Foresight Nanotech Institute Weekly News Digest: August 17, 2005
In this issue:
- Foresight Nanotechnology Challenges – Related News & Events
- Advanced Nanotech Conference – New Speakers & Topics
- Spotlight on Foresight Members – SEMI
- Foresight Partners
- Nanotech News & Events
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
Headline: Researchers develop new source of energy using nanotechnology
News source: Physorg.com
Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have developed a more efficient source of energy involving nano-scale particles that take only microseconds to create and can be developed on a surface as small as a microchip.
The nano-engineered energetic material generates a tremendous amount of thermal and mechanical energy when ignited.
http://www.physorg.com/news5830.html
Shubhra Gangopadhyay
2. Providing abundant clean water globally
Foresight note: Cost effective, solar powered, single stage treatment for making wastewater a useable water resource.
Headline: Solar energy and nanotechnology for wastewater treatment
News source: AZONano.com
Researchers at The University of South Australia (UniSA) are developing a unique treatment for wastewater that guarantees improved water quality over existing treatments without relying on expensive chemicals.
The new solar nano-photocatalytic wastewater treatment process can replace a chlorination disinfection step as a tertiary treatment process to disinfect the micro-organisms and at the same time remove the organic compounds, making the wastewater suitable as a water resource.
http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=1237
University of South Australia
3. Increasing the health and longevity of human life
Foresight note: Nanotechnology is only a partial solution to many challenges facing humanity. This article details how low tech and high tech as a combo can change our world for the better.
Headline: An end to lung cancer by 2015? With two high-profile cases in public eye, National Cancer Institute commits to employing nanotechnology and simple antismoking effort
News source: Newsday.com
The National Cancer Institute has announced an ambitious plan to end lung cancer's "suffering and death" by 2015, employing high-tech treatment technology and low-tech common sense to discourage people from smoking.
"NCI is heavily invested in nanotechnology," said Dr. Mark Clanton, deputy director of the National Cancer Institute, "Nanomedicine is about engineering particles or substances or devices on the order 100,000 times smaller than [the diameter of a] human hair."
Source
4. Maximizing the productivity of agriculture
Foresight note: Many nanotechnology discoveries will have cross-disciplinary uses. This technology, targeted originally on genetic detection, could also detect food contaminants.
Nanotechnology to provide portable genetic risk detection
News source: Medical News Today
Currently being developed by the IST project OPTONANOGEN, a prototype of the system will initially be used to detect mutations of the BRCA1 gene that are responsible for between 2.5 and 5 per cent of the incidence of breast cancer in women. The final system, however, could be used to detect virtually any genetic anomaly as well as proteins linked to viruses, chemical contamination in food or water pollution.
Source
Optonanogen
5. Making powerful information technology available everywhere
Foresight note: Researchers say this simulation will show how hardware could grow circuitry similar to that found in nature.
Headline: Purdue simulation to help merge molecules with silicon electronics
News source: Nanotechnology Now
Engineers at Purdue University have created a nanotech simulation tool that shows how current flows between silicon atoms and individual molecules to help researchers design "molecular electronic" devices for future computers and advanced sensors.
"I believe we might be one of the first theorists who have created a tool to show how electricity is conducted between molecules and silicon at the atomic level," said Avik Ghosh, a research scientist in electrical and computer engineering who worked on the project with Geng-Chiau Liang, a postdoctoral research assistant in Purdue's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Source
Geng-Chiau (Albert) Liang
6. Enabling the development of space
Foresight note: We welcome Scott Hubbard, Director, NASA Ames Research Center as a speaker at the Advancing Beneficial Nanotechnology Conference, on October 25, 2005 at 5:15 p.m., to be followed by a panel and reception.
http://www.foresight.org/conference2005/program.html
Panel: Making Space Affordable (Finally!) with Nanotech
Scott Hubbard, Director, NASA Ames Research Center
Michael Laine, President, Liftport Group
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
This conference gets more compelling by the day. We have added several speakers to discuss key advances, funding and applications – and we have assembled debates to thrash out the more controversial issues in this next Industrial Revolution.
Our program is making this conference a "can't miss" for those who are tracking nanotechnology applications, policy issues and research.
Here is a small sampling of the debates and talk topics on the program:
Policy & Applications
- The Race to Patent Nanotechnology: What Makes Nano Patents Different?
- Policy Debate: Is the Public Interest being Protected?
- Investing Debate: How Can We Overcome the "Valley of Death?"
