Nanotechnology

Nanotechnologies and nanosciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and new production processes and devices

Objective

The activities carried out in this area are intended to help Europe achieve a critical mass of capacities needed to develop and exploit, especially for greater eco-efficiency and reduction of discharges of hazardous substances to the environment, leading-edge technologies for the knowledge-based products, services and manufacturing processes of the years to come.

Justification of the effort and European added value

Manufacturing industry in Europe at present produces goods and services valued at around EUR 4000 billion a year. In an increasingly competitive world market, it must maintain and increase its competitiveness while meeting the requirements of sustainable development. To do so, it is necessary to put substantial effort into the design, development and dissemination of advanced technologies: nanotechnologies, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and new production processes.

Lying at the frontier of quantum engineering, materials technology and molecular biology, and one of the foreseeable hubs of the next industrial revolution, nanotechnologies need considerable investment.

Europe has significant expertise in certain sectors such as nanomanufacturing and nanochemistry, and needs to increase and coordinate its effort in this area.

Where materials are concerned, the aim is to develop intelligent materials which are expected to add considerable value in terms of applications in sectors such as transport, energy, electronics and the biomedical sector and for which there is a potential market of several tens of billions of euro.

The development of flexible, integrated and clean production systems will also require a substantial research effort concerning the application of new technologies to manufacturing and management.

Actions envisaged :

Nanotechnologies and nanosciences:

(a) long-term interdisciplinary research into understanding phenomena, mastering processes and developing research tools;

(b) supramolecular architectures and macromolecules;

(c) nano-biotechnologies;

(d) nanometre-scale engineering techniques to create materials and components;

(e) development of handling and control devices and instruments;

(f) applications in areas such as health, chemistry, energy, and the environment.

Knowledge-based multifunctional materials:

(a) development of fundamental knowledge;

(b) technologies associated with the production and transformation including processing of knowledge-based multifunctional materials and of biomaterials;

(c) support engineering.

New production processes and devices:

(a) the development of new processes and flexible and intelligent manufacturing systems incorporating advances in virtual manufacturing technologies, including simulations, interactive decision-aid systems, high-precision engineering and innovative robotics;

(b) systems research needed for sustainable waste management and hazard control in production and manufacturing, including bio-processes, leading to a reduction in consumption of primary resources and less pollution;

(c) development of new concepts optimising the life cycle of industrial systems, products and services.

Links

News

20 August 2008:  A virus has helped to create a new type of tiny battery, made with a simple stamping technique, that could power miniature devices. Read more

19 August 2008:  The development of a transparent coating that causes water to bead up into drops and roll or bounce off a surface will help protect and sustain Air Force systems by preventing corrosion and reducing ice formation on optical elements and aircraft. Read more

14 August 2008:  Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have created the first integrated circuit that uses nanowires as both sensors and electronic components. With a simple printing technique, the group was able to fabricate large arrays of uniform circuits, which could serve as image sensors. Read more

14 August 2008:  A nanomaterial coating on silica particles could offer the solution to one of the world's oldest and most destructive health challenges: how to remove bacteria and other pollutants from drinking water. Read more

14 August 2008:  Scientists have developed a technique to examine peptides on the surface of a gold nanoparticle. This offers the promise of new ways to design and manufacture novel materials on the tiniest scale - one of the key aims of nanoscience. Read more

13 August 2008:  A research group has significantly improved the quality of brain-function measurements by coating metal neural electrodes with carbon nanotubes. Their work could potentially allow scientists to learn more about brain diseases that are based on electrical impulse malfunctions, such as Parkinson's and epilepsy. Read more

12 August 2008:  Researchers in New York are reporting development of the world's thinnest balloon, made of a single layer of graphite just one atom thick. This so-called graphene sealed microchamber is impermeable to even the tiniest airborne molecules, including helium.It has a range of applications in sensors, filters, and imaging of materials at the atomic level, they say in a study scheduled for the August 13 issue of ACS' Nano Letters. Read more

11 August 2008:  Scientists in the US say they are a step closer to developing materials that could render people invisible. Researchers at the University of California in Berkeley have developed a material that can bend light around 3D objects making them "disappear". Read more

11 August 2008:  Nanoparticles shaped to resemble certain bacteria can more easily infiltrate human cells, according to a new study. The results suggest that altering the shape of nanoparticles can make them more effective at treating disease. Read more

