao, Peter R. Strutt, Bernard H. Kear, Huimin Chen, and Donald M. Wang describe how the precipitate is heat-treated followed by sonication, or sonicated followed by heat treatment. Their route yields nanostructured doped and undoped nickel hydroxide, manganese dioxide, and ytrria-stabilized zirconia. Unusual morphological superstructures may be obtained, including well-defined cylinders or nanorods, as well as a novel structure in nickel hydroxide and manganese dioxide, comprising assemblies of nanostructured fibers and nanostructured particles.

The novel structures have high percolation rates and high densities of active sites, rendering them suitable for catalytic applications.


Copyright 2003 Business Communications Co.
Distributed Power News
January 2003
SECTION: SOLAR POWER; Vol. 2, No. 5
HEADLINE: Nanosys to Develop Nanotech Solar Cell

BODY:
Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka 571-8501, Japan
Tel: +81-6-6908-1121;
Website: http://www.panasonic.co.jp
has agreed with Nanosys, Inc.
Palo Alto, CA; Tel: 650/846-2500;
Website: http://www.nanosysinc.com to develop nanotechnology-based solar cells, which will have a core layer thickness of less than 1/100th that of conventional solar cells. The company said it hopes to start selling the new solar cells in 2007.

"This is an outstanding opportunity for Nanosys and Matsushita
Electric Works to deploy the compelling advantages of our expertise
in nanotechnology into a major industry," says Larry Bock, Nanosys
founder and CEO. "Matsushita, with their leadership and technological
strength in the building materials industry, is an ideal partner for
Nanosys."



Copyright 2003 Elsevier Science
THE ELECTRICITY DAILY
April 8, 2003, Tuesday
SECTION: Vol. 20, No. 67
HEADLINE: Boffins Tout High-Tech, Solid-State Heat Pumps

BODY:
Nanotechnologies can lead to more efficient and reliable refrigerators and air conditioners, according to scientists from Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina. Reporting to a recent American Chemical Society meeting, the RTI researchers unveiled the world s first working device that uses nanometer-scale materials to convert electric power into cooling or heating.

The prototype device, about the size of a large postage stamp,
consists of a special semiconductor chip encased between two thin
crystals. The chip contains about 1,000 layers of nano-scale films of
thermoelectric materials that can pump heat or generate power with
great efficiency, according to team leader Rama Vankatasubramanian. "This is the first non-scale material-based
device that can achieve a cooling effect suitable for everyday
functions like refrigeration or power production, he said.

Tested in the laboratory as a heat pump, the device cooled a block of
solid steel from 79 degrees to 64 degrees in about two minutes, much
faster than a conventional refrigerator, the researchers found. Said
Vankatasubramanian, "By creating the first useful superlattice device, we ve shown that these superlattices are robust enough to withstand very intricate device manufacturing. This portends well for the day when these superlattices could be used in many different applications." Among those could be replacing mechanical refrigerators and air conditions with CFC-free, solid-state, no-moving-parts heat pump technology."[KM]



Copyright 2002 Asia Pulse Pte Limited
Asia Pulse
December 6, 2002 Friday
SECTION: Northern Territory Regional
HEADLINE:
JAPAN'S M'SHITA ELEC, US FIRM NANOSYS JOIN IN SOLAR CELL PROJECT
DATELINE: OSAKA, Dec 6

BODY:
Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (TSE:6991) said that it has tied up
with U.S. start-up Nanosys Inc. on the development of nanotechnology-
based, next-generation thin solar cells.

Using nanocrystalline technology, the companies plan to jointly develop nanocomposite organic solar cells less than 1 micron in thickness -- one-hundredth the thickness of silicon-based solar cells -- at about half the conventional development cost.

Nanocomposite organic solar cells are conventionally inefficient at
converting light to electricity, and have a relatively short operating life.

The new thin solar cells, which will comprise a mixture of compound
and organic semiconductors affixed with electrodes, will use technology developed by Nanosys to boost photoelectric conversion efficiency. Matsushita Electric will develop technology to boost cell life.

The companies aim to bring the next-generation solar cells to market
by 2007, and plan to sell them for use on buildings in Asia. Although
specific products have not yet been targeted for commercialization,
they are considering using the technology to create film-type solar
cells that can be placed on residential roof tiles or exterior
building walls.

(Nikkei)

Edited by Lazarus Long, 22 April 2003 - 12:20 PM.

The Nanogirl News
May 11, 2003

U.S. House approves $2.4 billion for nanotech research. The U.S. House of Representatives gave a big boost to a tiny technology on Wednesday, voting to increase research funding that could lead to molecule-sized computers and medical robots that travel the human bloodstream. By a vote of 405-19, the House earmarked $2.36 billion over three years to fund research in nanotechnology, the science of manipulating individual atoms to create new materials. (Yahoo 5/8/03)
http://in.tech.yahoo.../137/243bo.html

Brave new world or miniature menace? Why Charles fears grey goo nightmare. Royal Society asked to look at risks of nanotechnology. The scenario is a familiar one: scientists open Pandora's box, awaken Frankenstein's monster, or maybe just play God. But this time the menace on the laboratory bench is undetectable with any conceivable optical microscope. It offers a nightmare vision straight out of science fiction - the destruction of the environment, perhaps even of the world, by robots smaller than viruses, able to share intelligence, replicate themselves and take command of the planet. That is the catch with nanotechnology: you cannot see it, so you cannot know how afraid you should be. But if Prince Charles is any guide, environmentalists should be very afraid indeed. (Guardian Unlimited 4/29/03)
http://www.guardian....,945498,00.html

How to Grab an Atom. Like a diner spearing a morsel of food with the tine of a fork, researchers have used the tip of a microscopic needle to lift a single atom from a surface and then replace it. The experiment, reported in the 2 May PRL, marks the first time single atoms have been manipulated using a purely mechanical technique, rather than one involving electric current. The new method could allow researchers to maneuver single atoms of nonconductive as well as conductive materials, perhaps for nanoscale circuits of the future. (Physical Review Focus 5/3/03)
http://focus.aps.org/story/v11/st19

Mighty Mini Motor (video). Nanotechnologists try to create new materials or incredibly tiny machines by manipulating atoms and molecules. One of
nanotechnology's biggest dreams is biomedical devices that could travel
anywhere inside your body and fix parts that need repair. Today, some
scientists have already made a start on this dream. They're making
incredibly tiny motors that could drive the world's smallest machines, and help keep us well...At Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine, molecular biologist Peixuan Guo thinks that RNA has enormous potential for nanotechnology because it is an extremely flexible molecule. "RNA is much easier to make than protein," Guo explains, "and compared to DNA, it comes in many more sizes and shapes. With DNA, we are limited to its double helix structure." Guo and his research team have discovered that RNA binds adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the chemical fuel that proteins use in the body to allow muscles to move and nerves to function. "ATP works the way gasoline does in a car," says Guo. "You could not walk or talk or think without the chemical fuel of ATP." (ScienCenteral News 5/1/03)
http://www.sciencent...le_id=218391944

Proteins produce nano-magnetic computer memory. Computer hard drive capacity could be increased a hundredfold by using a common protein to fabricate nano-scale magnetic particles, claims UK company Nanomagnetics. It uses the protein apoferritin, the main molecule in which iron is stored in the body, to create a material consisting of magnetic particles each just a few nanometres in diameter. Each particle can store a bit of information and together they can be packed onto a disk drive at much greater density than is possible using existing hard disk manufacturing methods. (New Scientist 4/27/03)
http://www.newscient...p?id=ns99993664

Playing God. Through genetic engineering, you could give birth to an
Olympian, a musical prodigy or a genius -- but should you? Bill McKibben is a man on the edge. He lives on the edge of the Adirondack wilderness in New York, where he writes books about the limits of technology. Fifteen years ago, he wrote "The End of Nature," in which he argued, with cogency and foresight, that human dependence on fossil fuels was endangering our relationship to the Earth itself. In his new book, "Enough," McKibben describes a new edge. We've come to a threshold with the emerging technologies of genetic engineering, robotics and nanotechnology, McKibben believes. One more step and we will "call into question our understanding of what it means to be a human being." (San Francisco Chronicle 4.27.03)
http://www.sfgate.co....DTL&type=books

(More) 'Please, sir, could I have less? 'Bill McKibben argues that our
thirst for technological progress threatens the nature of humanity...Genetic engineering, nanotechnology, robotics, and other related technologies may, he writes, "alter our relationship not with the rest of nature but with ourselves." McKibben argues that this debate is too important to be left to scientists. "Must we forever grow in reach and power?" he asks. "Or can we, should we, ever say, 'Enough'?"
(Christian Science Monitor 5/1/03)
http://www.csmonitor...15s01-bogn.html

PSU looks to future with nanotechnology. Proposed program would provide millions in research funds. Portland State University professor Jun Jiao addressed the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation last Thursday regarding the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act. Nanotechnology is an emerging field in which matter is manipulated at the atomic level in order to build materials, machines, and devices. Advances in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology could lead to breakthroughs in areas such as materials and manufacturing, nanoelectronics, medicine and healthcare, environment, energy, chemicals, biotechnology, agriculture, information technology and national security. (Daily Vanguard 5/8/03)
http://www.dailyvang...8/3eb9dc05bc25d

Interested in finding out what happened at the Foresight Senior Associate
Gathering? Read about it at Nanodot. (5/8/03)
http://nanodot.org/a...3/05/09/0016206

Nanoscale Networks: Superlong nanotubes can form a grid. For a decade, materials scientists have dreamed of using cylinders of carbon with walls just one atom thick as the building blocks for a new generation of sensors, transistors, and other tiny devices. Before that happens, however, researchers must find better ways to grow and align these carbon nanotubes. Jie Liu and his colleagues at Duke University in Durham, N.C., now report growing the longest individual carbon nanotubes ever and aligning them in a two-dimensional grid. (Sciencenews 5/3/03)
http://www.sciencene...030503/fob2.asp

Nanoprobe To Be Developed For A 'Fantastic Voyage' In The Human Body, Finding And Treating Deadly Tumors. A UC Irvine research team has received a five-year, $1.4 million National Institutes of Health grant to develop a microscopic probe for detecting and treating pre-cancerous and malignant tumors in humans. Similar to the miniaturized vessel that explores a human body in the science fiction movie "Fantastic Voyage," this nano-sized probe would be inserted into a patient and then guided through the esophagus, stomach and colon to determine if tumors are growing on the wall of the intestine. The probe would be remotely controlled by a surgeon operating a device called an endoscope. (ScienceDaily 5/9/03)
http://www.scienceda...30509085108.htm

Nanosys raises $30 million. Nanosys Inc., a maker of nanotechnology-enabled systems based in Palo Alto, pocketed $30 million in the first closing of its second round of financing. (bizjournals 4/24/03)
http://www.bizjourna...21/daily52.html

On the tube. A new type of computer memory uses carbon, rather than
silicon...Carbon comes in many forms. Diamonds and graphite are two of the most familiar ones. A less familiar variety is the nanotube, also known as a "buckytube" after Richard Buckminster Fuller, whose geodesic domes have a framework similar to the arrangement of the atoms in a nanotube. Nanotubes consist of a cylindrical array of carbon atoms whose diameter is only about 1 nanometre (a billionth of a metre). If Nantero, a firm based in Woburn, Massachusetts, proves correct, such tubes will soon be an integral part of computer memories. (The Economist 5/8/03)
http://www.economist...tory_id=1763552

Small is beautiful but is it dangerous too?...What does nano mean?...When did it start?...Is it dangerous?...Such as?...Is there a pay-off?...Are there environmental dangers?... (Guardian Unlimited 4/29/03)
http://www.guardian....,945499,00.html

IBM finds plenty of room at bottom. In an incredibly tiny development which marks a giant leap in nanotechnology - the science of working on the atomic and molecular scale - global computing giant IBM's research division has created the world's smallest solid-state light emitter. The breakthrough is a graphite nanotube - a sheet of graphite (a form of carbon) rolled into a tube - transformed into the world's first, electrically-controlled, single-molecule light emitter. (The Times of India 5/11/03)
http://timesofindia....w?msid=46006004

Atoms Incognito. As with people, some atoms prefer to join in groups, while others insist on going it alone. But when prodded with laser light,
inherently gregarious atoms known as bosons can act like loner atoms known as fermions, a duo of theoretical physicists predict in the 18 April PRL. The faux-loner atoms can even form tenuous pairs, much like the electrons in a superconductor, so that they resemble a long-sought new state of matter. (Physical Review Focus 4/18/03)
http://focus.aps.org/story/v11/st16

Skin-deep answer will put mobiles into the wrist business. Advances in
nanotechnology mean that the lost or stolen mobile phone could become a thing of the past, according to technology research hothouse BTexact. Ian Pearson, Suffolk based BTexact's futurologist believes that the concept of 'active skin' - whereby incredibly small electronic circuits are inkjet printed onto the surface of the skin - could become a reality by 2010. This, he says, will open the way for the integration of electronic devices such as the mobile phones or televisions literally 'into' the human body. (Business Weekly 4/28/03)
http://www.businessw...article_id=7598

Nano and the Professor. In 1959, physicist Dr. Richard Feynman gave birth to the concept of nanotechnology. Feynman described the theoretical approaches to "manipulating and controlling things on a very small scale." For instance, he recognized that computers, then the size of buildings, would need to get continually smaller to become important to our lives. He also predicted advances in medicine and learning. Feynman's only real misjudgment was that he overestimated our ability to figure any of this out. "In the year 2000, when they look back at this age, they will wonder why it was not until the year 1960 that anybody began seriously to move in this direction." (The American Spectator 5/8/03)
http://www.spectator...03_5_7_23_37_44

Researchers see the light as they peel away space mystery. Tiny multilayered balls called "carbon onions," produced in laboratory studies, appear to have the same light-absorption characteristics as dust particles in the regions between the stars. "It's the strongest evidence yet that cosmic dust has a multilayered onionlike carbon structure," said Manish Chhowalla, assistant professor of ceramic and materials engineering at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Chhowalla used transmission electron microscopes to study radiation absorption of the laboratory-produced onions and found characteristics virtually identical to those reported by astrophysicists studying dust in deep space. A carbon onion is a miniscule but intricate component of nanotechnology-the study of structures and devices on a scale that can approach one-millionth the width of a human hair. (ISA 4/30/03)
http://www.isa.org/T...ContentID=26090

Nanotech giving birth to a whole new revolution. Budding science will spur flurry of inventions. In the not-too-distant future, your house could be built with strong tiles that heat the rooms with solar power. Inside you
could watch a smooth, flat-panel TV with electronic components built right into the glass instead of a web of wires at the back. Nanosys Inc., a small Palo Alto nanotechnology firm, plans to deliver these and other products within the next three years. Nanosys' inventions arose from the type of industry collaboration with academic labs that Congress has been trying to promote since 2000 through an escalating round of funding for nanotechnology research. (SFGate 5/8/03)
http://www.sfgate.co...3.DTL&type=tech

More news re: Nanosys - Nanosys raises $30 million. Nanosys Inc., a maker of nanotechnology-enabled systems based in Palo Alto, pocketed $30 million in the first closing of its second round of financing. (bizjournals 4/24/03)
http://www.bizjourna...21/daily52.html

Nanotechnology Leaders to Gather in New York City Next Week for 2nd Annual NanoBusiness 2003 Conference. NanoBusiness 2003, produced by Penton Media (NYSE: PME, http://www.penton.com ), will raise the curtain next week on its 2nd annual event focused on the emerging nanotechnology industry. Produced in association with the NanoBusiness Alliance (http://www.nanobusiness.org), the event will be held at the New York Marriott Financial Center in New York City, from May 11-13, and is designed to drive forward the emerging business of microsystems and nanotechnology. Complete information and online registration can be found at http://www.nanobusiness2003.com. (Stockhouse 5/8/03)
http://www.stockhous...&newsid=1674276

Advances pave way for 'nanobots'. Despite tantalizing lab results, building robots on a molecular scale would seem to be a futuristic pipe dream. But a research report on robotic technology published by Business Communications Co. Inc. (Norwalk, Conn.) claims that nanobots are "on the cusp," thanks to robust research worldwide on the problem. (EETimes 4/28/03)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20030428S0063

Companies bring war to nanoscale to combat unseen bio/chem enemies. One of the many take-home lessons for the United States and its allies after the 1991 Persian Gulf War was a need for better protection against biological and chemical weapons. Years after the conflict, soldiers complained of ailments they believed resulted from exposure to the Iraqi regime's arsenal. More than a decade later, several companies are turning to nanotechnology to counter the threats of biological and chemical warfare. Their efforts range from gloves and gear that block out toxic chemicals and germs to fabrics and powders that deactivate and destroy the deadly agents. Military and university research labs also are developing protective skin creams, emulsions and even drugs to reduce the dangers. (Small Times 5/8/03)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=5957

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."

