NewsforDev | News for Development News

Submit Source

New User

Dossiers

ACP-EU

CTA

ICT

ICT4D

S&T

S&T4D

Trade

World News

Select News

Home > All Sources > Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology


From the newsfordev database of articles
	1-25 > Next 25

Rare ruling favors Intel pricing policy
Megite Technology News 31 07 2010

A preliminary ruling rejected a claim that Intel's pricing practices hurt consumers. Originally posted at Nanotech - The Circuits Blog (Read on Source)

Rare ruling favors Intel pricing policy
Megite Technology News 31 07 2010

A preliminary ruling rejected a claim that Intel's pricing practices hurt consumers. Originally posted at Nanotech - The Circuits Blog (Read on Source)

NRC, UOttawa Scientists First To Watch A Chemical Bond Break Using Molecule's Electrons
RedOrbit | Science | News 30 07 2010 Scientists at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) enjoyed a bird's eye view of a chemical bond as it breaks.The making and breaking of chemical bonds underlie the biochemical processes of life itself. A greater understanding of the quantum processes that lead to chemical reactions may lead to new strategies in the design and control of molecules — ultimately leading to scientific breakthroughs in health care and diagnostic medicine, quantum computing, nanotechnology, environmental science and energy.The NRC-uOttawa team, led by Dr. David Villeneuve, achieved their feat using a technique developed several years ago at NRC in which an image was obtained of a single electron orbiting a molecule. In the current experiment, which is reported in the July 29th edition of Nature, scientists injected bromine gas into a vacuum chamber. There, an ultra brief ultraviolet light pulse caused the bromine molecules to separate into their individual atoms (a bromine molecule is composed of two bromine atoms). A few femtoseconds later, an intense infrared laser pulse caused the molecule to emit an attosecond-duration X-ray burst that contained a snapshot of the atom's position as the molecule fell apart and revealed how the electrons rearranged themselves."Due to the strange laws of quantum physics," Dr. Villeneuve explains, "a molecule that is broken apart by an ultraviolet laser pulse is at the same time unaffected by the pulse, a paradox, much like Schrödinger's Cat is both dead and alive."The interference of the x-rays emitted by the two quantum states of the molecule was used to find the location of the atoms and to watch over a period of only 200 femtoseconds as it progressed from being a molecule to being two separate atoms. The experiment reached a precision below 500 zeptoseconds in clocking the emitted x-ray bursts. "It is exciting to see the quantum transformation as it goes from being a molecule, in which electrons are shared, to individual atoms, says Villeneuve.According to Professor Paul Corkum, co-author and a pioneer in attosecond physics, "In real life we are most sensitive to motion if there is a fixed background for reference. We have shown that it is the same in the molecular world. Unreacting molecules – usually a nuisance in an experiment – can also form a reference. Against this fixed background we become so sensitive to motion that we can see just few dissociating molecules. The experiment is another important step towards the dream of filming chemical reactions."The research was conducted at JASLab, the Joint Attosecond Science Laboratory, a shared laser facility between the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Ottawa, with the participation of the Technical University of Vienna. JASLab is one of the top laboratories in the world conducting research on the attosecond timescale.---On the Net:National Research Council of CanadaNature

