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 | | From: | Gina Miller | | Subject: | The Nanogirl News~ | | Date: | Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:28:56 GMT |
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 | The Nanogirl News
December 31, 2004
Nanotubes form along atomic steps. The Weizmann Institute of Science today
announced that a research group headed by Dr. Ernesto Joselevich has
developed a new approach to create patterns of carbon nanotubes by formation
along atomic steps on sapphire surfaces. Carbon nanotubes are excellent
candidates for the production of nanoelectronic circuits, but their assembly
into ordered arrays remains a major obstacle toward this application.
(Eurekalert 12/21/04)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-12/wi-nfa122104.php
Robert A.Freitas Jr. has his lecture in which he spoke at the Foresight
conference available online. In his lecture material you can read about and
view images on his new and first of it's kind proposal, for building DMS
tooltips using current technology, as disclosed in his Feb. 2004 provisional
patent application. Stay tuned for more available material.
http://www.molecularassembler.com/Papers/PathDiamMolMfg.htm
Red blood cells are go! Physicists in India have shown that red blood cells
can transfer the angular momentum in a circularly polarized laser beam into
rotational motion. The "motor" developed by Deepak Mathur and colleagues at
the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai could find use
in a variety of applications, including biosensors and cellular
micromachines (J A Dharmadhikari et al. 2004 Appl. Phys. Lett. 85 6048).
(Physicsweb 12/14/04) http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/8/12/8/1
UCSB Scientists Build Nanoscale 'Jigsaw' Puzzles Made of RNA. Scientists at
the University of California, Santa Barbara, working at the leading edge of
bionanotechnology, are using assembly and folding principles of natural RNA,
or ribonucleic acid, to build beautiful and potentially useful artificial
structures at the nano-scale. Possible applications include the development
of nanocircuits, medical implants, and improved medical testing. This
research, published in the December 17 issue of the journal Science, is led
by Luc Jaeger, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry at UCSB and a member of UCSB's Biomolecular Science and
Engineering Program, and by Arkadiusz Chworos, a post-doctoral fellow
studying in Jaeger's lab. (UCSB 12/17/04)
http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=1225
Nanotechnology sensors could be a $17 billion market. In a new report,
NanoMarkets LC predicts that the nanotechnology sensor market will generate
global revenues of $2.8 billion in 2008 and by 2012 will reach $17.2
billion. The industry analyst focused on nanoelectronics sensors that are
used to reduce size and cost to provide a high level of integration
including platforms consisting of carbon nanotubes, nanowires, molectronics,
spintronics and so called plastic electronics. Another area of attention in
the report is directed to conventional sensors using nanomaterials and
sensing material. (EETimes 12/08/04)
http://www.eetimes.com/at/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=55300380
'Fountain pen' etches with molecular ink. Scientists in the Netherlands have
used a micromachined "fountain pen" to write and etch sub-micron patterns on
a surface with molecular "ink". The new device developed by Miko Elwenspoek
and colleagues at the University of Twente is based on an atomic force
microscope (S Deladi et al. 2004 Appl. Phys. Lett. 85 5361). (nanotechweb
12/13/04)
http://nanotechweb.org/articles/news/3/12/9/1
Artificial cells take shape. Bacterium-sized 'protein factories' are a step
along the road to synthetic life. Primitive cells similar to bacteria have
been created by US researchers. These synthetic cells are not truly alive,
because they cannot replicate or evolve. But they can churn out proteins for
days, and could be useful for drug production, as well as advancing the
quest to build artificial life from scratch. (nature.com 12/6/04)
http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041206/full/041206-2.html
In some of the first work documenting the uptake of carbon nanotubes by
living cells, a team of chemists and life scientists from Rice University,
the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Texas Heart
Institute have selectively detected low concentrations of nanotubes in
laboratory cell cultures. The research appears in the Dec. 8 issue of the
Journal of the American Chemical Society. It suggests that the white blood
cells, which were incubated in dilute solutions of nanotubes, treated the
nanotubes as they would other extracellular particles - actively ingesting
them and sealing them off inside chambers known as phagosomes. (Bio 12/9/04)
http://www.bio.com/newsfeatures/newsfeatures_research.jhtml?cid=6500163
Tiny Crystals In Large Quantities Method produces monodisperse nanocrystals
on multigram scale. Uniform-sized nanocrystals can be prepared in large
batches through a new preparation method developed by researchers in South
Korea. The technique may hasten development of future nanotechnology
applications by providing a low-cost route to commercial quantities of
uniform nanocrystals. Researchers working in nanometer-scale science have
demonstrated a variety of devices that exploit unique optical, electronic,
and other size-dependent properties of nanocrystals.
