A unique opportunity for forward thinking companies in Yorkshire to develop new products or processes based on latest emerging technologies is being launched by the region’s Nanofactory.

The Nanofactory—which brings together nanotechnology experts from the universities of Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam and York-—is looking to form partnerships with companies interested in exploring new business opportunities based on latest advances in nanotechnology.

The project is part-funded by a £1m investment from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Program that is making substantial investments over the next 3 years to create jobs and increase business competitiveness in the region.

Put simply, nanotechnology is 'small-scale science' that enables the unique properties and behaviors of particles and materials at this nanoscale to be applied in a diverse range of sectors--from medical device companies and chemicals firms through to engineering, food technology and construction businesses.

However, financing research and development to drive nanotechnology innovation forward is often out of reach for SMEs, and particularly so in the current economic climate. The region's SME spend on R&D is three times lower than the national average.

Partnerships with Nanofactory universities will allow SMEs to explore this new area of technology and potentially apply for a range of external funding opportunities — for example European Union funding, and Technology Strategy Board grants.

"Nanofactory connects the knowledge and expertise of academic researchers with the needs and challenges of companies in the region. This offers a powerful combination and driver for innovation. As a result new fundamental and applied research programs will be stimulated and leading university researchers will seek out funding and partnerships to deliver these," says Nanofactory's director, Richard Williams.

"This type of research based activity goes way beyond the usual consultancy support that SMEs can access at universities and it aims to provide much more than short term problem solving. Nanotechnology doesn't have to be the domain of large companies and multinationals--there are opportunities for all sizes of company."

The project will launch a series of sector-specific workshops around the region in early 2010, at which the benefits of new nanotechnology advances will be outlined and discussed with delegates. The events will provide a forum for companies, those in the supply chain and technology experts to brainstorm ideas for future R&D possibilities. Ideas that are generated may form the basis of grant applications to appropriate funding bodies.

"The project is itself an enterprising approach to several key challenges, and plays to the strengths of each of the partners", says Trevor Shaw, Yorkshire Forward's executive director of finance. "For the region, this is a unique opportunity to boost spend on R&D and for universities, it will allow them to devise and deliver new research programs that have real impact. Most importantly, for SMEs, it enables them to leverage technology expertise in the region that can underpin future business opportunities to secure their future competitiveness."

Source: University of Leeds

Korea’s POSTECH Explores Nanotechnology Frontiers

Just over two years after the establishment of one of Korea's most noted nanotechnology education and research center, the National Center for Nanomaterials and Technology (NCNT) at POSTECH or Pohang University of Science and Technology, NanoScienceWorks.org is pleased to feature an interview with Prof Yoon-Ha Jeong, visionary founder of NCNT and VP of Research at POSTECH.

Prof. Yoon-Ha Jeong is the founder of National Center for Nanomaterials Technology (NCNT) and VP of Research, POSTECH

On May 30, 2007, Pohang University of Science and Technology, one of the major schools in Korea, celebrated the opening of its new institute, National Center for Nanomaterials and Technology (NCNT), with Roh Moo-hyun, the President of Korea, among the distinguished guests.

Since that time, NCNT has distinguished itself as a world leading nanoscience center, with a focus on: development of next generation nanomaterials, innovative research and analytical techniques with a focus on multi-discipline nanoscience, a commitment to nurture venture companies and to create new businesses.

The NCNT has also contributed greatly to accelerating the advancement of Korean high technology training and education techniques, and participated in a number of joint projects with Korean state-of-the-art institutes, researchers, and private corporations including POSCO, the nation’s leading steel manufacturer.

NanoScienceWorks.org is pleased to feature an interview with Prof. Yoon-Ha Jeong, the founder of NCNT and VP of Research, POSTECH. Then interviewer is Dr M. Meyyappan, one of NASA’s leading experts on nanotechnology and Chief Scientist for Exploration Technology at NASA Ames' Center for Nanotechnology. Dr Meyyappan is also co-author of Inorganic Nanowires: Applications, Properties, and Characterization, published by Taylor and Francis.

Q: Briefly describe Korea’s POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology), for our NanoScienceWorks.org readers?

Yoon-Ha Jeong: Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH, http://www.postech.ac.kr) is located in Pohang in the southeastern part of S. Korea near Busan. It is a private university founded in 1986 by POSCO (www.posco.com), the second largest iron and steel company in the world today. We have about 3000 students (1300 undergraduate and 1700 graduate students) in various science and engineering programs.

In addition, POSTECH has several government and POSCO funded research centers including National Center for Nanomaterials Technology (NCNT, http://www.nano.or.kr ), Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL, http://pal.postech.ac.kr/), POSTECH Information Research Laboratories (PIRL, http://www.postech.ac.kr/pirl) , Pohang Institute of Intelligent Robotics (PIRO, www.piro.re.kr ), POSTECH BioTech Center (PBC, http://pbc.postech.ac.kr ), Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology (GIFT) and several others. We like to think of POSTECH as CALTECH of Korea. We are currently ranked 134th in the QS/The Times world university rankings. However, we are ranked 11th in the world in the # of citations/faculty category.

Q: Since it opened in May 2007, POSTECH’s National Center for Nanomaterials Technology (NCNT) has distinguished itself in many areas. Tell us about your NCNT and your latest nanotechnology research?

Yoon-Ha Jeong: Following the US NNI, the Korean Government started our own focused nanotechnology initiative which has been providing consistent research funding for individual and large group of investigators. We at POSTECH got funding from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) to establish NCNT. This is a world class facility which has a full 8” wafer silicon fab line, all the facilities to process III-V devices, extensive characterization facilities and everything one would need to conduct nano R&D. We have faculty from various science and engineering departments as members of NCNT. We have a strong industrial participation with several small companies incubated from and residing at NCNT. We have about 106 industrial sponsors and collaborators including Samsung, LG and POSCO.

Sample projects include III-V power devices, organic light emitting diodes and thin film transistors for displays, growth and characterization of CNTs, nanowires and quantum dots, CNT electronics, Si nanowire devices, sensor development, and LIGA process based NEMS.

The major focus of Korean Nano community is exploring the early commercialization of nanotechnology based materials and devices, and that is why the government has supported establishing the NCNT at POSTECH. So, the prime goal of NCNT is supporting the industry for commercial products development from materials to preproduction. As for the academia, NCNT helps more with basic research and analysis in devices, materials and technologies such as displays, electronics, memory and others.

Q: POSTECH was recently recognition by World Class University (WCU) Program of the Korean Government for scholarship and research on convergence of nano, bio and information technologies. Tell us about your noteworthy approach?

Yoon-Ha Jeong: POSTECH was selected out of a stiff competition to start a WCU program on IT-Convergence Engineering (ITCE, http://itce.postech.ac.kr) and the first class of graduate students started in September 2009. The Principal Investigator of the Founding Team and Head of the new Division of ITCE is Professor James Won-Ki Hong. The ITCE consists of 14 POSTECH faculty members from the EE and Computer Science and Engineering Departments, in addition to seven distinguished visiting faculty members from USA, Canada, France and Germany. The focus is on convergence of IT-BT-NT with U-Health and U-environment as two main themes. The ‘U’ stands for ubiquitous. For this purpose, the combined expertise from the domestic and our visiting faculty includes nanomaterials, nano devices and sensors, autonomics, communication, networking, and bioinformatics.

