Global News:

New technology aimed at increasing oil production
energycurrent.com August 1st, 2009 Imagine having a nice ripe orange, ready for squeezing, but being able to get out only a small amount of juice. There's got to be more, you just can't get at it. That's the frustration of the global oil business. The industry is spending billions on technology to increase the amount of oil it can extract from the ground. Oil companies typically recover only about one in three barrels of oil from their fields, but they can't afford to leave so much crude untapped at a time when it's difficult to access new reserves. Recovering more oil has enormous implications, not only for the companies' balance sheets but also for the world's diminishing supply. One of the latest attempts to learn where the oil is hiding would involve injecting hundreds of millions of tiny carbon clusters deep into natural underground reservoirs, where changes to their chemical makeup would signal whether they've come across oil, water or other substances. The clusters, referred to as "nanoreporters" and roughly 30,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, also can tell the temperature, pressure and other factors that can help a company zero in on more oil.

Smokefree Innotec, Inc. Nears Launch of Revolutionary Electronic Cigarette
Smokefree Innotec, Inc. August 1st, 2009 Smokefree Innotec, Inc. (Pink Sheets:SFIO) (www.sfio.us) today provided updated information on the launch of its cigarette alternative that operates differently than any other e-cigarette in the market. Thomas Schroepfer, President of Smokefree Innotec, stated, "Our new product will be the world's first completely smoke-free, ‘hi-tech' cigarette. Whereas the competitors' products yield a smoky vapor and have a light at the tip end imitating the fire in a traditional cigarette, inhaling our ‘Real Smoke-free' e-cigarette yields exclusively nicotine and aroma." Mr. Schroepfer went on to say, "The most significant distinction between the Real Smoke-free e-cigarette and its competitors is that the Smokefree Innotec product does not utilize cartridges filled with transponder substances and nicotine. We use a slightly adapted, yet traditional, cigarette filter with nicotine interspersed through nanotechnology - enough to emulate the satisfaction of a traditional cigarette, but in a much lower dosage - and produced in Germany subject to rigid quality-control standards."

Photonic Propulsion and fusion work art Bae Institute
nextbigfuture.com August 1st, 2009 Photonic Laser Thruster (PLT) is an innovative photon thruster that amplifies photon thrust by orders of magnitude by exploiting an active resonant optical cavity formed between two mirrors on paired spacecraft. PLT is predicted to be able to provide the thrust to power ratio (T/P) approaching that of conventional thrusters, such as laser ablation thrusters and electrical thrusters. Yet, PLT has the highest Isp of 3x10^7 sec, which is orders of magnitude larger than that of other conventional thrusters. We have demonstrated the photon thrust amplification in PLT for the first time. The T/P obtained with an OC mirror with R= 0.99967±0.00002 was 20±1 µN/W, and the maximum photon thrust obtained was 35 µN, resulting in an apparent photon thrust amplification factor of 2,990±150. Scaling-up of PLT is promising, and PLT is predicted to enable wide ranges of space endeavors. Low thrust PLTs may enable nanometer precision spacecraft formation for forming ultralarge space telescopes and radars, and provide economically viable solution to Fractionated Spacecraft Architecture, the System F-6. Medium thrust PLTs may enable precision propellantless orbit changing and docking. High thrust PLTs may enable propelling spacecraft at speeds orders of magnitude greater than that by conventional thrusters.

Microbial nanotechnologists
spectroscopynow.com August 1st, 2009 The bacterium Bacillus licheniformis is an expert nanotechnologist, according to scientists in India. They have used the microbe to help them synthesise gold nanocubes, as verified by UV spectroscopy and other techniques. The approach offers an alternative approach to making these important nanoparticles without using high temperatures or toxic solvents. Kalimuthu Kalishwaralal, Venkataraman Deepak, Sureshbabu Ram Kumar Pandian, and Sangiliyandi Gurunathan of the Department of Biotechnology, at Kalasalingam University, in Anand Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India, have used the bacterial skills of B. licheniformis to make gold nanoparticles just 10 to 100 nanometres across. UV spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction reveal details of the products. B. licheniformis is well known as a microbe cultured for its protease, which is used in biological washing powder. "Gold nanocubes syntheses have recently emerged in the field of nanotechnology and scientists are exploring various applications of them," Sangiliyandi told SpectroscopyNOW, "recent major applications of nanocubes are tumour cell detection and targeting cancer cells for various kinds of treatments."