(C&E 12/6/04) http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/8249/8249notw4.html
Team Engineers Cell-deforming Technique To Help Understand Malaria. Subra
Suresh has spent the last two decades studying the mechanical properties of
engineered materials from the atomic to the structural scale. So, until
recently, the head of MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering
never thought he'd be a player in the hunt for cures to malaria and
pancreatic cancer. (Sciencedaily 12/30/04)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041219212955.htm
(Interview) Rebuilding Things "Atom by Atom". Nanoscience expert Chad Mirkin
discusses the promise of supersmall materials, what breakthroughs are
likely, and what's just hype. Chad Mirkin is a world leader in a field with
potential that's near limitless: Nanotechnology. Governments, venture funds,
and angel investors are pouring billions of dollars into the area, hoping
that the ability to manipulate materials at the atomic level will produce
revolutionary medicines, metals, and fuels. Mirkin is director of
Northwestern University's Institute for Nanotechnology, one of the field's
research hot spots. He says while certain aspects of nano, such as a
proliferation of nanosize robots, are overhyped, other breakthroughs are
already happening. He recently talked from his Evanston (Ill.) office with
BusinessWeek Senior Writer Stephen Baker. Edited excerpts from their
conversation follow:...(Businessweek 12/29/04)
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/dec2004/nf20041228_7625_db083.htm
Winning an Uphill Battle. It sounds as unlikely as toothpaste flowing back
into the tube: A simple hole in a cell membrane can cause glycerol to flow
"uphill," out of the cell, when the higher concentration outside would
ordinarily make it flow the other way. Known as a channel protein, the
molecular hatch acts like a ratchet to squeeze one glycerol molecule after
another in the direction opposite the concentration gradient, researchers
calculate in the 3 December PRL. Cells may use this effect to avoid
overdosing on glycerol. (Physicsweb 12/3/04)
http://focus.aps.org/story/v14/st23
Suit that never gets dirty. Scientists have won a £1million grant to help
develop clothes that never need cleaning. It will aid research into
nano-technology, looking at the properties of fabrics down to atomic
particles. And it could make the plot of the 1951 Ealing comedy The Man In
The White Suit a reality. In the film, scientist Sidney Stratton, played by
Alec Guinness, invents a fabric that never gets dirty or wears out.
Experiments The real experiments will be carried out by chemical giant
Unilever. (Dailyrecord 12/31/04)
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15026874&method=full&siteid=89488&headline=suit-that-never-gets-dirty-name_page.html
Molecular motor goes both ways. University of Edinburgh researchers have
constructed a molecular motor that can spin in either direction, much like
the biological molecular motors involved in many of life's processes. The
motor consists of a pair of interlocking rings; the smaller ring travels
clockwise or counterclockwise around the larger ring depending on the order
in which several chemical reactions are carried out on the molecule. (TRN
12/29/04)
http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/122904/Molecular_motor_goes_both_ways_Brief_122904.html
Simmons remakes bed with nano-enhanced fabric. In June, Nano-Tex Chief
Executive Donn Tice said his firm would pursue new markets like home
furnishings. He recently made good on the promise with the unveiling of
Simmons Bedding Co.'s new HealthSmart bed. The bed, which features a zip-off
mattress top, is intended to appeal to consumers who want a cleaner
mattress. The mattress top is made of two layers of fabric. On top are
DuPont Coolmax fibers designed to wick away sweat and moisture. Under that
is a semi-impervious layer of Nano-Tex-enhanced fabric that traps fluids and
particles so they can be washed out. The mattress frame has a terry cloth
top treated with Teflon for an extra layer of protection. (SmallTimes
12/22/04) http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=8489
Smart Dust Advances in Russia. Smart Dust is going to be something really
special. But not just yet. Like a toddler learning to walk by "furniture
cruising," staggering wobbly from stationary object to object, Smart Dust is
looking for its sea legs. The birth of Smart Dust potential was based on
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and the journey toward full-on
Distributed-Sensing Smart Dust-which is the goal for final evolution of this
technology--will be a long and arduous one. (GatewaytoRussia 12/16/04)
http://www.gateway2russia.com/st/art_260273.php
(Audio) Do Nanotech Products Live Up to the Hype? Nanotechnology is the
science of designing materials, atom by atom. It promises revolutionary
applications for everything from the military to sports. NPR's David
Kestenbaum investigates whether nanotech products already on the market are
all they're cracked up to be. (NPR 12/31/04)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4252587
Tight Twist Toughens Nano Fiber. Researchers from the University of Texas at
Dallas and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization
(CSIRO) in Australia have strengthened carbon nanotube yarn by introducing a
tight twist as the nanotubes are spun. The method taps the secret of
spinning discovered in the Late Stone Age: a tight twist produces a tough
fiber.