The ITCE students get full scholarship, opportunity to be taught and supervised by distinguished, world-renowned scholars and access to outstanding world class experimental facilities. We are currently recruiting world top quality graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to join this exciting new program. Those interested should visit the ITCE website (http://itce.postech.ac.kr).

One of the first focused projects is a Bio-FET (field effect transistor) as a biosensor using silicon nanowires. The first application is for hepatitis C since our bio colleagues have an aptamer based probe for this target. Eventually, different types of biosensors, chemical sensors, lab-on-a-chip analysis and integration with signal processing chip will feed into the U-Health network development.

The U-Health network is already getting setup. A team headed by Professor Nazim Agoulmine of University of Evry in Paris and Professor Jamal Deen of McMaster University is currently setting up such a networked home (we call it a SmartHome) for elderly. We are hoping that our nano sensors combined with their advances in networking, communication and autonomics would make our U-Health approach highly effective.

Beyond these, we have a program on nanowire based phase change random access memory (NW-PCRAM). My group, along with Professor Jeong-Soo Lee, takes care of the nano aspects of the ITCE. And we have the distinction of Dr. Meyya Meyyappan as our partner in all these efforts. We also have graphene electronics and THz electronics programs being initiated.

Q: You must be excited with all this attention from government official and other nano researchers. How do you feel your POSTECH programs might change the landscape for nano research and commercialization?

Yoon-Ha Jeong: Even though Korea is very strong in semiconductor industry, the reticle cost of 45nm process or below is beyond what university professors can manage. Since NCNT capabilities can define devices below 32nm with e-beam lithography, it can provide cost effective nanoscale device processing. Monolayer or multiple atomic layers can be formed with atomic layer deposition process, and together with litho tools, new experimental devices can be realized. That is the reason many professors are excited about the potential and eagerly joined the facility as users.

PAL (Pohang Accelerator Laboratory) is located right next to NCNT. Various beam lines are available for analysis and creation of new materials. All these possibilities of infrastructure utilization and collaborative technology development motivate the industry and academia to get involved in our NCNT.

The expectation from the government and industry, and from our own university management is very high. As I mentioned earlier, we have as many as 106 companies sponsoring and/or collaborating in our research programs including every big Korean company. One recent success story I can tell you about involves development of ultrasmall power devices and a company located inside NCNT we have worked with on this, has become a major Korean exporter in this domain.

NIST Awards $123 Million to Construct New Research Facilities

The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded more than $123 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants to support the construction of new scientific research facilities at 11 universities and one non-profit research organization.

With ultimate research targets ranging from off-shore wind power and coral reef ecology to quantum physics and nanotechnology, the 12 projects will launch more than $250 million in new laboratory construction projects beginning early this year.

"These awards will create jobs by helping to fund 12 major, shovel-ready construction projects," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. "These new, state-of-the-art facilities will help keep the United States at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation and will support economic growth."

The 12 construction project awards, the result of a competition announced by NIST last May, include:

$15 million to the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa.) for new laboratories for nanoscience and experimental physics. The University of Pittsburgh will receive $15 million to help pay for new laboratories for nanoscience and experimental physics from the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology. The total project cost at Pitt is $27.8 million, with the remainder to be paid by the university. The project calls for building 13 new state-of-the-art experimental physics laboratories in Pitt's Department of Physics and Astronomy. It is expected that three additional full-time faculty will be hired.

$15 million to Nova Southeastern University Inc. (Fort Lauderdale-Davis, Fla.) for a Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystem Science research facility,

$12.4 million to the University of Maine (Orono, Me.) for an Advanced Nanocomposites in Renewable Energy Laboratory,

$12.3 million to the University of Kansas Center for Research (Lawrence, Kan.) for the new Measurement, Materials and Sustainable Environment Center (M2SEC),

$11.8 million to the University of Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.) for an expansion of the Center for Applied Energy Research Laboratory,

$11.8 million to Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.) for a Center for High Performance Buildings at the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories,

$11.6 million to the Georgia Tech Research Corporation (Atlanta, Ga.) for a pilot-scale laboratory for carbon-neutral energy solutions,

$10.3 million to the University of Maryland (College Park, Md.) for a laboratory for advanced quantum science in the school's new Physical Sciences Complex,

$8.1 million to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Barnstable, Mass.) for the Laboratory for Ocean Sensors and Observing Systems (LOSOS),

$6.9 million to the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (Lincoln, Neb.) for a nanoscience metrology facility. “Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson welcomed an announcement by the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology that the University of Nebraska -- Lincoln will receive a $6.9 million grant to help construct and update a research facility specializing in nanoscience metrology. The funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. "These stimulus funds will not only jump start a major construction project, but are also an investment in the future of our state," said Senator Nelson. "The new research facility will keep UNL at the forefront of exciting new fields of scientific research." According to the U.S. Commerce Department, the planned Nanoscience Metrology Facility (NMF) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will stimulate major new collaborative research by upgrading central facilities for nanofabrication, electron microscopy, and other synthesis and characterization laboratories. The $6.9 million federal grant will supplement the total project budget of $13.8 million. The 32,000 square foot NMF will be a temperature-stabilized, low-vibration, low electromagnetic field building designed to achieve a minimum LEED certification of silver. The ground floor of the new facility will house a nanofabrication cleanroom and materials preparation facility, and the upper floor will house laboratories for nanofiber characterization, manufacturing metrology and nanophotonics. Also included in the project will be the construction of electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, X-ray materials characterization, mechanical characterization and crystallography labs. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln possesses one of the largest and most robust research programs in nanomagnetism and spintronics in the world. The construction of these facilities will enable the university to expand and improve its programs in these and other areas complementary to research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology including basic nanoscale science and the development of measurement techniques to support nanotechnologies.”

$6.9 million to Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) for The Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, and

$1.4 million to Columbia University (New York, N.Y.) for an ultraclean geochemistry laboratory at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

In addition to satisfying the core objectives of the Recovery Act—creating and saving jobs and investment in infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits—the projects were chosen on the basis of the scientific and technical merit of the proposals, the need for federal funding, design quality and suitability for the intended purpose, and the strength of the project-management plan.

The new facilities also support research goals of the Commerce Department, NIST and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the study of advanced materials, coral reefs, hurricanes, quantum physics, nanoscience and metrology.

As a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

Information on other NIST activities under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is available on the Web at www.nist.gov/recovery.

Project details here www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/20100108_cgp_awards.htm

Thailand Nanotech Plan Moves Ahead

Thailand is expanding its nanotechnology strategy into the energy and agriculture sectors after reporting success in the first phase of its national nanotechnology policy.

Developments such as nano-based solar cells and batteries, and nano-plastic packaging to enhance food quality, could be in the pipeline according to Sirirurg Songsivilai, executive director of the state-run National Nanotechnology Center (Nanotec).

