Nanotechnology Industries + News

DNA 'fabricator' constructs walking DNA. The goal of being able to program biochemical reactions as precisely and easily as computers crunch numbers and process words has moved a giant step closer. A group at the California Institute of Technology, led by biomolecular engineer Niles Pierce, has created a DNA-based fabricator. This is a system that allows the team to specify a piece of DNA with a desired shape and function, and then execute a molecular program to assemble it in a test tube. As an example, they used their system to construct a piece of DNA that walks along another strip of DNA. (Newscientist 1.16.08)
http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn13192-dna-fabricator-constructs-walking-dna.html

Vision of the future: Researchers build bionic eye. Nanotech could let travelers check Net, e-mail or play games on floating display screen...University researchers reported that they have used nanotechnology manufacturing techniques to combine a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. Perfecting virtual displays could mean that traveling executives could surf the Net or check their e-mail on a floating virtual display screen that only they could see. It also would mean that drivers could see their speed projected onto the windshield, or gamers could become far more immersed in their virtual worlds. (Computer World 1.25.08)
Related - you may all remember my speculative 2004 cornea computer animation.

Nanowires hold promise for more affordable solar cells...The Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University, Cleanfield Energy and the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) have formed a partnership to pursue the commercialization of nanowire technology in the production of solar cells. The particular type of nanowire technology developed at McMaster is able to trap more sunlight and convert it to electricity more efficiently than traditional solar cells. (Nanotechwire 1.25.08) http://nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=551

Nano Propellers Pump with Proper Chemistry. The ability to pump liquids at the cellular scale opens up exciting possibilities, such as precisely targeting medicines and regulating flow into and out of cells. But designing this molecular machinery has proven difficult. Now chemists at the University of Illinois at Chicago have created a theoretical blueprint for assembling a nanoscale propeller with molecule-sized blades. (UIC 7.16.07)

Nanowire coating for bone implants, stents. University of Arkansas researchers have found a simple, inexpensive way to create a nanowire coating on the surface of biocompatible titanium that can be used to create more effective surfaces for hip replacement, dental reconstruction and vascular stenting. Further, the material can easily be sterilized using ultraviolet light and water or using ethanol, making it useful in hospital settings and meat-processing plants. (EurekAlert 8.27.07)

Nanotechnology Identifies Peptide 'Fingerprint.' In Both Forms Of ALS. nanotechnology developed by a University at Buffalo professor has enabled researchers to identify a molecular signature common to both familial and sporadic cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease.
It is the first time that a common molecular signature has been found in patients with both familial and sporadic cases, where no other family members have the disease, of ALS. (Sciencedaily 9.8.07)

Paralyzed Mice Walk Again. Scientists Use Nanotechnology to Mend Broken Spinal Cords. Samuel Stupp has a bunch of mice that used to drag their hind legs behind them when they crawled around his Illinois lab, but they have miraculously regained at least partial use of their rear legs. Astonishingly, their severed spinal cords have been repaired, at least partly, without surgery or drugs. All it took was a simple injection of a liquid containing tiny molecular structures developed by Stupp and his colleagues at Northwestern University. Six weeks later, the mice were able to walk again. They don't have their former agility, but their injuries should have left them paralyzed for life... Stupp's team concentrates on combining the incredibly small world of nanotechnology with biology, creating molecules that self-assemble into large molecular structures that can literally "hug" around cells in the human body. ABC News 5.1.07

100% Biodegradable NANOIL Ready For Automobiles. Nano Chemical Systems Holdings, Inc., announced recently their latest entry into the multi-billion dollar performance chemical category, NANOIL, a "nano-enhanced" GREEN motor oil. Unlike today's fossil and synthetic oils, NANOIL is non-toxic and bio-degradable, thus eliminating the current disposal issues with present commercially available lubricants. Nanochem will produce NANOIL utilizing its nano-technology patent applications and inventions that directly address bio-fuel production for a nano-enhanced line of "green" bio-lubricants. Initial results indicate that these bio-lubricants can perform as well as today's fossil and synthetic oils. Chemical Online 4.27.07

A new nano-insulin delivery pump for worry-free treatment for diabetics...In what may be a sizeable breakthrough in medical technology (and quite a relief for diabetics), medical device company Debiotech and Switzerland-based STMicroelectronics have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement to manufacture and deliver the award-winning miniaturised insulin-delivery pump. Business Standard 5.1.07

Now, a ‘DNA machine’ that can sound a virus alert. Researchers have made a 'DNA machine' from a single molecule that detects a virus by reading its genome, and then produces an alarm signal, in the form of a visible glow. Itamar Willner of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and his co-workers say that their DNA device can provide a readout within an hour and a half, whereas existing methods for identifying viruses or bacteria from their DNA generally require many complicated chemical steps. Nature 11.10.06

Bridging neurons and electronics with carbon nanotubes. New implantable biomedical devices that can act as artificial nerve cells, control severe pain, or allow otherwise paralyzed muscles to be moved might one day be possible thanks to developments in materials science. Writing today in Advanced Materials, Nicholas Kotov of the University of Michigan and colleagues describe how they have used hollow, submicroscopic strands of carbon, carbon nanotubes, to connect an integrated circuit to nerve cells. The new technology offers the possibility of building an interface between biology and electronics. PhysOrg Nov. 06