The Nanogirl News
May 24, 2003


MIT, Army open nanotech center. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the U.S. Army formally unveiled the Institute for Soldier
Nanotechnologies, which is geared toward creating battlefield armor for the 21st century. MIT on Thursday cut the ribbon on the nanotechnology
institute, which was funded by a $50 million grant from the Army in 2002. Corporations including Dow Corning, DuPont, Raytheon and Carbon Nanotechnologies are participating in the center's development. In all, private companies have invested $40 million in the center. The center's research can largely be characterized as chemistry in action. During a ceremony held at the university on Thursday, researchers showed off a technique for applying new types of coatings to fabrics to make them more resistant to water or capable of killing bacteria.
Other projects involve developing fabrics that will contract or expand like
an accordion when exposed to electricity; these materials could potentially be used for in-field medical devices such as tourniquets. (CNet 5/23/03)
http://rss.com.com/2...=feed&subj=news

Nanotech funding shifts to policy arena. The nascent nanotechnology industry needs to start playing by the same public-policy rules as other
government-funded technology programs, the former chairman of the House Science Committee told the Nanobusiness 2003 conference here on Tuesday (May 13). Former congressman Robert Walker, now a Washington lobbyist, reminded conferees that federal funding for nanotechnology research is close to final approval in Congress. "You are real, the House just passed the nanotechnology funding bill," Walker told about 150 executives. "Now you need to play in the public policy arena." (EETimes 5/13/03)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20030513S0037

Souped-up Superconductivity. For materials that carry electricity without
resistance, a little nanotechnology turns a major turnoff into a turn-on,
says a team of researchers. Ordinarily, a magnetic field quashes the
currents flowing freely through a superconductor. But when decked out in tiny magnetic dots, a superconductor may behave just the opposite way and carry electricity freely only when exposed to a magnetic field, the team reports in the 16 May PRL. Their technique might someday boost the current-carrying capacity of superconducting wires, or set the bits in quantum computers. (Physical Review Focus 5/19/03)
http://focus.aps.org/story/v11/st21

Nanotube Network to Simulate Brain Structures. NASA researchers have
developed a way to grow miniscule networks of carbon nanotubes that are similar to brain synapses, in the hope of building smarter and more reliable computers. The lead scientist for the project, Deepak Srivastava, used computer simulation to build a network of carbon nanotubes that look and behave like the small spaces between nerve cells called synapses through which nerve impulses travel.
(Betterhumans 5/21/03)
http://www.betterhum...ID=2003-05-21-2

Gallium nitride makes for a new kind of nanotube. To the growing list of
nanosized objects created in a laboratory you can now add nanotubes
synthesized from the prized semiconductor gallium nitride. A team of
Berkeley Lab scientists has created gallium nitride nanotubes with diameters ranging between 30 to 200 nanometers. By comparison, a human hair has a diameter of about 100,000 nanometers. "These gallium nitride nanotubes are electronically and optically active and, because they're made from single crystals, exceptionally durable and uniform in their properties," says Peidong Yang, a chemist with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division and a professor with UC Berkeley's Chemistry Department who led this research. "They offer a wide range of opportunities for technological applications." (Berkeley Lab 5/12/03)
http://enews.lbl.gov...e-nanotube.html

When is a metal not a metal? The May 23 issue of the journal Science answers that question with an account of the surprising behavior exhibited by nanometer-scale clusters of the metal niobium. When the clusters are cooled to below 20 degrees Kelvin, electrical charges in them suddenly shift, creating structures known as dipoles. (EurekAlert 5/22/03)
http://www.eurekaler...t-wia051903.php

Turning Bubbles into Microscopic Syringes. Turning bubbles into microscopic syringes through the use of sound has been experimentally shown by researchers in the Netherlands (Claus-Dieter Ohl, University of Twente, 011-31-53-489-5604), demonstrating a potential method for injecting drugs and genes into specific regions of a patient's body. Taking high-speed microscopic photographs, the researchers revealed that even bubbles much smaller than the thickness of a human hair could transform into a needle-like tube, delivering a billionth of a millionth of a gallon of liquid. While this sub-nanofluidic volume seems very small, it is more than enough to transfer large molecules (such as DNA and most drugs) into desired cells for medical therapy. (Physics News Update 5/14/03)
http://www.aip.org/e...plit/637-2.html

Physicists Measure Individual Electrons In Real Time. Ultracold Experiment Opens Door for Basic Studies in Quantum Computing. Physicists at Rice University have completed the first real-time measurement of individual electrons, creating an experimental method that for the first time allows scientists to probe the dynamic interactions between the smallest atomic particles. The research, which appears in the May 22 issue of the journal Nature, is important for researchers developing quantum computers, a revolutionary type of computer that is orders of magnitude more powerful than any computer ever built.
(Rice University 5/21/03)
http://riceinfo.rice...electrons.shtml

Berkeley Lab scientists determine electrical properties of carbon-60
molecular layer. Using some of the world's most advanced photoelectron
spectroscopy and computing techniques, Berkeley Lab scientists gained a more precise understanding of the electrical properties of fullerenes, those famous soccer-ball-shaped molecules comprised of 60 carbon atoms. The team, which also includes researchers from Stanford University and Europe, obtained the first experimental measurement of the range of energies possessed by electrons, as a function of their momenta, in a single layer of carbon-60 molecules doped with additional electrons, a step that transforms the molecule into one of the best known superconductors, meaning it conducts electricity without resistance below a certain critical temperature. (Berkeley Lab 5/12/03)
http://enews.lbl.gov...ular-layer.html

New on the nanoscale: buckyball wires sheathed with boron nitride
insulation. Berkeley Lab scientists have created insulated electrical wires
that are about 100,000 times narrower in diameter than a human hair. These insulated wires are single-walled carbon nanotubes encased within an outer sheath of boron nitride nanotubes. The ultra-high-strength wires were reported in the April 18, 2003, issue of the journal Science. (Berkeley Lab 5/12/03)
http://enews.lbl.gov...insulation.html

ANI Demonstrates High Current Densities from Nanotube Electron Source. Applied Nanotech, Inc. (ANI) claims it has successfully demonstrated an electron emission current density of at least 15 Amps/cm2 using a gated carbon nanotube electron source. These high current density levels were achieved with high currents sufficient to address many applications where high electron current densities are required, such as CRT TVs, high power microwave devices, e-beam lithography and fine-focus x-ray tubes. (Nanoelectronicsplanet 5/13/03)
http://www.nanoelect...2205831,00.html

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe develops nano-structured material for hydrogen storage. The car of the future will use a fuel cell and will be refuelled with hydrogen. Unfortunately, such a refuelling process lasts more than one hour with most of today's technology. But now researchers of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (research centre Karlsruhe, Germany) have made an important step on the way to a better hydrogen storage system. With custom-made nano-particles, researchers reckon they could reduce the refuelling time to a few minutes. To improve the storage process, the research team used nano-technology. With custom-made catalysts made from so called titanium nano-clusters, the researchers at the Institute for nano-technology shortened the refuelling times of today's hydrogen tank material to 7-8 minutes. (Fuel Cell Today 5/23/03)
http://www.fuelcellt...02,2939,00.html

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe Discovers Nanostructured Material that Directly Converts Electric into Mechanical Energy. Muscles of metal for miniaturized robots or small prostheses - this is one of the visions that may become true by a discovery made by the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. Scientists have developed a novel nanoporous metal that expands reversibly when an electric voltage is applied. In this way, electric energy can be converted directly into mechanical energy. For the first time worldwide, macroscopically measurable length changes have thus been induced in a metal by application of low electric voltages. This breakthrough allows various microtechnological components to be conceived, the industrial property rights of which have been applied for in the meantime: Switches and controls, direct voltage indicators or other sensors, actuators, and - by making use of the reverse effect - motion transducers. (Forschungszentrum 4/10/03)
http://presse.fzk.de...I07_2003_e.html

NRC and Industry Announce Joint Initiative to Develop A Plastic 'Supermaterial'. Nanotechnologies at the heart of the research partnership. The National Research Council Industrial Materials Institute (NRC-IMI) today (5/13) announced the launch of a new research and development (R&D) initiative in partnership with 13 major companies. Known as PNC-Tech, the initiative invests $300,000/year in R&D focused on the development of polymer nanocomposites, which are plastic-based materials with remarkable properties. (CCN Mathews 5/13/03)
http://www2.ccnmatth...t/0513114N.html

Nanotechnology promises to send incredibly tiny bio-medical machines to your body's rescue delivering drugs or making internal repairs. It all sounds so fantastic so just how do these miniscule devices work? Nanotechnologists are making incredibly tiny biomedical devices that may someday deliver drugs inside your body or repair internal injuries. As raw material, some researchers use only natural molecules like DNA and RNA. At UCLA, one biomedical engineer is designing what he calls bio bots from natural molecules and plastic parts. (KXAN t.v. 36 news in Austin Texas 5/22/03)
http://www.kxan.com/...y.asp?S=1291002

Nanotube Shines Telecom Light. Researchers are continually working to expand the usefulness of carbon nanotubes-rolled-up sheets of carbon atoms found naturally in soot. Scientists from IBM Research have found a way to make the microscopic tubes emit light, and have fashioned a nanotube transistor that emits 1.5-micron infrared light, a wavelength widely used in telecommunications. Nanotubes can be smaller than one nanometer in diameter, and show promise as building blocks for fantastically small electronics and machines. A nanometer is one millionth of a millimeter, or about the length of a line of 10 hydrogen atoms. (MIT's Technology Review 5/6/03)
http://www.technolog...nb_050603_2.asp

Dip-Pen Nanolithography: Nanolithography: Rewriting the rules. Dip-pen
lithography is generating a lot of interest because of its ability to
pattern surfaces with miniaturized molecular arrays. Research is currently under way to investigate the potential of the technique for real
applications. -PDF file- (from Materials Today 5/16/03)
http://www.materials...s_6_5/Gould.pdf

Nanocontainers Deliver Drugs Directly to Cells. One challenge to effective drug treatment is getting the medication to exactly the right place. To that end, researchers have been investigating myriad new methods to deliver pharmaceuticals. Findings published in the current issue of the journal Science indicate that tiny nanocontainers composed of polymers may one day distribute drugs to specific spots within individual cells. Radoslav Savic and his colleagues at McGill University tested the properties of tiny units built out of two types of polymers. The two compounds self-assemble into a spherical shape known as a micelle. (Scientific American 4/28/03)
http://www.sciam.com...588EEDF&catID=7

An Open Letter to Richard Smalley By K. Eric Drexler. Dr. Richard Smalley has voiced criticisms of Dr. Eric Drexler's concept of molecular assemblers, which could be used to implement self-replicating nanobots. Smalley, who discovered "fullerenes" (aka "buckyballs"), is Chairman of the Board of Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. and former director of Rice University's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. Drexler, who coined the term "nanotechnology" and is Chairman of the Board of Foresight Institute, responds to these criticisms. (KurzweilAI.net April 17th 2003)
http://www.kurzweila...os/bio0014.html

Call for entries: Science Journalism Awards. If you have written or produced a science story within the past year for a US publication, broadcast, or online media outlet, you are encouraged to submit an entry to the 2003 AAAS Science Journalism Awards by August 1, 2003.
http://www.aaas.org/SJAwards/

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day.

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."

The Nanogirl News
June 20, 2003


Gear change for miniature machines. Wear-free cogs build themselves while floating on liquid.US scientists have made cogs and gears that assemble themselves, experience little wear, and perform gyrations quite beyond conventional interlocking tooth systems. Instead of rotating on fixed spindles, sets of the gears can continue to drive one another while traversing freely along a meandering path. And some of the gear wheels have no fixed teeth at all - rather, their teeth are made from liquid. In principle, one gear of this kind could drive another turning at quite a different speed. (Nature science Update 6/16/03) http://www.nature.co.../030609-17.html

Incredibly Tough Nanotube Fibers. Spinning method turns out fibers with unparalleled properties. With a little chemistry know-how, Spiderman made silk strong enough to use for swinging from building to building and tying up bad guys. But the comic book wall crawler might have been an even better match for New York's criminals had he been armed with the supertough carbon fibers prepared recently at the University of Texas, Dallas (UTD). Researchers there have developed a procedure for spinning composite carbon nanotube fibers that are tougher than spider silk and any other natural or synthetic organic fiber reported so far [Nature, 423, 703 (2003)]. The new fibers are being used to make supercapacitors and to weave textiles. (C&E 6/16/03)
http://pubs.acs.org/.../8124notw8.html

Electron Nanodiffraction Technique Offers Atomic Resolution Imaging. A new imaging technique that uses electron diffraction waves to improve both image resolution and sensitivity to small structures has been developed by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Space Daily 6/4/03)
http://www.spacedail...otech-03zf.html

Making nanodots useful for chemistry. Nanosized clusters of germanium that can be reacted chemically to make useful materials, such as plastics, have been made by chemists at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and UC Davis...Robin Tanke, an assistant professor of chemistry at UWSP, worked with UC Davis chemistry professors Susan Kauzlarich and Tim Patten to put useful coatings on germanium nanoclusters. Kauzlarich's laboratory has developed methods for making germanium and silicon nanoclusters, while Patten's research focuses on attaching polymer coatings to different kinds of nanoparticles. (EurekAlert 6/18/03) http://www.eurekaler...--mnu061803.php

Nanotechnology Commission Wants Your Help in Assessing Benefits and Risks. A UK commission will assess the potential benefits and risks of nanotechnology and nanoscience, as well as make recommendations as to how the emerging fields should be regulated..."A key role of the project will be to separate the hype and hypothetical from the reality," says the chair of the study, professor Ann Dowling. Dowling is calling on stakeholders from academia, industry, lobby groups and the general public to contact the commission to express their views and worries. (Betterhumans 6/13/03) http://www.betterhum...ID=2003-06-13-1

Imaging Lithium Atoms. One Angstrom Microscope's observations of the smallest, lightest metal atoms are a first for electron microscopy. For the first time researchers have used a transmission electron microscope -- the One Angstrom Microscope (OÅM) at the Department of Energy's National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory -- to image lithium atoms. Only atoms of hydrogen and helium are smaller and lighter than those of lithium, which under ordinary conditions is not a gas but a soft, white metal. (Berkeley Lab 6/13/03) http://www.lbl.gov/S...microscope.html

Nano-nose sniffs out smallest particles. Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee have claimed a new world record for weighing tiny amounts of stuff. At the U.S. Department of Energy lab, they were able to measure variations in the resonant frequency of tiny gold-coated silicon bars just two microns long and fifty nanometers thick by vibrating them with the heat of a solid-state laser at a speed of about two million times a second. (CNet 6/12/03)
http://news.com.com/..._3-1016653.html

Holey Fullerene Opens Wide for H2. Open-cage derivative is first to provide H2-encapsulated complex in 100% yield. Japanese chemists for the first time have prepared an open-cage fullerene derivative with an orifice large enough to allow a hydrogen molecule to be inserted into the cage in 100% yield [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 125, 7152 (2003)]. "I think it is an important advance for this field, since I can see this type of system being used for H2 storage once C60 becomes cheaper," comments Yves Rubin, a chemistry professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Scientists are looking for efficient methods for stuffing fullerene cages with metal atoms or gases to make new types of functional materials. (C&E 6/16/03) http://pubs.acs.org/.../8124notw1.html

The government (UK) today launched an independent study into the benefits and risks of nanotechnology, the science of manipulating ultra-small particles. The Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering have been commissioned to look at this emerging area of science, engineering and technology to see how it should be regulated as it develops. (The Guardian 6/11/03) http://education.gua...,975190,00.html

Molecular Switches May Not Be Switching After All. Phenylene-ethynylene oligomers are molecules that have interested molecular electronics researchers because they conduct electricity and appear to turn to turn their conductivity on and off in observations with a scanning tunneling microscope probe. Because of this, scientists have thought the molecules could be used as molecular switches. In order for this to happen, the molecules' intermittent conductivity had to be attributed to some internal property of the molecules that could be controlled. Research done by Scientists from Arizona State University and Motorola Labs suggests this isn't the case. Physicists Ganesh K. Ramachandran, and Stuart M. Lindsay and chemist Alex Primak from Arizona Stateand Theresa J. Hopson, Adam M. Rawlett and Larry A. Nagahara from Motorola Labs report in the May 30 issue of Science that the molecules' apparent "switching" behavior is more likely the result of an unexpectedly weak bond with the layer of current-conducting gold molecules on which they are arranged. When the bond is broken, the molecules lose contact with the gold surface, and the electrical connection is turned off. (Nanotech Planet 5/30/93) http://www.nanoelect...2214611,00.html

Nano expert and D.C. insider will lobby White House and public. It wasn't a headline that the scientist liked much: "Clayton Teague Thinks Small," blared the Georgia Tech University student newspaper. That was 1968, and Teague was a graduate student at the time. Now, he's the first full-time director of the federal National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), and he's thinking even more infinitesimally. Teague has spent his career helping the federal government explore the world at the nanoscale. The visible contours of that world have grown during Teague's more than 30 years of federal service, thanks in part to his work...During an interview at his National Science Foundation office in Arlington, Va., he championed nanotechnology as a great potential economic and social balm for the nation, and he pledged to use his office to help knit together the many scientific and research threads comprising nanotechnology today, from simulation and modeling to biotechnology to materials science. (SmallTimes 6/20/03) http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6249

(Event) UC Riverside Hosts Frontiers in Nanotechnology and Engineering Programs. Summer Program Designed for Students and Teachers, Grades 8-12. Twenty teachers and 50 students will meet at the University of California, Riverside to explore the big ideas behind the smallest things at the "Frontiers in Nanotechnology and Engineering" program, scheduled June 23 though July 4. Nanotechnology, an emerging field representing the future frontier in miniaturization, is likely to have a profound effect on numerous areas such as manufacturing processes, medical devices and delivery of medications, and space exploration. (UCR 6/10/03) http://www.newsroom....play.cgi?id=613