11 August 2008:  A new method for examining fingerprints provides detailed maps of their chemical composition while creating traditional images of their structural features. Instead of taking samples back to the lab, law-enforcement agents could use the technique, a variation on mass spectrometry, to reveal traces of cocaine, other drugs, and explosives on the scene. Read more

6 August 2008:  Criminals who use firearms may find it much harder to evade justice in future, thanks to an ingenious new bullet tagging technology. Read more

5 August 2008:  Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley have created the world's first all-integrated sensor circuit based on nanowire arrays, combining light sensors and electronics made of different crystalline materials. Their method can be used to reproduce numerous such devices with high uniformity. Read more

31 July 2008:  Butterfly wings, peacock feathers, opals and pearls are some of nature's jewels that use nanostructures to dazzle us with color. It's accomplished through the way light reaches our eyes after passing through the submicroscopic mazes within these materials. The seemingly effortless way that nature creates this effect is now rivaled by a rapid and simple method developed through a collaboration of researchers. Read more

30 July 2008:  Medical physicists at the University of Virginia have created a novel way to kill tumor cells using nanoparticles and light. The technique, devised by Wensha Yang, an instructor in radiation oncology at the University of Virginia, and colleagues Ke Sheng, Paul W. Read, James M. Larner, and Brian P. Helmke, employs quantum dots. Read more

29 July 2008:  Chemical trade bodies are hoping that an eleventh-hour plea for companies to volunteer information about their nanotechnology products will avert the imposition of potentially restrictive regulation. Read more

29 July 2008:  Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have turned science fiction into reality with their development of a super-compact high-resolution microscope, small enough to fit on a finger tip. This "microscopic microscope" operates without lenses but has the magnifying power of a top-quality optical microscope, can be used in the field to analyze blood samples for malaria or check water supplies for giardia and other pathogens, and can be mass-produced for around $10. Read more

29 July 2008:  There's a new "gold standard" in the sensitivity of weighing scales. Using the same technology with which they created the world's first fully functional nanotube radio, researchers with Berkeley Lab and the University of California at Berkeley have fashioned a nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) that can function as a scale sensitive enough to measure the mass of a single atom of gold. Read more

28 July 2008:  Hewlett Packard is up to two years away from starting to build a "central nervous system for the Earth", known as CeNSE. The man leading this ambitious project is Dr Stan Williams, who runs HP's Information and Quantum Systems Laboratory. Read more

28 July 2008:  An extraordinary fish that inhabits muddy pools in West Africa and whose lineage can be traced back 96 million years could be the model for light, bomb-proof body armour for the soldiers of the future. Read more

24 July 2008:  Adding just the right dash of nanoparticles to standard mixes of lubricants and refrigerants could yield the equivalent of an energy-saving chill pill for factories, hospitals, ships, and others with large cooling systems, suggest the latest results from National Institute of Standards and Technology research that is pursuing promising formulations. Read more

23 July 2008:  Scientists at Georgia Tech have developed a potential new treatment against cancer that attaches magnetic nanoparticles to cancer cells, allowing them to be captured and carried out of the body. The treatment, which has been tested in the laboratory and will now be looked at in survival studies, is detailed online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Read more

23 July 2008:  Research scientists at Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science have achieved a breakthrough by proving that the carbon material graphene is the strongest material ever measured. Read more

23 July 2008:  Berkeley Lab scientists have developed a nano-sized synthetic polymer bundle that can fold in half and trap a zinc molecule between its jaws, a first-of-its-kind feat that mimics how proteins conduct life’s vital functions. Read more

22 July 2008:  Cutting-edge work with a new nanoparticle being conducted in Florida, Oklahoma and North Dakota is now showing great promise for treating multiple disease conditions-including ocular diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma. Read more

17 July 2008:  Purdue University scientists have taken a page from air conditioner technology in their quest for a new way to cool down ever-more powerful computer chips. Read more

17 July 2008: IBM Corp. will invest $1.5 billion for nanotechnology research and to create and retain jobs in New York, Gov. David A. Paterson said yesterday. The state is giving IBM $140million in economic development grants to support creation of up to 1,000 high-tech jobs upstate and to advance IBM's work on nanotechnology computer chips. Read more

17 July 2008:  Tissue engineering has stalled in part because bioengineers haven't been able to replicate the structural complexity of human tissues. Now researchers have taken an important first step toward building complex tissues from the bottom up by creating what they call living Legos. Read more