The guiding of light: A new metamaterial device steers beams along complex pathways: Boston College discovery bends light around corners, along Eastern seaboard
Boston College August 1st, 2009 Using a composite metamaterial to deliver a complex set of instructions to a beam of light, Boston College physicists have created a device to guide electromagnetic waves around objects such as the corner of a building or the profile of the eastern seaboard.

Iran to make new breast cancer detector
presstv.ir August 2nd, 2009 Iranians have developed a new method using nanotechnology to detect breast cancer in its early stages with the aim of lowering its mortality rate. "Like many other countries, Iranians have been trying to achieve new therapeutic and diagnostic methods to treat cancer patients," said the head of Avicenna Research Center, Mohammad-Mehdi Akhoundi. He added that Avicenna institute researchers have succeeded in developing a new method to diagnose breast cancer using the safe and non-toxic nanotechnology. In this method, monoclonal antibody Her-2, the anti-tumoral marker of breast cancer, is produced. Marked with nano-particles, these antibodies are then injected in the body in order to detect the affected tumoral tissues. Akhoundi concluded that after undergoing animal trials, the new technique can be used to detect breast cancer in its early stages, providing sufferers with more effective therapeutic interventions. Avicenna researchers have also developed new techniques to treat various cancers such as blood malignancies, many of which will enter the market as soon as their animal testing is complete.

VivaGel® Demonstrates Anti-HIV and Herpes Activity Following Human Administration
Starpharma Holdings Limited August 2nd, 2009 Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX:SPL, OTCQX:SPHRY) today announced the results of its clinical trial demonstrating that VivaGel® retains antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV, the virus that causes genital herpes), following vaginal administration in women.

DNA Computation Gets Logical at the Weizmann Institute of Science
Weizmann Institute of Science August 3rd, 2009 Biomolecular computers, made of DNA and other biological molecules, only exist today in a few specialized labs, remote from the regular computer user. Nonetheless, Tom Ran and Shai Kaplan, research students in the lab of Prof. Ehud Shapiro of the Weizmann Institute's Biological Chemistry, and Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Departments have found a way to make these microscopic computing devices ‘user friendly,' even while performing complex computations and answering complicated queries.

Teeny-tiny X-Ray Vision
American Institute of Physics (AIP) August 3rd, 2009 The tubes that power X-ray machines are shrinking, improving the clarity and detail of their Superman-like vision. A team of nanomaterial scientists, medical physicists, and cancer biologists at the University of North Carolina has developed new lower-cost X-ray tubes packed with sharp-tipped carbon nanotubes for cancer research and treatment.

UAlbany NanoCollege to Host National Conference on Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education
UAlbany NanoCollege August 3rd, 2009 Congressman Tonko to address event co-sponsored by CNSE and the National Center for Learning & Teaching at Northwestern University

Researchers Effectively Treat Tumors with Use of Nanotubes
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center August 3rd, 2009 By injecting man-made, microscopic tubes into tumors and heating them with a quick, 30-second zap of a laser, scientists have discovered a way to effectively kill kidney tumors in nearly 80 percent of mice. Researchers say that the finding suggests a potential future cancer treatment for humans.

The Emirates Institution For Advanced Science & Technology Launches New Corporate Identity
dubaicityguide.com August 3rd, 2009 The EIAST energy programmes include renewable and sustainable energy development research, enhancing efficiency of energy resources in Dubai, capitalising on nanotechnology research to enhance fossil fuel consumption efficiency, and solar and wind energy applications. Established by a Dubai Government decree in 2006, EIAST is charged with promoting the development of a knowledge-based economy, sustainable development and economic growth in the Emirates and beyond. The agency also champions the effective use of highly sophisticated technologies and accurate spatial information for a variety of applications.