- VIP Plenary coverage of Energy, Water, Health, Agriculture, InfoTech, and …
- Space Applications of Nanotech
- Pathways to Atomically-Precise Nanomanufacturing
Link to full conference schedule and downloadable brochure:
http://www.foresight.org/conference2005/index.html
Research
- Hierarchical Organization of Nanoscale Building Blocks
- Electromechanical Nanodevices
- Engineering Artificial Biochemical Circuits
- Computational Protein Design
- Novel Methods of Nanoscale Fabrication and Assembly
Link to research days:
http://www.foresight.org/conference2005/research.php
Register Now and Save $100
Early Registration Discount - deadline September 1, 2005
Non-profit, Academics, Government, Participating Members (3-1/2 days)
Attend for $495 before September 1, 2005
Attend for $695 after September 1, 2005
Regular (3-1/2 days)
Attend for $695 before September 1, 2005
Attend for $795 after September 1, 2005
Full-time Students (3-1/2 days) - current student ID required
Attend for $195 before September 1, 2005
Attend for $225 after September 1, 2005
One-day only option
Attend for $225 before September 1, 2005
Attend for $275 after September 1, 2005
Two-day only option
Attend for $425 before September 1, 2005
Attend for $460 after September 1, 2005
Optional Events:
Foresight Vision Weekend (Sat-Sun, October 22-23)
Participating members only
Attend for $295 before September 1, 2005
Attend for $395 after September 1, 2005
Feynman Prize Banquet (Wed, October 26, 2005)
Attend for $75 before September 1, 2005
Attend for $90 after September 1, 2005
Book Your Airflight Now
It has come to our attention that several airlines are offering incentive discounts. Here is a link to a sample of these discounts-- some will expire after August:
http://airfare.travelzoo.com/north-american-airfare/
Foresight Participating Members Discounts
Foresight Nanotech Institute's Participating Members receive deep discounts to the Advancing Beneficial Nanotechnology conference. What you save in registration practically pays for the membership.
If you are attending 3-1/2 days of the conference and register by September 1, 2005, the registration fee is $695. If you become a Participating Member your price is $495, and you receive additional membership benefits, including the opportunity to attend the invitation-only Vision Weekend.
For a complete list of Participating Member benefits:
http://www.foresight.org/members/index.html
Participating Members can join online:
https://www.foresight.org/forms/php/donate.php
Spotlight On Foresight Members — SEMI
Foresight Nanotech Institute has updated its membership levels and added new benefits. One of the levels is the corporate membership. This week’s spotlight is on Foresight corporate member SEMI.
SEMI® is the leading global association for equipment, materials and services companies enabling micro- and nano-scale manufacturing and is dedicated to helping its members explore new business opportunities in nanotechnology. SEMI serves it members through advocacy efforts, information products, standards development and world-class trade expositions and events.
For more information, visit http://www.semi.org
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.
September 16-18, 2005 – Accelerating Change 2005
Organized by Acceleration Studies Foundation
Stanford, California
"Artificial Intelligence (AI) broadly defined, improves the intelligence and autonomy of our technology. Intelligence amplification (IA) empowers human beings and their social, political, and economic environments. As in previous years, a collection of today's most broad-minded, multidisciplinary, and practical change leaders will consider these twin trends from global, national, business, social, and personal foresight perspectives."
Foresight members are eligible for a $75 discount off the registration fee. Simply follow this link and use the following discount code: AC2005-FORESIGHT when registering.
http://www.accelerating.org/ac2005/
Nanotech Events & News
Article: Nanotechnology in China is focusing on innovations and new products
News Source: Physorg.com
Beijing has just released a new study about nanotechnology developments in China from 2005 to 2010 and 2015. China is now one of the world leaders in terms of its number of newly registered nanotechnology firms, nanotechnology publications and nanotech related patents.
http://www.physorg.com/news5870.html
Article: K. Eric Drexler Joins Nanorex as Chief Nanotechnology Technical Advisor; Software Company Hires World Renowned Scientist
News source: Small Times
Nanorex, a molecular engineering software company, named Dr. K. Eric Drexler as the company's Chief Technical Advisor. Dr. Drexler will play a leading role in shaping Nanorex's product strategy and advancing the company's academic outreach programs.
Source
Nanorex http://www.nanorex.com
August 28–September 1, 2005 - ACS National Meeting & Exposition Washington, DC
Sponsored by the American Chemical Society
Source
Includes short course:
Designing Novel Advanced Materials Using Molecular Structure-Property Relationships
September 23-25, 2005 - Taiwan NanoTech 2005
Taipei World Trade Center
Sponsored by National Science and Technology Program for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Office
Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)
http://www.taipeitradeshows.com.tw/Nano/
September 28-29, 2005 – NanoForum
Milano, Italy
Sponsored by NanoForum
http://www.nanoforum.it/english.htm
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: editor@foresight.org.
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