1st Conference on Advanced Nanotechnology: Research, Applications, and Policy, October 21-24, 2004, Crystal City Marriott Hotel, Washington, DC area. Includes, as Day One: 1st Symposium on Molecular Machine Systems

Roland Piquepaille writes "What a flurry of activity in the nanotechnology world these days. Sandia researchers have unveiled a self-assembly process forming durable nanocrystal arrays, paving the way for laser light, catalysts and new memory storage. The American Chemical Society says that scientists have developed nanotube transistors operating at extremely fast microwave frequencies (2.6 GHz) that could lead to better cell phones and faster computers. At Lehigh University, researchers have found that 'nanogold' does not glitter, but its future looks bright as it turns into a semiconductor. Meanwhile, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a nanobiosensor technology that gives new access to living cell's molecular processes. You'll find short excerpts of these stories in this news roundup, which also includes images of the nanoprobe from ORNL and of the self-assembled, well-shaped gold nanocrystal arrays from SNL."

Triton's nanotechnology designed to take on tumors; Last month the Boston Business Journal reported that Triton BioSystems Inc. was attempting to raise additional financing to adapt to cancer treatment its military welding technology, in which a magnetic device is used to heat nanoparticles, thus welding together polymers to effect battlefield repairs. In the cancer treatment system, so far only tested in mice, the metallic nanoparticles would be coated with a monoclonal antibody so that they localize in a tumor, and then the magnetic device would be used to heat the nanoparticles, thus destroying the tumor without using radiation or harsh chemicals.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Chemists from Italy and at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have built the world's smallest elevator. It is a molecular elevator, about 2.5 nanometers high and 3.5 nanometers wide. The molecular platform sits on three legs which can move up and down by one nanometer. The New Scientist and the New York Times (free registration needed) are both reporting about this nano-elevator. The researchers think this system might be used as a drug delivery system. Even if they're right, it will not happen before at least ten years. This overview contains some excerpts from the two articles mentioned above. It also includes a schematical representation of the chemical equilibrium between the two co-conformations of the molecular elevator."

A Manifesto for Collaborative Tools: "This essay is a manifesto about software for collaboration — why the world's future depends on it, why the current crop of tools isn't good enough, and what programmers can and must do about it." The importance of "backlinks" and "fine-grained links" was also emphasized in Eric Drexler's 1987 paper Hypertext Publishing and the Evolution of Knowledge.

More on the previous topic. Kevin D. Keck writes "LBNL Material Sciences researchers today announced 'the achievement of controllable, reversible atomic scale mass transport along carbon nanotubes' in the April 29 issue of Nature [HTML] [PDF] and in a press release. 'Weíre not transporting atoms one at a time anymore ó itís more like a hose,' says Chris Regan (coauthor). 'In order to build a structure we have to be able transport material to the construction site, and weíre developing a better way to do that. Our nanoscale mass delivery system is simple and reversible. It requires only a nanotube, a voltage source, and something to transport."

Vik writes "This story in New Scientist describes how electrically-heated nanotubes have been made to accurately ferry molten metal around, in theory allowing the soldering of nanoscale metal parts. A variety of metals have been used, and there is an interesting possibility that this technique could be used to make crude nanotube structures that can weld themselves together."

Rosette nanotubes not only promise versatile components for advanced nanotechnology, but look likely to be useful in near-term nanomedicine as well. Jamie Dinkelacker brings to our attention the fact that Self-assembling 'nanotubes' offer promise for future artificial joints. These nanotubes are assembled from DNA base pair-like rosettes and have the virtue of being readily modified to have different chemical properties [see Customizable, Self-assembling Nanotubes]. Not only has it been demonstrated "that bone cells called osteoblasts attach better to nanotube-coated titanium than they do to conventional titanium used to make artificial joints," but the highly customizable nature of these nanotubes offers hope that coatings can be designed that are optimized for implants in different body parts.

Nanotechnology: What's in a Name? reports "The Foresight Institute's Eric Drexler, who coined the word 'nanotechnology' in the 1980s and is one of the field's leading evangelists, has complained for years that the term has been watered down to the point of uselessness by researchers and companies who apply it to almost anything small. Now a legal complaint against Merrill Lynch, of all companies, may help to restore the definition to its original meaning — technologies that work on the scale of a nanometer, or a billionth of a meter, or less."