UCL forges new research links with China in nanospintronics
London Centre for Nanotechnology August 3rd, 2009 The London Centre for Nanotechnology - a joint venture between UCL and Imperial College London - is taking a strategic lead in the emerging field of nanospintronics, by initiating collaborative projects with research groups at China's top two universities, Peking University and Tsinghua University. The projects aim to develop radically new approaches to miniaturization of computer systems, based on the exploitation of special magnetic "spin" properties of individual molecules and single atoms.

Iranian Nano-Scientists Reduce Temperature in Spinel Synthesis
farsnews.com August 3rd, 2009 Findings of a new study performed by Iranian scientists revealed that the temperature of the production process of alumina-magnesia spinels can be reduced using nanomaterials, leading to lower costs. According to the Iranian nanotechnology initiative council, researchers at Nasuz Research Group of IUST, Iran, managed to reduce synthesis temperature of this ceramic compound by using nano boehmite.

Self-healing surfaces
Fraunhofer Society August 3rd, 2009 The engineers‘ dream of self-healing surfaces has taken another step towards becoming reality - researchers have produced a electroplated layer that contains tiny nanometer-sized capsules. If the layer is damaged, the capsules release fluid and repair the scratch.

Sputtering system supports novel commercially-focused silicon device research at Griffith University's microtechnology facility
Queensland Microtechnology Facility August 3rd, 2009 * novel SiC know-how could catalyze breakthrough in non-volatile memory * flexible system software and quality hardware offers route from research to volume fabrication

BlabberMouth PR Unveils New Name, New Brand Identity
Penman PR August 3rd, 2009 BlabberMouth L.P. and its subsidiary CameronWeeks are now Penman PR, Inc. The new name and organizational change strengthens the firm position as one of the most innovative independent PR firms in the nation and the only international public relations firm to offer 100% senior-level representation.

New Products & Capabilities Brochure from Elliot Scientific
Elliot Scientific August 3rd, 2009 Elliot Scientific has launched a new and expanded Products & Capabilities Brochure for 2009/2010

Tech Transfer/Early Stage Funding Panelists Announced for 2009 Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference
ONAMI August 3rd, 2009 The 2009 Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference today announces the panelists for its traditional (but always innovative) closing panel on technology commercialization. Please join us in Portland, Oregon September 21-23 by registering at www.micronbc.org

Dr. Arthur J. Carty and Dr. Bhojraj Suresh join the Board at Bilcare
Bilcare Research August 4th, 2009 Bilcare Ltd., service provider to the pharmaceutical companies spanning across their value chain from drug discovery to market has strengthened its Board of Directors with effect from July 9, 2009.

Nanoparticles cross blood-brain barrier to enable 'brain tumor painting'
University of Washington August 4th, 2009 Brain cancer is among the deadliest of cancers. It's also one of the hardest to treat. Imaging results are often imprecise because brain cancers are extremely invasive. Surgeons must saw through the skull and safely remove as much of the tumor as they can. Then doctors use radiation or chemotherapy to destroy cancerous cells in the surrounding tissue.

Hastings Wins DARPA Career Grant
University of Kentucky August 4th, 2009 University of Kentucky electrical and computer engineering researcher J. Todd Hastings has won a two-year, $300,000 Young Faculty Award from the national Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Interim Financial Results – Material Improvement
Starpharma Holdings Limited August 4th, 2009 In accordance with ASX Listing Rule 3.1, Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX:SPL, OTCQX:SPHRY) wishes to update the market in relation to the Company's anticipated net operating result for the year ended 30 June 2009.

Univ. of Ark. panel urges bond issue for buildings
forbes.com August 4th, 2009 A $31.6 million bond issue to finance construction of four building projects on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus was recommended Monday by the school's Board of Visitors. Projects to be financed with the money, the statement said, would be the conversion of an existing administration building to a nursing and health building; expansion of the Donaghey Student Center by two floors to accommodate offices moved from the renovated administration building; construction of a new intramural athletic complex; and erection of an $8 million Arkansas Nanotechnology Center.