Ancient Hair-Dyeing – A Nanoscience? Scientists have discovered that an ancient method used to darken hair, dating back more than 4,000 years, is based on a chemical process that takes place at the nanoscale. This may be one of the earliest examples of nanoscience at work in a practical application. The research team is led by Dr. Philippe Walter, a chemist with the Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique (National Center for Scientific Research) in Paris, France. For the past 10 years, he and his group have collaborated with the research department at L'Oreal, studying the history of cosmetic science. PhysOrg Nov 06

Carbon nanotubes offer 'green' technology for perchlorate removal. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have demonstrated a new, environmentally friendly process for treating water contaminated by perchlorate, a toxic chemical that has been found in drinking water in 35 states. Physorg 7.25.06

Nanotechnology being used to improve biocompatibility of human prosthetics and implants. As populations of the world age the current trend is that people are not slowing down in their later years. The desire for increased activity among the elderly also means increased demands on medical researchers to come up with better ways to keep them active. A2Z 8.2.06

Nanodogs could sniff out explosives in terror battle. Welsh scientists have developed a sensor they call a nanodog which is capable of 'sniffing' out microscopic low levels of explosives. Small Times 7.28.06

Dermal Display Gets Under the Skin. A display implanted under the skin and run by robots the size of dust motes could be the next best thing for checking your heart rate or cholesterol. The dermal display, still a theoretical idea based on fact, is being worked on by Robert A. Freitas, Jr., a senior research fellow at the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing in Palo Alto, Calif. The display would consist of billions of light-emitting robots implanted under the skin and capable of rearranging themselves to spell out words and numbers and produce animations. Read the article at the Discovery Channel news or click here to visit the download site for the movie.

Nano World: Nanofibers for heart cells. The heart function of rats following heart attacks can be improved using heart cells wrapped in organic fibers only nanometers or billionths of a meter long that are impregnated with growth hormones, experts tell UPI's Nano World. Physorg 5.12.06
http://www.physorg.com/news66654477.html

Gold nanoparticles could improve antisense cancer drugs. In the fight against cancer, antisense drugs, which prevent genes from producing harmful proteins such as those that cause cancer, have the promise to be more effective than conventional drugs, but the pace of development of these new drugs has been slow. Using gold nanoparticles combined with DNA, scientists at Northwestern University now have demonstrated a new method for developing antisense drugs that outperform conventional antisense agents. The findings will be published May 19 in the journal Science. EurekAlert 5.18.06

Methodist Neurosurgeon Makes Quantum Leap on Nano-Level. A neurosurgeon at the Methodist Neurological Institute (NI) is the first to use an enzyme-driven technique to label nanotubes with quantum dots, giving scientists a better way to see single-walled carbon nanotubes...Dr. David Baskin, neurosurgeon at the Methodist NI, and his colleagues published these research findings in the March 2006 issue of BioTechniques. Physorg 2.22.06

Nanostructures in 3D. Max Planck researchers from Düsseldorf unveil the first three-dimensional electron microscope for examining nanomaterials structure. It is the world’s first electron microscope for simultaneously and automatically investigating in three-dimensions the phase content, crystallographic texture, and crystal interfaces of materials - co-designed and put into service at the Department of Microstructure Physics and Metal Forming at the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Düsseldorf, Germany. The device contains a high-resolution scanning electron microscope and an -ion-beam microscope. Max Planck 2.22.06

Richard Errett Smalley, a gifted chemist who shared a Nobel Prize for the discovery of buckyballs, helped pioneer the field of nanotechnology and became Houston's most notable scientist, died Friday afternoon after a
six-year struggle with cancer. He was 62. Smalley possessed prodigious talent both within the lab, where he cobbled individual atoms together like tinker toys, and outside academia after he won science's greatest prize. In
the decade since he became a Nobel laureate, Smalley pushed Rice University and Houston to the forefront of nanotechnology research. HoustonChronicle 10.29.05

Scientists build world's first single-molecule car. Rice University Scientists have done it. After BMW announced the possibility of producing a car that would utilize nanotechnology practically for all functions, Rice University scientists developed the world’s first single-molecule car- the car that was driven on a gold microscopic highway. It a small coupe that is devoid of any plush seating or conventional steering system. But it is a real solution for the grid locked cities. With a wheelbase of less than 5 nm, parking it is a cakewalk. Physorg 10.20.05

Purdue scientists treat cancer with RNA nanotechnology. Using strands of genetic material, Purdue University scientists have constructed tiny delivery vehicles that can carry anticancer therapeutic agents directly to infected cells, offering a potential wealth of new treatments for chronic diseases. The vehicles look nothing like delivery trucks, though that is their function once inside the body. Instead, these so-called nanoparticles, which are assembled from three short pieces of ribonucleic acid, resemble miniature triangles. The microscopic particles possess both the right size to gain entry into cells and also the right structure to carry other therapeutic strands of RNA inside with them, where they are able to halt viral growth or cancer's progress. The team has already tested the nanoparticles successfully against cancer growth in mice and lab-grown human cells. Ascribe 9/13/05