Nanoblasts From Laser-Activated Nanoparticles Move Molecules, Proteins And DNA Into Cells
RedOrbit | Science | News 30 07 2010 Drug delivery techniqueUsing chemical "nanoblasts" that punch tiny holes in the protective membranes of cells, researchers have demonstrated a new technique for getting therapeutic small molecules, proteins and DNA directly into living cells.Carbon nanoparticles activated by bursts of laser light trigger the tiny blasts, which open holes in cell membranes just long enough to admit therapeutic agents contained in the surrounding fluid. By adjusting laser exposure, the researchers administered a small-molecule marker compound to 90 percent of targeted cells – while keeping more than 90 percent of the cells alive.The research was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Institute of Paper Science and Technology at Georgia Tech. It will be reported in the August issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology."This technique could allow us to deliver a wide variety of therapeutics that now cannot easily get into cells," said Mark Prausnitz, a professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "One of the most significant uses for this technology could be for gene-based therapies, which offer great promise in medicine, but whose progress has been limited by the difficulty of getting DNA and RNA into cells."The work is believed to be the first to use activation of reactive carbon nanoparticles by lasers for medical applications. Additional research and clinical trials will be needed before the technique could be used in humans.Researchers have been trying for decades to drive DNA and RNA more efficiently into cells with a variety of methods, including using viruses to ferry genetic materials into cells, coating DNA and RNA with chemical agents or employing electric fields and ultrasound to open cell membranes. However, these previous methods have generally suffered from low efficiency or safety concerns.With their new technique, which was inspired by earlier work on the so-called "photoacoustic effect," Prausnitz and collaborators Prerona Chakravarty, Wei Qian and Mostafa El-Sayed hope to better localize the application of energy to cell membranes, creating a safer and more efficient approach for intracellular drug delivery.Their technique begins with introducing particles of carbon black measuring 25 nanometers – one millionth of an inch – in diameter into the fluid surrounding the cells into which the therapeutic agents are to be introduced. Bursts of near-infrared light from a femotosecond laser are then applied to the fluid at a rate of 90 million pulses per second. The carbon nanoparticles absorb the light, which makes them hot. The hot particles then heat the surrounding fluid to make steam. The steam reacts with the carbon nanoparticles to form hydrogen and carbon monoxide.The two gases form a bubble which grows as the laser provides energy. The bubble collapses suddenly when the laser is turned off, creating a shock wave that punches holes in the membranes of nearby cells. The openings allow therapeutic agents from the surrounding fluid to enter the cells. The holes quickly close so the cell can survive.The researchers have demonstrated that they could get the small molecule calcein, the bovine serum albumin protein and plasmid DNA through the cell membranes of human prostate cancer cells and rat gliosarcoma cells using this technique. Calcein uptake was seen in 90 percent of the cells at laser levels that left more than 90 percent of the cells alive."We could get almost all of the cells to take up these molecules that normally wouldn't enter the cells, and almost all of the cells remained alive," said Prerona Chakravarty, the study's lead author. "Our laser-activated carbon nanoparticle system enables controlled bubble implosions that can disrupt the cell membranes just enough to get the molecules in without causing lasting damage."To assess how long the holes in the cell membrane remained open, the researchers left the simulated therapeutics out of the fluid when the cells were exposed to the laser light, then added the agents one second after turning off the laser. They saw almost no uptake of the molecules, suggesting that the cell membranes resealed themselves quickly.To confirm that the carbon-steam reaction was a critical factor driving the nanoblasts, the researchers substituted gold nanoparticles for the carbon nanoparticles before exposure to laser light. Because they lacked the carbon needed for reaction, the gold nanoparticles produced little uptake of the molecules, Prausnitz noted.Similarly, the researchers substituted carbon nanotubes for the carbon nanoparticles, and also measured little uptake, which they explained by noting that the nanotubes are less reactive than the carbon black particles.Experimentation further showed that DNA introduced into cells through the laser-activated technique remained functional and capable of driving protein expression. When plasmid DNA that encoded for luciferase expression was introduced into the cancer cells, production of luciferase increased 17-fold.For the future, the researchers plan to study use of a less expensive nanosecond laser to replace the ultrafast femtosecond instrument used in the research. They also plan to optimize the carbon nanoparticles so that nearly all of them are consumed during the exposure to laser light. Leftover carbon nanoparticles in the body should produce no harmful effects, though the body may be unable to eliminate them, Prausnitz noted."This is the first study showing proof of principle for laser-activation of reactive carbon nanoparticles for drug and gene delivery," he said. "There is a considerable path ahead before this can be brought into medicine, but we are optimistic that this approach can ultimately provide a new alternative for delivering therapeutic agents into cells safely and efficiently."---On the Net:Georgia Institute of Technology Research NewsNature Nanotechnology

Could Nanotechnology Solve The Water Crisis? (Science Daily)
Desertification | Web log 29 07 2010 Read at : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915105731.htm Water Purification Down The Nanotubes: Could Nanotechnology Solve The Water Crisis? ScienceDaily (Sep. 16, 2008) — Nanotechnology could be the answer to ensuring a safe supply of drinking water for regions of the world stricken by … Continue reading →

Associate Professor in MicroElectroMechanical Systems
Nature | Jobs 29 07 2010 DTU Nanotech wishes to strengthen the activities on utilizing micro and nanofabrication approaches and cleanroom technologies for MEMS applications in energy and environment related matters. DTU Nanotech therefore seeks an associate professor with expertise in one or more of the following areas:

design and fabrication of MEMS devices (actuators, sensors)
energy harvesting (including fuel cells and solar cells)
application of MEMS to environmental and biochemical challenges…

Nanotechnology for water purification
ScienceDaily | Latest news 29 07 2010 Researchers in India are investigating the use of several nanotechnology approaches to water purification. Water purification using nanotechnology exploits nanoscopic materials such as carbon nanotubes and alumina fibers for nanofiltration

NRC, uOttawa scientists first to watch a chemical bond break using molecule's electrons
Science Codex | News 29 07 2010 Scientists at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) enjoyed a bird's eye view of a chemical bond as it breaks. The making and breaking of chemical bonds underlie the biochemical processes of life itself. A greater understanding of the quantum processes that lead to chemical reactions may lead to new strategies in the design and control of molecules — ultimately leading to scientific breakthroughs in health care and diagnostic medicine, quantum computing, nanotechnology, environmental science and energy. read more