Agricultural research key to food security
TWAS August 4th, 2009 Boosting agricultural research in the developing world is the key to ensuring food security for the world's poorest, says Adel el-Beltagy, Chair of the Global Form on Agricultural Research (GFAR), writing in the latest issue of the TWAS Newsletter, published last week.

Nano-objects and nanocomposites : Production methods and technical challenges
bharatbook.com August 4th, 2009 Over the past two years, scale up of multi-wall carbon nanotube production has led to a dramatic price decrease (Arkema, Bayer Material Sciences, Showa Denko…), down to $150/kg for semi-industrial applications. The run for industrial CNT production plants has started in order to achieve a sustainable business with the commercialization of these high-tech materials with a mid-term price target of $45/kg.

LCC is ready to train Mich.'s future
lansingstatejournal.com August 4th, 2009 Michigan is experiencing an economic assault that even five years ago was unimagined. Suddenly, many families are realizing that a four-year college or university is no longer an option, despite the fact that 21st century jobs increasingly demand education and job skills. That makes Lansing Community College a practical and affordable solution, a fact demonstrated by LCC's increasing enrollment. Meanwhile, LCC's tuition has not been raised since Fall, 2007. Cutting edge programs like 3-D technology, alternative energy, and nanotechnology are offered at LCC to students seeking forward-looking career opportunities. Partnerships with people, programs, and organizations like Demmer Corp., Capital Area Michigan Works! and Consumers Energy fuel those efforts through apprenticeships, internships, and worker training programs.

Frost & Sullivan Lauds Organic Spintronics' Active R&D Efforts that Have Placed it at the Forefront of Spintronics-Based Innovation for Sensing Applications
Frost & Sullivan August 4th, 2009 Based on its recent analysis of the spintronics markets for sensor applications, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Organic Spintronics with the 2008 European Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for its discovery of organic spintronics by combining organic semiconductors with ferromagnetic materials

Serbia to gain prestige in Europe in the field of science and technology
emportal.rs August 4th, 2009 Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Technological Development Bozidar Djelic said yesterday that the trend of young scientists leaving the country is a problem for Serbia but every effort will be made to encourage them to stay so that the country may benefit from their potential. Djelic said that Serbia cannot reach its goal alone and partnerships must be formed with domestic and international scientific institutions and technology companies. He said that according to the national strategy the focus will be on seven areas, biomedicine, energy, agriculture and food, information and communication technology, new materials and nanoscience, environmental protection and climate change and improving decision making at the state level and the affirmation of national identity.

Simultaneous Oxidation and Reduction of Arsenic by Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles: Understanding the Significance of the Core−Shell Structure
American Chemical Society August 5th, 2009 Increasing evidence suggests that nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) is effective for the removal of arsenic from contaminated water, but the immobilization mechanism is unclear. In particular, the existence of As(0) on the nanoparticle surface has been proposed but not substantiated in prior studies. By using high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HR-XPS), we report clear evidence of As(0) species on nZVI surfaces after reactions with As(III) or As(V) species in solutions. These results prove that reduction to elemental arsenic by nZVI is an important mechanism for arsenic immobilization. Furthermore, reactions of nZVI with As(III) generated As(0), As(III), and As(V) on the nanoparticle surfaces, indicating both reduction and oxidation of As(III) take place with nZVI treatment. The dual redox functions exhibited by nZVI are enabled by its core−shell structure containing a metallic core with a highly reducing characteristic and a thin amorphous iron (oxy)hydroxide layer promoting As(III) coordination and oxidation. Results demonstrated here shed light on the underlying mechanisms of arsenic reactions with nZVI and suggest nZVI as a potential multifaceted agent for arsenic remediation.