Songsivilai claimed a national strategic plan for nanotechnology, launched in 2007, had been a success initially in the textile, chemical and medical sectors. Among new products are fabrics and Thai herbal medicines that are both 'nano-coated', he said.

Under the plan, 300 million Thai baht (about US$9 million) will be spent on nanotechnology by the government each year.

Tunisia Launches First Nanotech Project

Tunisia has launched the first project applying nanotechnology in the Arab Maghreb region of north western Africa.

The project aims to monitor and purify the waters of the Medjerda River, the longest river in Tunisia.

Three mobile laboratories will monitor river water, after which data will be analyzed at a new research centre. The laboratories will then be mobilized to expand the project to other areas of the country.

"Tunisia is exposed to water crises due to climate change. Rivers and groundwater will be an important part of the solution, and the government has given us the green light to act on that," said Mohammed Ben Hussein, project manager at Tunisia's National Agency of Environmental Protection.

The Sri Lankan Institute of Nano Technology

The Sri Lankan institute of nano technology, which is presently located in Biyagama Export Processing zone is consist of state of the art experimental facilities, equipment and expert staff. It is dedicated to making future happens in Sri Lankan nanotechnology is a sustainable way.

Prof Ravi Silva, Director of Advanced Technology Institute (AT) of the University of Surrey, UK, Prof. Gehan Amaratunga, Professor of Engineering and Chairman Nanotechnology focus group at Cambridge University, Prof Prassana De Silva, Prof. of Chemistry (Queens University of Belfast) and Prof. Kumar Wickremasinghe, IBM Fellow and Senior Manager Nanoscale Science and Technology, make up the 4-member panel of ‘overseas minds’ that would guide the project and the local team. The local core team consists of Ravi Fernando, Prof.Veranjan Karunaratne and Prof Ajith de Alwis

The partnership between the government and the private sector (five companies all exposed overseas – Brandix, Dialog, Hayleys, Loadstar and MAS Holdings) is a strictly business arrangement to make it work. The initial investment is Rs 450 million in the first year with Rs 250 million coming from the National Science Council (under the Ministry) while the balance is shared by the five companies (Rs 40 million each).

Printed Circuits Installs a Certified Class 10,000 Cleanroom

Printed Circuits, Incorporated has installed a Class 10,000 cleanroom to improve cleanliness and plant yield on multilayer flex and rigid flex circuitry.

"As flex and rigid flex circuit boards increase in density, we see a marked movement towards very small, very thin, very dense packaging solutions" noted Ken Tannehill their President and CEO. "Often these products are made entirely of flex materials, although they may appear to be rigid flex. The materials are very thin, with very good dielectric properties that naturally generate a great deal of static electricity as they are moved and worked into our product. The static electricity draws contaminants, and to an increasing degree with our products, interferes with our yield."

Printed Circuits, Inc. has added static discharge equipment and thin material handling/cleaning equipment to clean the raw film prior to entering the clean room as well. "Often manufacturers invest in a clean environment and then try to maintain cleanliness without cleaning the product entering the room. We have invested in the equipment necessary to keep this environment clean regardless of our production levels or how much material is going through the area."

Printed Circuits, Inc. is a US manufacturer of multilayer flex and rigid flex printed circuit boards that are typically used in high reliability applications, such as medical, military and commercial electronics, where customers place a premium on reliability, package density, and weight.

Emcor’s Marelich Gets Western Digital Contract

EMCOR Group, Inc, a Fortune 500^® leader in mechanical and electrical construction, energy infrastructure and facilities services for a diverse range of businesses, announced that its Marelich Mechanical subsidiary has been awarded a contract for the installation of mechanical systems for Western Digital Corporation, a manufacturer of computer hard disk drives in Fremont, California.

Marelich Mechanical will be responsible for the installation of the HVAC, process piping, and plumbing systems for Western Digital’s expansion of 60,000 square feet expansion that replaces part of a single story structure with a two-story structure at its existing Fremont facility. The addition includes a cleanroom facility with R&D labs and a mechanical plant on the second floor, which will house much of the main mechanical equipment. The project is divided into two main phases, Make Ready and New Construction. A central portion of the existing structure will be removed during the Make Ready Phase, so that existing systems may be modified in order to allow Western Digital to maintain operations in the adjoining areas. The new construction takes place within the existing facility, which must stay in full operation during the construction project.

Marelich Mechanical will be utilizing BIM (Building Information Modeling) to complete the detailing required for the mechanical, process, and plumbing systems. The entire project team is utilizing Marelich Mechanical’s BIM model to revise equipment selections and plan the construction sequences.

“We are very pleased to be a part of this complex, sophisticated project for Western Digital,” stated Keith Atteberry, President and CEO of Marelich Mechanical. “We always endeavor to take things to the next level, and will do so in serving Western Digital, providing state-of-the art technology, experienced project management, and an unparalleled standard of craftsmanship.”

Syntec Optics Unveils Cleanroom

Syntec Optics, the largest independent manufacturer of custom polymer optics in North America, has unveiled a new cleanroom at its Pavilion, NY location. This Class 10,000 clean room will be used for assembly and testing of precision polymer and glass optical systems that are highly sensitive to environmental particulate. The construction and operation of a clean room represents Syntec's endless commitment to offering customers a broad range of technological solutions and innovations.

"Not only will the new cleanroom allow us to continue to deliver exceptional quality on current projects, we now have the capabilities to take on new projects that require the purest of production and testing processes. This is especially key for us as we continue to grow in the medical, biometrics, and defense industries where precision, superior function, and reliability are critical," said Lori Steffenilla, VP of Manufacturing Operations.

The latest in a long line of advancements, this cleanroom opens up further opportunities for Syntec to expand its customer base. The creation of a cleanroom in-house further strengthens the firm's position as a leading solutions provider with a complete range of contract manufacturing services including design, molding, diamond turning, assembly, metrology, and supply chain management.

"We are always looking for ways to improve and enhance both our processes and capabilities which allow us to continue to deliver the excellence that our customers have always expected from Syntec and more. The addition of clean room capabilities is another step in the process of continuous improvement that helps take Syntec to the next level," stated Rick Arndt, Vice President and General Manager.

ISSYS Sensor Company Will Expand in Ypsilanti Township

Ypsilanti Township-based Integrated Sensing Systems is launching an expansion of its existing facility, marking the end of a vacillating process in which the technology company nearly moved to Ann Arbor.

The company, generally called ISSYS, is renovating its 15,700-square-foot facility and adding 5,200 square feet of space. Construction is underway, and the company expects to add about 20 jobs as it increases manufacturing capacity.

ISSYS was considering moving to an ex-Tecumseh Products building in Ann Arbor’s Research Park.

"It was not an easy decision. It was a very complex decision," said Nader Najafi, founder and CEO of ISSYS.

Integrated Sensing Systems is projecting growth in its sensor manufacturing business.

Najafi said moving the company's sensor manufacturing capacity, cleanroom space and equipment to Ann Arbor would have presented a major logistical challenge.

There's "both high cost and also high risk when you move such delicate equipment," he said. "So one of the key factors for us was the ease of expansion and the ease of move."