Nanotech breakthrough jogs memory. The first 10GB nanotechnology memory (NRAM) device has been built in the laboratories of Nantero, the Boston, Massachusetts company has said. Using carbon nanotubes a billionth of a meter in diameter sprinkled onto a silicon wafer, the device has been made using mostly standard chip production techniques. The company claims that the technology can combine the speed and price of dynamic memory with the non-volatility of flash, making it a strong candidate for the eagerly awaited universal memory devices that the industry hopes will replace all other types. (ZDnet 6/13/03) http://zdnet.com.com..._2-1016942.html

(Book) Is the end nigh? Sir Martin Rees, Britain's most distinguished theoretical astrophysicist and one of its best writers on matters cosmological, is no stranger to catastrophe; he has a professional interest in supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, cannibal galaxies and many of the universe's other savageries. In Our Final Century, though, his concern is not just destruction, but self-destruction. The 20th century, he points out, was the first in which humanity's chance of self-destruction shot up above the eschatological background noise...But the heart of his argument is the risk of intentional destruction. Like Bill Joy, chief scientist of Sun Microsystems, who wrote an influential article on the matter in Wired a few years ago, Rees fears that biotechnology and nanotechnology will provide greater potential for destruction, and permit ever smaller groups - or indeed individuals - to make use of them. (The Guardian 6/14/03) http://books.guardia...,975702,00.html

Quantum Dot Advances. Studies show that nanoparticles have potential biological applications. The semiconductor nanoparticles known as quantum dots have moved closer to biological applications, according to two recent reports. In one paper, scientists at Cornell University, collaborating with Quantum Dot Corp. in Hayward, Calif., use quantum dots as a label for multiphoton imaging in live animals. In the other report, Japanese researchers use chaperone proteins to encapsulate and protect quantum dots, preventing them from aggregating and losing their size-dependent properties. (C&E 6/19/03) http://pubs.acs.org/.../8123notw6.html

Hydrogen goes universal. Two researchers from the US and Germany have calculated a 'universal alignment' effect for the electronic energy levels in hydrogen. This effect could allow scientists to predict how hydrogen behaves in materials used for applications as diverse as integrated circuits, fuel cells and hydrogen storage materials (C G Van de Walle and J Neugebauer 2003 Nature 423 626). (PhysicsWeb 6/4/03) http://physicsweb.or...icle/news/7/6/3

Nanotechnology: the next small thing. Investors are piling into a revolutionary new sector, but skeptics say it's just another bubble in the making. Richard Fletcher and Lauren Mills report. It's the stuff of science
fiction: nanotechnology, a scientific breakthrough which its proponents claim will create computers the size of a grain of sand and miniature robots that will march through the body repairing damaged organs. Nanotechnology is no Hollywood fiction. According to a report to be published this week by Lux Capital, the US venture capital firm, worldwide governments and venture capitalists invested more than $3bn in the fledgling sector in 2002. And the investors hope to grab a fat slice of a market which the US government confidently claims will be worth $1 trillion by 2012. (Telegraph.co.uk 6/15/03) http://money.telegra.....5/fiano15.xml

Tetrapod nanocrystals could improve solar cells. A new shape for semiconductor nanocrystals-tetrapods, rather than simple spheres, rods and disks-could double the efficiency of "plastic" solar cells, according to the inventor of tetrapods. Paul Alivisatos, the inventor of semiconductor tetrapods and a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, said they promise to convert twice as much incident light into electricity. Tetrapods also promise to improve chemical sensors, biomedicine and optoelectronic devices, as well as serving as strengthening additives to plastic composites. (EETimes 6/9/03) http://www.eet.com/a...EG20030609S0065

Single-electron transistors shed heat. Characterizing the electron flow and the resulting causes of heat dissipation in low-dimensional nanoscale electronics could lead to cool-running single-electron "quantum dot" transistors, according to a researcher here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Better understanding of heat dissipation in semiconductor materials should enable chip makers to cool down even massive heat-generating chips like central processing units (CPUs). "So much heat is being dissipated by CPUs today that may people's laptops get uncomfortably warm. Our technique for studying low-dimensional electron systems should help future chips avoid generating so much heat," said Robert Blick, electrical and computer engineering associate professor. He collaborated on the work with his graduate student, Eva Höhberger, as well as with professor Werner Wegscheider at the University of Regensburg, Germany, and researcher Tomas Krämer of Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. (EETimes 6/2/03) http://www.eet.com/a...EG20030602S0105

Rage Against the (Green) Machine. First came the concerns about nuclear power. Then, the fears about genetically modified foods. Now, European and C anadian environmentalists have a new, lab-made monstrosity to rail against: nanotechnology. Last week, at the Brussels headquarters of the European Parliament, Greenpeace, GeneWatch U.K., the ETC Group and others held a teach-in, of sorts. The goal was to highlight the potential dangers that could arise when scientists start manipulating matter at the nano -- billionth of a meter -- level. Nano-sized bits are so small that they can penetrate your skin, get into your lungs, and travel through your body unmolested by the immune system, argues ETC program manager Jim Thomas. Research, he claims, shows that matter gets more toxic when it's shrunk to the super-small -- no matter what the material is. -What?- (Wired 6/19/03) http://www.wired.com...2,59287,00.html

'Nano' Suddenly a Gigantic Label. Nanotechnology has become one of the hottest areas in scientific research, pulling in billions of dollars in government, corporate and foundation cash. But the scientist who coined the term "nanotechnology" says a lot of what passes for nano is just plain ol' science, gussied up with a fancy name to rake in the bucks. "'Nanotechnology'" has now become little more than a marketing term," said Eric Drexler, founder of the Foresight Institute, the leading nanotech think tank. "Work that scientists have been doing for decades is now being relabeled nanotechnology." (Wired 6/16/03) http://www.wired.com...2,59181,00.html

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."

The Nanogirl News
July 12, 2003

Nanotechnology Group to Address Safety Concerns. The NanoBusiness Alliance, a trade group for businesses at work on nanotechnology, plans to announce a new task force today to address health and environmental concerns that could be associated with microscopic nano-scale products. "We haven't seen anything yet that really scared anyone," said Mark Modzelewski, executive director of the group. But, Mr. Modzelewski said, many members of the group had decided, in light of growing speculation about potential dangers posed by nanotechnology, that they wanted a forum for sharing research and developing better public explanations of the issues. Eventually, he said, the group might commission studies at independent institutions like Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology and develop standards for the production or disposal of nanotech products. (The New York Times 7/7/03) http://www.nytimes.c...8587200&en=5b87


Machines that Reproduce May be Reality. Can machines reproduce? More importantly, perhaps -- should they be allowed to? In a recent issue of the journal Artificial Life, a group of Canadian researchers says yes despite warnings to the contrary -- most notably from author Michael Crichton in his new book "Prey," about self-replicating nanobots run amok. To prove their point, the researchers have created a primordial soup that works like a digital DNA factory, where T-shaped "codons" swim in a computer-generated virtual liquid forming single, double, and even triple strands. Like DNA, these digital particles "can be assembled into patterns that encode" information, claims robotics scientist Peter Turney in a new paper. For the first time ever, "we demonstrate that, if an arbitrary seed pattern is put in a soup of separate individual particles, the pattern will replicate by assembling the individual particles into copies of itself." (NewsFactor SciTech 7/10/03) http://sci.newsfacto...tory/21893.html

Nanotechnology may create new organs. Scientists have built a minute, functioning vascular system - the branching network of blood vessels which supply nutrients and oxygen to tissues - in a significant step towards building whole organs. Conventional tissue engineering methods have successfully grown structural tissues such as skin and cartilage in the lab. But not being able to create the supporting vascular system has proved a major stumbling block preventing scientists from creating large functioning organs such as liver or kidneys. Now, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School have used computers to design branching networks of venous and arterial capillaries, which start at three millimetres wide and reach a fineness of just 10 microns. (New Scientist 7/8/03) http://www.newscient...p?id=ns99993916

Toward closure: An Open Letter From K. Eric Drexler to Prof. Richard Smalley - Part II. (Nanotechnology Now 7/2/03) http://nanotech-now....n-letter-II.htm

(Site includes VIDEO 1min. 17 sec Quicktime or Realmedia) Gripping Stuff. How'd you like to have shoes or gloves that let you cling to skyscrapers, just like Spider-Man? As this ScienCentral News video reports, nanotechnologists are working on adhesive that could help you match Spidey's feats. Stick-to-it-iveness. At the University of Manchester in England, physicist Andre Geim was looking for a scientific demonstration that would intrigue schoolchildren. He and his research team at the new Centre for Mesoscience and Nanotechnology had read about the work of biologists Robert Full at the University of California Berkeley and Kellar Autumn at Lewis and Clark College. Full, Autumn and their colleagues have been studying geckos, swift and agile lizards that defy gravity with their ability to race up smooth, slippery walls and cling upside down by a single toe. (ScienCentral
7/10/03) http://www.sciencent...sh&type=article


Rice University scientist wins $3 million grant. Team using nanotechnology on cancer. A Rice University scientist who has been using nanotechnology to battle cancer has won a $3 million grant from the Department of Defense. Naomi Halas won the department's Innovator Award, which will help fund her team's research into developing harmless means of detecting and destroying tumors. The award, given by the department's Breast Cancer Research Program, is designed to encourage creativity in developing cancer treatments. Halas and colleague Jennifer West are using nanoshells, a specially designed core of material with a thin metal shell that's a little larger than a molecule. (Houston Chronicle 7/10/03) http://www.chron.com...politan/1989586

DNA Works As Nanotube Sorter. You think it's hard keeping your tube socks organized? Try sorting carbon nanotubes, those remarkable molecules whose electrical properties make them potential building blocks for everything from ultrasensitive diagnostic devices to transistors 100 times smaller than those in today's fastest microchips. Trouble is, when nanotubes are fabricated, they're a mixed bag; some are electricity conductors, while others are semiconductors. Since a number of practical electronics applications demand nanotubes of uniform conductivity, sorting technologies are needed. Researchers at DuPont in Wilmington, DE, say they're beginning to solve the problem using another remarkable molecule: DNA. The results are literally visible. A pink-colored vial of nanotubes in solution contains highly conducting nanotubes; other vials, with greenish hues, hold semiconducting ones. (SmallTimes 7/10/03) http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6341

Japanese government and industry have teamed up to develop a supercomputer founded on smaller computers linked around the country...The Naregi (National Research Grid Initiative) plan hopes to create a supercomputer rated at 100 teraflops by 2007. The fastest computer today, Japan's NEC Earth Simulator, runs at 36 teraflops. The Naregi plan will seek to develop better software that will operate in the top and middle layer of the grid while harnessing the power of the linked computers to run nanotechnology simulations, according to a report in Nikkei Business News. (ZDNet 7/11/03) http://news.zdnet.co...2137400,00.html

Finally, a purpose for nanotech to turn on average Joe: Big-screen TVs. For a decade, scientists in prestigious labs worldwide have sweated over nanotechnology. They've worked at the outer edges of human knowledge, employing room-size, multimillion-dollar contraptions to try to create structures one-billionth of a meter across - the size of three or four atoms. And at last they have revealed a major outcome of this research - a product of magnificent importance to worldwide peace and happiness, not to mention the viewing of football games. That would be: big-screen TVs. Better: CHEAP big-screen TVs. (USAToday 7/8.03) http://www.usatoday....3-07-08-maney_x


Molecular motor goes round in circles. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh, UK, and the University of Bologna, Italy, claim to have made the first artificial rotary motor from molecular components that are not chemically bonded to each other. The mechanically interlocked molecular motor is less than 4 nm wide. "Others have said it's the most sophisticated artificial molecular 'machine' to date," Dave Leigh of the University of Edinburgh told nanotechweb.org. "This is the first example of the control of directionality of motion in an interlocked molecule or any synthetic hydrogen-bonded structure." (nanotechweb 7/11/03) http://www.nanotechw...es/news/2/7/9/1

Researchers Develop Technique That Could Open Doors To Faster Nanotech Commercialization Berkeley - Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, have found an innovative way to grow silicon nanowires and carbon nanotubes directly on microstructures in a room temperature chamber, opening the doors to cheaper and faster commercialization of a myriad of nanotechnology-based devices. The researchers were able to precisely localize the extreme heat necessary for nanowire and nanotube growth, protecting the sensitive microelectronics - which remained at room temperature - just a few micrometers away, or about one-tenth the diameter of a strand of human hair. (ScienceDaily 6/24/03) http://www.scienceda...30624085134.htm

Little wonders of micro-medicine. Engineering at a scale of millionths of a metre could build human organs such as livers and kidneys - and create a "smart" artificial knee which would know when it had become infected, researchers said yesterday. A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology told an American Society for Microbiology conference in New York that the kind of nanotechnology used to etch the surfaces of a silicon chip could make layers of liver or kidney cells and create a network of microscopic tubes which could deliver oxygen and nutrients to them. "Our microfabricated devices can efficiently supply oxygen and nutrients to sustain the viability of human liver and kidney cells for at least one week in the lab," Mohammad Kaazempur-Mofrad told the conference on micro, bio and nano systems. "So far we have succeeded in making individual, functioning units but the ultimate goal is to make whole functioning organs." (Guardian Unlimited 7/9/03) http://www.guardian....,994482,00.html

Artificial hip that 'thinks' on its own. An "intelligent" artificial hip that recognizes when it becomes infected and treats itself, could become a reality. Researchers in the US have already started work on a new generation of "smart" joint replacements using the latest advances in nanotechnology. The aim is to produce a hip or knee implant that not only detects infection, but treats itself with antibacterial drugs and informs the patient's doctor. A group of clinicians, microbiologists and electrical engineers have teamed up to undertake the project. (Ananova 7/9/03) http://www.ananova.c...news.technology

UCLA Physicists Create Single Molecule Nanoscale Sensor; Possible Applications for Medicine, Biotechnology, Detecting Biological Weapons. UCLA physicists have created a first-of-its-kind nanoscale sensor using a single molecule less than 20 nanometers long - more than 1,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair - the team reports in the June 24 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The nano molecular sensor could help with early diagnosis of genetic diseases, and have numerous other applications for medicine, biotechnology and other fields, said Giovanni Zocchi, assistant professor of physics at UCLA, member of the California NanoSystems Institute and leader of the research team. (UCLA News 6/19/03) http://newsroom.ucla...age.asp?id=4306

New Way to Control the Motion of Tiny Particles. Nanotechnology researchers may soon be able to design new types of tiny shuttles or conveyor belts which could be used to deliver medications to specific cells or to replace wires in molecular-sized electronic devices. An international team of investigators, including a physicist from the University of Michigan, has devised a method that could help researchers with one of the most challenging problems in nanotechnology: controlling the motion of tiny particles, both in artificial nanodevices and biological systems such as ion channels in cell membranes. (Newswise 6/19/03) http://www.newswise..../view/?id=36282

Music of the Spheres. A violin string vibrates at many frequencies simultaneously, but all the frequencies are simple multiples of the pitch we hear. Bang a solid sphere with a mallet and you get a far more complicated set of vibrations--so complicated that they have never been directly identified in an experiment. In the 27 June PRL, researchers take up state-of-the-art methods, scattering laser light off silica nanospheres, to verify a century-old theoretical prediction of these vibrations. They identify the frequencies associated with both twisting and bulging motions, a result made possible by the uniformity of the tiny spheres they studied. (Physical Review Focus 6/26/03) http://focus.aps.org/story/v11/st29

Chipping Away at Hardness. Predicting the hardness of materials based on their atomic structure has often been like trying to scratch diamond with chalk. A characteristic of atomic bonds called ionicity seems to be associated with hardness, and now in the 4 July PRL a team comes up with an explicit formula for hardness based on this property. It successfully predicts the hardness for several materials, including a recently-synthesized superhard material. The result could help establish a microscopic model of hardness and aid in the hunt for new superhard compounds. (Physical Review Focus 7/9/03) http://focus.aps.org/story/v12/st1

Nanocrystals double up. Magnetic nanocrystals and semiconductor quantum dots can self-assemble into 'metamaterials' that could be useful in a range of applications, experiments in the US have shown. Franz Redl at the IBM TJ Watson Research Center in New York and colleagues at IBM, Columbia University and the University of New Orleans made the new materials with lead-selenium semiconductor quantum dots and iron oxide magnetic nanocrystals. (Physicsweb 6/26/03) http://physicsweb.or...cle/news/7/6/18
IBM: http://www.research...._assembly.shtml

Ionic Liquids Go Bucky. Carbon nanotube-ionic liquid gels yield potentially useful new materials. Carbon nanotubes and room-temperature ionic liquids can be blended to form gels that may be used to make novel electronic devices, coating materials, and antistatic materials, according to researchers in Japan. University of Tokyo chemistry professor Takuzo Aida, researcher Takanori Fukushima, and coworkers prepare the "bucky gel" materials by grinding suspensions of high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes in imidazolium cation-based ionic liquids in an agate mortar [Science, 300, 2072 (2003)]. The researchers then use a centrifuge to separate excess ionic liquid from the desired black, viscous gel. (C&E
6/30/03)
http://pubs.acs.org/.../8126notw6.html

Nano Toolbox Gains Carbon Cones. Researchers from the University of Louisville and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have come up with a useful twist on carbon nanotubes. Their nano pipettes grow thicker at one end to form microscopic cones that have central channels. Carbon nanotubes are ready-made, strong, electrically useful microscopic tubes that form naturally in soot from sheets of carbon atoms. Nanopipettes could eventually deliver tiny amounts of fluids under the skin, sense chemicals at very specific locations, form electrodes for retinal stimulation, and be tips for atomic force, scanning tunneling, and near-field scanning optical microscopes. (Technology Review 7/8/03) http://www.technolog.../rnb_070803.asp

Chinese Researchers Ready To 'Bring Nano Bones to the World'. For the past six years, Cui had been developing a new method of healing broken bones using nanotechnology. But with the threat of SARS lurking, he had to stop his experiments in late April. Hospitals where clinical trials on the new technology were being held were sealed off, making it impossible for Cui's doctors to see patients. One clinical patient even came down with SARS and couldn't undergo surgery to have the "nano bone" implanted. Fortunately for Cui, the threat of SARS has waned in China. After being halted for a month, experiments are once again being conducted and clinical trials are proceeding. Cui and his team of researchers have successfully implanted nano bones in dozens of patients and he hopes that the technology will be commercialized soon. (Small Times 7/1/03) http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6300

I hope you all had a wonderful fourth of July.