Nanotechnology Innovation Enables Recovery and Reuse of Spilled Oil. Interface Sciences Corporation announced that in response to oil spill problems stemming from the current Hurricane Katrina disaster and oil crises, the company is launching its proprietary oil remediation and recovery application. Interface Sciences treated material absorbs about 40 times it weight in oil, far exceeding existing commercially available remediation materials. Nanotech cafe 9/7/05

Nano World: Nano for artificial kidneys. Nanotechnological filters could lead to wearable or implantable artificial kidneys, experts told UPI's Nano World. Animal studies for artificial-kidney prototypes should begin one or two years from now, and clinical trials would follow a year or two afterward, reported scientists at Biophiltre in Burlingame, Calif., the medical-device company developing the artificial-kidney technology. Medlineplus 9/8/05

Nano-surgeons break the atomic bond. The science of the small has moved a huge step forward following work in a subterranean Birmingham laboratory, reports Roger Highfield. The ultimate in surgery has been carried out in a vibration-free bunker in deepest Birmingham. Not only have scientists working there managed to remove a single atom of matter, measuring about a tenth of a millionth of a millimetre across, but they have achieved this feat even though their subject was thrashing around wildly. The feat is the ultimate in the science of the small, nanotechnology, that the practitioners hope will one day help to remove contaminants from the environment. One can also see it as an extreme version of precision chemistry, a far cry from what usually happens in a laboratory. TelegraphUK 7/20/05

Nanowires In Blood Vessels May Help Monitor, Stimulate Neurons In The Brain. Working with platinum nanowires 100 times thinner than a human hair--and using blood vessels as conduits to guide the wires--a team of U.S. and Japanese researchers has demonstrated a technique that may one day allow doctors to monitor individual brain cells and perhaps provide new treatments for neurological diseases such as Parkinson's. Writing in the July 5, 2005, online issue of The Journal of Nanoparticle Research, the researchers explain it is becoming feasible to create nanowires far thinner than even the tiniest capillary vessels. That means nanowires could, in principle, be threaded through the circulatory system to any point in the body without blocking the normal flow of blood or interfering with the exchange of gasses and nutrients through the blood-vessel walls.
ScienceDaily 7/19/05

Scientists making self-cleaning building products. From catalytic converters to alternative fuels, the fight against big-city smog has for years been fought inside combustion engines and exhaust pipes. Now, scientists are taking the fight to the streets by developing "smart" building materials designed to clean the air with a little help from the elements. Using technology already available for self-cleaning windows and bathroom tiles, scientists hope to paint up cities with materials that dissolve and wash away pollutants when exposed to sun and rain.
Clarionledger 7/23/05

Foresight Nanotech Institute Launches Nanotechnology Roadmap. Foresight Nanotech Institute, the leading nanotechnology think tank and public interest organization, and Battelle, a leading global research and development organization, have launched a Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems through an initial grant of $250,000 from The Waitt Family Foundation. The group is assembling a world-class steering committee to guide this groundbreaking project, and has garnered the support of several important industry organizations as roadmap partners. Productive Nanosystems are molecular-scale systems that make other useful materials and devices that are nanostructured. The Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems will provide a common framework for understanding the pathways for developing such systems, the challenges that must be overcome in their development and the applications that they can address. Foresight 6/21/05

Nanotube bike enters Tour de France. This year’s Tour de France will see cyclists from the Phonak Team use a bike with a frame containing carbon nanotubes. Swiss manufacturer BMC claims that the frame of its "Pro Machine" weighs less than 1 kg and has excellent stiffness and strength. To create the frame, BMC used a composite technology developed by US sports equipment specialist Easton. The company's "enhanced resin system" embeds carbon fibre in a resin matrix that's reinforced with carbon nanotubes. Easton says that this improves strength and toughness in the spaces between the carbon fibres. Nanotechweb 7/1/05

Nanotech As Disease Detector. Startup Nanosphere may have a technology that can sniff out telltale markers early enough to advance treatment. The challenge: translating potential to real-life results. There's tremendous hype about the promise of nanotechnology in medicine. Now, the companies pioneering the field have to prove the promise can become a reality. Among the players making the rounds at the Biotechnology Industry Organization convention in Philadelphia is William Moffitt, president and chief executive officer of Nanosphere, a startup looking to use nanotechnology to revolutionize the medical-testing industry. "Nanotech is going to create the next major advance in diagnostics," Moffitt says. Businessweek 6/21/05

Nanoparticles transport cancer-killing drug into tumor cells to increase efficacy, lower drug toxicity in mice. U-M scientists use folic acid as bait to get methotrexate inside tumor cells. University of Michigan scientists have created the nanotechnology equivalent of a Trojan horse to smuggle a powerful chemotherapeutic
drug inside tumor cells - increasing the drug's cancer-killing activity and reducing its toxic side effects..."This is the first study to demonstrate a nanoparticle-targeted drug actually leaving the bloodstream, being concentrated in cancer cells, and having a biological effect on the animal's tumor," says James R. Baker Jr., M.D., the Ruth Dow Doan Professor of Biologic Nanotechnology at the University of Michigan, who directed the study.
UMHS 6/15/05