The expansion comes after ISSYS raised $18.5 million from its investors, including two major sensor companies, to accelerate its growth.

Najafi said he expects to hire 20 workers to staff the new capacity. But he expects to hire another 20 to 30 in the next few years as demand grows.

The extra space allows ISSYS, which had already been manufacturing microelectromechanical sensor (MEMS) components, to manufacture finished MEMS products.

Najafi said the new capacity will be devoted mostly to making sensor implants for medical use and industrial sensors.

The sensors are typically sold for $2 to $4 apiece. They are used in a variety of applications, including fuel cells, medical uses, airplanes and a wide range of other devices.

ISSYS is located at the Airport Industrial Center, which has 272,000 square feet of facilities spread out over 11 buildings.

Dave Hamilton, CEO of Swisher Commercial, represented ISSYS in the deal. He also listed the property and is a member of its ownership group.

Key Electronics Builds Cleanroom and Receives ISO 7 Class 10,000 Approval

Jeffersonville, Indiana-based Key Electronics, Inc., a provider of electronics manufacturing services, received certification from Lewis Testing Services, Inc. of Indianapolis, Indiana for a Class 10,000 Clean Room on December 21, 2009.

The addition of the cleanroom gives Key Electronics an advantage in that Key is one of the only electronics manufacturers in the region with cleanroom capabilities. The ISO Class 7 room allows Key to produce medical devices that require cleanroom manufacturing standards.

Tom Hardy, President of Key Electronics, stated, "I am very excited about the opportunity to expand our company with new and existing customers seeking a specialized clean manufacturing process. Our cleanroom was built to directly support medical device manufacturing requirements for current customers of our joint venture, GenKey Group, LLC."

The addition of this cleanroom marks a milestone for electronic medical device manufacturing at Key. Medical device manufacturing traditionally has been concentrated in certain areas such as Boston, Minneapolis, or California. Now, with new capabilities in Southern Indiana, Key can close the gap in meeting medical device manufacturing needs right here in the Midwest Region.

Minnesota and North Dakota Prepares for Growing Nanotech Industry

Nanotechnology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, and a two-year training program in Fargo-Moorhead gives students hands on training to prepare them for nanotech jobs.

Nanotech is the manipulation of material on a molecular scale, and is now used in more than 1,000 consumer products. The National Science Foundation predicts businesses will need two million nanotech workers in the next five years.

Students at the Center for Nanoscience Technology Training in Fargo can build and study objects built of atom-sized particles. Essential tools include an electron microscope, a noisy piece of equipment. Large video screens on the wall show tiny objects magnified hundreds of times.

"Those teeth in the gears are probably ten to less than ten micrometers in terms of size," said nanoscale training program director Michael Burke pointing out a gear magnified 750 times.

That's one-tenth the size of a human hair. And these gears turn and operate tiny mechanical switches called MEMS, which are in many of the devices we use every day.

"Everybody knows what a Wii is right? Well in the hand control of a Wii there are MEMS devices that basically tell where that thing is in three-dimensional position," Burke said. "You've got MEMS devices in the bumper of your car and those are the things that deploy your airbag."

These tiny gears are mass produced similar to computer chips. The students in the two-year year program are learning to build nanoscale devices and how to troubleshoot nanoscale manufacturing.

The five-year old program is a collaboration of Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead and North Dakota College of Science in Wapheton. Students take the first year on campus and the second year is spent at this high tech lab in Fargo. Students here can also learn about biotechnology, biofuels and micro-electronics

Michael Burke said traditional science education is a lot of lecture and a little lab time. At the lab, that idea is flipped. Burke said he doesn't spoon feed students the theory.

"What we do is put it out there on a Web site and basically say students, you're responsible for learning this," he said. "If you have questions come ask us. But we're not going to waste class time reading a slide to you. We're going to get you in the lab and have you learn hands on."

A lot of the hands-on learning happens in the glass-walled cleanroom. Dust or even skin cells can disrupt nanoscale manufacturing, so powerful filters clean the air and students wear hair nets, booties and gowns.

Kristi Jean holds a doctorate in chemical engineering and said she loves the hands-on approach to teaching. She said many of the students chose a two-year program because they weren't confident enough to pursue a four-year science degree.

"They maybe weren't the traditional 4.0 science geek," Jean said. "But they are their own form of science geek. It's fun because they'll take it a step farther, they'll ask questions. They say I saw this on Modern Marvels or I saw this on Myth Busters. Can we try this out?"

Many of the students who finish this two-year program go on to complete advanced degrees.

Program Director Michael Burke said the hands-on training seems to give students confidence and pique their interest in learning more.

"You know they're thinking, man I just want to get a job but this is really cool stuff, and they get in here and this is some really deep science," he said. "They're really working their butts off learning this stuff. And over the two years they develop confidence and they say I can do this. So a lot of them are choosing to jump back in to engineering programs after they get out."

Burke said the high-tech lab gives students an edge in the job market.

"When they go out into industry they can say [they've] had a hundred hours working in a clean- room environment, or had 75 hours on a scanning electron microscope doing analysis," he said. "And I think that's what makes our program unique and one of the best in the country."

The third nanotechnology class will graduate this spring, and they might find jobs close to home. Burke said there are nanotech jobs in Fargo and dozens of Twin Cities companies are now using nanotechnology. Burke expects demand for the course to increase as the demand for nanotech workers grows.

Binghamton University Offers R&D Collaboration

Binghamton University's New York State Center of Excellence in Small Scale Systems Integration & Packaging (S3IP) works on a wide variety of R&D projects with industry, and makes its state-of-the-art facilities and tools available to partners and members. R&D collaboration with universities is becoming an appealing option for many companies looking to share costs, center officials said.

Most companies in the semiconductor industry are struggling to fund in-house R&D, which makes collaborating with universities an increasingly attractive option.

Binghamton University's Small Scale Systems Integration & Packaging (S3IP) Center is seeing increased interest in its electronics R&D projects. The center evolved from the Integrated Electronics Engineering Center (IEEC) and is funded by the New York State Center for Advanced Technology. The analytical and diagnostics facilities support materials diagnostics, analysis and characterization studies in systems integration, packaging and flexible electronics.

Binghamton University's New York State Center of Excellence in Small Scale Systems Integration & Packaging (S3IP) offers industry opportunities to collaborate on a wide range of R&D projects. (Source: S3IP)

The center's analysis and diagnostics facility is an 8000 ft2 lab with ~$21M worth of equipment, funded by the State of New York. "Now that companies no longer have the research budgets they once had, centers housed at universities with industrial partnerships are becoming an interesting business model," said Mary Beth Curtin, associate director.

The S3IP organization is also home to the IEEC, where the electronics packaging projects are housed; as well as the Center for Advanced Microelectronics (CAMM), which focuses on next-gen roll-to-roll electronics manufacturing. The Center for Autonomous Solar Power (CASP) develops energy storage and harvesting technologies.

The IEEC covers all the research topics typical to packaging, including electrical and mechanical analysis and testing, solder research, thermal, underfill, micromechanics, photomechanics, failure mechanisms and acceleration factor determinations. They also offer students a certificate in electronics packaging.