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."

The Nanogirl News
July 31, 2003

Cutting-Edge Science Creates Stain-Free Pants. Scientists are wrestling with individual atoms to develop molecule-sized computers, tiny cancer-fighting robots that travel the bloodstream ... and stain-resistant trousers. Nanotechnology -- the science of manipulating materials billionths of a meter (meter) wide -- has emerged as a promising new field that could lead to stunning advances in years to come. Boosters claim that nanotech-derived products may some day cure disease, slow the aging process and eliminate pollution. But for now, the human race will have to settle for tennis balls that keep their bounce longer, flat-panel displays that shine brighter and wrinkle-free khaki slacks that resist coffee stains. "People are saying, 'Geez, this isn't Star Trek yet; this is just pants that don't stain,' but you've got to start somewhere," said Howard Lovy, news editor of the nanotech industry journal Small Times. "I'm wearing nano-pants as we speak." (CNET 7/23/03)
http://news.cnet.com...21342462-0.html

Manufacturing technique offers possibilities for electronics industry. Manufacturing the minute may have gotten cheaper and more exact, thanks to a new technique developed by an international team of researchers. The technique, described in the July 24 issue of the journal Nature, marries two approaches to lower the cost and improve the control of producing materials at the molecular level. This hybrid approach, say the researchers, could lead to computers, personal data assistants and cell phones that offer the densest data capacity stored in the tiniest packages. (University of Wisconsin 7/23/03)
http://www.news.wisc...w.html?get=8777

(Event - SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS OF THIS EMAIL LIST!) The Accelerating Change Conference will be a forum to explore the paradise of resources, as well as the risks and responsibilities, represented by cascading breakthroughs in computational technologies. Accelerating change is a fact; what to do? - Ray Kurzweil, K. Eric Drexler, Steve Jurvetson, Tim O'Reilly, William H. Calvin, Howard Bloom, Robert Wright, and 17 other world-class minds will present to 300 attendees, focusing on the profound opportunities and risks of business and society's accelerating pace of change.- Special early bird extension: Save $100 (25%) on conference admission until August 4th. - Nanotech subscribers will receive an additional 5% discount by using the special discount code "ACC2003-Nanotech" (no quotations). For More info: http://www.accelerat...c2003/press.htm
For Registration:
http://www.accelerat...egistration.htm

Physicists Build World's Smallest Motor Using Nanotubes And Etched Silicon. Only 15 years after University of California, Berkeley, engineers built the first micro-scale motor, a UC Berkeley physicist has created the first nano-scale motor - a gold rotor on a nanotube shaft that could ride on the back of a virus. "It's the smallest synthetic motor that's ever been made," said Alex Zettl, professor of physics at UC Berkeley and faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "Nature is still a little bit ahead of us - there are biological motors that are equal or slightly smaller in size - but we are catching up." (ScienceDaily 7/24/03) http://www.scienceda...30724084133.htm
Image Downloads:
http://www.berkeley....media/download/

Greenpeace issues major report on nanotechnology. It was reported today [Greenpeace Wades Into Nano Debate With Report That Calls For Caution, by Douglas Brown, Small Times Correspondent] that Greenpeace issued a 72-page report, published in the magazine New Scientist, calling on government and industry to do much more to stay on top of the environmental, medical and ethical challenges posed by nanotechnology. The report does not appear to be available on the New Scientist web site as of this writing, but it has already drawn comments as described in the Small Times article and in the following submissions from two Nanodot readers. (Nanodot 7/24/03)
http://nanodot.org/a...3/07/24/2226229
Also see- The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology today announced its conditional support of the Greenpeace report, "Future technologies, today's choices", about the risks, benefits, and current status of nanotechnology. "We've heard from extremists on both sides," said Mike Treder, Executive Director of CRN. "Now it's time for sober discussion and serious research. This report clearly is a step forward." (CRN 7/30/03)
http://crnano.org/PR-Greenpeace.htm

Starpharma: Human Trials of Anti-HIV Product. Starpharma gets clearance from the US FDA for human clinical trials of a new dendrimer nano-drug.-PDF-(Starpharma 7/30/03)
http://www.starpharm...IND_Success.pdf

Device Measures Femtometers. Nanoscale sensor couples transistor with crystal to approach quantum limit. A new sensor can measure femtometer-sized movements of a single-crystal oscillator, increasing sensitivity about 10-fold over previous nanoscale devices [Nature, 424, 291 (2003)]. The apparatus, developed by scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, couples a single-electron transistor to a vibrating, 250-nm-wide beam of GaAs. (C&E 7/21/02) http://pubs.acs.org/.../8129notw5.html

(Video 1min. 35 secs.Quicktime or Realmedia) Shirts That Stop Bullets. What if you could wear lightweight armor that kept you warm-and let you phone home? As this ScienCentral News video reports, nanotechnologists have come up with a super strong, flexible fiber that can conduct heat and electricity. It could be light as a cotton shirt, but bulletproof. (ScienCentral 7/24/03) http://www.sciencent...sh&type=article


Burns Doane Lands Legal Nanotechnology Pioneer. Just weeks after launching a new nanotechnology practice group, Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis, LLP has successfully recruited a nanotechnology legal pioneer, Kitu Bindra. Mr. Bindra joins Burns Doane as counsel, coming from the law firm of Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly. Mr. Bindra has helped develop nanotechnology companies, including spin-offs from NASA, and works closely with leading industry organizations like the Girvan Institute. (Yahoo Finance 7/24/03)
http://biz.yahoo.com...4/245692_1.html

Renaissance potters were nanotechnologists. Artisans glazing pots in
fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Umbria were practicing an early form of nanotechnology. Italian researchers have now revealed the full sophistication of this process. (Nature Science Update 6/30/03) http://www.nature.co.../030623-17.html

Titania nanotubes make supersensitive hydrogen sensors. Titania nanotubes are 1,500 times better than the next best material for sensing hydrogen and may be one of the first examples of materials properties changing dramatically when crossing the border between real world sizes and nanoscopic dimensions, according to a Penn State materials scientist. ''Historically, we have viewed sensor technology and enhancements from the point of view of surface area,'' says Craig A. Grimes, associate professor of electrical engineering and materials science and engineering. ''The principle in play in titania nanotubes is not surface area, but connectivity of the tiny tubes and we see an incredible change in electric resistance.'' (PennState 7/29/03)
http://www.engr.psu....sDate=7/29/2003

(life extension) Fancy living another 100 years, or more? Some experts said on Saturday that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last decades beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span. "I think we are knocking at the door of immortality," said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. "I think by 2075 we will see it and that's a conservative estimate." Zey spoke on the sidelines of the annual conference of the World Future Society, a group that ponders how the future will look across many different aspects of society. (Wired 7/20/03) http://www.wired.com...6,59697,00.html

Howard Lovy's NanoBot. Nanotechnology information and commentary from the news editor at Small Times Media. Don't hate me because I'm nano-beautiful. This recent New York Post story had me thinking about beauty. Small Times reported last year that nanomaterials had been used in cosmetics for years (L'Oreal has had them in products since 1995, despite the Post's assertion that, "Even big names like L'Oreal are getting into the act."). So now, with renewed debate surrounding what is not known about nanoparticles, the fact that nanoscale zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are used in some brands of cosmetics and sunscreen are continuously juxtaposed with news reports about the controversy. (Nanobot.blogspot 7/31/03)
http://nanobot.blogspot.com/

Ninth- and Tenth-Grade L.A. Science Teachers Come to UCLA to Learn to Teach Nanoscience, New Experiments in Their Classrooms. Two dozen ninth- and tenth-grade science teachers from low-income schools in Los Angeles have come to UCLA to learn how to invigorate their classes by teaching the new field of nanoscience - the science of the tiniest particles that will lead to extraordinary advances in medicine and many other fields and will improve profoundly the quality of our lives. (UCLA News 7/22/03)
http://newsroom.ucla...age.asp?id=4390

Rice's chemical 'scissors' yield short carbon nanotubes. Chemists at Rice University have identified a chemical process for cutting carbon nanotubes that yields short tube segments that are suited to a variety of applications, including biomedical sensors small enough to migrate through cells without triggering immune reactions. The 'chemical scissors' process involves fluorinating nanotubes and then heating them to about 1,000 Celsius in an argon atmosphere. The heating drives off the fluorine and cuts the nanotubes into segments ranging from 20-300 nanometers. (EurekAlert 7/22/03)
http://www.eurekaler...ru-rc072203.php

(Interview) Vinod Khosla Out Loud. AlwaysOn talks to Sun founder and venture capital veteran Vinod Khosla of VC powerhouse Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, to find out how he looks at companies, why he loves nano, and whether Google is hot. (Always On - The insiders network 7/28/03)
http://www.alwayson-...?id=684_0_1_0_C

Science of the small poses big dilemma. Campaigners on both sides of the nanotechology divide are calling for more dialogue about the benefits and risks of a field that is beginning to revolutionize science. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of particles at the nanoscale - one-millionth of a millimetre. Supporters in Switzerland say the discipline has the potential to create huge benefits in areas such as medicine, electronics, chemistry and computing. Critics say we need to understand whether it raises new ethical, health and safety or social issues before we go any further. (NZZ 7/28/03)
http://nzz.ch/2003/0...ynd3994671.html

Nanoparticles spy on molecular binding. Scientists at Ludwig-Maximilians University and Roche Diagnostics in Germany say they have created the first single metal nanoparticle sensor based on light-scattering spectroscopy. They demonstrated the technique using a gold nanoparticle functionalized with biotin to detect the presence of the protein streptavidin. (Nanotechweb.org 7/29/03) http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/2/7/14/1

Inside the Movement for Posthuman Rights. Cyborg Liberation Front. By Erik Baard. This article examines the challenges and opportunities facing the transhumanist movement with respect to communicating with other groups, potential friends and potential foes. (The Village Voice 7/30/03) http://www.villagevo.../0331/baard.php

Nanotech moves the future to a new level. Fear of the science of the small 'is focused on the wrong things'. Nanotechnology, which is predicted to grow into a $1 trillion industry within a decade, could like GM food technology become a political battleground, an economic and social research council report published today says. Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating material at the atomic scale, to make tools measured in billionths of a metre. The report, by three Sheffield University academics, says the debate on its implication has become polarised between visions of utopia and planetary catastrophe. (EducationGuardian 7/28/03) http://education.gua...1007223,00.html

More on the report at SpaceDaily:
http://www.spacedail...otech-03zl.html

Nano threats and challenges. Worries in the science community about a public backlash against nanotechnology have been growing in recent months. Currently, public fears range from the reasonable, such as the unknown effects of nanoparticles on health and the environment, to what scientists consider to be the ridiculous - a world overrun by plagues of self-replicating nanorobots. This is the "grey goo" scenario that looms large in Prey, the recent novel by Michael Crichton that seems to have kick-started this current bout of nano-angst. The nightmare scenario for scientists is that the public - egged on by various pressure groups - will reject nanotechnology in the same way that the UK and other countries have rejected genetically modified (GM) food. (PhysicsWeb July, 2003)
http://www.physicswe...le/world/16/7/1

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."

Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
August 21, 2003


Nanoparticles Keep Brain Cells Alive. Nanoparticles originally developed for industry have an unexpected effect: They triple or even quadruple the life of rat brain cells, suggesting that they could help extend human lifespan and decrease age-related health problems. (Betterhumans 8/15/03) http://www.betterhum...ID=2003-08-15-5
See Also:
http://www.hindustan...34,00040007.htm

Nanomaterial Overcomes Weather Woes in Bid to Save Scorched Land. A nanomaterial-based compound designed to reclaim land lost to forest fires is getting its first major workout in challenging weather. "We're dodging thunderstorms every day," said Richard Maile, president of Sequoia Pacific Research Co. LLC, speaking on a mobile phone in the mountains near Taos, N.M., last week. "That presents a certain obstacle but other than that, it's going pretty much as planned." (SmallTimes 8/21/03) http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6540

Activists pounce on nanotech scare. Being an activist means always having to find something new to complain about...A recent 72-page report from Greenpeace warns of the dangers of nanotechnology. An introduction from Greenpeace's Doug Parr sets the tone for the piece, claiming that nanotechnology-created "materials should be considered hazardous until shown otherwise." Huh? Abandoning technologies that can protect the environment is hardly the most logical stance for a pro-environment group to take. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for instance, is already looking into and funding the development of nanomaterials that can reduce harmful emissions, aid recycling and filter gaseous pollutants...Greenpeace goes on to invoke the tired rhetoric of class struggle, arguing: "Is the future of nanotechnology then a plaything of the already-rich? Will the much talked about 'digital divide' be built upon, exacerbating the inequities present in current society through a 'nano-divide?'" In reality, all new inventions--from air conditioning to clothes dryers to automobiles--initially are the playthings of the wealthy. Then, as production costs fall over time and economies of scale take over, those products become available to more and more people. Still, Greenpeace seems almost reasonable when compared to organizations such as the Canadian environmentalists at the ETC Group, which published a communique that calls for an "immediate moratorium on commercial production of new nanomaterials." (ZDnet 8/11/03)
http://zdnet.com.com..._2-5061966.html

Support Growing for Federal Push Toward Nanotech Energy solutions. In Washington, they liken it to the Manhattan Project. In Houston, they prefer an Apollo Program metaphor. But the strategists behind two movements to make energy a priority agree on the need for an all-out commitment akin to efforts to build an atomic bomb during World War II and the space race that followed. Both the research branch of the Department of Energy and a consortium of scientists, industry leaders and policy-makers attending a summit at Rice University identified nanotechnology as a keystone to clean, efficient and affordable energy. (Small Times 8/13/03)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6493

Purdue researchers expose 'docking bay' for viral attack. Imagine a virus and its cellular target as two spacecraft - the virus sporting a tiny docking bay that allows it to invade its victim. Purdue University researchers have taken a close-up picture of one virus' docking bay, work that could have implications for both medicine and nanotechnology. (Purdue News 8/18/03) http://news.uns.purd....baseplate.html

UNT, TI team on nanotechnology. Researchers at Texas Instruments and the University of North Texas in Denton received $2.2 million this summer to find a way to build computer chips half the size of those currently in use. The new chips would be about 500 atoms across, said Phillip Matz, a TI researcher working on the project. By comparison, a human hair is about 100,000 atoms across. The goal is smaller, more powerful chips. About half the money is a National Science Foundation grant. The other half comes from contributed services from TI and UNT. Most of the grant money will go to support the graduate students who will work on the project. The grant is part of a nationwide push to help scientists deliver on the promise of nanotechnology, an emerging discipline geared toward making smaller and smaller devices. (Star Telegram 8/10/03) http://www.dfw.com/m...ews/6503939.htm

Microscope sketches quantum circuits. Physicists at Cambridge University in the UK have developed a new way to make quantum electronic devices using an atomic force microscope. The technique, known as erasable electrostatic lithography, allows researchers to create and change quantum devices and circuits during an experiment - a feat that was hitherto impossible. (Physics Web 8/14/03) http://physicsweb.or...icle/news/7/8/9

(VIDEO-RealPlayer) InformationWeek Tech Talk - Phillip Bond, Dept. of Commerce. Start preparing for the incredible shrinking computer: Uncle Sam is spending hundreds of millions of research dollars on nanotechnology. Commerce Under Secretary Phil Bond and InformationWeek's Stephanie Stahl discuss the phenomena of nano-science. (ABC news) http://www.abcnews.g...sinessNow.html#

Science Transforms the Battlefield. Advances in materials technology provide troops with ever-improving combat capabilities and levels of protection. Comic-book authors a turning green with envy. For years, superheroes and their futuristic special powers were exclusively the stuff of fantasy. But now, science and technology are beginning to enable ordinary humans to acquire some of the abilities of fictional superheroes. Once make-believe, these special powers are being conferred by advanced materials specially designed for military applications. (C&E 8/11/03)
http://pubs.acs.org/...132science.html