New clues about a hydrogen fuel catalyst
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory August 5th, 2009 View of rhodium-based catalyst for hydrogen-fuel system offers ideas for improvement

UCLA welcomes startup to new incubator space at California NanoSystems Institute
UCLA August 5th, 2009 MediSens developing body monitoring systems for diabetes, balance issues

New EU project links up top formulation-science experts
CORDIS August 5th, 2009 A new EU-funded project is set to link up the world's leading formulation-science experts in a single network. Dubbed INFORM ('Integrating the nanoscale in formulations'), the 3-year, EUR 1.7 million project is funded under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

Ontario’s Premier McGuinty visits Electrovaya and Announces an Investment of Up to $16.7 million
Electrovaya August 5th, 2009 Electrovaya Inc. (TSX: EFL) announced that Ontario's Premier Dalton McGuinty, along with members of his caucus, visited Electrovaya yesterday and announced an investment of up to $16.7 million to support battery research and precommercialization activities at Electrovaya.

Call for papers: Nanotechnology Exposure Assessment
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health August 5th, 2009 The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health is seeking submissions for a special issue provisionally titled, "Human and Environmental Exposure Assessment for Nanomaterials," guest edited by Vladimir Murashov, PhD, Special Assistant to the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This issue originates from presentations and discussions at the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative workshop on Human and Environmental Exposure Assessment (www.nano.gov/html/meetings/exposure/index.html) held on February 24-25, 2009 in Bethesda, MD.

Exploiting commercial opportunities for nanotechnology
engineeringcapacity.com August 5th, 2009 A one-day workshop for entrepreneurs will encourage partnerships for the successful commercial exploitation of micro and nanotechnology in Southern England. To be held on 8th September 2009 at the Millbrook Technology Campus, Southampton, the event is hosted by the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN) and South East Business Innovation & Growth. NanoKTN is one of the UK's primary knowledge-based networks for Micro and Nanotechnologies and says that the event is aimed at supporting the development of nanotechnology and encouraging partnerships between companies, focussing on the challenges and opportunities in the South. The NanoKTN hopes to stimulate interaction and networking between the nanotechnology community and sources of investment, partnership and funding relief. The one-day workshop will feature presentations from current CEOs of companies giving their perspective on their own company histories and outlining some of the challenges they have faced and overcome. There will also be an update from the NanoKTN on funding opportunities in the public sector. Highlights from the day include presentations from the CEOs of micro- & nano-technology market leaders NanoSight, Stratophase Ltd and Ilika Technologies.

Donor gives MacDiarmid Institute $1m for nanotechnology
odt.co.nz August 5th, 2009 The science may deal with small things, but one supporter of nanotechnology is thinking big - with a $1 million bequest for its nanotechnology faculty. The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, a partnership between four New Zealand universities and two state science companies, will receive the bequest through the Victoria University Foundation. Proceeds from the money will be used to support post-graduate scholarships at the institute and encourage students to continue in science.

Plastics that convert light to electricity could have a big impact
University of Washington August 5th, 2009 Researchers the world over are striving to develop organic solar cells that can be produced easily and inexpensively as thin films that could be widely used to generate electricity.

Protein folding: Diverse methods yield clues - Comparison finds approaches of protein study are complementary
Rice University August 6th, 2009 Rice University physicists have written the next chapter in an innovative approach for studying the forces that shape proteins. Featured on the cover of today's issue of the Journal of Physical Chemistry, the new research illustrates the value of studying proteins with a new method that uses the tools of nanotechnology.

UAlbany NanoCollege Names Medical Expert to Spearhead New NanoHealth Initiative
UAlbany NanoCollege August 6th, 2009 The first physician to join the CNSE faculty, Dr. Sara Brenner will coordinate a new CNSE initiative to explore and apply nanotechnology innovations in health and safety applications

DOE awards $377 million in funding for 46 energy frontier research centers
DOE/US Department of Energy August 6th, 2009 In a major effort to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs needed to build a new 21st-century energy economy, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the delivery of $377 million in funding for 46 new multi-million-dollar Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) located at universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private firms across the nation.