The center offers access to test equipment like temperature and humidity chambers, thermal cycling chambers, a HAST chamber, a real-time X-ray machine, and an acoustic microscope, as well as SEM and X-ray imaging systems.

"Most of our staff has more than 20 years of industrial experience, so we understand working with companies and their schedule needs," said Bill Infantolino, associate director of the IEEC.

Project topics the past few years have centered on lead-free solders, MEMS packaging and thermal interfaces. The energy business has emerged as a key area of interest at Binghamton University. CASP includes R&D on solar cells, flexible solar collectors and energy storage devices. Another center is being organized to address data center cooling.

Regents OK McCrory, Engineering Buildings

The state Board of Regents agreed to ask the Legislature to approve a pair of major construction projects for South Dakota State University: the McCrory Gardens Visitor Center and Phase II of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science building.

The two new buildings, each costing more than $4 million, were among nearly $20 million worth of projects regents authorized for the Brookings campus.

The approval came during the group's regular monthly session, this time on the Dakota State University campus in Madison.

Virtually all of the work will be covered by government grants and private donations through the SDSU Foundation, the independent, fundraising arm of the university, so no state appropriations will be required. The Legislature must authorize the projects and expenditures, however.

The $4 million McCrory Gardens Visitor Center, designed to support the education and outreach functions of the park, will give the gardens a new entrance on 22nd Avenue.

Preliminary plans include a lobby, offices, restrooms and meeting rooms, as well as a great hall and kitchen facilities.

Plans call for the structure to be approximately 10,000 square feet. A private donor has pledged $1.5 million toward the McCrory structure, and the City of Brookings has agreed to pay $250,000 of construction costs.

The first wing of the three-story, 43,000-square-foot Electrical Engineering and Computer Science building was completed just this summer, and with the legislative go-ahead , work should commence next year on the expansion of the state-of-the-art building. Cost for the 29,000-square-foot second wing of the structure will be about $4.85 million, and included in that total will be $450,000 for a new photovoltaics laboratory.

The Phase II construction will span the now-closed 13th Avenue. A sorority house at the corner of Eighth Street and 13th Avenue will be razed to make way for the new engineering building.

The two buildings are part of an eight-project list approved by the regents.

Legislative approval for the projects is expected, since "there's no burden on the state to either build or maintain" the privately financed work, Regent Harvey Jewett said.

Once the Legislature gives the go-ahead , the bidding process for the projects will begin, and much of the work could be under way by late summer or fall of next year.

Other projects green-lighted by the regents for legislative approval include the following:

A heating and air-conditioning system renovation at the South Dakota Art Museum. University officials say the work, which will cost about $1.8 million, is "long overdue."

A "cleanroom" laboratory in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science building , estimated at $1.25 million. The new lab facilities would serve students in microelectronics and mechanics and would replace labs in the Solberg Hall annex, which is being decommissioned as part of the overall changes for university engineering programs, and in Shepard Hall. Shepard is scheduled for demolition in 2011, to be replaced by the new Avera Health and Science Center.

Relocation of the motor pool to the north side of campus . Cost of the move from Medary Avenue, which is prompted by the need for new fuel tanks, is estimated at $866,000. That figure will include $234,000 for a new motor pool building. The new motor pool area would be adjacent to the Coughlin-Alumni Stadium parking lot.

A parking lot on the south side of Eighth Street, estimated at $921,000. The parking expansion would be made possible by the demolition of several private homes acquired by the university .

An upgrade of steam lines in the southeastern section of campus, estimated at $3.8 million ; and

Renovations to the bathrooms in Young Hall, estimated at $1.95 million. It seems to visitors that the entire SDSU campus is under construction. In fact, according to Dean Kattelmann, assistant vice president for facilities, over the past 18 months the university has begin more than $125 million in construction work, from the $2 million remodel of the Administration Building to the $16 million renovation of Ag Hall to the $18 million new-construction cost for three new residence halls. New Ph.D., M.S.

As previously reported in the Register, the regents also approved a Ph.D. in physics, to be offered jointly by SDSU, the University of South Dakota, and the School of Mines.

Additionally, the officials approved a standalone master's degree in electrical engineering for SDSU, expected to attract students interested in research careers. SDSU now offers a. Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering but only a generic master's degree in engineering.

Much of the discussion at last week's regents' gathering focused on university system budget matters and Gov. Rounds' decision to freeze state salaries for both support and academic staff for the second year in a row.

NCR Headquarters Converted into Research Center for University of Dayton

The Univ. of Dayton has purchased 115 acres, including NCR Corp.'s former world headquarters and Old River Park, for $18 million from the global technology company, Univ. of Dayton President Daniel Curran has announced.

The university will move its expanding world-class Research Institute into the building, providing a signature facility for its research arm. UDRI conducts nearly $100 million annually in sponsored research and just received its largest contract in history-$49.5 million to develop advanced jet fuels and combustion technologies for the Air Force.

The 455,000-ft2, five-story building along the Great Miami River also will provide a prominent home for a proposed Alumni Center envisioned in the University's master plan, as well as for graduate classes, executive development programs and conferences. One of the largest office buildings in the region, the furnished facility includes offices, classrooms, an auditorium, a dining facility and a 1,600-space parking lot.

"This is an exceptional opportunity for the University of Dayton to invest in our future-and this region's destiny," Curran says. "This striking facility offers a tremendous venue for education, research and National Alumni Association programs. It's a real statement about the forward-thinking nature of the University of Dayton."

NCR officials believe the transfer will provide continued momentum for the Univ. of Dayton and a boost for the Dayton region. "NCR is proud to complete this transaction with the Univ. of Dayton," says Jeff McCroskey, NCR VP of global operations. "The prominence and unique nature of the property make this sale beneficial for the Univ. of Dayton, and we are confident that this property will provide benefit to the community of Dayton for years to come."

The Research Institute has added 35 employees over the past year and has been constrained by space for several years. This acquisition provides the institute with much-needed space for expansion, and the consolidation of operations will provide opportunities for collaborative and interdisciplinary research.

Approximately 260 researchers, support personnel and students are expected to move out of Kettering Laboratories, Caldell Street Center and other campus locations and into the building over the next three years. About 160 researchers will continue to work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and leased space around Dayton. The institute will maintain the Shroyer Park Center, though some operations may move to the new building while others replace them to take advantage of synergies.

The vacated space in Kettering Laboratories will allow the School of Engineering to expand and provide space for the Ohio Research Scholars; the ETHOS program that sends engineering students to developing countries to provide technical know-how; and, potentially, a STEM Center envisioned in the University's master plan. UDRI's move will allow for more parking on the historic portion of campus.

University officials say the Fortune 500 company's former headquarters also will provide consolidated space and ample parking for graduate classes and an administrative office. This fall, graduate enrollment climbed 11%-a 12-year high for fall semester enrollment. The university enrolls approximately 3,000 graduate students and is projecting future growth.