Europe announces more nano creations. As discussions regarding the potential applications of nanotechnology become more frequent, research results from around Europe are bringing some of these possibilities to life. German researchers have announced their development of a nanofilter capable of removing toxins from blood, while a UK-Italian partnership has succeeded in building the first nanomotor. The nanofilter, made from hollow fibre membranes, removes specific toxins from blood quickly. The pores in the walls of the hollow fibres, themselves only nanometres thick, allow only contaminated blood plasma through. A consortium involving the company Gambro Dialysatoren, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and the University of Stuttgart is preparing to conduct the first clinical trials using the new filter. (CORDIS 8/14/03)
http://dbs.cordis.lu...EN_RCN_ID:20725

Nanolitho effort harnesses self-assembly. Nanoscale patterning of silicon substrates with regular, repeatable, atomically perfect application- specific templates could enable manufacturable nanoscale chips within the decade, according to scientists at the University of Wisconsin's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (Madison). The work "has the potential to become an inexpensive and routine step for semiconductor manufacturers," said team leader Paul Nealey. "Now we hope that semiconductor manufacturers will adopt our techniques to build real nanoscale chips." (EETimes 8/5/03) http://www.eet.com/a...EG20030805S0035

Roboblood...Back in June 1996, Chris Phoenix, a former student of nano-guru Eric Drexler's at Stanford University, posted a question on the Foresight Institute message boards: "What about replacing blood with a complex robot?" This innocent inquiry led to a lengthy collaboration with Robert Freitas Jr., author of Nanomedicine, the first book-length technical discussion of the medical application of nanotechnology and nanorobotics. (Volume II is coming out in hardcover next month.) The result was a 100-page paper in 2002 on what the duo termed a "vasculoid"-essentially a nanomachine that would replace the human blood supply. Instead of having red and white blood cells floating through your veins, some 500 trillion (it's not often I get to type the word "trillion" when it's not in the same sentence as "national debt") nanobots would fill the entire vasculature of the body, some lining the blood vessels and some swarming through them.
(USA news 8/8/03) http://www.usnews.co...8.htm?track=rss

(Part 1) The mind of an American specialist in nanotechnology. The word "nanogram" means one billionth of a gram. Nanotechnology penetrates within nanograms, and rearranges atoms. If the atoms in coal are rearranged, it becomes diamond (a mediaeval alchemist's dream). Such are its civilian uses. As for its military uses, Mark Gubrud of the University of Maryland has posted on a website his 18-page paper, "Nanotechnology and International Security," for the Fifth Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology. At the beginning of his paper (p. 2) Dr. Gubrud says: "Indeed, it is plausible that a nation which gained a sufficient lead in molecular nanotechnology would at some point be in a position to simply disarm any potential competitors." (August 1,03) http://216.26.163.62/2003/lev8_01.html
(Part 2) On 8/7 I spoke on "The Bert Lee [Radio] Show" in Arizona about the expected ability of nanotechnology, developed in China since 1986, along with at least six other post-nuclear fields, to destroy the Western means of nuclear retaliation and thus to eliminate Mutual Assured Destruction, that is, to disarm the West. (World Tribune 8/15/03) http://216.26.163.62/2003/lev8_15.html

Small matter, big impact. In this little town, in the basement of a house at the end of a dirt road, sits a large laser that will make really tiny bubbles, that might just be the next big thing. The house, laser and patent on the process to make the bubbles all belong to Mark LeClair, founder of NanoSpire. His company is one of a few in Maine playing in the world of nanotechnology, a field that involves building or manipulating matter on the scale of anything smaller than one micron - one-millionth of a meter, the thickness of a typical bacteria. LeClair, a Scarborough native, has theories on how to work with matter at the atomic level that have drawn interest from some big names in the world of super-small technology. If LeClair's theories hold - and he'll be testing them out using the laser over the next few weeks - he'll have created a platform technology, a device with which new technologies can be created and traditional industries can be advanced. (Pressherald 8/15/03) http://www.presshera...nanospire.shtml

Big questions for tiny particles. From clear sunscreen to self-cleaning cars, nanotechnology seeps into daily life and starts to raise tough ethical issues. In the days when the Beach Boys ruled the radio and bikinis were the rave, beaches were populated by noses: big and slathered white with zinc oxide to avoid sunburn. Today the big white noses are gone. Instead of relying on thick goo, many manufacturers now use titanium-dioxide particles so small the sunscreen looks invisible but still reflects away ultraviolet light. Chalk it up to an early use of nanotechnology, where "big" is defined as 1/1000th the width of a human hair and the possibilities look potentially limitless. Yet even as nanotech goes commercial, environmental groups worry about its effect on health and safety. Long term, analysts say, society will have to confront a broad set of ethical and social issues as it deals with humanity's growing ability to manipulate atoms, molecules, and biology's genetic code. The real crunch may come if researchers manage to merge nanotechnology and biotechnology. (csmonitor 8/15/03) http://www.csmonitor...p11s02-stss.htm

Researcher attempts to become a cyborg. Imagine a world where people make lunch plans via telepathy, acquire genius-level mathematical skills in an instant, and learn to golf by downloading the neural impulses of Tiger Woods. According to Kevin Warwick, professor of cybernetics and researcher at England's University of Reading, all of these things might be possible. And that's why the 47-year-old researcher has chosen to become a cyborg: part human, part machine. (The News Sentinel/Fortwayne 8/15/03) http://www.fortwayne...nel/6541921.htm

Tiny nanotubes set new record. A team of scientists claims to have produced the smallest free-standing single-walled carbon nanotube to date. The researchers, from Shinshu University and CNRI Corporation, Japan, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, made a tube around 0.43 nm in diameter using an improved floating-reactant method. (nanotechweb 8/7/03) http://nanotechweb.o...es/news/2/8/5/1

Leaders to Discuss Trillion-Dollar Nanotechnology Market at NASA Ames to discuss the trillion-dollar nanotechnology market that experts believe will be born from research at the molecular scale, 250 leaders from industry, academia and government will converge Aug. 19 at NASA Research Park at NASA Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. NASA is co-hosting the Bay Area Nanotechnology Forum with U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, co-sponsor of the Boehlert-Honda Nanotechnology Bill, H.R. 766. During comments at the forum, he will describe the current outlook for national competition for federal R & D dollars and the international competition for nanotechnology leadership. (SpaceRef 8/16/03) http://www.spaceref.....html?pid=12340

3-D Printing's Great Leap Forward. Rapid prototyping is a concept straight out of Star Trek. Feed an RP machine a 3-D blueprint of an object and it will carve a model of that object out of metal, paper, plastic or starch, just like the replicator aboard the USS Enterprise. Now, these RP devices, also known as 3-D printers, are about to get even better. Engineers are giving the machines the ability to build moving parts, not just block models. (Wired 8/11/03) http://www.wired.com...2,59648,00.html

Scientists tout the potentials of nanoscience. Some scientists think the world will be fundamentally altered within 20 years. To get to that new world, they'll need powerful microscopes. Nanoscience - the study of the infinitesimally tiny - incorporates chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, engineering, ecology and national security. And it's poised to change the way we conduct our lives. From preventing stains from sinking into our pants to making sports equipment lighter and more durable to giving our computers more oomph, nanoscience is already out there...And the federal government will spend close to a billion dollars during fiscal year 2004 to ensure its progress. (Aberdeen News 8/18/03) http://www.aberdeenn...ion/6559281.htm

Sandia researchers create nanocrystals nature's way. Diatoms, seashells provide lessons for development of complex nanomaterials. Sandia researchers are developing complex nanomaterials that look strikingly similar to the microstructures of diatoms and seashells. The materials may have potential for a wide range of applications. (EurekAlert 8/18/03) http://www.eurekaler...l-src081803.php

Techsploitation: Nanophobia. Ever since I read Greg Bear's weird-ass book Blood Music back in the early 1990s, I've been pretty excited about nanotechnology. Bear imagines a future in which nanobots take over the world by rebuilding humans on a molecular level and turning them into raw materials for their bizarre, mystical new society, the noosphere...

Luddite pundit Bill McKibben seems to have bought into Bear's vision. In April he published a nonfiction book called Enough, in which he argues (among other things) that nanotechnology threatens us with dissolution as a species...ETC etc. (AlterNet 8/20/03)
http://www.alternet....l?StoryID=16629

Breakthrough: Nanotechnology. The Fantastic Use of Atoms, One at a Time. Ah, the last doesn't seem so extraordinary. But they're all built on the new nanotechnology that is using microscopic inventions to interact with the human body, to transmit information in and out, to give it strength or comfort. Ian Hunter and Lynette Jones, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who are also husband and wife, work in nanotechnology. Nano is Greek for dwarf. This "molecular manufacturing" involves the manipulation of individual atoms. Small is not only sometimes better, it is extraordinary. Hunter runs the Bioinstrumentation Lab at MIT which builds scientific instruments and nanorobots required to generate objects that are even smaller.
(The American Reporter 8/21/03)
http://www.american-...com/2164/6.html

Giant helium molecules, containing only two atoms but assuming a size as large as a small virus, have been created by researchers at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. At sizes ranging from 10 to 100 nanometers, these helium molecules are the largest diatomic (two-atom) molecules ever created by a factor of 5 (and comparable to the size of viruses, which vary in length from 5-300 nm). What's more, helium is an inert gas that does not normally form molecules.
(Physics News Update 8/20/03)
http://www.aip.org/e...plit/650-1.html


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."

Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 16:18:59 -0700
From: "Gina Miller"
Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
September 7, 2003

As promised in CRN's initial response to the recent Greenpeace report on nanotechnology, we have prepared a detailed technical analysis and commentary on their report. For more information, The release is available online at http://CRNano.org/PR-Commentary.htm.
Also see the coverage at SmallTimes here: http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6589

(ETC Recent activity) Developing nations 'must wise up to nanotechnology'. Decision makers in developing countries need more information about the potential impact of nanotechnology on their economies and livelihoods. This was the warning given to a conference in London yesterday that celebrated the 30th anniversary of economist E.F. Schumacher's influential book Small is Beautiful, which argued that inappropriate technologies were failing the developing world. Pat Mooney, head of the Canada-based Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC) warned that emerging field of nanotechnology - technology and engineering at the level of atoms and molecules - could damage developing countries' export markets and agricultural systems...But Mark Welland, a nanotechnologist from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, urged against generating 'hype' over the possible effects of nanotechnology, both positive and negative. "We have to be realistic and not expect too much," he said. (SciDev 9/4/03)
http://www.scidev.ne...=992&language=1

Drexler speaks! - Or at least writes! In this week's issue of the magazine, I wrote a story about some of the hype over nanotechnology-particularly estimates of how big of a market various nanoproducts might someday have. But it's hard to talk about nanotech without mentioning the guy who invented the term: Eric Drexler, author of the 1986 book Engines of Creation. (Drexler and everyone else in the field credit the founding vision behind nanotech to a 1959 talk by Caltech physicist Richard Feynman). In researching my article, I had a fascinating E-mail chat with Drexler. Here is some of that exchange:... (USNews 9/4/02) http://www.usnews.co...4.htm?track=rss

Nanoscale Iron Could Help Cleanse The Environment; Ultrafine Particles Flow Underground And Destroy Toxic Compounds In Place. An ultrafine, "nanoscale" powder made from iron, one of the most abundant metals on Earth, is turning out to be a remarkably effective tool for cleaning up contaminated soil and groundwater--a trillion-dollar problem that encompasses more than 1000 still-untreated Superfund sites in the United States, some 150,000 underground storage tank releases, and a staggering number of landfills, abandoned mines, and industrial sites. (ScienceDaily 9/4/03) http://www.scienceda...30904074603.htm

The world's smallest buckets. In a typical chemistry lab, the smallest containers hold just two millilitres of liquid. But despite their size, these tiny glass tubes still contain billions of atoms. Now, there are "nano test tubes" so small they hold just a few hundred atoms. Such containers, with a diameter equivalent to about 20 atoms, have been manufactured by experts at the University of Nottingham. (BBC News 9/5/03)
http://news.bbc.co.u...ire/3077720.stm

Peres to deliver keynote Nanotech address at U.S. conference. When Shimon Peres appears in Washington DC this week to deliver a crucial keynote address, it will not be in any of his current roles as Labor party leader, Nobel peace prize laureate, nor even as a highly-respected elder statesman for Israel. Instead, Mr. Peres will be speaking in his newest role: that of nanotechnologist. That role was taken on last spring with a speech given before the Knesset, during which Peres unequivocally declared Israel's need to be among those nations leading the development and commercialization of this fundamental new technology. (Israel21 9/7/03)
http://www.israel21c...gy&enVersion=0

Nanomaterials. Large chemical and materials companies target small nanotechnology firms for venture investing, collaborations, and product innovations. Good things come in small packages. the unique properties of nanomaterials and structures on the nanometer scale have sparked the attention of materials developers. Incremental shifts in product performance using these materials--for example, as fillers in plastics, as coatings on surfaces, and as UV-protectants in cosmetics--are already occurring. The technology holds more promise for the future, though, and is expected to bring more disruptive changes to both products and markets. (C&E cover story
9/1/03)
http://pubs.acs.org/...technology.html

USC Receives $1.3M Nanoscience Grant. The National Science Foundation has awarded the University of South Carolina a $1.3 million grant to research the ethics of nanoscience, which is the study of atoms and molecules. The four-year grant is a major step forward for the university's nanoscience research, USC said. In June 2001, the university created its NanoCenter, which brings together faculty from science, math and engineering to conduct research. The university sees the efforts as gaining a better foothold in emerging technology. (Macon 9/4/03) http://www.macon.com...ion/6691432.htm

In the Laboratory for Electronic and Electromagnetic Systems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), electrical engineer Markus Zahn and his research team are exploring ferrofluids' potential in nanoscale motors and biomedical devices. All the current uses of ferrofluids involve their responding to permanent magnetic fields, fields that remain constant and don't change over time. Zahn asked, "What happens if you put a ferrofluid in rotating magnetic fields?" He knew that electromechanics involved rotating machinery, and so he reasoned, "Ferrofluids could make the world's smallest and simplest rotating machines. A simple, single magnetic particle in a rotating magnetic field will spin." Since ferrofluid involves countless numbers of particles, "you could induce lots of fluid motion that could be used in nanoscale devices." -the movie on this webpage does not appear to be related- (ScienCentral 9/4/03) http://www.sciencent...le_id=218392051

Biomolecular Motors at DARPA. Biomolecular motors are nature's nanomachines that convert chemical energy into mechanical work with performance and scale unparalleled by any manmade motors or machines. The principle goal of this program is to develop an understanding of the fundamental operating principles of biomolecular motors and exploit this knowledge to harvest, modify, and integrate these macromolecular assemblies into useful devices from the nano to macro scale. (DARPA)
http://www.darpa.mil...sci/biomomo.htm

ASU Researchers Develop Method for Testing Molecular Electronics. Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a relatively straightforward method for measuring the electrical resistance of single molecules. The advance is a technical achievement in terms of its precision and repeatability. The researchers, Nongjian Tao, an ASU electrical engineering professor, and his student Bingqian Xu, said their method overcomes three thorny issues in the electrical resistance measurements of a single molecule. "What we have is a technique that guarantees one molecule is attached between two electrodes every time; we can identify how many molecules are present; and we can do thousands of measurements in a matter of minutes," Tao said. (Nanotech Planet 9/2/03) http://www.nanoelect...3071161,00.html

Nanotubes Surprise Again: Ideal Photon Emission. Carbon nanotubes, recently created cylinders of tightly bonded carbon atoms, have dazzled scientists and engineers with their seemingly endless list of special abilities--from incredible tensile strength to revolutionizing computer chips. In today's issue of Science, two University of Rochester researchers add another feat to the nanotubes' list: ideal photon emission. "The emission bandwidth is as narrow as you can get at room temperature," says Lukas Novotny, professor of optics at Rochester and co-author of the study. Such a narrow and steady emission can make such fields as quantum cryptography and single-molecule sensors a practical reality. (University of Rochester 9/5/03) http://www.rochester...ss-Novotny.html

In tech world, is small really beautiful? Three decades after E. F. "Fritz" Schumacher sparked a revolution with his book "Small Is Beautiful," calling for smaller scale technology to end poverty, scientists are asking whether science has become too small for society's own good. The development of molecular level nanotechnology has replaced the giant development projects of the 1960s but poses the question of whether small is still beautiful, a conference in London grouping opponents and proponents of the new technology heard on Wednesday. (CNN 9/4/03) http://www.cnn.com/2...reut/index.html

Advectus and Immune Announce Nano-Pharmaceutical Project Update. Advectus Life Sciences Inc. (TSX Venture Exchange:AVX) (Other OTC:AVXSF) announced today that it has acquired an option from Immune Network Ltd. (Pink
Sheets:IMMFF) (www.immunenetwork.com) which, if exercised, would give the Company an exclusive worldwide interest in a new nanotechnology-based formulation for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease based on compositions that penetrate the "blood-brain barrier" (BBB) with existing drugs. (PrimeZone 9/4/03) http://www.primezone...s.mhtml?d=44671