Nanotechnology for water purification
Science Codex | News 28 07 2010 Nanotechnology refers to a broad range of tools, techniques and applications that simply involve particles on the approximate size scale of a few to hundreds of nanometers in diameter. Particles of this size have some unique physicochemical and surface properties that lend themselves to novel uses. read more

Noninvasive MR imaging of blood vessel growth in tumors using nanosized contrast agents
ScienceDaily | Latest news 27 07 2010 Scientists have incorporated nanotechnology, material science, and the clinical imaging modality MRI, to create a nanosized probe capable of noninvasively visualizing and quantifying the blood vessel growth in tumors in a preclinical model. Studies in cell and preclinical animal models showed increase uptake of vascular targeted-nanoprobes over non-targeted nanoprobes.

Senior Research Team Leader
Nature | Jobs 24 07 2010 The Company • WuXi Adesso Nanotech is materials/chemistry/device company specialized in carbon nanotube fabrication and the development of nanotube applications in medical diagnostics and organic electronics.
• WuXi Adesso Nanotech is an internationally oriented company with offices and laboratories in WuXi, China (outside Shanghai) and is currently going through a strong expansion phase—we are hiring lab scientists for full-time work at our facilities in WuXi China. T…

EU boosts hi−tech research budget
UNU-MERIT | Innovation & Technology news 24 07 2010 The EU has announced EUR 6.4bn of funding for scientific research andinnovation next year − a 12% increase on this year's allocation. Theprogramme is aimed at creating more than 165,000 jobs and developing 'amore competitive and greener Europe', the European Commission says. The focus is on tackling climate change, energy projects, food security,health and Europe's ageing population. Grants will be awarded to about16,000 research bodies and businesses. EU−funded research currentlyaccounts for about 5% of the total public funding for research in theEU. The investment includes more than EUR 600m for health research,about EUR 206m of which will go into clinical trials for new drugs. Nanotechnologies will get EUR 270m, while about EUR 600m is earmarkedfor advanced computer technologies. Another EUR 400m is to be spent oncomputer applications that address the challenges of building alow−carbon economy and managing ageing populations. The enriched EU budget will have to accommodate a EUR 1.4bn shortfall inbuilding funds for the ITER fusion reactor based in France. The EuropeanCommission has announced plans to 'redeploy' EUR 100m in 2012 and EUR360m in 2013 from its 7th Framework Programme for Research. It will alsotransfer unused funds of EUR 400m from other EU budgets to ITER.

Nanotech coatings produce 20 times more electricity from sewage
ScienceDaily | Latest news 22 07 2010 Engineers have made a significant advance toward producing electricity from sewage, by the use of new coatings on the anodes of microbial electrochemical cells that increased the electricity production about 20 times. The findings bring the researchers one step closer to technology that could clean biowaste at the same time it produces useful levels of electricity -- a promising new innovation in wastewater treatment and renewable energy.

Nanoparticles plus adult stem cells demolish plaque, study finds
ScienceDaily | Latest news 22 07 2010 A technique that combines nanotechnology with adult stem cells appears to destroy atherosclerotic plaque and rejuvenate the arteries, according to a new study.

Nanotech coatings produce 20 times more electricity from sewage
ScienceDaily | Alternative Fuels | News 21 07 2010 Engineers have made a significant advance toward producing electricity from sewage, by the use of new coatings on the anodes of microbial electrochemical cells that increased the electricity production about 20 times. The findings bring the researchers one step closer to technology that could clean biowaste at the same time it produces useful levels of electricity -- a promising new innovation in wastewater treatment and renewable energy.

Tenure Track Positions
Nature | Jobs 21 07 2010 Tenure Track Positions (4th Term)
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Research Center
Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan Osaka Prefecture University is seeking application for two tenure track positions at the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Research Center. This recruitment is being carried out under the “Leading University in the Region as a Base for Human Resource Development in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology” program. Applicants should hold a PhD degree acquired within the past 10 ye…

Nanotech coatings produce 20 times more electricity from sewage
Science Codex | News 21 07 2010 CORVALLIS, Ore. – Engineers at Oregon State University have made a significant advance toward producing electricity from sewage, by the use of new coatings on the anodes of microbial electrochemical cells that increased the electricity production about 20 times. The findings, just published online in Biosensors and Bioelectronics, a professional journal, bring the researchers one step closer to technology that could clean biowaste at the same time it produces useful levels of electricity – a promising new innovation in wastewater treatment and renewable energy. read more

Nanotechnology: Scientists construct molecular 'knots'
ScienceDaily | Latest news 21 07 2010 Scientists have constructed molecular "knots" with dimensions of around two nanometers -- around 30,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