Above all, the facility will build upon the University of Dayton's momentum in research growth. The University is ranked as a national research university and has turned into an advanced technology powerhouse in the state. Sponsored research has nearly tripled in the past decade, rising from $37.1 million to $96.5 million. During a down economy last year, the University of Dayton experienced a double-digit jump in research revenues and remains second in the nation in materials research, according to the NSF.

"The University of Dayton's research prowess and reputation-particularly in areas such as high-performance materials, sensors, nanotechnology and energy-attract excellent students, scholars and researchers to Dayton, where we are working hand in hand with the region to create a future of innovation and invention," Curran says.

The 48-acre Old River Park will continue to be managed by Dayton History through an operating agreement. University officials say a portion could be used as an environmental lab for faculty and students.

NCR will lease its former headquarters through part of 2010. It will continue to own and maintain a data center located near the former headquarters building.

New Singapore-French Nanotech Lab Opens at NTU

Just two months after the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) signed the Memorandum of Understanding in Paris with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Thales Group of Companies to set up a joint research laboratory, the three parties are meeting again in Singapore to inaugurate the CNRS-International-NTU-Thales Research Alliance (CINTRA) Laboratory at NTU.

Located at the Research Techno Plaza, the CINTRA Laboratory aims to harness the latest in science and technology to develop innovations in nanotechnologies for computing, sensing and communications applications.

Over the next two years, about 50 Singapore and French researchers will work on critical issues and challenges faced by existing technologies in the microelectronic and photonic industries, promising innovations to meet future commercial as well as defense and security needs.

Examples of such application-driven challenges include the development of enabling technologies such as an imaging chip to process and display real-time multi-dimensional information, and a low-power signal processing chip capable of super high-speed performance of a trillion bits (terabit) per second or more.

His Excellency Mr. Olivier Caron, the Ambassador of France to Singapore, who was the guest-of-honor at the inauguration ceremony, said: "The R&D and innovation landscapes have changed, and are no longer confined to simple projects that can be defined, funded and conducted within single companies, universities or research institutions. It is no longer possible to progress in a major field of scientific research without the cooperation and strong commitment of different actors coming from different regions of the world."

"France and Singapore have long ago started this process of collaborative work and mutual aid, launching different research projects and tightening the R&D relationships between both countries," said Mr. Caron. "This current alliance is unlike most of the others - it brings together a research centre, a university and a private company in the same location. Academia, fundamental research, applied research, and technology transfer are considered in this union. This model should not only drive breakthroughs in innovation but should also result in bringing these innovations to the market."

NTU President Dr Su Guaning said: "NTU is acknowledged as a University that seeks to be relevant to the needs of industry, innovating and pioneering new application areas while building on our staff's core competencies. We seek to be nimble, listening closely to the research trends while responding to the needs of the industry."

"We are indeed grateful to CNRS and Thales for the confidence that they have shown in NTU. Together with CNRS' strength in research and Thales' experience in the global market, we shall make the CINTRA Laboratory an example of how upstream research can turn into successful commercial products and applications in a most unexpected way," said Dr Su.

Mr. Jean-Jacques Gagnepain, Adviser to the CNRS President on International Affairs, said: "CNRS salutes the impressive commitment that NTU has granted to our joint laboratory, the Unité Mixte Internationale CINTRA."

"Within these superb, well-designed and ergonomic premises that we visited today, we feel all the more certain that the joint efforts of our scientists will allow NTU, Thales and CNRS to produce far-reaching research results, concepts and inventions. It is our joint ambition to lift the bottlenecks that currently block existing microelectronic and photonic research," said Mr. Gagnepain.

Mr. Patrick Plante, Chief Executive Officer of Thales Technology Centre Singapore, said: "Thales reaffirms its strong commitment to the Unité Mixte Internationale CINTRA and is proud to be one of the three pillars of this unique joint collaboration between academic, research and industry partners outside of France."

"Our long-standing relationship with the prestigious NTU of Singapore established since the creation of our joint research lab Thales@NTU, as well as our long-valued partnership with the largest fundamental research organization in Europe, CNRS, will be significantly reinforced, and we trust that our complementarities will lead CINTRA to excellence in developing cutting-edge technologies. In this research-friendly environment at NTU, CINTRA will fly the flag for French-Singapore advanced research on nanotechnologies and nanophotonics," said Mr. Plante.

Scandinavian Cleanrooms Launch Collaboration

Access to advanced cleanrooms is crucial in order for companies to develop new products based on nanotechnology. This has prompted Chalmers MC2 Nanofabrication Laboratory and Lund Nano Lab in Sweden and DTU Danchip in Denmark to collaborate on user education and knowledge exchange.

First on the agenda is a process where the cleanrooms standardize their user education programs. This will make it easier for both researchers and companies to work in different cleanrooms in the region, once they have received their "driving license".

The cleanrooms will also launch an exchange program which will enable staff members to spend time working at the different facilities, gaining experience of new equipment and processes. The cooperation between the three cleanrooms has been initiated by Nano Connect Scandinavia.

Cleanrooms is an area where everybody stands to gain from an increased cooperation across national borders. But we have also noticed an interest from companies, researchers and authorities to work together on other aspects of nanotechnology. One example is nano safety where we will launch a Scandinavian network in the beginning of 2010, says Johan Borgström.

Sanmina-SCI Thailand Facility Receives Nadcap Certification

Sanmina-SCI Corporation (Nasdaq: SANM), a global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company, announced that its Pathum Thani, Thailand facility has been awarded the National Aerospace and Defense Contract Accreditation Program (NADCAP) certification.

Nadcap is an industry managed approach to conformity assessment of special processes that brings together technical experts from prime contractors, suppliers and representatives from government to work together and establish requirements for approval of suppliers using a standardized approach.

"The Nadcap certification signifies that our Pathum Thani facility complies with all requirements for electronics manufacturing and special processes, and is a significant accomplishment for our Thailand operations as well as our defense and aerospace organization," said CT Chua, Executive Vice President of South Asia Pacific Operations, Sanmina-SCI. "The Nadcap standard is fully integrated into our manufacturing process and ensures that we provide our customers with the level of quality and performance they require and expect from a world-class manufacturer."

The Performance Review Institute (PRI) administers the Nadcap program. PRI convenes to coordinate industry-wide standards for special processes and products providing independent certification of manufacturing processes for the industry. PRI's mission is to provide international, unbiased, independent manufacturing process and product assessments and certification services for the purpose of adding value, reducing total cost, and facilitating relationships between primes and suppliers.

Currently, Sanmina-SCI has three manufacturing facilities with Nadcap accreditations in Huntsville, Alabama; Gunzenhausen, Germany; and Pathum Thani, Thailand. Additionally, each of these facilities is AS9100 certified.

New $10 Million DoE Center at University of Michigan to Focus on Plasma Research

A new center at the University of Michigan, College of Engineering will enable fundamental research on low-temperature plasmas -- ionized gases with vast potential for practical technological advancements in fields such as energy, lighting, microelectronics and medicine.