Wet nanoparticles alter their atoms. 'Just add water' is a phrase found on many instant-mix food packets. Now scientists at the University of California Berkeley, US, have found that applying the technique to certain nanoparticles can actually change their structure. The researchers synthesized zinc sulphide (ZnS) nanoparticles with an average diameter of 3 nm in anhydrous methanol. They discovered that adding water to the nanoparticles at room temperature reduced distortions of the surface and interior of the particle, producing a more crystalline arrangement of atoms. The resulting structure was close to that of sphalerite - tetrahedrally coordinated cubic ZnS. (nanotechweb 8/28/03) http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/2/8/15/1

Rapid Assembly. Method forms ordered, nanosized circuit elements on multiple length scales. A solution-based method for assembling nanowire structures from the bottom up with spatial control on several length scales, ranging from nanometers to centimeters, has been demonstrated by scientists at Harvard University. Researchers there have shown that large numbers of uniform and hierarchically ordered nanoscale circuit elements can be prepared simultaneously using a simple and adaptable technique. (C&E
8/25/03)
http://pubs.acs.org/.../8134notw9.html

Genetic Engineering News Reports on Advances in Nanobiotechnology. Nanobiotech companies are developing miniaturized components that could revolutionize medical implants, ophthalmic surgery tools, cell manipulators, and nanofluidics, reports Genetic Engineering News (GEN; www.genengnews.com ). Some firms are manufacturing nanotech systems for homeland security and other applications in national defense, according to two related articles in the September issue of GEN. "Nanotech received a huge boost with the introduction of the atomic force microscope in the late 1980s because this allowed scientists to take measurements at the atomic level," says John Sterling, editor-in-chief of GEN.(Quote.com 9/5/03)
http://finance.lycos...?story=35590096

Gold Speck Highlights Molecules. How do you sense what is happening at the scale of molecules, which are thousands of times smaller than microscopic objects like red blood cells? Researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians University in Germany have found a way to detect the very small spectral shifts that occur when the light scattering off a single gold nanoparticle interacts with molecules. The device makes it possible to detect molecular changes in real-time. The method could eventually be used to make arrays of devices that very quickly sense many types of molecules at once. (Technology Review
8/29/03)
http://www.technolog.../rnb_082903.asp

DNA Throttle Controls Molecular Machine. A DNA sequence that acts as a throttle to control the rate at which an enzyme moves along the DNA has been observed by researchers at UC Davis. By controlling the activity of the RecBCD helicase enzyme, the "Chi" sequence can affect how efficiently genes are repaired. RecBCD unwinds the DNA double helix so that the genetic code can be read, copied or repaired. This unwinding is an essential first step in most processes involving DNA. The research findings, which are published in the September 5 issue of the journal Cell, could explain how short DNA sequences such as Chi can interact with enzymes and affect how DNA is copied or repaired. They could also give insight into how to control the speed of tiny nanomachines built for various purposes. (ScienceDaily 9/5/03) http://www.scienceda...30905072455.htm

Patent Awarded for Method of Making Nanobatteries. A University of Tulsa chemistry professor and two former students have been awarded a patent for a method of making nanobatteries for use in tiny machines similar to the microbe-size craft that traveled through a human's blood vessels in the 1966 science-fiction movie, "Fantastic Voyage." U.S. Patent 6,586,133 was awarded July 1, 2003, to chemistry professor Dale Teeters and to Nina Korzhova and Lane Fisher, who were both chemical engineering students at TU when they worked on the process to manufacture nanoscale microscopic batteries. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. The diameter of an average hair is 50,000 nanometers. (Newswise 8/20/03)
http://www.newswise....es/view/500572/

I hope you all had a lovely Labor Day.

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."

Subject: The Nanogirl News~

The Nanogirl News
September 20, 2003

Nanotech Congress Paints Broad Swath. Business, government attendees cover wide-ranging topics at inaugural event. We can use smallness to become great," Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shimon Peres told attendees at the first World Nano-Economic Congress held in Washington, D.C., last week. The former Israeli prime minister is championing science and technology, particularly nanotechnology, to promote peace and prosperity. "Nanotechnology has the greatest promise for all of us," Peres continued. "That's why I appreciate what you are doing and how we will be helped by your knowledge and potential in serving humanity," he told attendees. (C&E 9/15/03)
http://pubs.acs.org/.../8137notw7.html

Molecular library opens era of personal medicine. The U.S. National Institutes of Health will roll out next week a national molecular library in an effort to accelerate the development of new drugs and nano-scale agents for an emerging "era of personalized medicine." Separately, a recently-formed government medical electronics institute under NIH is planning its first industry summit and internal research programs. (EETimes 9/19/03)
http://www.eetimes.c...EG20030919S0062

Altair's Nano-Sized Zirconium Oxide now Available for Dental Applications. Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (Nasdaq:ALTI) announced that commercial nano-sized zirconium oxide is available for dental applications including fillings and prosthetic devices. (StockHouse USA 9/17/03)
http://www.stockhous...&newsid=1911909

Nanothermometer Withstands Heat. Researchers need to be able to sense conditions in microscopic environments in order to explore nanotechnology's potential to produce useful machines at the scale of atoms and molecules. Researchers from the Japanese National Institute for Materials Science
(NIMS) have fashioned nano thermometers from a magnesium oxide nanotubes filled with liquid gallium. The tiny thermometers are between 20 and 60 nanometers thick, or about one hundredth the diameter of a red blood cell. (Technology Review 9/9/03) http://www.technolog.../rnb_090903.asp

Who's Afraid of Nanotechnology? The Ability to Construct Objects as Small as a Molecule Holds Promise and Peril...Within 15 years, experts predict, it will drive progress in virtually every field, from computing to medicine, manufacturing, energy and the environment. They envision factories that build things atom by atom, materials with properties we can't imagine today, sensors that can be scattered like dust and microscopic robots that cruise the bloodstream to deliver drugs or root out cancer. But some worry the technology will backfire, threatening human health and unleashing new forms of pollution. It's happened before: The pesticide DDT, asbestos fireproofing and ozone-destroying chemicals in spray cans and refrigeration were all considered benign until their harmful effects came to light. (Mercury News 9/16/03)
http://www.bayarea.c...lth/6783577.htm

Molecular Electronics, Seeing is Believing. STM technique lets single-molecule junction be prepared and imaged. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then scientists' grasp of molecular electronics has just been expanded by a grand quantity. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have recorded the first direct image of a small molecule confined between two metal contacts and have probed its electronic structure systematically, revealing much information about the microscopic junction. (C&E 9/8/03) http://pubs.acs.org/.../8136notw6.html

(Immortality -2pgs-)Remember the Six Billion. For millennia we have raged against the dying of the light. Can science save us from that good night? Michael Shermer goes over the options: Virtual, genetic, cryonics, replacement immortality and lifestyle longevity. (Scientific America Oct. issue)
http://www.sciam.com...189EEDF&catID=2

Power Grid Could Benefit From Nanotech: Stanford Symposium Says. At a symposium on energy and nanotechnology here at the Stanford Campus Ted Marston, chief technology officer for the Electric Power Research Institute, called for a total revision of the continental power grid based on a number of sweeping changes.Marston said that the transformations would benefit - some greatly - from nanotechnology. In particular he singled out nano-based sensors. "Everything we want to do is based on having the right sensors affordable and in place," he said. (Techweb 9/19/03)
http://www.techweb.c...WB20030919S0009

Chemists Urge More Cooperation to Deal with Attacks. U.S. chemists on Thursday called for more collaboration between universities, the government and companies to develop better sensors to detect contamination from any chemical attacks. On the two-year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, chemists addressed the state of the country's preparedness and ways to deal with potential threats from chemical weapons...Future robots could carry sensors to detect heat, survivors or chemical and biological agents. But their development, he said, needed the cooperation of chemists and engineers. Advances in atom-scale technology could also help to detect toxic agents like Sarin or anthrax, said Sailor, a chemistry and biology professor at University of California, San Diego. So-called nano-devices -- nanos are 1/80,000 the width of a human hair -- are potentially cheap and easy to disperse over a wide area to help red-flag danger, he said. (Reuters 9/11/03)
http://www.reuters.c...storyID=3430750

Nanotube Velcro. Joining two or more nanochips, such as nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS), can be done by welding or gluing or with tiny nuts and bolts. But what if you could gently just fasten them the way fabrics are fastened, with velcro? Conventional velcro fastening works by pairing one patch of mm-scale hooked protuberances with a patch of looped protuberances. In the microscopic version, both patches would bristle with carbon nanotubes, grown upright except for a hook on the top end. David Tomanek and his colleagues at Michigan State (517-355-9702) are studying how to make nano-velcro work -see movies. (Physics News Update 9/12/03) http://www.aip.org/e...plit/653-1.html

Using Packed Silver Nanowires As Sensitive Explosives Detector. Minuscule wires a few nanometers across are proving to be versatile electronic components, as demonstrated recently by University of California, Berkeley, chemists who used silver nanowires as key elements of a sensitive explosives detector. (ScienceDaily 9/15/03)
http://www.scienceda...30915074129.htm

A Single-Atom Laser. A single-atom laser, a device employing a single trapped atom to resonantly emit light back and forth between two reflective mirrors, has been created by Jeffrey Kimble at Caltech. (Physics News Update 9/17/03)
http://www.aip.org/e...plit/654-1.html

Carbon nanotubes give out a steady glow. Researchers from the University of Rochester in the US and Siegen University in Germany have used single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy to study single-walled carbon nanotubes. Unlike most other molecules and nanocrystals such as quantum dots, the nanotubes fluoresced with a steady intensity and frequency, bringing the possibility of their application as stable infrared photon sources. (nanotechweb 9/8/03) http://nanotechweb.o...es/news/2/9/3/1

Technological Breakthrough in Silicon Photonics. Max Planck scientist introduces a new method for the manufacture of silicon nanocrystals for optoelectronics and storage technology. A technique for tailormaking silicon nanocrystals on 4-inch wafers has been developed and submitted for patent (German patent number: DE 101 04 193 A 1) by Dr. Margit Zacharias and colleagues of the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle(Saale), Germany. (Max Planck Society 8/26/03) http://www.mpg.de/en...0826/index.html

Custom Tailoring Carbon Nanotubes. Reactions modify, differentiate the electronic properties of nanotubes. The practical consequences of covalent chemistry on the electronic properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes are highlighted in two newly published papers. Robert C. Haddon and coworkers at the University of California, Riverside, have shown that metallic nanotubes functionalized with dichlorocarbene take on semiconducting properties [Science, 301, 1501 (2003)]. (C&E 9/15/03)
http://pubs.acs.org/.../8137notw6.html

New Zealand Bioethics Council Warns Nano Will Polarize Public...The newly created Bioethics Council has released its first study on the developing technology, warning the government that "nanotechnology" will worry the public. Nanotechnology - the rapidly-expanding science of the very small, the manipulation of atoms and molecules - is poised to take over from GM as the next scientific issue to polarize the public. The fledgling science is being practiced in government-funded labs around New Zealand. The council warns the government nanotechnology could be "socially contentious", and calls on scientists to carefully watch international research on its ethical, spiritual and cultural implications. (SmallTimes Sept)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6642

Nano Inc. vs. Nano Think. Nanotechnology, long a favorite of science fiction writers, is now real enough for government money. So let the squabbling begin! On April 20, K. Eric Drexler, the futurist who coined the term "nanotechnology," published an open letter to Richard E. Smalley, a Nobel laureate working to translate nanoscience into a sustainable business. In the letter, Drexler accused Smalley of attempting to "dismiss my work in this field by misrepresenting it" and charged that "your misdirected arguments have needlessly confused public discussion of genuine long-term security concerns." In a followup published two months later, in the absence of any direct response from Smalley, Drexler continued to express his concerns: "I would not ordinarily raise an issue so persistently. But the question of what nanotechnology can ultimately achieve is perhaps the most fundamental issue in the field today. And your words have been remarkably effective in changing how this issue is perceived." -There's more to this article, if you either register or sign up for a free day pass- (Salon 9/2/03) http://www.salon.com...y/index_np.html

In China, a Crowded Nano Tools Market Has Companies Vying for Space. Zhao Yu Le, managing director of Shanghai's Zuo Lun Nanoequipment, likes research and he likes results, which is why he got involved in the less glamorous, but more immediately useful segment of nanotechnology: tools. Tools have the advantage of turning a profit more quickly than a nanoproduct destined for consumers. The downside of the tool market is its relatively small size. Smaller, but not less competitive. There are more than 300 companies worldwide developing instruments for nanoscale research. (SmallTimes 9/9/03) http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6596

(PDF File)Nano-Proprietary announces patent reissuance. Nano-Proprietary, Inc. through its subsidiary Applied Nanotech, Inc. announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. RE38,223 E, formerly U.S. Patent No. 5,773,921. "Although this was an expected result of our notice of allowance in April we are excited to add this 'basic' carbon nanotube patent to our portfolio," said Marc Eller, Chief Executive Officer of Nano-Proprietary, Inc. "The issuance of 'basic' patents is very rare and we feel fortunate to have one in a field we believe will be revolutionary and serve many applications, including displays," continued Eller. (Nano-Proprietary 9/19/03) http://www.nano-prop...ept-17-2003.pdf

New Chemical Process Can Separate, Manipulate Carbon Nanotubes. All single-walled-carbon nanotubes are not created equal. Instead, they form diverse assortments that vary markedly in features such as size and electrical properties. Although carbon nanotubes have been proposed for myriad applications - from miniature motors and chemical sensors to molecule-size electronic circuits - their actual uses have been severely limited by an inability to isolate and manipulate nanotubes having different characteristics. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and at Rice University have discovered a way to chemically select and separate carbon nanotubes based on their electronic structure. (ScienceDaily 9/18/03) http://www.scienceda...30917073819.htm

Ceramics Reinforced With Nanotubes.A ceramic material reinforced with carbon nanotubes has been made by materials scientists at UC Davis. The new material is far tougher than conventional ceramics, conducts electricity and can both conduct heat and act as a thermal barrier, depending on the orientation of the nanotubes. Ceramic materials are very hard and resistant to heat and chemical attack, making them useful for applications such as coating turbine blades, said Amiya Mukherjee, professor of chemical engineering and materials science at UC Davis, who leads the research group. But they are also very brittle. (ScienceDaily 9/17/03)
http://www.scienceda...30917072853.htm

Four young scientists lauded by national magazines. Four young University of California, Berkeley, scientists have already reached the peak of their careers, at least according to two magazines that recently published lists of the world's top innovators in science and technology. (UC Berkeley 9/19/03) http://www.berkeley....9_leaders.shtml

UCSC launches bold new collaboration with NASA. UCSC will manage a national research program valued at more than $330 million under an agreement between UC and NASA announced last week. The 10-year contract, a first-of-its-kind for NASA, will establish a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) at the NASA Ames Research Center...The initial focus of UARC research activities is likely to be in the areas of information technology and computer science, nanotechnology, and aerospace operations. Additional areas of interest include astrobiology, biotechnology, and fundamental space biology. (UCCurrents 9/22/03) http://currents.ucsc...09-22/nasa.html

New on the Nanoindustries site: Posted on 9/20/03 Nano In Brief by Gina Miller 6/11/03 a short and sweet introduction to how it began, how it works and what it could become. Also New: The Lesser of Two Evils by Gina Miller 6/17/03 a casual approach to discussing cryonics, as the lesser of two evils and death as not an option. Societal fears and typical responses are addressed in this paper. See front page for links:
http://www.nanoindustries.com/


Gina "Nanogirl" Miller
Nanotechnology Industries
http://www.nanoindustries.com
Personal: http://www.nanogirl.com
Foresight Senior Associate http://www.foresight.org
Extropy Advisory Team http://www.extropy.org nanogirl@halcyon.com
"Nanotechnology: Solutions for the future."