16 July 2008:  Tiny electronically active chemicals can be made to form ordered layers on a surface, thanks to research supported by the European Science Foundation (ESF) through the EUROCORES programne SONS 2 (Self-Organised NanoStructures). Read more

16 July 2008:  A newly developed nano-sized electronic device is an important step toward helping astronomers see invisible light dating from the creation of the universe. This invisible light makes up 98% of the light emitted since the "big bang," and may provide insights into the earliest stages of star and galaxy formation almost 14 billion years ago. Read more

14 July 2008:  Carbon nanotubes are the crucial chemical ingredient that could make artificial photosynthesis possible, say a team of Chinese researchers.  The team has found that nanotubes mimic an important step in photosynthesis that chemists have been unable to copy until now.  Artificial photosynthesis has the potential to efficiently produce hydrogen that could be used as a clean fuel for vehicles.  It could also be used to mop up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Read more

11 July 2008:  Terrace-like elevations of just a few nanometres can form during production of organic thin films made from electrically conductive material. This phenomenon was previously only known from inorganic materials and is crucially important for future production of a new generation of semi-conductor components based on organic thin films.  Read more

9 July 2008:  European researchers have forged a partnership with counterparts in the Western Balkans, North Africa and Latin America to strengthen cooperation in the fields of biomedical informatics (BMI), grid technologies and nanoinformatics. Their work is being carried out through ACTION-Grid, a project supported by the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) with funding totalling some €1 million. ACTION-Grid kicked off in June and will run for a period of 18 months.  Read more

9 July 2008:  The drugs cancer patients take to destroy their tumors also cause debilitating side effects such as nausea, weight loss, and even heart problems. But now researchers report that they can curb the spread of cancer cells in mice with drug concentrations far lower than the standard dose. The key is using a microscopic particle that zeroes in on blood vessels around the tumor to deliver low doses of the drug in a more concentrated way.  Read more

30 June 2008: Aspen Aerogels raises $37M for nano-insulation materials. Read more

27 June 2008: New nano technique significantly boosts boiling efficiency. Read more

27 June 2008: Researchers develop new technique for fabricating nanowire circuits. Read more

27 June 2008: ‘Electron Trapping’ May Impact Future Microelectronics Measurements. Read more

26 June 2008: Nanotubes could aid understanding of retrovirus transmission between human cells. Read more

26 June 2008: New Process Creates 3-D Nanostructures with Magnetic Materials. Read more

26 June 2008: Water inside single-walled carbon nanotubes. Read more

25 June 2008: Argonne's Hard X-ray Nanoprobe provides new capability to study nanoscale materials. Read more

24 June 2008: Chemistry professor achieves nanotechnology breakthrough. Read more

24 June 2008: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers have captured time-series snapshots of a solid as it evolves on the ultra-fast timescale. Read more

24 June 2008: Scientists can study the biological impacts of engineered nanomaterials on cells within the body with greater resolution than ever because of a procedure developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Read more

24 June 2008: Study Of Individual Molecules Enhanced By 'Nanoglassblowing'. Read more

23 June 2008: A tiny carbon-nanotube-based chemical sensor can detect low parts-per-billion concentrations of gases. Read more

23 June 2008: The immune response triggered by carbon nanotube-like structures could be harnessed to help treat infectious diseases and cancers, say researchers. Read more

20 June 2008: Carbon Nanotubes Compromise the Functions of Certain Protozoa, Study Shows. Read more

20 June 2008: Trap and zap: Harnessing the power of light to pattern surfaces on the nanoscale. Read more

20 June 2008: A tiny but powerful engine that propels the bacterium Bacillus subtilis through liquids is disengaged from the corkscrew-like flagellum by a protein clutch, Indiana University Bloomington and Harvard University scientists have learned. Read more

19 June 2008: The European Commission is planning a wide ranging consultation on nanotechnologies with the aim of raising awareness of nanotechnologies' potential. Read more

18 June 2008: Developing better nano-electronics by understanding nonadiabatic effects. Read more

17 June 2008: In the world's largest country, tiny objects measured in billionths of a metre are the future of the economy -- or so the government claims. Read more