The Center for Predictive Control of Plasma Kinetics: Multi-phase and Bounded Systems is funded by a $10-million, 5-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The research that will be conducted at the center could lead to more efficient solar cells, finer-featured microchips and new medical tools that cut and heal tissues with plasma- activated chemistry, rather than heat, as lasers do. Plasma surgical tools could allow wounds to heal faster, said Mark Kushner, the George I. Haddad Collegiate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Kushner is the new center's director.

Plasmas, which are a distinct state of matter, are found throughout the universe. They permeate interplanetary space. The sun is a high-temperature plasma. On Earth, low-temperature plasmas enable crisp, light-weight television displays as well as solar cells. They carve out the intricate features of silicon microchips, among many other applications.

Using experiments and computational models, researchers at the new center will investigate the science behind methods to best control the velocities of the charged particles in low-temperature plasmas. Controlling the velocities of the particles will allow them to direct the plasma's energy -- a vital step toward achieving these technological advancements, Kushner said.

"The flow of energy in a plasma is very complex and difficult to control," Kushner said. "In a plasma, you put energy in one place and it comes out somewhere else. The question is: How can you focus the energy you put in to excite atoms, molecules and surfaces in ways that can eventually be used in technological devices? How can you configure it to prevent the energy from oozing out where you don't want it to?"

Researchers can achieve this control by carefully crafting electric and magnetic fields and applying them to the plasma. The center will develop open source computer models that will allow researchers to enter a particular plasma configuration they want to create and receive information about what electric and magnetic fields they must apply to achieve those attributes.

"Low temperature plasmas create great societal benefits through the technologies they enable," Kushner said. "This center will advance the fundamental science that will enable plasmas used in technical applications to provide even greater advancements in areas such as energy, materials and healthcare."

The center is composed of researchers from nine other institutions: Ohio State University, the University of Minnesota, West Virginia University, the University of Houston, the University of California, Berkeley, Sandia National Laboratory, the University of Wisconsin, Princeton Plasma Physical Laboratory and the University of Maryland.

Kushner is also director of the Michigan Institute for Plasma Science and Engineering, which has close to 30 faculty members in units across the university, including physics, engineering, space science and mathematics.

Clemson Carbon Nanotube Research to Enhance Energy Efficiency

Clemson University is part of a five-year $3 million Air Force Office of Scientific Research award, along with the University of Texas at Dallas and Yale University, to search for nanoscale materials that superconduct to allow for efficient flow of a current.

Specifically, the team will explore carbon nanotube-based superconductors to develop composite wires that may eventually be used, among other things, to replace inefficient copper wiring in power lines that presently can lose up to a third of their energy as heat.

Austin Peay State University Chemical Engineering Building Rising

Austin Peay State University officials are excited about the speed of construction on the new Chemical Engineering Technology facility at Eighth and College streets across from the Sundquist Building.

"Currently, we are about three weeks ahead of schedule," said Mitch Robinson, vice president of finance and administration.

The CHET building is a direct result of the Hemlock Semiconductor decision to build a $1.2 billion manufacturing plant in Clarksville.

Funded with a $6.4 million state grant, the building is designed by Clarksville architects Rufus Johnson Associates.

The 20,000-square-feet facility with state-of-the-art equipment is expected to enhance Tennessee's ability to attract prospective major energy companies.

And the facility will be the hub for a brand new degree program that provides specialized training for students seeking jobs in the growing solar energy industry and other chemical engineering careers around the nation.

An estimated 500 to 600 highly skilled jobs will be created when the Hemlock plant opens in 2012.

Robinson said the CHET building is expected to be completed in June or July 2010: "So we can occupy it in August for classes."

The state grant money covers construction of the facility and includes approximately $420,000 for classroom and office furniture, along with a computer lab.

The CHET facility will include a 4,200-square-foot laboratory, classrooms, a computer lab and faculty offices.

"But, the chemical lab itself will not be finished until the spring of 2011 because much of that equipment is being custom-made by Hemlock, and that takes more time," Robinson said.

Austin Peay has developed and implemented a work force training curriculum geared toward the chemical processing industry.

APSU students now have the opportunity to earn an associate's degree in chemical engineering technology.

News of the degree program has been a magnet, attracting hundreds of inquiries since the December 2008 formal announcement of Hemlock's intention to locate in Clarksville.

Port Authority Plans New Building, Hopes AIS Will Stay

The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority began planning for a new building designed to keep a company on site or attract new business.

The Port Authority’s planning committee discussed on Friday a two-story building with 32,000 square feet of office space and an 8,000-square-foot cleanroom for working with micro-electronics.

The building occupant could be Atlantic Inertial Systems, an electronics supplier for the Defense Department now using 13 locations on the Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center campus.

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority earlier this year approved a 45 percent tax credit for six years to AIS for a $3 million expansion for inertial sensor research and development operations at COATC.

The company was considering other out-of-state locations and has not announced if it will accept Ohio’s offer and expand here. The expansion would retain 45 jobs and add about 10, the company said.

“If they leave Heath, that’s not good for the long-term viability of the base, so we’ve got to do what it takes to keep them,” said Rick Platt, executive director of the Port Authority.

If AIS chooses not to move into the new building, however, Port Authority officials hope other companies will be interested.

“It’s got the flexibility to accept any number of scenarios for development,” Platt said.

The building will replace Flight Line Cafe and two adjoining buildings closed last year and being demolished.

The speculative building may the first of several on the 350-acre COATC campus, previously the home of the Newark Air Force Base.

“We’ve saved the base and stabilized jobs, now we need to get new work in here,” Platt said. “If we’re going to take it to the next level, we’ve got to start building new. We’re 99 percent leased out, so we can accommodate very little.

“In this economy, we’re investing in the recovery, because, if we wait for the recovery, we’re too late.”

The Port Authority’s $5.5 million capital improvements budget for 2010 includes $4 million for a potential building project. Platt said he hopes construction on the building can begin next year.

Argonne Microscopy Facility Combines Cutting-Edge Science, Green Architecture

The laboratory's recently completed Sub-Angstrom Microscopy and Microanalysis facility (SAMM), received a Federal Water and Energy Management Award from DOE. The award, the only one given to a DOE national laboratory, recognized the efforts of Argonne's architects and engineers in designing a laboratory that was simultaneously scientifically cutting-edge and environmentally friendly.

The actual sub-angstrom microscope sits on a massive concrete island that must remain isolated from any vibrations in the surrounding environment. Because the resolution of the instrument is so fine - smaller than the diameter of a single atom - the slightest disturbance could ruin an entire experiment.

To prevent this from happening, any external vibrations are serially dampened through a number of different materials so they do not affect the microscope. "It's the best building in the world for this type of science - that's what's most important," said Argonne architect George Norek. "I'm proud that we were recognized for our work to make it sustainable and energy-efficient, but that would mean nothing if this building weren't up to snuff for research."

Scientific users and other architects have come from around the world to visit the SAMM facility to learn from its design. "If you take the right approach at the beginning, you can design a green building at no or very little additional cost," Norek said. He pointed to the laboratory's use of water conservation fixtures, preferred parking for carpools and high-efficiency vehicles, native landscaping and locally produced, recycled drywall as some of several measures that both held down cost and mitigated the facility's environmental impact.

