Foresight Nanotech Institute Weekly News Digest: July 27, 2005
In this issue:
- Foresight Nanotech Institute News – Welcome Diamandis, Von Ehr and Niehaus
- Foresight Nanotechnology Challenges – Related News & Events
- Advanced Nanotech Conference – Additional Speakers & Updated Program
- Foresight Nanotech Institute – Lectures
- Spotlight on Foresight Members – Corporate Members
- Foresight Partners – Nanotech News & Events
Foresight Nanotech Institute News
Nanotechnology Think Tank Welcomes
Peter Diamandis, Ed Niehaus and James Von Ehr
Commercial Space Flight, Media and Nanotechnology Experts
Join Foresight Nanotech Institute’s Board of Directors
Foresight Nanotech Institute announced today the appointment of commercial space flight pioneer, Dr. Peter Diamandis, CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation and CEO of Zero Gravity Corporation; venture capitalist and media expert, Ed Niehaus, Partner at Cypress Ventures; and nanotechnology leader and executive, James Von Ehr II, Founder and CEO of Zyvex Corporation, to our Board of Directors.
Complete list of Board of Directors:
http://www.foresight.org/about/directors.html
"Foresight Nanotech Institute enthusiastically welcomes Messrs. Diamandis, Von Ehr, and Niehaus to our Board of Directors," said Scott Mize, President of Foresight Nanotech Institute. "They bring an abundance of knowledge, experience and wisdom that will assist Foresight in furthering our mission: ensuring the beneficial implementation of nanotechnology. The new Board members will take an active role in Foresight, including overseeing strategy development, participating in fundraising activities, providing access to a variety of resources and guiding the non-profit as we execute our plan for the next phase."
For complete news release:
http://www.foresight.org/cms/press_center/137
Foresight Nanotechnology Challenges
Foresight has articulated six critical challenges that humanity faces which can be addressed by nanotechnology. In the Weekly News Digest we identify news items, research breakthroughs, and events citing current research and applications providing the stepping-stones to solutions to these challenges.
1. Meeting global energy needs with clean solutions
Titanium and nanotubes improve fuel cell storage capacity
News source: Small Times
Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Turkey's Bilkent University discovered that titanium-crusted carbon nanotubes could meet two key requirements for efficient hydrogen storage: the abilities to latch on to hydrogen molecules in adequate numbers and to relinquish the hydrogen readily when heated.
The U.S. Freedom Car Research Partnership, which features participation from the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. automakers, requires a 6 percent minimum storage capacity. The researchers' single-walled carbon nanotubes, which are decorated with titanium or other transition metals, can amass a predicted 8 percent of the nanotubes' weight worth of hydrogen.
http://smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=9631
2. Providing abundant clean water globally
Nanotech for Clean Water Panel
News Source: Foresight Nanotech Institute conference
There will be a panel discussion on Nanotech for Clean Water at the Advancing Beneficial Nanotechnology: Focusing on the Cutting Edge conference.
Panelists are:
- Todd Barker, Partner, Meridian Institute
- William Lee, President and CEO, eMembrane
- Kevin McGovern, Chairman, McGovern & Associates (for KX Industries)
- Fred Tepper, President, Argonide
http://www.foresight.org/conference2005/index.html
3. Increasing the health and longevity of human life
Nano World: A nano DNA-delivery system
News source: World Peace Herald by Charles Q. Choi, UPI
Scientists have used silica nanoparticles loaded with DNA to deliver genes safely into mouse brains, a technique that could lead to gene therapies able to repair cells more safely and effectively than current methods, which rely on viral vectors.
Paras Prasad, a physical chemist and executive director of the University of Buffalo Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics in New York, has created silica particles roughly 30 nanometers in diameter as non-viral gene -therapy delivery mechanisms. The synthesis of these nanoparticles, led by University of Buffalo chemist Dhruba Bharali, involves coating their surfaces with organic molecules that bind to genetic payloads, protecting the delicate DNA from enzymatic digestion.
Source
Dr. Paras Prasad
4. Maximizing the productivity of agriculture
Nano detector fingers pathogens
News source: Food Production Daily.com
A portable nano detection tool could be used by processors to ensure food safety, say a team of European researchers.