PhD: Semiconductor Nanowires for Sensing and Energy Harvesting Applications (Ref. No. DI - 01)
Nature | Jobs 21 07 2010 (Ref. No. DI – 01) PhD: Semiconductor Nanowires for Sensing and Energy Harvesting Applications A funded Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN) PhD position is currently available on the development of chemical functionalisation and characterisation of nanowires for sensing and energy harvesting applications, within the Nanotechnology group starting from January 2011. Semiconductor nanowires have already been proposed for sensing applications but better control of their morphology (…

Nanotech in Our Food: Should We Be Afraid?
Signs of the Times | News 21 07 2010 The effects of nanotechnology on the environment are regulated by the EPA - but when it comes to nano in food, shouldn't the FDA be involved? Nanotechnology involves the ability to control matter at the scale of a nanometer - one billionth of a meter. The world market for products that contain nanomaterials is expected to reach $2.6 trillion by 2015.So says a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO): Nanotechnology: Nanomaterials Are Widely Used in Commerce, but EPA Faces Challenges in Regulating Risk. (GAO-10-549, May 25, 2010)GAO identified a variety of products that currently incorporate nanomaterials already available in commerce ... [in] food and agriculture ...The extent to which nanomaterials present a risk to human health and the environment depends on a combination of the toxicity of specific nanomaterials and the route and level of exposure to these materials. Although the body of research related to nanomaterials is growing, the current understanding of the risks posed by these materials is limited.

Nanotech in Our Food: Should We Be Afraid?
AlterNet.org | Headlines 20 07 2010 The effects of nanotechnology on the environment are regulated by the EPA -- but when it comes to nano in food, shouldn't the FDA be involved?

'NanoPen' may write new chapter in nanotechnology manufacturing
h+ magazine | News 20 07 2010

These highly-magnified images are composed of tiny nanoparticles produced by a

Michael Woods

Researchers in California are reporting development of a so-called "NanoPen" that could provide a quick, convenient way of laying down patterns of nanoparticles — from wires to circuits — for making futuristic electronic devices, medical diagnostic tests, and other much-anticipated nanotech applications. A report on the device, which helps solve a long-standing challenge in nanotechnology, appeared in ACS' Nano Letters, a monthly journal. In the new study, Ming Wu and colleagues point out that researchers have already developed several different techniques for producing patterns of nanoparticles, which are barely 1/50,000th the width of a human hair. But current techniques tend to be too complex and slow. They require bulky instrumentation and take minutes or even hours to complete. These techniques also require the use of very high temperatures to apply the nanostructures to their target surfaces. Such limitations prevent widespread application of such techniques, the researchers say.

Read Original Article

DNA 'organises itself' on silicon
h+ magazine | News 20 07 2010

Shapes of DNA have been used to enhance the production of circuits for next-generation computer chips.

Researchers reporting in Nature Nanotechnology have now shown how to get engineered "DNA origami" to self-organise on silicon. The origami can be designed to serve as a scaffold for electronic components just six billionths of a metre apart. Making chips with components closer together leads to smaller devices and faster computers.

Read Original Article

A safe approach to nanotechnology
h+ magazine | News 20 07 2010

Boiling up zinc oxide nanorods without toxic solvents

M.A. Shah

A non-toxic and environmentally friendly way to make tiny nanorods of zinc oxide has been developed for the first time by researchers in Saudi Arabia. The approach, described in the current issue of the International Journal of Nanoparticles, could allow the nanorods to be used safely in medical and for other applications. Zinc oxide has many uses when fabricated as nanoparticles and nanorods, just 100 nanometers in diameter. In such as nanoscopic form, it can be used in food products, such as breakfast cereals as a source of zinc, a necessary nutrient. It can also be used in dentistry and cosmetic ointments, creams, and lotions to protect against sunburn and skin damage caused by ultraviolet light. Zinc oxide can also act as a sensor for detecting changes in electric current due to absorption of gas molecules and so be used for gas leak warning devices. In electronics, the same material has wrought a revolution in lasers and light emitting diodes (LEDs). And as a biosensor, it can be used as a biomimic membrane to immobilize and modify biomolecules.

Read Original Article

DNA computer solves logic queries
h+ magazine | News 20 07 2010

A computer with DNA as its information carrier can solve classic logic conundrums, researchers say.

DNA has been used to do simple number crunching before, but a system developed by Israeli scientists can effectively answer yes or no questions. Strands of DNA are designed to give off a green light corresponding to "yes". In Nature Nanotechnology, the team also describes a program which bridges the gap between a computer programming language and DNA computing code.

Read Original Article

1-25 > Next 25

Agricultural and Rural Development WebRing

<< Prev | Ring Hub | Join | Next >>