IIT Kanpur Develops Nanosatellite; To Be Launched by ISRO
indiajournal.com August 6th, 2009 Taking a big leap in its technological quest, IIT Kanpur has developed a nanosatellite which is expected to provide real-time data on drought, flood, vegetation and forestation. The satellite, designed and developed by a group of students of the institute, will be handed over to ISRO, which is expected to launch it by the end of the year. "This satellite will have specific function of sending imagery on ground conditions. We will set up a tracking station in our institute where we will get the real-time data on drought, flood, vegetation and forestation," IIT Kanpur Director Prof S G Dhande said.

Smaller is Better as UCR Enhances its Ability to Nanoscale
University of California, Riverside August 6th, 2009 New reactor installed at Bourns College of Engineering sparks the beginning of a new nanofabrication research center.

UQ on show at the Ekka
uq.edu.au August 6th, 2009 On Saturday, August 8, Dr Akshat Tanksale, from UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology, will discuss the development of alternative fuels and energy carriers which will replace the fossil fuels in the future.

A new national vision
kuwaittimes.net August 6th, 2009 Flush with oil wealth, the time is ripe, I believe, to begin a new national effort to transform society from its current state into one that can achieve greatness. With time pressing us with regard to the use of oil which is finite, it is time to divert our attention to the energies of the future that are renewable and infinite; solar, wind, and wave technologies to name a few. We should also, perhaps, endeavor to transform our barren desert into an oasis not for any other reason than to prove that it can be done. We should work towards ensuring the development of new national industries in fields as diverse as medical technology, nanotechnology, underwater exploration, flight, agriculture, as well as into the chemical industry to name a few possible tracks.

Breaking barriers with nanoscale lasers
Arizona State University August 6th, 2009 Thinnest semiconductor laser holds promise of better computers and Internet access

Material world: graphene’s versatility promises new applications
The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University August 6th, 2009 Since its discovery just a few years ago, graphene has climbed to the top of the heap of new super-materials poised to transform the electronics and nanotechnology landscape.

Nanoscale origami from DNA - Researchers develop a new toolbox for nano-engineering
Technische Universitaet Muenchen August 6th, 2009 Scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) and Harvard University have thrown the lid off a new toolbox for building nanoscale structures out of DNA, with complex twisting and curving shapes. In the August 7 issue of the journal Science, they report a series of experiments in which they folded DNA, origami-like, into three-dimensional objects including a beach ball-shaped wireframe capsule just 50 nanometers in diameter.

UC Riverside Physicists to Study Attractive and Repulsive Forces Crucial in Designing Micro- and Nano-Machines
University of California, Riverside August 7th, 2009 Umar Mohideen and Roya Zandi will conduct laboratory experiments and theoretical research aimed at reducing the Casimir force between objects; new book published on the force

Smart characterization for smart polymer science - Malvern's Zetasizer Nano emerges as the system of choice
Malvern Instruments August 7th, 2009 As researchers discover new and widespread applications for stimulus-responsive microgels, known as "smart polymers"™, the Zetasizer Nano system from Malvern Instruments is fast emerging as their system of choice for particle characterization. As the first commercial instrument to include the hardware and software for combined dynamic, static, and electrophoretic light scattering measurements, the Zetasizer Nano satisfies a unique mix of requirements associated with this rapidly expanding field.

Harris & Harris Group Reports Financial Statements As Of June 30, 2009
Harris & Harris Group August 7th, 2009 Harris & Harris Group, Inc., reported today that, as of June 30, 2009, its net asset value and net asset value per share (NAV) were $110,412,973 and $4.27, respectively.

OctoPlus announces 2009 first half-year results
OctoPlus N.V. August 7th, 2009 OctoPlus N.V. ("OctoPlus" or the "Company") (Euronext: OCTO), the drug delivery company, announces today its results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2009.

Carbon Nanoparticles Toxic to Adult Fruit Flies But Benign to Young
Brown University August 7th, 2009 Researchers at Brown University have discovered that certain types of carbon nanoparticles can be environmentally toxic to adult fruit flies, although they were found to be benign when added to food for larvae. The findings, published online in Environmental Science & Technology, may further reveal the environmental and health dangers of carbon nanoparticles.

SOURCE: NANOTECHWEB.ORG NEWSWIRE

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