17 June 2008: Lighting up polymer LEDs through nanotechnology. Read more

17 June 2008: Nanotechnology, biomolecules and light unite to 'cook' cancer cells. Read more

16 June 2008: Growing use of nanomaterials spurs research to investigate possible downsides. Read more

16 June 2008: Chemists Create Cancer-Detecting Nanoparticles. Read more

13 June 2008: In the fast-growing world of nanotechnology, researchers are constantly on the lookout for new building blocks to push innovation and discovery to scales much smaller than the tiniest speck of dust. Read more

13 June 2008: Ontario is investing $18 million into nanotechnology and quantum computing research. Read more

13 June 2008: Biological nanobots could repair and improve the human body, but they'll be more bio than bot. Read more

13 June 2008: 'Electron turbine' could print designer molecules. Read more

13 June 2008: Carbon Nanotubes as a Single-Photon Source. Read more

12 June 2008: Stripes key to nanoparticle drug delivery. Read more

12 June 2008: Researchers use carbon nanotubes for molecular transport. Read more

12 June 2008: 'Nanoglassblowing' Seen as Boon to Study of Individual Molecules. Read more

12 June 2008: Can silver nanoparticles be the key to a more compact laser? Read more

10 June 2008: Sheila Kennedy, an expert in the integration of solar cell technology in architecture who is now at MIT, creates designs for flexible photovoltaic materials that may change the way buildings receive and distribute energy. Read more

9 June 2008: Japanese, US nanotechnology experts win Spain's Asturias award. Read more

9 June 2008: Russian State Corporation Funds First Nanotechnology Project. Read more

9 June 2008: Nanotechnology to end cartilage loss. Read more

9 June 2008: Testing the Toxicity of Nanomaterials - A fast screening method could help separate the good from the bad. Read more

9 June 2008: Researchers at the University of Warwick's Department of Chemistry have recently discovered a new way of producing carbon nanotubes from a highly sensitive ready made electric circuit. Read more

6 June 2008: Argonne research unveiling the secrets of nanoparticle haloing. Read more

5 June 2008: Northeastern U awards 2008 nanomanufacturing fellowship. Read more

5 June 2008: Nanotech: Hot Technology Gets a Cool Down. Read more

4 June 2008: Nanotech process produces plastics that are 10 times more stretchable. Read more

4 June 2008: The Paterson administration is discussing a major economic development deal with IBM to enhance the global corporation's Fishkill chip manufacturing capabilities and expand research and development operations at the University at Albany's nanotechnology center. Read more

4 June 2008: IMEC, AIXTRON set important step towards low-cost GaN power devices. Read more

3 June 2008: Research measures movement of nanomaterials in simple model food chain. Read more

3 June 2008: Tiny Particles Solve Big Problems. Read more  

3 June 2008: Researchers develop nanowire 'paper towel' for oil spills. Read more

30 May 2008: Brown Chemists Create Cancer-Detecting Nanoparticles. Read more

30 May 2008: NC State breakthrough results in super-hard nanocrystalline iron that can take the heat. Read more

30 May 2008: Magnetic nanoparticles: Suitable for cancer therapy? Read more  

30 May 2008: Nanoparticles assemble by millions to encase oil drops. Read more

28 May 2008: Carbon nanoribbons could make smaller, speedier computer chips. Read more

27 May 2008: Light-driven 'molecular brakes' provide stopping power for nanomachines. Read more

27 May 2008: Nanotech makes radioactive sensors obsolete. Read more

27 May 2008: Swiss Atomic Force Microscope Helps Explore Mars Environment. Read more 

27 May 2008: Nano-fibres lead to pre-cancer symptoms in mice: study. Read more

27 May 2008: Failed HIV Drug Gets Second Chance with Addition of Gold Nanoparticles. Read more

27 May 2008: Nanotechnology could offer jolt to memory chips. Read more

23 May 2008: Researchers Develop Revolutionary Technology for Nanoscale Assembly at Wafer Level. Read more

23 May 2008: Fluorescent nano-barcodes could revolutionize diagnostics. Read more

23 May 2008: Carbon nanotubes may cause cancer, study reveals. Read more

21 May 2008: By adding graphene, researchers create superior polymer. Read more

21 May 2008: Nanotubes' toxic effects 'similar to asbestos'. Read more  

19 May 2008: DNA sequencing and nano-fabrication receive equipment funding support. Read more .

19 May 2008: Nanostructures Will Raise Thin-Film Solar Cell Efficiency. Read more

16 May 2008: EU observatory to guide policymakers on nanotechnologies. Read more

16 May 2008: A new shape for nanoparticles helps deliver imaging agents. Read more

16 May 2008: Nanotechnology in reverse uses cell to calibrate tools. Read more

16 May 2008: Nanowires may boost solar cell efficiency, engineers say. Read more

15 May 2008: A new method melts away tiny defects in nanostructures. Read more

15 May 2008: 3D Parts Integrated on Carbon-nanotube Wafer. Read more

15 May 2008: Nanowires may boost solar cell efficiency, engineers say. Read more

13 May 2008: Nanohealing Material Heads to Market. A startup is planning human trials for a nanostructured material that quickly stops bleeding. Read more