Scientists unveil 'clay' robots that will shape our world. TINY robots that can turn into any shape - from a replica human to a banana to a mobile phone - are being developed by scientists in the United States. The new science of claytronics, which will use nanotechnology to create tiny robots called catoms, should enable three-dimensional copies of people to be "faxed" around the world for virtual meetings. A doctor could also consult with a patient over the phone, even taking their pulse by holding the wrist of the claytronic replica, reports New Scientist. Scotsman 6/9/05

Nano World: Nano for stem-cell research. Cutting-edge nanotechnology is beginning to help advance the equally pioneering field of stem-cell research, with devices that can precisely control stem cells and provide self-assembling biodegradable scaffolds and magnetic tracking systems, experts told UPI's Nano World. "Nanotechnology might show people once and for all that you really can help regenerate organs with stem-cell biology and help people walk again, help people after heart attacks, help people after stroke," said John Kessler, a neurologist at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. World Peace Herald 6/13/05

A V6 Engine for the Nano-Age. The world of the very small is about to receive a very powerful engine. Berkeley Lab scientists have created the world's smallest electric motor that may someday power nanoscale devices that walk, crawl, swim, and fly. Although it is too early too determine what the motor will propel - perhaps probes that deliver disease-fighting drugs inside the body or winging nanobots that sniff out explosives - it packs a big kick in its tiny frame. The motor measures only 200 nanometers long (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter), but its power density is 100 million times greater than that of a 225-horsepower V6 engine.Berkeley Lab 5/13/05

Tiny Bundles Seek And Destroy Breast Cancer Cells. A Penn State College of Medicine study shows for the first time in an animal model that ceramide, a naturally occurring substance that prevents the growth of cells, can be administered through the blood stream to target and kill cancer cells. "Ceramide is the substance that accumulates in cancer tissues and helps to kill cancer cells when patients undergo chemotherapy and radiation," said Mark Kester, professor of pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Penn State 5/24/05

NASA Goes Nano for Air Purification. "For human space flight missions, NASA must continually monitor air quality and toxicity levels to ensure the health and safety of the crew," said Spacehab Chief Operating Officer Michael Bain. But, he added, "developing, transporting and installing large, complex detection and classification equipment in orbit is extremely problematic."...The NASA/Spacehab project aims to further reduce the size down to that of a stack of playing cards. To create a device that small, Spacehab has enlisted the help of Zyvex, a company that specializes in nanotechnology. NASA 5/25/05

Smart Nanocarriers to Combat Tumors. IBN's technology spells hope for cancer patients who suffer from painful side-effects of chemotherapy. A 'smart' nanocarrier technology developed by a team of researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) is set to vastly improve the way cancer patients are treated. Anticancer drugs are now being administered to patients using methods that cause the indiscriminate killing of both diseased and healthy cells. Such chemotherapy leads to side-effects, such as nausea, fatigue, and hair loss, and makes the patient weak and frail. Between 1998 and 2002, 38,447 people in Singapore were diagnosed with some type of cancer, while 20,289 died of the disease. Hence, there is a crucial need for the development of more effective cancer therapy, which not only minimizes side-effects but also directly targets diseased cells. Scientists at IBN have found a way to tackle this problem through the use of anticancer drug delivery vehicles that transport drugs only to where they are needed in the body. This method significantly reduces or even eliminates the severe side-effects typically induced by conventional chemotherapeutics. AStar 3/21/05

NanoMarkets Releases New White Paper on Nanotechnology and Energy Markets. NanoMarkets a leading industry consulting firm based here, today announced the release of a new white paper titled, "How Nanotechnology is Changing the Energy Equation" that reviews the many ways in which the energy industry is being (and will continue to be) impacted by nanotech. The paper is drawn from NanoMarkets' current research on emerging alternative energy and power markets and addresses topics such as fossil fuels and nanocatalysts, solar power, fuel cells, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. The paper can be accessed from the firm's website.
PRNewswire 3/31/05

Drug-Delivering Contact Lenses Revealed. Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore have developed new contact lenses that are designed to provide a slow release of medications. The New Scientist reports: Contact lenses that release controlled doses of drugs to treat eye diseases such as glaucoma have been created by nano-engineers in Singapore. medGadget 4/1/05

President's advisers to consider export controls on nanotech. A panel that advises President Bush on export issues will explore whether nanotechnology needs regulating. The committee, which will be assembled early this year, is expected to review other nations' nanotechnology capabilities, their competitiveness and nanotechnology's impact on national security. Lawyers who specialize in export law recommend nanotechnology companies follow developments to ensure they comply if regulations eventually are put in place. The scope could range from restrictions on international trade to rules on staffing foreign nationals. (Smalltimes 2/3/05)
http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=8727

Test could detect Alzheimer’s earlier. A highly sensitive new test could lead to a different way to diagnose people with Alzheimer’s disease, possibly helping find the illness in its early stages when there might be time for treatment...Test measures proteins in spinal fluid. Many companies have experimental therapies, he said, “But those therapeutics aren’t very good if you can’t definitively diagnose and follow a disease,” explained Mirkin, a lead researcher — along with William L. Klein — on a team that developed the new test, which can detect small amounts of proteins in spinal fluid. The team’s findings are reported in Tuesday’s issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. (MSNBC 2/1/05) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6890966