(Always On 12/14/04)
http://www.alwayson-network.com/comments.php?id=7486_0_6_0_C
European researchers build prototype DNA 'velcro'. A team of German
scientists has succeeded in creating what they call DNA 'velcro' to bind and
then separate nanoparticles. Nanoscientists are already busily constructing
novel materials. This experiment could lead, one day, to 'self-constructing'
materials. Based at the University of Dortmund, Christof Niemeyer and his
team used strands of artificial DNA - the so-called 'king of molecules' - to
attach gold nanoparticles together before separating them again. Each gold
particle, measuring just 15 nanometres across, was attached using sulphur to
the centre of a DNA strand. (Europa 12/14/04)
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/headlines/news/article_04_12_14_en.html
Encapsulated Carbon Nanotubes for Implantable Biological Sensors to Monitor
Blood Glucose Levels. Protein-encapsulated single-walled carbon nanotubes
that alter their fluorescence in the presence of specific biomolecules could
generate many new types of implantable biological sensors, say researchers
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who developed the
encapsulation technique. (A2ZNano 12/13/04)
http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=439
Coated nanotubes make biosensors. good sensor should be able to sense
extremely small changes and should be able to transmit this information
about its environment consistently. Researchers working to make sensors that
indicate a given chemical or biological agent after sensing only a few or
even a single molecule of that substance are turning to the minuscule tools
of nanotechnology. Researchers from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign are using carbon nanotubes to sense single molecules, and
are tapping the way carbon nanotubes give off near-infrared light in order
to read what the sensors have detected. (TRN Dec/Jan 04)
http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/122904/Coated_nanotubes_make_biosensors_Brief_122904.html
Nanotechnology comes to golf balls. Sometime in 2005, start-up company
NanoDynamics plans to sell a nanotech golf ball that promises to
dramatically reduce hooks and slices for even the most frustrated of weekend
golfers. That will be a hint of the future of sports. NanoDynamics says it's
figured out how to alter the materials in a golf ball at the molecular level
so the weight inside shifts less as the ball spins. The less it shifts, the
straighter even a badly hit ball will go.
(iseekgolf.com 12/24/04)
http://www.iseekgolf.com/view_articles.php/0/26/6192/4/52/0/1/
NanoSus working on nanofur. If humans ever gain the ability to crawl up
walls like geckos, you can bet that it might have something to do with
nanotechnology research. Creating an artificial version of the tiny fibers
on geckos' toes is just one research project among many at Nanosys in Palo
Alto. Even if the product, dubbed "nano fur," doesn't pan out in consumer
products such as sneakers for walking up walls, Nanosys believes the
technology will be an important tool for molecular researchers. (SmallTimes
12/28/04)
http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?section_id=45&document_id=8539
Just How Old Can He Go? Ray Kurzweil began his dinner with a pill. "A starch
blocker," he explained, "one of my 250 supplements a day." The risk of
encountering starchy food seemed slight indeed at the vegetarian restaurant
in Manhattan he had selected, where the fare was heavy with kale, seaweed,
tofu, steamed broccoli and bean sprouts. But Mr. Kurzweil, a renowned
inventor and computer scientist, has strong views on dietary matters. His
regimen for longevity is not everyone's cup of tea (preferably green tea,
Mr. Kurzweil advises, which contains extra antioxidants to reduce the risk
of heart disease and cancer). And most people would scoff at his notion that
emerging trends in medicine, biotechnology and nanotechnology open a
realistic path to immortality - the central claim of a new book by Mr.
Kurzweil and Dr. Terry Grossman, a physician and founder of a longevity
clinic in Denver. (GoUpstate 12/27/04)
http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041227/ZNYT05/412270340/1027/OPINION
-Or here at CNet:
http://news.com.com/Just+how+old+can+he+go/2100-7337_3-5504202.html
Happy New Year!
Gina "Nanogirl" Miller
Nanotechnology Industries
http://www.nanoindustries.com
Personal: http://www.nanogirl.com/index2.html
Foresight Senior Associate member http://www.foresight.org
Nanotechnology Advisor Extropy Institute http://www.extropy.org
My New Project: Microscope Jewelry
http://www.nanogirl.com/crafts/microjewelry.htm
Email: nanogirl@halcyon.com
"Nanotechnology: Solutions for the future."
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