12 May 2008: Cheap nano power set to light up rural homes. Read more

12 May 2008: Taking the NanoPulse -- Hot Nanotechnology. Cool Energy Solutions. Read more

9 May 2008: Scientists demonstrate method for integrating nanowire devices directly onto silicon. Read more

9 May 2008: Researchers identify pressure effects on nanomaterials. Read more

9 May 2008: Towards a European Observatory on Nanotechnologies. Read more

8 May 2008: Scientists at UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and MIT have developed nanometer-sized "nanoworms" that can cruise through the bloodstream without significant interference from the body's immune defense system and-like tiny anti-cancer missiles-home in on tumors. Read more

8 May 2008: Researchers produce 3-D nanotube circuits. Read more  

8 May 2008: French scientists tweak carbon-storing powder. Read more

8 May 2008: Chemists measure chilli sauce hotness with nanotubes. Read more  

7 May 2008: Copper nanowires could be used in ultra-thin field-emission displays that are brighter and sharper than flat-panel displays. Read more

5 May 2008: Melting defects could lead to smaller, more powerful microchips. Read more

2 May 2008: CytImmune, UMBI team to produce nano-drug. Read more

2 May 2008: Go Speed Racer! Revving up the world's fastest nanomotors. Read more

2 May 2008: 'Nanomechanical Oscillators' Could Lead to New Class of Computers. Read more

1 May 2008: Angstron Introduces Low Cost Nanomaterial. Read more

1 May 2008: Making a good impression: Nanoimprint lithography tests at NIST. Read more

1 May 2008: Nanoengineered barrier invented to protect plastic electronics from water degradation. Read more

1 May 2008: Spiraling nanotrees offer new twist on growth of nanowires. Read more

1 May 2008: Nano RNA Delivery. Read more

18 April 2008: Nanotech to slash gadget power consumption. Read more

18 April 2008: Researchers Make Breakthrough in Nanotechnology by Uncovering Conductive Property of Carbon-based Molecules. Read more

17 April 2008: Limited transparency in federal nanotech research may hamper development. Read more

16 April 2008: New nanotube sensor can continuously monitor minute amounts of insulin. Read more

16 April 2008: Iran Among 10 Bionanotechnolgy Pioneers. Read more

16 April 2008: Researchers create the first thermal nanomotor in the world. Read more

16 April 2008: Researchers mimic bacteria to produce magnetic nanoparticles. Read more

16 April 2008: A team of academics based at the University of Washington have announced an exciting breakthrough in dye-sensitized solar cell technology. Read more

16 April 2008: Carbon Nanotube Measurements: Latest in NIST 'How-To' Series. Read more

16 April 2008: 'Nanodrop' Test Tubes Created with a Flip of a Switch. Read more

14 April 2008: A simple way to deposit thin films of carbon could lead to cheaper solar cells. Read more

14 April 2008: Norway to award nanotech 'Nobel prize'. Read more

14 April 2008: Researcher looks to use nanoparticles for food safety. Read more

14 April 2008: Microcontainers could improve cancer treatment by carrying nanoparticles directly to tumors. Read more

14 April 2008: Sweet nanotech batteries: Nanotechnology could solve lithium battery charging problems. Read more

11 April 2008: UC Davis wants to study environmental hazards of nanotechnology. Read more

11 April 2008: Joint briefing between TTNA & Nanotechnology Alliance. Read more

11 April 2008: Sweet nanotech batteries: Nanotechnology could solve lithium battery charging problems. Read more

11 April 2008: Nanotechnology to boost space industry. Read more

11 April 2008: Self-assembling Nanofibers Heal Spinal Cords. Read more

11 April 2008: Researcher looks to use nanoparticles for food safety. Read more

10 April 2008: Carbon nanotubes made into conductive, flexible 'stained glass'. Read more

10 April 2008: Citrate appears to control buckyball clumping but environmental concerns remain. Read more

9 April 2008: Nanophysicists have made a discovery that can change the way we store data on our computers. Read more

9 April 2008: Manufactured Buckyballs don't harm microbes that clean the environment. Read more

9 April 2008: Making sure the wonder materials don't become the wonder pollutant. Read more

9 April 2008: Herding Nano-particles Into Precise Lattices Could Be Basis For Improved Tissue Engineering. Read more

7 April 2008: Significant differences among different single-walled carbon nanotubes make it difficult to model their environmental risk. Read more