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		DNA 'fabricator' constructs walking DNA. The goal of being able to program biochemical reactions as precisely and easily as computers crunch numbers and process words has moved a giant step closer. A group at the California Institute of Technology, led by biomolecular engineer Niles Pierce, has created a DNA-based fabricator. This is a system that allows the team to specify a piece of DNA with a desired shape and function, and then execute a molecular program to assemble it in a test tube. As an example, they used their system to construct a piece of DNA that walks along another strip of DNA. (Newscientist 1.16.08) http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn13192-dna-fabricator-constructs-walking-dna.html Vision of the future: Researchers build bionic eye. Nanotech could let travelers check Net, e-mail or play games on floating display screen...University researchers reported that they have used nanotechnology manufacturing techniques to combine a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. Perfecting virtual displays could mean that traveling executives could surf the Net or check their e-mail on a floating virtual display screen that only they could see. It also would mean that drivers could see their speed projected onto the windshield, or gamers could become far more immersed in their virtual worlds. (Computer World 1.25.08) Related - you may all remember my speculative 2004 cornea computer animation. Nanowires hold promise for more affordable solar cells...The Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University, Cleanfield Energy and the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) have formed a partnership to pursue the commercialization of nanowire technology in the production of solar cells. The particular type of nanowire technology developed at McMaster is able to trap more sunlight and convert it to electricity more efficiently than traditional solar cells. (Nanotechwire 1.25.08) http://nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=551 Nano Propellers Pump with Proper Chemistry. The ability to pump liquids at the cellular scale opens up exciting possibilities, such as precisely targeting medicines and regulating flow into and out of cells. But designing this molecular machinery has proven difficult. Now chemists at the University of Illinois at Chicago have created a theoretical blueprint for assembling a nanoscale propeller with molecule-sized blades. (UIC 7.16.07) Nanowire coating for bone implants, stents. University of Arkansas researchers have found a simple, inexpensive way to create a nanowire coating on the surface of biocompatible titanium that can be used to create more effective surfaces for hip replacement, dental reconstruction and vascular stenting. Further, the material can easily be sterilized using ultraviolet light and water or using ethanol, making it useful in hospital settings and meat-processing plants. (EurekAlert 8.27.07) Nanotechnology Identifies Peptide 'Fingerprint.' In Both Forms Of ALS. nanotechnology developed by a University at Buffalo professor has enabled researchers to identify a molecular signature common to both familial and sporadic cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. It is the first time that a common molecular signature has been found in patients with both familial and sporadic cases, where no other family members have the disease, of ALS. (Sciencedaily 9.8.07) Paralyzed Mice Walk Again. Scientists Use Nanotechnology to Mend Broken Spinal Cords. Samuel Stupp has a bunch of mice that used to drag their hind legs behind them when they crawled around his Illinois lab, but they have miraculously regained at least partial use of their rear legs. Astonishingly, their severed spinal cords have been repaired, at least partly, without surgery or drugs. All it took was a simple injection of a liquid containing tiny molecular structures developed by Stupp and his colleagues at Northwestern University. Six weeks later, the mice were able to walk again. They don't have their former agility, but their injuries should have left them paralyzed for life... Stupp's team concentrates on combining the incredibly small world of nanotechnology with biology, creating molecules that self-assemble into large molecular structures that can literally "hug" around cells in the human body. ABC News 5.1.07 100% Biodegradable NANOIL Ready For Automobiles. Nano Chemical Systems Holdings, Inc., announced recently their latest entry into the multi-billion dollar performance chemical category, NANOIL, a "nano-enhanced" GREEN motor oil. Unlike today's fossil and synthetic oils, NANOIL is non-toxic and bio-degradable, thus eliminating the current disposal issues with present commercially available lubricants. Nanochem will produce NANOIL utilizing its nano-technology patent applications and inventions that directly address bio-fuel production for a nano-enhanced line of "green" bio-lubricants. Initial results indicate that these bio-lubricants can perform as well as today's fossil and synthetic oils. Chemical Online 4.27.07 A new nano-insulin delivery pump for worry-free treatment for diabetics...In what may be a sizeable breakthrough in medical technology (and quite a relief for diabetics), medical device company Debiotech and Switzerland-based STMicroelectronics have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement to manufacture and deliver the award-winning miniaturised insulin-delivery pump. Business Standard 5.1.07 Now, a ‘DNA machine’ that can sound a virus alert. Researchers have made a 'DNA machine' from a single molecule that detects a virus by reading its genome, and then produces an alarm signal, in the form of a visible glow. Itamar Willner of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and his co-workers say that their DNA device can provide a readout within an hour and a half, whereas existing methods for identifying viruses or bacteria from their DNA generally require many complicated chemical steps. Nature 11.10.06 Bridging neurons and electronics with carbon nanotubes. New implantable biomedical devices that can act as artificial nerve cells, control severe pain, or allow otherwise paralyzed muscles to be moved might one day be possible thanks to developments in materials science. Writing today in Advanced Materials, Nicholas Kotov of the University of Michigan and colleagues describe how they have used hollow, submicroscopic strands of carbon, carbon nanotubes, to connect an integrated circuit to nerve cells. The new technology offers the possibility of building an interface between biology and electronics. PhysOrg Nov. 06 Ancient Hair-Dyeing – A Nanoscience? Scientists have discovered that an ancient method used to darken hair, dating back more than 4,000 years, is based on a chemical process that takes place at the nanoscale. This may be one of the earliest examples of nanoscience at work in a practical application. The research team is led by Dr. Philippe Walter, a chemist with the Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique (National Center for Scientific Research) in Paris, France. For the past 10 years, he and his group have collaborated with the research department at L'Oreal, studying the history of cosmetic science. PhysOrg Nov 06 Carbon nanotubes offer 'green' technology for perchlorate removal. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have demonstrated a new, environmentally friendly process for treating water contaminated by perchlorate, a toxic chemical that has been found in drinking water in 35 states. Physorg 7.25.06 Nanotechnology being used to improve biocompatibility of human prosthetics and implants. As populations of the world age the current trend is that people are not slowing down in their later years. The desire for increased activity among the elderly also means increased demands on medical researchers to come up with better ways to keep them active. A2Z 8.2.06 Nanodogs could sniff out explosives in terror battle. Welsh scientists have developed a sensor they call a nanodog which is capable of 'sniffing' out microscopic low levels of explosives. Small Times 7.28.06 Dermal Display Gets Under the Skin. A display implanted under the skin and run by robots the size of dust motes could be the next best thing for checking your heart rate or cholesterol. The dermal display, still a theoretical idea based on fact, is being worked on by Robert A. Freitas, Jr., a senior research fellow at the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing in Palo Alto, Calif. The display would consist of billions of light-emitting robots implanted under the skin and capable of rearranging themselves to spell out words and numbers and produce animations. Read the article at the Discovery Channel news or click here to visit the download site for the movie. Nano World: Nanofibers for heart cells. The heart function of rats following heart attacks can be improved using heart cells wrapped in organic fibers only nanometers or billionths of a meter long that are impregnated with growth hormones, experts tell UPI's Nano World. Physorg 5.12.06 http://www.physorg.com/news66654477.html Gold nanoparticles could improve antisense cancer drugs. In the fight against cancer, antisense drugs, which prevent genes from producing harmful proteins such as those that cause cancer, have the promise to be more effective than conventional drugs, but the pace of development of these new drugs has been slow. Using gold nanoparticles combined with DNA, scientists at Northwestern University now have demonstrated a new method for developing antisense drugs that outperform conventional antisense agents. The findings will be published May 19 in the journal Science. EurekAlert 5.18.06 Methodist Neurosurgeon Makes Quantum Leap on Nano-Level. A neurosurgeon at the Methodist Neurological Institute (NI) is the first to use an enzyme-driven technique to label nanotubes with quantum dots, giving scientists a better way to see single-walled carbon nanotubes...Dr. David Baskin, neurosurgeon at the Methodist NI, and his colleagues published these research findings in the March 2006 issue of BioTechniques. Physorg 2.22.06 Nanostructures in 3D. Max Planck researchers from Düsseldorf unveil the first three-dimensional electron microscope for examining nanomaterials structure. It is the world’s first electron microscope for simultaneously and automatically investigating in three-dimensions the phase content, crystallographic texture, and crystal interfaces of materials - co-designed and put into service at the Department of Microstructure Physics and Metal Forming at the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Düsseldorf, Germany. The device contains a high-resolution scanning electron microscope and an -ion-beam microscope. Max Planck 2.22.06 Richard Errett Smalley, a gifted chemist who shared a Nobel Prize for the discovery of buckyballs, helped pioneer the field of nanotechnology and became Houston's most notable scientist, died Friday afternoon after a six-year struggle with cancer. He was 62. Smalley possessed prodigious talent both within the lab, where he cobbled individual atoms together like tinker toys, and outside academia after he won science's greatest prize. In the decade since he became a Nobel laureate, Smalley pushed Rice University and Houston to the forefront of nanotechnology research. HoustonChronicle 10.29.05 Scientists build world's first single-molecule car. Rice University Scientists have done it. After BMW announced the possibility of producing a car that would utilize nanotechnology practically for all functions, Rice University scientists developed the world’s first single-molecule car- the car that was driven on a gold microscopic highway. It a small coupe that is devoid of any plush seating or conventional steering system. But it is a real solution for the grid locked cities. With a wheelbase of less than 5 nm, parking it is a cakewalk. Physorg 10.20.05 Purdue scientists treat cancer with RNA nanotechnology. Using strands of genetic material, Purdue University scientists have constructed tiny delivery vehicles that can carry anticancer therapeutic agents directly to infected cells, offering a potential wealth of new treatments for chronic diseases. The vehicles look nothing like delivery trucks, though that is their function once inside the body. Instead, these so-called nanoparticles, which are assembled from three short pieces of ribonucleic acid, resemble miniature triangles. The microscopic particles possess both the right size to gain entry into cells and also the right structure to carry other therapeutic strands of RNA inside with them, where they are able to halt viral growth or cancer's progress. The team has already tested the nanoparticles successfully against cancer growth in mice and lab-grown human cells. Ascribe 9/13/05 Nanotechnology Innovation Enables Recovery and Reuse of Spilled