The Nanogirl News
October 7, 2003

Nanotube helium sensors could bring atom beam microscope. Scientists from the University of Cambridge, UK, have come up with a high-efficiency technique for detecting neutral atoms such as helium. The researchers used multiwalled carbon nanotubes under a positive bias to field-ionize passing gas atoms. (nanotechweb 9/30/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/2/9/16/1

MIT's Hexflex Manipulates The Nanoscopic. Assembling a machine sounds straightforward, but what if the components of that machine are nanoscopic? Similarly, bringing together the ends of two cables is simple unless those cables have a core diameter many times smaller than a human hair, as is the case with fiber optics. Although there are devices on the market with similar credentials, they are expensive and have inherent limitations. Using a fundamentally new design, an MIT team has invented the HexFlex Nanomanipulator that's not only inexpensive but performs better in many ways than its competitors.(SpaceDaily 10/5/03)
http://www.spacedail...otech-03zz.html

Zyvex Corporation announced four new product releases: Zyvex Dried FilmT
(ZDF) Carbon Nanotube Solutions, Zyvex Microgrippers, Zyvex NanoSharpT Probes, and Zyvex MEMulatorT Software. (Zyvex press release 10/2/03) http://www.zyvex.com...ewProducts.html

The NanoBusiness Alliance and The National Science & Technology Education Partnership (NSTEP) have formed a strategic relationship to advance nanotechnology youth education and expand of the science and technology workforce pipeline. "The National Nanotechnology Initiative has identified grades K-12 as key to developing tomorrow's nanotech workforce," said Kathy Warye, president of NSTEP. "In creating this partnership with the NanoBusiness Alliance, we will be able to help support NNI's goals in primary and secondary education, and to expand nanotech's exposure in America's science classrooms." (Nationalstep 9/30/03) http://www.nationals...lease.cfm?ID=41

Forest fires being used as natural laboratories. Satellite tracks carbon monoxide levels on Earth. This article discusses tracking devices that use nanotechnology as well as the expected quotes from Pat Mooney, of Winnipeg's ETC Group. (TheStar 10/5/03)
http://www.thestar.c...ol=968350116467
Also see Howard Lovy's Nanobot-The nano-brain barrier (10/7/03): http://nanobot.blogs...654207535910823

Preventing mitochondria from turning ugly may postpone Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's diseases. Sandia nanolaser may help extend life-spans by rapidly analyzing possible neuroprotectant drugs. Anyone visiting a nursing home has seen the horror of humans surviving beyond their brains' ability to make sense of their surroundings. That loss of discrimination is caused by neurons killed by malfunctions in mitochondria - the submicron-sized power packs found in every animal cell. These malfunctions are the most immediate cause of afflictions like Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Alzheimer's diseases. Malfunctioning mitochondria have also been linked to battlefield aftereffects caused by radiation or by nerve agents like sarin. (Sandia 9/22/03)
http://www.sandia.go...asers/mito.html

(TV) Nanotechnology: The next big thing. To a culture raised on glitzy superheroes and infatuated with Harry Potter, science has always seemed more like the grandmother who gives socks for a birthday. Generous, certainly, but practical to a fault. That may be about to change with the emergence of nanotechnology, a science that promises miracles heretofore not dreamt of. With the recent launch of UPN's sci-fi adventure "Jake 2.0," it has gained a human face. In the series, computer nerd Jake Foley (Christopher Gorham) is transformed into a super-spy after he's accidentally infused with millions of microscopic computers. Many researchers claim that within a few decades these and other possibilities could become a reality through the use of tiny machines that will work from inside the human body. (DesMoinesRegister.com 10/5/03) http://www.dmregiste...0/22414801.html

Applied Nanotech, Inc. has formed a team with a leading Japanese display component manufacturers to produce a 25 inch diagonal full color CNT TV prototype. The purpose of this effort is to demonstrate that carbon nanotube
(CNT) TVs in field emission mode have progressed enough to enable high volume manufacturing. (SpaceDaily 10/1/03)
http://www.spacedail...otech-03zy.html

China's nanotechnology patent applications rank third in world. Patent application cases concerning nanotechnology have grown rapidly in China over recent years, with the number following the United States and Japan to take the world 's third place. (Chinadaily 10/3/03)
http://www1.chinadai...tent_269182.htm

An "AAAAAAAAA" Battery? Florida Researchers Make Progress On Tiny Cell. It would send and receive faxes and video and have the processing power of a personal computer. The cell phone of the future would be on the market today but for one hitch: the battery. The technology is available to build cell phones that would make the latest versions -- those that allow users to send pictures and play video games -- seem almost primitive. But the batteries now used in cell phones are not nearly powerful enough to drive all the fancy add-ons, said Charles Martin, a University of Florida chemistry professor. Laptop computers, video cameras and digital cameras also are hobbled by today's power storage technology. Meanwhile, tiny machines being developed for a variety of purposes -- such as "lab-on-a-chip" devices that sense airborne chemical or biological pathogens -- will require batteries many times smaller and more powerful than today's smallest batteries. So Martin and his team are making progress on a new approach: Batteries inspired by the emerging field of nanotechnology. (UFNews 10/9/03) http://www.napa.ufl....nanobattery.htm

Contruction to Begin on Canada's Quietest Space. Building to House Research into the Very, Very, Very Small. A ceremonial groundbreaking tomorrow, Saturday, October 4, 2003, will mark the beginning of the building phase for the permanent home of the National Research Council's (NRC) new National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT). The new building will be one of the world's most technologically advanced research facilities and will house laboratory space that will be the quietest in Canada. In order to provide the optimal conditions for tiny nano-scale research, "quiet" lab space is absolutely critical. In the scientific realm, "quiet space" refers to lab space with ultra-low vibration and minimal acoustical noise or electro-magnetic interference. (CNRC 10/3/03)
http://www.nrc-cnrc....ground03_e.html

MEMS/Nanotechnology Journal Club Meeting at Bell Labs/NJNC (New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium) "Nanotechnology and Nanofluidics in Biology" Dr. Robert H. Austin, Princeton Physics Professor Thursday, October 16, 2003 Lucent Technologies Bell Labs/NJNC 600 Mountain Ave, Murray Hill, NJ 07974 Agenda and Registration:
http://www.njnano.or...te_101603.shtml (Thank you Dave Forrest!)

DNA tiling assembles nanostructures. Scientists at Duke University, US, have used DNA nanostructures as templates to build silver nanowires and arrays of proteins. The nanostructures could have applications in preparing logical molecular devices. (nanotechweb 10/7/03)
http://nanotechweb.o...s/news/2/10/4/1

Nanotechnology and Nanoscience. In June 2003 the UK Government commissioned the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering to carry out an independent study of likely developments and whether nanotechnology raises or is likely to raise new ethical, health and safety or social issues which are not covered by current regulation. For more information please visit: www.nanotec.org.uk, a second progress report, was produced on 30 September 2003. (The Royal Society)
http://www.royalsoc....nanotechnology/

Gina "Nanogirl" Miller
Nanotechnology Industries
http://www.nanoindustries.com
Personal: http://www.nanogirl.com
Foresight Senior Associate http://www.foresight.org Nanotechnology Advisor Extropy Institute http://www.extropy.org nanogirl@halcyon.com
"Nanotechnology: Solutions for the future."

The Nanogirl News
November 2, 2003

Intel Funds Nanotechnology Project For Early Disease Detection. Intel Funds Nanotechnology Project For Early Disease Detection. Intel Corporation and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center today announced a collaborative research effort to apply Intel's expertise in nanotechnology to develop improved methods of studying, diagnosing and preventing cancer. The announcement was made at the BioSilico Seminar, held at Stanford University. (SpaceDaily 10/24/03) http://www.spacedail...icine-03zb.html

A nanotechnology report attached to a Bush administration supplemental budget request touts the technology as the next big thing in areas like data storage, sensors and manufacturing. The Bush administration requested $849 million for nanotechnology research in its fiscal 2004 budget request. The total includes about 14 government agencies participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). (EETimes 10/17/03)
http://www.eet.com/a...EG20031017S0053

Tiny Robots to Stronger Steel, Caterpillar Scientist Touts Nano. It's a small world, after all. That's not just a song or theme park ride but the wave of future technology. Nanotechnology is work done at the molecular level that creates new structures and functions. And it's now attracting millions of dollars in government funding around the world, said Larry Seitzman, a materials scientist with Caterpillar Inc. Seitzman addressed 100 people Friday afternoon at the Downtown Peoria Public Library branch in the latest in a series of monthly science presentations put on by Peoria NEXT, the central Illinois consortium that includes local hospitals, universities, businesses and the agriculture lab. (SmallTimes 10/31/03)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6863

First large scale release of nanotechnology product into the environment provokes concern. An international action group has expressed its concern following the largest environmental release to date of a product created using nanotechnology. A solution intended to prevent erosion has been sprayed on 1,400 acres of Taos Pueblo Native Indian land in the US after a fire destroyed 5,000 acres in an area which is considered sacred by the First Nations community. The fire left the mountainside exposed to erosion and threatened the community's water source. Aerosolised and dropped from helicopters, the product causes silicate particles to self-assemble in the presence of water, forming a crystal matrix. This acts as a mulch, preventing erosion while allowing seeds that have been added to the mix to establish themselves in the soil. The ETC (erosion, technology and concentration) group are concerned that a novel nanotechnology product has been released into the environment without any investigation into potential consequences. (Cordis 10/31/03)
http://dbs.cordis.lu...EN_RCN_ID:21137

Researchers Create 'Supersized' Molecule Of DNA. Scientists at Stanford University have created an expanded molecule of DNA with a double helix wider than any found in nature. Besides being more heat resistant than natural DNA, the new version glows in the dark - a property that could prove useful in detecting genetic defects in humans. A description of the molecule, dubbed ''xDNA,'' is published in the Oct. 31 issue of the journal Science. ''We've designed a genetic system that's completely new and unlike any living system on Earth, '' said Eric T. Kool, a professor of chemistry at Stanford and co-author of the Science study. ''Unlike natural DNA, our expanded molecule is fluorescent and is considerably more stable when subjected to higher temperatures.'' (ScienceDaily 10/31/03)
http://www.scienceda...31031064709.htm

The Travels of An Exciton. Researchers have tracked their first exciton. A team reports in the 24 October PRL that they imaged the wave-like motion of the particle, which is essential to the operation of lasers in CD players and grocery scanners. They detected the light of a single trapped exciton and distinguished it from that of a double-particle called a biexciton. The technique may be used in the future to view the wave nature of other nanoscale particles. (Physical Review Focus 10/24/03)
http://focus.aps.org/story/v12/st15

Foresight at Pop!Tech 2003. Foresight President Christine Peterson's talk at Pop!Tech 2003, a conference held Oct. 16-19 in Camden, Maine, on "The Impact of Technology on People", presented Foresight's view on the "Sea Change" to be brought by technological transformation over the coming decades. She was quoted on the importance of investment in developing molecular nanotechnology (recently termed "zettatechnology") for the sake of curing diseases, safe-guarding security, protecting the environment, and easily traveling in space. (Nanodot 10/30/03)
http://nanodot.org/a...ment&threshold=

Nanomotors realize visionary's dream. One of the ambitions of nanotechnology, building motors on a molecular scale, has been realized by scientists in America. Researchers at Berkeley at the University of California created the world's smallest electrical device earlier this year - one hundred million of which could fit on the end of a pin...The motors - the work of Berkeley researchers Alex Zettl and Adam Fennimore - were built using a atom-fine point of a nano-probe, inserting the circuits into place on a silicon chip. The motor sits in the middle of a silicon chip four millimetres square. The motor itself is much, much smaller - the shaft is a half a tenth of a thousandth of a millimetre thick. (BBCNews 10/30/03)
http://news.bbc.co.u...ogy/3224329.stm

Science plans 'non-stick' submarine. US nanotechnologists are developing what they think could be the ultimate non-stick surface. It is covered with nano-scale needles that enable a liquid, for example, to slip straight off it. One application could be non-stick submarines which would glide through the water with much less resistance and require less force and fuel to propel them...-other applications discussed:-Water hating...Expensive raincoat...Gecko inspiration...Rescue robots. (BBC 10/10/03)
http://news.bbc.co.u...ogy/3178136.stm

Nanomedicine Vital to Finding a Cancer Cure. The new science of nanomedicine is advancing faster than even experts had expected and many predict the technology will play a vital role in achieving the federal government's stated goal of eliminating suffering and death from cancer by 2015. "Basically, without nanotechnology, it would be impossible to address this issue," Mihail C. Roco, senior advisor for nanotechnology at the National Science Foundation, told United Press International. Roco also serves as chair of the National Science and Technology Council's subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology. (The SmallTimes 10/10/03) http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6777

Microscopic cracks spoil the transparency of glass, nano-researchers find. The cloudy look on cleaned glass is scattered light, not streaks of dirt. A fundamental discovery about the behavior of cooling glass could have a significant impact on the glass- and plastic-making industries, say researchers at Lehigh University. Himanshu Jain, Diamond chair and professor of materials science and engineering at Lehigh, says the breakthrough was made possible by a combination of nanoscopic science and an old-fashioned kitchen recipe. (Eurekalert 10/10/03) http://www.eurekaler...u-mcs101003.php

Doctor Tests Gold in Fighting Cancer. An Arkansas doctor is trying to find a safe and efficient way to target cancerous cells using flecks of gold that are only nanometers wide. It could set a new standard for breast cancer therapy. Dr. Vladimir Zharov, a biomedical engineer and director of laser research at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, won a $106,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, to study the treatment concept. The concept is still unproven, but preliminary tests have shown the gold "nanoparticles" could interact with laser radiation to destroy only the targeted cells, without collateral damage to healthy cells, Zharov said. (Newsday 10/13/03)
http://www.newsday.c...ealth-headlines

Enough Already By Ronald Bailey at Reason Online. A leading environmentalist makes a foolish case against technological innovation. Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age, by Bill McKibben, New York: Times Books, 288 pages, $25. Environmentalist Bill McKibben has had enough, and he thinks you've had enough too. That's why he wants to stop the development of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and robotics in their tracks. McKibben fears that, if unchecked, these technologies will transform human life ruinously. "These are the most anti-choice technologies anyone's ever thought of," he insists (the emphasis is his). "In widespread use, they will first rob parents of their liberty, and then strip freedom from every generation that follows. In the end, they will destroy forever the possibility of meaningful choice." That claim is not only complete nonsense, it is exactly backward. According to McKibben, science and technology have long been destroying human meaning. "Meaning has been in decline for a very long time, almost since the start of civilization," he asserts. In his neo-Romantic view, humanity once lived in an enchanted world in which every rock, tree, cloud, or bird was imbued with spirit and intention. Our ancestors' theory of the natural world was that objects and creatures behaved much as they themselves did. (Reason online 10/03)
http://www.reason.co...rb.enough.shtml

Foresight Institute Awards Feynman Prizes in Nanotechnology. The Foresight Institute, a nonprofit nanotech think tank, awarded its 2003 Feynman Prizes in Nanotechnology Saturday to University of California, Berkeley researchers Steven Louie and Marvin Cohen, and University of California, Los Angeles researcher Carlo Montemagno. (SmallTimes 10/13/03)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6780

Process Prints Nanoparticles. One of the challenges of nanotechnology is finding ways to position the minuscule building blocks that make up microscopic electronics and machines. Researchers from the University of Minnesota have coaxed tiny particles of gold, silver and carbon to assemble into patterns on silicon wafers over areas as large as a square centimeter by using electrical charge patterns to attract and position the nanoparticles. (Technology Review 10/14/03) http://www.technolog.../rnb_101403.asp

Nanotech breakthrough shows how brain cells chatter. French scientists using an innovative microscopic scanning technique say they have discovered that nerve cells almost buzz with molecular agitation when they communicate with each other. The work sheds light on how cells operate at the synapse -- the minute gap between neurons, as nerve cells are called.Neurons communicate by sending chemical signals across the synapse, which then latch on to specific targets, known as receptors, on the membrane of the adjoining cell. (HindustanTimes 10/17/03)
http://www.hindustan...45,00040006.htm

UD develops nanotechnology professorship. The University of Dayton is looking for someone with big ideas about little things. The school, in conjunction with local development and military officials, wants to find a nationally recognized expert in nanotechnology for a newly created professorship. Nanotechnology is the science of constructing new materials with dimensions about the size of five to 10 atoms. The technology could lead to tiny, fast transistors and the strongest, lightest materials ever made. UD, the Dayton Development Coalition and the U.S. Air Force today unveiled their plans to endow the school's Wright Brothers Institute Endowed Chair in Nanomaterials. (Dayton Business Journal 10/17/03)
http://dayton.bizjou...13/daily51.html

TSU plans online nanotech magazine. San Marcos-based Texas State University plans to issue an online magazine early next year targeting scientists and other professionals in the nanotechnology field. (Austin Business Journal 10/17/03) http://austin.bizjou...13/daily35.html

Some scientists see cryonics' potential. Most scientists scoff at the idea of freezing the dead and reviving them years after their hearts stop beating. They see it as a sign that some people will grasp at anything that offers the smallest shot at immortality. But several prominent experts say surviving cryonics is not only possible, it's probable. The debate, they insist, is in the details. (The Arizona Republic 10/20/03) http://www.azcentral...or-science.html
-Also see this Dr. Jerry Lemler of Alcor article: Doubters don't faze Alcor's president.
http://www.azcentral...r-lemler19.html

Toxic Molecules Threat from Nanotechnology, Expert Claims. Expert Professor Ken Donaldson said tiny particles in diesel soot, boot polish, tires and photocopier toner were already implicated in lung damage. Nanotechnology threatens to generate new hazards in the form of toxic molecules that can enter the lungs, it was claimed today. (Scotsman 10/20/03)
http://www.news.scot....cfm?id=2074380
-Also see: SmallTimes:
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=6808

Tiny springs. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new class of nanometre-scale structures that spontaneously form helical shapes from long ribbon-like single crystals of zinc oxide (ZnO). Just 10 to 60 nanometres wide and 5-20 nanometres thick - but up to several millimetres long - the new structures, dubbed nanosprings, have piezoelectric and electrostatic polarisation properties that could make them useful in small-scale sensing and micro-system applications. (e4Engineering 10/21/03)
http://www.e4enginee...50276&type=news

Motorola Labs Developing Ways to Grow Carbon Nanotubes for Faster, Smaller Transistors. Scientists at Motorola Labs are researching ways to improve control in the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that can make transistors smaller and faster and chemical/biological detectors ultra-sensitive. (Yahoo 10/21/03) http://biz.yahoo.com.../cgtu004_1.html

Nanophase Technologies Announces New Web Site Launch. http://wwww.nanophase.com .
http://www.prnewswir... 2003, 02:43 PM

Magnetic barcodes could provide counterfeit-proof tagging. Barcodes peppered with magnetic particles millionths of a millimetre across could mark out fake goods and documents. Russell Cowburn of the University of Durham, UK, presented the new anti-counterfeit technology at a conference on nanotechnology in crime prevention and detection in London this week. (nature 10/30/03) http://www.nature.co...7/031027-7.html

I hope you all had a spooky but safe Hallow's Eve!