Biofinger, which is being funded by the EU, could be used as a cheap and fast method in the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer. It could also be used for chemical and food analysis, said Biofinger's project coordinator, Joan Bausells.
The new system, now in final development stages, is scheduled to begin field testing later this summer. The detector would help food processors in their battle to maintain the safety of their products. Consumer demand and an increased focus on food safety through regulatory oversight and regulations is a driving trend in the market.
Souce
Biofinger
5. Making powerful information technology available everywhere
Small Tech Spared as Hewlett Packard Cuts Research
News source: SmallTimes
As part of a massive restructuring that includes 14,500 job cuts companywide, Hewlett-Packard Co. is discontinuing four research projects at HP Labs, including one headed by pioneering technologist Alan Kay. About 10 percent, or 70, of HP Labs 700 employees worldwide will receive layoff notices but some may find work elsewhere in the company.
Other HP projects will continue, including its well-known research in nanotechnology and quantum computing.
Source
6. Enabling the development of space
U.S.-Russian Nano-Filter Enters Space Technology Hall of Fame
News Source: Argonide Corporate Announcement
An efficient "superfilter" able to extract bacteria, cysts, turbidity and even viruses from water was among four innovative space-based technologies inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame. The NanoCeram® Superfilter, developed by Argonide Corporation of Sanford, Florida, uses nanofibers originally developed at the Design Technology Center (DTC) in Tomsk, Russia.
http://nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=1825
http://www.argonide.com/index.htm
Fred Tepper, President of Argonide will participate on a "Nanotech for Clean Water" panel at the Advancing Beneficial Nanotechnology: Focusing on the
Cutting Edge Conference.
http://www.foresight.org/conference2005/index.html
Lectures – Foresight Nanotech Institute
Optics & Photonics
The International Society of Optical Engineering
July 31 – August 4, 2005
San Diego, California
Eric Drexler, Chief Technical Advisor at Nanorex and Founder of Foresight Nanotech Institute will give a Symposium-wide Plenary presentation about Productive Nanosystems: Roadmap to a Bottom-up Revolution on July 31, 2005, 5-5:30 p.m.
Conference Web Page
Advancing Beneficial Nanotechnology
Focusing on the Cutting Edge
13th Foresight Conference on Advanced Nanotechnology
October 22-27, 2005
San Francisco Airport Marriott Hotel
http://www.foresight.org/conference2005/index.html
Early Registration Discount – deadline September 1, 2005
Participating Member Discounts Available:
To join online:
https://www.foresight.org/forms/php/donate.php
Customize your conference experience – Choose the days and sessions that provide the kind of nanotechnology information and contacts you seek. Foresight Nanotech Institute offers an "a la carte" conference so you can select the days that are most valuable to you. Or attend all six days and receive a comprehensive overview: from Vision, through current Applications and Policy work, to Research on the cutting edge of advanced nanotechnology.
http://foresight.org/conference2005/registration.html
Conference Speakers and Updated Program
We have added new, thought-provoking, presentations since our last email. Follow this link to our conference website to view the program and speakers list:
http://www.foresight.org/conference2005/index.html
Selected Program Highlights
http://www.foresight.org/conference2005/index.html
Vision Weekend – October 22-23, 2005
Nanotechnology: New Capabilities in Security, Defense and Offense
Sharon Smith, Director of Technology, Lockheed Martin
Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosytems
Eric Drexler, Chief Technical Advisor, Nanorex, and Founder, Foresight Nanotech Institute
Soft Machines: Why Nano will be like Bio
Richard A.L. Jones, University of Sheffield, UK
Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence to Extend Human Lifespan
Aubrey de Grey, University of Cambridge, UK
Applications & Policy – October 24-25, 2005
Debate: Is the public interest being protected?
Randy Hayes, Founder and President, Rainforest Action Network
Norris Alderson, Associate Commissioner for Science, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Adam Werbach, Conservationist and former President, Sierra Club
Investing Debate: How Can We Overcome the "Valley of Death?"