Oil. Interface Sciences Corporation announced that in response to oil spill problems stemming from the current Hurricane Katrina disaster and oil crises, the company is launching its proprietary oil remediation and recovery application. Interface Sciences treated material absorbs about 40 times it weight in oil, far exceeding existing commercially available remediation materials. Nanotech cafe 9/7/05 Nano World: Nano for artificial kidneys. Nanotechnological filters could lead to wearable or implantable artificial kidneys, experts told UPI's Nano World. Animal studies for artificial-kidney prototypes should begin one or two years from now, and clinical trials would follow a year or two afterward, reported scientists at Biophiltre in Burlingame, Calif., the medical-device company developing the artificial-kidney technology. Medlineplus 9/8/05 Nano-surgeons break the atomic bond. The science of the small has moved a huge step forward following work in a subterranean Birmingham laboratory, reports Roger Highfield. The ultimate in surgery has been carried out in a vibration-free bunker in deepest Birmingham. Not only have scientists working there managed to remove a single atom of matter, measuring about a tenth of a millionth of a millimetre across, but they have achieved this feat even though their subject was thrashing around wildly. The feat is the ultimate in the science of the small, nanotechnology, that the practitioners hope will one day help to remove contaminants from the environment. One can also see it as an extreme version of precision chemistry, a far cry from what usually happens in a laboratory. TelegraphUK 7/20/05 Nanowires In Blood Vessels May Help Monitor, Stimulate Neurons In The Brain. Working with platinum nanowires 100 times thinner than a human hair--and using blood vessels as conduits to guide the wires--a team of U.S. and Japanese researchers has demonstrated a technique that may one day allow doctors to monitor individual brain cells and perhaps provide new treatments for neurological diseases such as Parkinson's. Writing in the July 5, 2005, online issue of The Journal of Nanoparticle Research, the researchers explain it is becoming feasible to create nanowires far thinner than even the tiniest capillary vessels. That means nanowires could, in principle, be threaded through the circulatory system to any point in the body without blocking the normal flow of blood or interfering with the exchange of gasses and nutrients through the blood-vessel walls. ScienceDaily 7/19/05 Scientists making self-cleaning building products. From catalytic converters to alternative fuels, the fight against big-city smog has for years been fought inside combustion engines and exhaust pipes. Now, scientists are taking the fight to the streets by developing "smart" building materials designed to clean the air with a little help from the elements. Using technology already available for self-cleaning windows and bathroom tiles, scientists hope to paint up cities with materials that dissolve and wash away pollutants when exposed to sun and rain. Clarionledger 7/23/05 Foresight Nanotech Institute Launches Nanotechnology Roadmap. Foresight Nanotech Institute, the leading nanotechnology think tank and public interest organization, and Battelle, a leading global research and development organization, have launched a Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems through an initial grant of $250,000 from The Waitt Family Foundation. The group is assembling a world-class steering committee to guide this groundbreaking project, and has garnered the support of several important industry organizations as roadmap partners. Productive Nanosystems are molecular-scale systems that make other useful materials and devices that are nanostructured. The Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems will provide a common framework for understanding the pathways for developing such systems, the challenges that must be overcome in their development and the applications that they can address. Foresight 6/21/05 Nanotube bike enters Tour de France. This year’s Tour de France will see cyclists from the Phonak Team use a bike with a frame containing carbon nanotubes. Swiss manufacturer BMC claims that the frame of its "Pro Machine" weighs less than 1 kg and has excellent stiffness and strength. To create the frame, BMC used a composite technology developed by US sports equipment specialist Easton. The company's "enhanced resin system" embeds carbon fibre in a resin matrix that's reinforced with carbon nanotubes. Easton says that this improves strength and toughness in the spaces between the carbon fibres. Nanotechweb 7/1/05 Nanotech As Disease Detector. Startup Nanosphere may have a technology that can sniff out telltale markers early enough to advance treatment. The challenge: translating potential to real-life results. There's tremendous hype about the promise of nanotechnology in medicine. Now, the companies pioneering the field have to prove the promise can become a reality. Among the players making the rounds at the Biotechnology Industry Organization convention in Philadelphia is William Moffitt, president and chief executive officer of Nanosphere, a startup looking to use nanotechnology to revolutionize the medical-testing industry. "Nanotech is going to create the next major advance in diagnostics," Moffitt says. Businessweek 6/21/05 Nanoparticles transport cancer-killing drug into tumor cells to increase efficacy, lower drug toxicity in mice. U-M scientists use folic acid as bait to get methotrexate inside tumor cells. University of Michigan scientists have created the nanotechnology equivalent of a Trojan horse to smuggle a powerful chemotherapeutic drug inside tumor cells - increasing the drug's cancer-killing activity and reducing its toxic side effects..."This is the first study to demonstrate a nanoparticle-targeted drug actually leaving the bloodstream, being concentrated in cancer cells, and having a biological effect on the animal's tumor," says James R. Baker Jr., M.D., the Ruth Dow Doan Professor of Biologic Nanotechnology at the University of Michigan, who directed the study. UMHS 6/15/05 Scientists unveil 'clay' robots that will shape our world. TINY robots that can turn into any shape - from a replica human to a banana to a mobile phone - are being developed by scientists in the United States. The new science of claytronics, which will use nanotechnology to create tiny robots called catoms, should enable