The laboratory has also submitted the SAMM facility for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and Norek expects the building to achieve LEED Gold certification.

Nanotechnology Comes to American University in Cairo, Egypt

Scientists at The American University in Cairo (AUC) are currently engaged in what the university called “ground-breaking research” in nanoscience and technology-oriented fields that are expected to change the way the world lives in the near future. Through the Yousef Jameel Science and Technology Research Center (YJSTRC) at the university, using state-of-the-art equipment in the physical sciences, engineering, nanotechnology and bionanotechnology, AUC is conducting cutting-edge research in these fields.

In a press statement, AUC said the new research includes “the development of novel diagnostic tests for sensitive detection of the hepatitis C virus; detection of cancer biomarkers, as well as creating a new generation of nanodevices that include smart bricks with tiny sensors, which can analyze building safety and warn of fires and earthquakes.”

Accordingly, the hope is that these new sensors will be able to be mounted in and around cars in order to assist airbags in deploying properly, warn of low tire pressure and sense objects around the vehicle. They are hopeful that the devices will be invisible and consume a minute amount of power.

Nanotechnology is the science of the very small, dealing with atoms and molecules, and with dimensions varying from 100nm down to 1nm.

“One has to visualize how small a nanometer is. It is 1x 10-9 meters or one one-billionth of a meter long. They are incredibly small and professors working on the nanoscale are looking at a world most people simply would not recognize,” Sherif Sedky, physics professor and associate director of YJSTRC said, adding that AUC professors are constructing miniaturized devices.

These devices are commonly referred to as microelectromechanical (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) systems, which are used in a broad range of applications which includes, but is not limited to, imaging, communication systems, blood pressure regulation, muscle stimulators, high density storage media and lab on chip.

“The field is only 15 years old, but nearly every system you can think of has some MEMS component in it, from pharmaceuticals and mobile phones to the wing of an airplane and the fabric of stain-resistant shirts,” Sedky added.

Recently, Sedky and the microfabrication group that he heads at the YJSTRC have been a patent jointly owned with the Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (IMEC) in Belgium for their development of new techniques that control the physical properties of thin films. These will be suitable for a broad range of miniaturized devices that can be integrated with driving and control electronics.

“We are also working on developing energy harvesters that could convert wasted energy into a useful one, which could then be used to charge devices implemented inside the human body, as well as developing miniaturized antennas and high precision motion systems that are suitable for space applications,” he explained.

Leading the research efforts in the field of bionanotechnology at the YJSTRC, Professor Hassan Azzazy, chair of AUC’s chemistry department, constructs and utilizes a variety of nanoparticles including gold nanoparticles and nanocrystals to develop unique diagnostic tests for sensitive detection of the hepatitis C virus.

“Nanoparticles are also used in different test configurations to develop experiments for the detection of cancer biomarkers such as alpha-fetoprotein, a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer),” said Azzazy in the AUC press statement, adding that these nanoparticle-based tests are cheaper and generate results in a shorter time compared to their commercial counterparts.

“We are also working on designing nano-carriers for controlled simultaneous delivery of therapeutic drugs and genetic materials into liver cells using built-in nano-switches,” he explained.

The projects are being funded by grants from YJSTRC and the Arab Science the Technology Foundation in the United Arab Emirates.

Nanoscience Centre for Research Inaugurated in India

The nanotechnology application centre, formerly known as nanophosphorapplication centre (NAC) at Allahabad University was inaugurated by the vice-chancellor, Prof Rajen Harshe amidst the presence of senior officials including the registrar, finance officer, dean of students welfare and chief proctor.

Centre in charge Prof Avinash Chandra Pandey said that the centre was set up in 2004 as a department of science and technology funded research centre under intensification of research in high priority areas (IRHPA) scheme. It was further supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiatives (NMITLI) scheme of projects and again by department of science and technology under its nano-mission scheme of project grants generously up to 2014.

He added that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recognized the centre as an independent one under the 11th plan following which the university has already notified the same in a meeting of planning and development board. The centre has high research priorities and broad visions including front line research in premier areas of nanoscience and technology which includes nanoparticles for LED's, solar cells, plasma display panel, hyperthermia, MRI contrast agent, targeted drug delivery etc.

The new building of the centre has been completed with central air conditioning, efficient green LED lights along with other sophisticated equipments.

IBM Opens 10th Cloud Lab in Hong Kong

IBM has opened a Hong Kong Cloud Computing Laboratory to support LotusLive cloud services. With more than 18 million client seats in its first year, IBM has established an elite team of experts to meet the demand of cloud-based collaboration services.

The news marks IBM's tenth cloud computing lab and the first lab of any major information technology (IT) vendor in Hong Kong. The new center serves as a world class development facility for Web 2.0, cloud mail and collaboration for businesses of all sizes around the globe.

Key to IBM's development efforts worldwide for public cloud collaboration services, the lab will support the dramatic growth of cloud collaboration by governments and companies. The global cloud computing market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28% from $47 billion in 2008 to $126 billion by 2012, according to IBM.

The services delivered by the lab will help businesses worldwide transform communications and collaboration and foster innovation while enhancing efficiency and reducing costs. IBM's LotusLive delivers a suite of collaboration and social networking services including email, instant messaging, file-sharing, Web meetings and project management starting at $3/user/mo.

A big part of IBM's mission for LotusLive is to develop public cloud collaboration services with a focus on security for enterprises and entrepreneurs alike. IBM believes that security is essential as companies consider using the cloud for business applications such as email and collaboration without the vulnerabilities demonstrated by consumer-based cloud services.

IBM is also developing hybrid solutions that feature the benefits of both on-premise and public cloud collaboration. Many businesses indicate a preference for some type of mixed environment where employees can operate in either mode, depending on their circumstances or location.

In order to accomplish this, IBM has established a cloud computing team in Hong Kong dedicated to identifying and driving best practices for its cloud messaging business in critical areas such as security, privacy and stability. Drawing on emerging market expertise, this unit represents a major expansion of IBM's Web-based mail and collaboration capabilities.

The lab builds on the email technology and expertise of Outblaze Ltd., a Hong Kong-based company whose messaging assets were acquired by IBM earlier this year and incorporated into the Lotus brand of collaboration services. The lab now serves as a major development lab for LotusLive, an integrated suite of cloud-based collaboration solutions.

As part of the IBM China Development Lab (CDL), IBM's largest with over 5,000 developers to date, the new lab will be able to draw upon the resources and expertise of CDL and IBM's global R&D organization for its growth and development.

"Strategically located near emerging growth markets, we expect that the new laboratory and IBM's LotusLive platform will play an important role in helping clients here and around the world to take advantage of the growth in Web 2.0 collaboration," says Matthew Wang, VP, IBM CDL and Asia Pacific North Cluster Labs. "IBM intends to increase its investment in the lab and recruit more talent to capture this huge global opportunity."

McIlvaine Company,

Northfield, IL 60093-2743

Tel: 847-784-0012; Fax: 847-784-0061;

E-mail: editor@mcilvainecompany.com;

Web site: www.mcilvainecompany.com