Gina "Nanogirl" Miller
Nanotechnology Industries
http://www.nanoindustries.com
Personal: http://www.nanogirl.com
Foresight Senior Associate http://www.foresight.org Nanotechnology Advisor Extropy Institute http://www.extropy.org Tech-Aid Advisor http://www.tech-aid..../all-about.html
nanogirl@halcyon.com
"Nanotechnology: Solutions for the future."

Nanoriffic! Lazarus you continue to outdo yourself in more ways than I can count. thanks again for the contribution

This comes from Gina's post but is a new blog add-on that is being posted there. I had intended to post the link to the Smalley Drexler debate regardless and that one is the first link here.

Enjoy!

kxs/LL


Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 16:55:48 -0000
From: "hlovy"
Subject: What's New on Howard Lovy's NanoBot

Clash of the Nanotech Titans
Chemical & Engineering News, in its cover story on the Eric Drexler/Rick Smalley debates on molecular manufacturing, is allowing the world to witness the latest in a long line of dialogues on the fundamental nature of the universe that dates back to the time of the
ancient Greeks and the dawn of scientific and philosophical thought.
http://nanobot.blogs...028147173102174


Drawing a nano-sized line in the sand
Whether Iraq had a nuclear weapons program just before the U.S. invasion will be debated for decades to come, but there is one indisputable fact that should be dealt with in the short term: Iraq's science community is now one of the country's richest untapped
natural resources.
http://nanobot.blogs...008079669665397


Intel's 'Nano Inside'
Intel says it's now a master of the 65-nanometer domain. But are these nanochips truly "nanotechnology?" I was surprised when "Engines of Creation" and "Nanosystems" author Eric Drexler -- whom I had assumed to be a molecular manufacturing purist -- told me he thought they qualified.
http://nanobot.blogs...979189884141792


Nano's got a brand-new bag: Politics
Tim Harper and Paul Holister at Cientifica ask in their latest edition of TNT Weekly whether anybody here in the colonies actually read the nanotech bill (PDF, 56.1 KB) or understand what nanotechnology is.
http://nanobot.blogs...969756709919883


Spending power
With all the talk about the nanotech bill, this plan from the Department of Energy, "Facilities for the Future of Science," (PDF, 1.2 MB) did not receive as much attention as it deserved. Much of it involves simply building the infrastructure (28 new science facilities) to enable some of the energy ideas that have been floating around for years, and of course to come up with some new ones. Fusion and supercomputing top the list of priorities, but nanotechnology gets a few perks thrown in there, too.
http://nanobot.blogs...025391601151221


Nano not hep to this cat
Gordon Wozniak, who the Contra Costa Times describes as the Berkeley City Council's "resident scientist," has a colorful way of telling his fellow council members not to worry about unfounded fears that stray nanoparticles will escape the molecular foundry being built at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
http://nanobot.blogs...999801505587024


InstaAffirmation
Glenn Reynolds, in his latest Tech Central Station column, joins the ranks of those of us who support the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (PDF, 56.1 KB), but are a bit baffled by the provision for a study on "molecular self-assembly." Reynolds writes:
http://nanobot.blogs...984025636072361


NanoBusiness As Usual
There's an interesting passage in a positively giddy-sounding NanoBusiness Alliance newsletter: "(The nanotech bill), contrary to earlier drafts, does not develop an elaborate feasibility study of Drexler style molecular manufacturing."
http://nanobot.blogs...981883696966495


We're Number 6!
NanoBot is in the weekly Top Ten BlogSpot sites for the week, according to a note I received this morning from Bloggerforum.com. Yes, this and four bucks will get me an eggnog latte at Starbucks, but it's still good to know that a few people read this blog last
week. The Bloggerforum site puts Howard Lovy's NanoBot at No. 6 for the week. No. 1 is Where is Raed?, the famous Baghdad Blogger that put us all on the map -- not bad company for a niche technology/science blog.
http://nanobot.blogs...967808921148471

And so it begins.
We shall see what new roads are paved, and what new walls are built as barriers of forced conformity and exploitation.

The Nanogirl News
December 4, 2003

President Bush Signs Nanotechnology Research and Development Act. Today
(Dec.3) at the White House, the President signed into law the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, which authorizes funding for nanotechnology research and development (R&D) over four years, starting in FY 2005. This legislation puts into law programs and activities supported by the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), one of the President's highest multi-agency R&D priorities. (THE WHITEHOUSE 12/3/03) http://www.whitehous...20031203-7.html
-Here is the Presidents statement on this action (The White House 12/03): http://www.whitehous...0031203-12.html
-Also see: Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Nano is President's Prefix of the day. Here you can download the PDF file of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act. (12/3/03 SmallTimes)
http://www.smalltime...ocument_id=7035

(News related to the above Act.) The government says "no" to federally funded nanobots... Perhaps most interesting, though, is what the bill apparently does not fund: research into so-called molecular nanotechnology, a theoretical approach to nanotech that proposes the creation of "molecular assemblers," which could build complex products from molecular level up. It is this version of nanotech, promoted by nanotech guru Eric Drexler that often appears in science fiction, where trillions of tiny, self-replicating nanorobots can transform matter into just about anything. But most nanotech researchers-including Nobel laureate Richard Smalley, co-discoverer of carbon buckeyball molecules-are skeptical of this vision. The bill does allow a "one-time study to determine the technical feasibility of molecular self-assembly for the manufacture of materials and devices at the molecular scale." But self-assembly is not the same thing as self-replication, with the former being a proven chemical process being developed in nanotech labs. The original House version of the bill did contain an explicit passage that unmistakably referred to Drexlerian molecular manufacturing, including use of the phrase "self-replication." It appears that in substituting the word "assembly" for "replication," some savvy bill writer performed a bit of legislative jujitsu to leave Drexler's approach out in the cold. After all, why investigate the feasibility of self-assembly when it's already been proved possible? (USNews 12/2/03) http://www.usnews.co...ws/nexthome.htm

Experts debate the future of nanotechnology. Two giants in the field of nanotechnology face off in an exclusive point-counterpoint debate about the future of this burgeoning field of science in the Dec. 1 issue of Chemical & Engineering News (available online here: http://pubs.acs.org/...nterpoint.html), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. K. Eric Drexler, Ph.D., cofounder of the Foresight Institute in Palo Alto, Calif., and the person who coined the term "nanotechnology," and Richard E. Smalley, Ph.D., a professor at Rice University and winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, debate a fundamental question of nanotechnology: Are "molecular assemblers" - devices capable of positioning atoms and molecules for precisely defined reactions in almost any environment - physically possible? (Eurekalert 12/2/03)
http://www.eurekaler...cs-dt120203.php

Also see an Analysis of the above exchange written by Chris Phoenix, Director of Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN). http://crnano.org/Debate.htm

Nanoguitar Promises New Sensor And Electronics Applications. Six years ago Cornell University researchers built the world's smallest guitar - about the size of a red blood cell - to demonstrate the possibility of manufacturing tiny mechanical devices using techniques originally designed for building microelectronic circuits. Now, by "playing" a new, streamlined nanoguitar, Cornell physicists are demonstrating how such devices could substitute for electronic circuit components to make circuits smaller, cheaper and more energy-efficient. (SpaceDaily 11/19/03) http://www.spacedail...tech-03zzk.html

The Architecture of the Very Small (210 KB PDF). For nanostructured solids, it's not just the chemistry, it's the way they're put together. (Today's Chemist at Work Nov. 2003) http://pubs.acs.org/...1103mcguire.pdf

Nano research eyes ink jet-printed 'sheets' of circuits. NanoProducts Corp. lab researchers have begun work on nanoscale devices that may lead to the formation of "plastic" circuit elements and circuit "sheets" fabricated with ink jet printers within three years. The company's researchers have started the evolution toward such products by integrating nanoscale materials with existing micron-sized devices and composites, enhancing their performance and lowering their cost. (EETimes 11/20/03) http://www.eet.com/a...EG20031120S0017

Nanotech instruments allow first direct observations of RNA 'proofreading'. When Ralph Waldo Emerson said that nature pardons no mistakes, he wasn't thinking about RNA polymerase (RNAP) - the versatile enzyme that copies genes from DNA onto strands of RNA, which then serve as templates for all of the proteins that make life possible. Emerson's comment notwithstanding, RNAP makes plenty of mistakes but also proofreads and corrects them before they have a chance to create abnormal proteins. (Eurekalert 11/25/03) http://www.eurekaler...u-nia112503.php

"Nano" in firm's name fuels stock's hefty gain. A growing fascination with nanotechnology seems to be doing wonders for the stock price of Nanometrics. Too bad the company's only connection with the hot field of molecular-scale machinery is the first four letters of its name and a stock ticker, NANO. But that, apparently, is enough to confuse some investors. (USAToday 12/4/03)
http://www.usatoday....nano-nono_x.htm


DuPont-led Scientists Unveil Key Nanotechnology Discovery with Use of DNA. Sorting Carbon Nanotubes Provides Significant Step in Advancing Nano-Electronics Applications. A collaborative group of DuPont-led scientists have discovered an innovative way to advance electronics applications through the use of DNA that sorts carbon nanotubes. This research in the emerging field of nanotechnology appears in the current issue of the journal Science, which is published by the AAAS - the world's largest general scientific organization. The research paper is titled " Structure-Based Carbon Nanotube Sorting by Sequence-Dependent DNA Assembly." (DuPont 12/2/03) http://www1.dupont.c...r12_02_03a.html


Shares of Nanogen Inc. skyrocketed 61 percent after the company received a "Methods for the Electronic Assembly and Fabrication of Devices" patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the lead patent in a series of pending applications that will strengthen Nanogen's proprietary position in the nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing fields, the company said. (Pharmexec 12/4/03) http://www.pharmexec...il.jsp?id=77969

TNT Weekly: deletion of MNT study from nano bill is "a farce". Issue #13 of TNT Weekly (which will be archived here), the leading nanotech industry e-newsletter, covers the recent deletion of a molecular manufacturing study from the new U.S. nanotech legislation: " --The plot thickens and the nanotech bill gets sillier--Last week we had some fun with the recent nanotech bill in the US, especially the plan for a one-time study to determine the feasibility of making things using molecular self-assembly, which makes about as much sense as conducting a one-time study into the feasibility of sharpening a stick with a sharp knife. With a combination of cynicism and naiveté, we assumed that the bill had got away from those who actually understood nanotech and ended up in the hands of politicians who didn't understand the difference between self-assembly and molecular assemblers, the result being a terminological boo-boo in the part that was meant to direct figuring out whether Drexlerian-style molecular nanotechnology (MNT) and molecular manufacturing are actually feasible. We were not alone. Quite a few people, it seemed, thought that the MNT crowd had been given the chance to make their case or forever hold their peace. Even the skeptics seemed to think this was fair dinkum." (Nanodot 12/3/03) http://nanodot.org/a...3/12/04/0216244

Scientists grow carbon nanofibres straight onto plastic. Researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, have deposited carbon nanofibres directly onto plastic substrates using plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The arrays of fibres could have applications as field emitters in displays. (Nanotechweb 12/4/03) http://www.nanotechw...s/news/2/12/2/1

Kettering University Researchers Discover New Way to Produce Nanotubes. Nanotubes have thermal conductivity better than diamonds, electro-conductivity better than copper, and can withstand very high temperatures. Researchers at Kettering University have discovered a different method for producing nanotubes, which is one of the U.S. government's best-funded technology areas...The Kettering team's procedure for creating nanotubes is "actually a simpler way of doing it than had previously been done," said Bahram Roughani, associate professor of Applied Physics. Established methods include arc discharge, laser ablation or pulsed laser vaporization (PLV), chemical vapor deposition and gas phase processes, such as high-pressure carbon monoxide (HiPCO). (Kettering University 12/4/03) http://home.business...092&newsLang=en


Major nanotechnology hurdle not so worrisome, thanks to Indiana University chemistry discovery. According to the classic rules of physics, substances melt at a lower temperature when their sizes decrease. But scientists at Indiana University Bloomington have found that at least one substance, gallium, breaks the rules, remaining stable as a solid at temperatures as much as 400 degrees Fahrenheit above the element's normal melting point. Their report will be published in an upcoming issue of Physical Review Letters. The discovery gives hope to some nanotechnologists and "nanocomputer" engineers, who have been worried that components will behave unpredictably at smaller sizes, possibly even melting at room temperature. (innovations report 12/3/03) http://www.innovatio...port-23865.html


'Stuffed' nanotubes could enable high-density storage. Researchers here have succeeded in loading carbon nanotubes with magnetic materials, an advance that could enable the use of the tiny cylinders for making extremely high-density data storage devices. (EETimes 11/25/03) http://www.eet.com/a...EG20031125S0035

Robot Nation? A couple of columns ago, I wrote a piece called Kent Brockman on Unemployment, describing the impact of robots and automation on employment. In the comments section, someone posted a link to some things that the writer and founder of HowStuffWorks Marshall Brain has written. Brain thinks that we'll be losing jobs wholesale to robots in the very near future, long before things like nanotechnology have a chance to change the world: (TCS: Tech Central Station 12/3/03) http://www.techcentr...om/120303B.html

Nanosensor smells the faintest scent. Nanostructures could detect a few molecules of perfume, says a Japanese researcher working on a cheaper way to make these structures using ultra thin films. Professor Toyoki Kunitake from the Japan Science and Technology Agency presented his research at an Australian nanotechnology conference at the University of Melbourne yesterday. The structures are very small, "one millionth of one millionth of a metre", Kunitake told ABC Science Online. (ABC Science Australia 12/3/03) http://www.abc.net.a...es/s1001890.htm

(Gaming) Codemasters Announce Perimeter. Codemasters today announced that it has picked up worldwide publishing rights to a groundbreaking new Real-Time Strategy (RTS), currently in development at 1C for the PC...Through nanotechnology players can transform units on the battlefield, giving scope for tactical opportunities to adapt combat units to a particular situation and keep up with any changes that occur during the battle. (TotalVideoGames 12/2/03) http://www.totalvide...4&format=000007


Nanotechnology center causing controversy. Nanotechnology has emerged as a controversial issue at UAlbany. A heated meeting by the UAlbany senate on the hot-button issue took place Monday night. All the controversy centers around Professor Richard Collier, because he presented a resolution questioning the development of the School of Nanosciences and Nanoengineering at the university. (Capital News 9 12/2/03) http://www.capitalne...=49847&SecID=33

(Movie-Review) Nanotechnology is one of the current hot topics in various fields of science and medicine. Essentially, the idea is that small machines can be made and programmed to perform a host of different tasks, sight unseen, with endless possibilities. Recent television shows, including Andromeda and Jake 2.0 explore some applications of such technology, albeit by greatly advancing what we can do today. A newly released OVA anime series, Zaion: I Wish You Were Here 1: Epidemic, explores the idea in another way, this time as a means to combat an alien virus. (DVD Talk 11/30/03) http://www.dvdtalk.c...ead.php?ID=8501

Technique allows scientists to fine-tune strength and conductivity of nanotube-laced materials. University of Pennsylvania researchers have developed a technique to customize nanotube-laced materials. While notoriously difficult to manipulate, nanotubes can provide added strength or conductivity to materials, depending on how the nanotubes are oriented. The Penn engineers have developed a production technique that permits a finer and more precise dispersion of nanotubes within a material. (Eurekalert
12/2/03) http://www.upenn.edu...icle.php?id=565

(Japan) How safe is nanotechnology? Although nanotechnology is said to have the potential to drastically alter 21st-century society, there must be a thorough assessment of the risks nanomaterials could pose to human health and the ecosystem. In October, expectations surged in the academic world that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry might be awarded to a Japanese researcher for the fourth consecutive year. Meijo University Prof. Sumio Iijima was considered the strongest among the Japanese candidates for the prize. This is because Iijima is known for his 1991 discovery of the carbon nanotube, an ultrafine carbon material measuring several thousandths of a human hair in diameter. Iijima's discovery sparked nanotechnology studies worldwide. (The Daily Yomiuri) http://www.yomiuri.c...0031128wo71.htm

Intern makes huge impact on nanotechnology. Rob Sobelman thought researching the technique of creating carbon nanotubes would be boring. He ended up making a major scientific discovery...For his part, Rob discovered that heating to 1,000 degrees Celsius during the process of making carbon nanotubes not only produced significantly more of them, but it also made them longer and straighter - a major benefit in using the structures, such as in computers and transistors. (The Advocate 11/27/03) http://www.stamforda...ines-local-wire


Seasons greetings,

Gina "Nanogirl" Miller
Nanotechnology Industries
http://www.nanoindustries.com
Personal: http://www.nanogirl.com
Foresight Senior Associate http://www.foresight.org Nanotechnology Advisor Extropy Institute http://www.extropy.org Tech-Aid Advisor http://www.tech-aid..../all-about.html
nanogirl@halcyon.com
"Nanotechnology: Solutions for the future."