three-dimensional copies of people to be "faxed" around the world for virtual meetings. A doctor could also consult with a patient over the phone, even taking their pulse by holding the wrist of the claytronic replica, reports New Scientist. Scotsman 6/9/05 Nano World: Nano for stem-cell research. Cutting-edge nanotechnology is beginning to help advance the equally pioneering field of stem-cell research, with devices that can precisely control stem cells and provide self-assembling biodegradable scaffolds and magnetic tracking systems, experts told UPI's Nano World. "Nanotechnology might show people once and for all that you really can help regenerate organs with stem-cell biology and help people walk again, help people after heart attacks, help people after stroke," said John Kessler, a neurologist at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. World Peace Herald 6/13/05 A V6 Engine for the Nano-Age. The world of the very small is about to receive a very powerful engine. Berkeley Lab scientists have created the world's smallest electric motor that may someday power nanoscale devices that walk, crawl, swim, and fly. Although it is too early too determine what the motor will propel - perhaps probes that deliver disease-fighting drugs inside the body or winging nanobots that sniff out explosives - it packs a big kick in its tiny frame. The motor measures only 200 nanometers long (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter), but its power density is 100 million times greater than that of a 225-horsepower V6 engine.Berkeley Lab 5/13/05 Tiny Bundles Seek And Destroy Breast Cancer Cells. A Penn State College of Medicine study shows for the first time in an animal model that ceramide, a naturally occurring substance that prevents the growth of cells, can be administered through the blood stream to target and kill cancer cells. "Ceramide is the substance that accumulates in cancer tissues and helps to kill cancer cells when patients undergo chemotherapy and radiation," said Mark Kester, professor of pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Penn State 5/24/05 NASA Goes Nano for Air Purification. "For human space flight missions, NASA must continually monitor air quality and toxicity levels to ensure the health and safety of the crew," said Spacehab Chief Operating Officer Michael Bain. But, he added, "developing, transporting and installing large, complex detection and classification equipment in orbit is extremely problematic."...The NASA/Spacehab project aims to further reduce the size down to that of a stack of playing cards. To create a device that small, Spacehab has enlisted the help of Zyvex, a company that specializes in nanotechnology. NASA 5/25/05 Smart Nanocarriers to Combat Tumors. IBN's technology spells hope for cancer patients who suffer from painful side-effects of chemotherapy. A 'smart' nanocarrier technology developed by a team of researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) is set to vastly improve the way cancer patients are treated. Anticancer drugs are now being administered to patients using methods that cause the indiscriminate killing of both diseased and healthy cells. Such chemotherapy leads to side-effects, such as nausea, fatigue, and hair loss, and makes the patient weak and frail. Between 1998 and 2002, 38,447 people in Singapore were diagnosed with some type of cancer, while 20,289 died of the disease. Hence, there is a crucial need for the development of more effective cancer therapy, which not only minimizes side-effects but also directly targets diseased cells. Scientists at IBN have found a way to tackle this problem through the use of anticancer drug delivery vehicles that transport drugs only to where they are needed in the body. This method significantly reduces or even eliminates the severe side-effects typically induced by conventional chemotherapeutics. AStar 3/21/05 NanoMarkets Releases New White Paper on Nanotechnology and Energy Markets. NanoMarkets a leading industry consulting firm based here, today announced the release of a new white paper titled, "How Nanotechnology is Changing the Energy Equation" that reviews the many ways in which the energy industry is being (and will continue to be) impacted by nanotech. The paper is drawn from NanoMarkets' current research on emerging alternative energy and power markets and addresses topics such as fossil fuels and nanocatalysts, solar power, fuel cells, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. The paper can be accessed from the firm's website. PRNewswire 3/31/05 Drug-Delivering Contact Lenses Revealed. Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore have developed new contact lenses that are designed to provide a slow release of medications. The New Scientist reports: Contact lenses that release controlled doses of drugs to treat eye diseases such as glaucoma have been created by nano-engineers in Singapore. medGadget 4/1/05 President's advisers to consider export controls on nanotech. A panel that advises President Bush on export issues will explore whether nanotechnology needs regulating. The committee, which will be assembled early this year, is expected to review other nations' nanotechnology capabilities, their competitiveness and nanotechnology's impact on national security. Lawyers who specialize in export law recommend nanotechnology companies follow developments to ensure they comply if regulations eventually are put in place. The scope could range from restrictions on international trade to rules on staffing foreign nationals. (Smalltimes 2/3/05) http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=8727 Test could detect Alzheimer’s earlier. A highly sensitive new test could lead to a different way to diagnose people with Alzheimer’s disease, possibly helping find the illness in its early stages when there might be time for treatment...Test measures proteins in spinal fluid. Many companies have experimental therapies, he said, “But those therapeutics aren’t very good if you can’t definitively diagnose and follow a disease,” explained Mirkin, a lead researcher — along with William L. Klein — on a team that developed the new test, which can detect small amounts of proteins in spinal fluid. The team’s findings are reported in Tuesday’s issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. (MSNBC 2/1/05) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6890966 Earlier archives

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