David Young writes "The University of Ulster … opened a new Nanotechnology Research Institute at its Jordanstown campus in Northern Ireland: University Opens £8m Nanotechnology Research Institute

Rosa Wang writes about Howard Lovy's comments [and also here] on the NNI Conference and nanotechnology funding priorities, and suggests that "some broad publicity might encourage other scientists to air their frustrations with the NNI's current priorities (perhaps to Howard Lovy?) as well as hilight some of the problems with having one centralized source of funding."

Getting Molecules To Do The Work surveys half a dozen nanotechnology projects involving self-assembly that are bringing an "era of nano-manufacturing". Although many obstacles remain, the survey concludes optimistically:

Still, "the field is moving very fast," says NYU's Seeman. Only a year ago, he says, he showed his students a top-10 list of major challenges nanotechnology faced. Today, three are already resolved. At this pace, he adds, self-assembly and molecular manufacturing will come into commercial use sooner rather than later.

PKA writes "Pratul K. Agarwal from Oak Ridge National Laboratory has released VigyaanCD (homepage, mirror). Vigyaan, a Knoppix customization, is an electronic workbench for computational biology and computational chemistry. The user can choose from more than 20 science applications. In addition to bioinformatics software, it provides GROMACS, TINKER for biomolecular modeling and Ghemical, MPQC, PSI3 for quantum chemistry calculations. VigyaanCD is a live Linux CD containing all the software required to boot the PC into workbench environment and is suitable both for beginners (12 demos and tutorials) and experts. Learning computational biology/chemistry has never been easier, so grab the free ISO image from several mirrors around the world and put your PC to work."

Christine Peterson writes, commenting on the news that UT will offer new nanotechnology doctorate. "Brian Korgel, the education director for the Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, announced the new PhD program. We like his definition: 'Nanotechnology is used to create complex devices at the molecular level'."

Christine Peterson writes, commenting on the news that Nanosys files papers for IPO. "Nanosys is one of the most prominent nanotech startups, and is planning an IPO, despite having no products: 'We do not anticipate that our first products will be commercially available for at least several years, if at all.' This is probably the beginning of the nano 'boom', which in venture capital cycles is eventually followed by a 'bust'. Let's just hope that it's a normal cycle and not an immense dot.com-style boom/bust."

David Lackner writes with news of the MIT School of Engineering's Tiny Technologies Initiative. In addition to more generic nanoscale science projects, the research includes Nano-Mechanical Systems: "Examples of exciting projects include tiny microturbines, artificial muscles, and a nanorobot designed to manipulate individual molecules on materials' surfaces."

"Pentagon official says nanotechnology a high priority" reports that Clifford Lau, the senior science adviser in the Pentagon's office of basic research, said "Nanotechnology is one of the highest priority science and technology programs in the Defense Department," with the Pentagon spending $315 million in fiscal 2004 on all nanotechnology research. The specific projects cited are all near-term nanoscale science projects, mostly materials, like lightweight, radar-resistant nanocomposite materials for airframes and coatings to eliminate barnacle buildup on submarines. Foresight Founder and President Christine L. Peterson adds "This piece mentions that 'Pentagon interest in nanotechnology dates to the 1980s'. We at Foresight can back this up, as we were the only ones discussing nanotechnology back then, and we did indeed hear from military types quite early on."

http://www.e-drexler.com/ "This site focuses on the science behind emerging technologies of broad importance, summarizing research results and offering technical perspectives on research directions. It includes tutorial material, new results, annotated bibliographies and links to external web resources. Initial topics include nanotechnology-based production systems (central to the future of physical technology), and secure, distributed computing (central to the future of informational technology). In both these areas, several widespread assumptions are very wrong. A better understanding can benefit both technical leaders seeking productive directions for research and development, and policy makers aiming to make wise decisions." See especially the animations of molecular machines and the analysis of friction in atomically precise bearings vs. fluid-immersed systems.

1st Conference on Advanced Nanotechnology: Research, Applications, and Policy, October 21-24, 2004, Crystal City Marriott Hotel, Washington, DC area. Includes, as Day One: 1st Symposium on Molecular Machine Systems

BioNEMS Symposium, May 22, 2004, Davidson Conference Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA. "A one-day symposium on the biomedical applications of nanoelectromechanical systems (bioNEMS), sponsored by the Center for Interdisciplinary Research of the University of Southern California (USC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). …The emphasis throughout the day will be on nano (not micro) systems, and in vivo (not in vitro) applications. A full-fledged nanosystem (e.g., a nanorobot) is expected to have overall dimensions on the order of a micrometer but will be made from nanoscale components with sizes ~ 1-100 nm."