Steve Jurvetson, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Floyd Kvamme, Partner, Kleiner Perkins
Michael Moe, Chairman & CEO, ThinkEquity Partners
Ray Rothrock, Managing General Partner, Venrock Associates
Research – October 26-27, 2005
Tutorial: Molecular Nanotechnology Research Overview
David Forrest, U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center
Electromechanical Nanodevices
Z. L. Wang, Georgia Tech
Engineering Artificial Biochemical Circuits
Roy Bar-Ziv, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Hierarchical Organization of Nanoscale Building Blocks
Charles Lieber, Harvard University
For complete program:
http://www.foresight.org/conference2005/index.html
Spotlight On Foresight Members
Foresight Nanotech Institute has updated its membership levels and added new benefits. One of the new levels is the corporate membership. Foresight would like to welcome our most recent corporate members, Biophan, Nanoscience Technologies, Tarlton Properties, Waitt Family Foundation and Zyvex Corporation. A appreciative thank you to all of our corporate members for their support.
Accelrys
Battelle
Biophan
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Foley & Lardner LLP
Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady-Falk & Rabkin
NanoHoldings LLC
Nanorex, Inc.
Nanoscience Technologies, Inc.
NaturalNano
SEMI
Sun Microsystems
Tarlton Properties
Waitt Family Foundation
Zyvex Corporation
To become a corporate member follow this link:
http://www.foresight.org/members/index.html
Foresight Partners
If you attend or use any of our media partners’ events or services, please tell them you heard about it from Foresight Nanotech Institute.
August 21-23, 2005 Targeted Nanodelivery for Therapeutics and Molecular Imaging
Sponsored by Cambridge Healthtech Institute
Washington, D.C.
The goal of targeted therapeutics is to create drugs that by the specificity of their design and delivery will be more effective in treating disease and less toxic. Nanotechnology offers the possibility of a device and a drug in one, with novel capabilities. This meeting will address the challenges in implementing nanotechnology for drug delivery systems and imaging agents, and promote dialogue between diagnostic and therapeutic development.
http://www.healthtech.com/2005/bms/index.asp
tinytechjobs – tiny technology. Big Opportunities
tinytechjobs is a unique career website devoted to jobs at the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and information technology. On the site you will find both academic and industrial positions in such disciplines as chemistry, physics, materials science, biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, micro- and nano-electromechanical engineering, biomedical engineering and devices, microfluidics, microarrays, information technology, optics, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering, and other relevant fields.
http://www.tinytechjobs.com/index.html
Nanotech Events & News
Article: Researchers Sort Out the Carbon Nanotube Problem
News Source: NIST
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and university researchers report a significant step toward sorting out the nanotube "problem"—the challenge of overcoming processing obstacles so that the remarkable properties of the tiny cylindrical structures can be exploited in new polymer composite materials of exceptional strength.
Source
Event: August 15-16, 2005 - AANM’s First Annual Scientific Meeting
Baltimore, Maryland
Sponsored by the American Academy of Nanomedicine
http://www.nanomedacademy.org/meeting/
Event: August 22-25, 2005 - Course: New Electronic Materials for Extending Moore’s Law
Palo Alto, California
Sponsored by the Stanford University
Event page
Event: August 28–September 1, 2005 - National Meeting & Exposition
Washington, DC
Sponsored by the American Chemical Society
http://acswebcontent.acs.org/nationalmeeting/dc05/home.html
Includes short course:
Designing Novel Advanced Materials Using Molecular Structure-Property Relationships
About The Foresight Nanotech Institute Weekly News Digest
The Foresight Nanotech Institute Weekly News Digest is emailed every week to 15,000 individuals in more than 125 countries. Foresight Nanotech Institute is a member-supported organization. We offer membership levels appropriate to meet the needs and interests of individuals and companies. To find out more about membership follow this link:
http://www.foresight.org/members/index.html
Judy Conner, Director of Communications at Foresight Nanotech Institute, is the editor of the Foresight Nanotech Institute Weekly News Digest. If you would like to submit a news item or contact her with comments about the news digest, please send an email to:
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