7 April 2008: Nano-sized technology has super-sized effect on tumors. Read more

7 April 2008: New spin on quantum computing in nanotubes. Read more

7 April 2008: Scientists Explore The Role Nanoparticles May Play In Disease. Read more

3 April 2008: A Dutch researcher is working on next-generation storage technology that could see data held on millions of tiny needles. Read more

3 April 2008: E.ON Supports Nanotechnology with € 6 Million. Read more

2 April 2008: Chemical signaling may power nanomachines. Read more

2 April 2008: Hydrogen storage in nanoparticles works. Read more

2 April 2008: Think green to reduce nanotech hazards. Read more

2 April 2008: Data storage using ultra-small needles. Read more  

2 April 2008: UCLA researchers design nanomachine that kills cancer cells. Read more

31 March 2008: Two Pittsburgh-area companies received $508,238 in funding Tuesday through the Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center, a Pittsburgh-based organization founded to promote research into super-small materials, called nanomaterials. Read more

31 March 2008: Future Of Computing: Carbon Nanotubes And Superconductors To Replace The Silicon Chip. Read more

28 March 2008: Nanomaterial turns radiation directly into electricity. Read more   

28 March 2008: New Nanoparticles for Targeting Tumors. Read more

28 March 2008: Carbon Nanotubes Improve Fuel Cells. Read more

27 March 2008: Biosensing nanodevice to revolutionize health screenings. Read more

27 March 2008: Researchers hoping to use carbon nanotubes for quantum computing -- in which the spin of a single electron would represent a bit of data -- may have to change their approaches, according to new Cornell research. Read more

26 March 2008: South Korean engineers said Monday that they have developed a method to mass produce nano-porous films needed to make high quality aluminum and used in other advanced materials. Read more

26 March 2008: EU project aims at ultimate in miniaturisation: molecular machines. Read more

25 March 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute [profile] have conducted research indicating that carbon nanotube interconnects can outperform copper nanowires in next-generation semi conductors. Read more

25 March 2008: NanoImaging Services employs a high-powered microscope capable of seeing biomolecular images too small for traditional microscopes. Read more

20 March 2008: A University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Maryland (UM) team has developed a new nanotechnology-driven chemical catalyst that paves the way for more efficient hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Read more

20 March 2008: Team Finds 'Metafilms' Can Shrink Radio, Radar Devices. Read more

19 March 2008: After the successful pilot Call of 2007, the European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility (ETSF) is now publishing on its website its new Call for Proposals. Read more

19 March 2008: A High Power Laser Zap to Nanotechnology. Read more

19 March 2008: U.S. materials scientists are studying metals at the nano scale, testing the strength of wires a thousand times thinner than a human hair. Read more

19 March 2008: IBM scientists today took another significant advance towards sending information inside a computer chip by using light pulses instead of electrons by building the world’s tiniest nanophotonic switch with a footprint about 100X smaller than the cross section of a human hair. Read more

19 March 2008: Better Graphene Transistors. Read more

19 March 2008: As hundreds of companies worldwide pursue the flourishing multi-million dollar electronic textile (e-textile) marketplace, a new twist in the manufacturing process has been unveiled by NanoSonic, Inc., of Blacksburg, Va. Read more

14 March 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a road map that brings academia and the semiconductor industry one step closer to realizing carbon nanotube interconnects, and alleviating the current bottleneck of information flow that is limiting the potential of computer chips in everything from personal computers to portable music players. Read more  

14 March 2008: Physicists discover how fundamental particles lose track of quantum mechanical properties. Read more

13 March 2008: Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London and Nanoforce Technology Ltd. in the UK, have successfully produced single-walled nanotube reinforced polymer fibres and tapes that are as strong as theory predicts. Read more

13 March 2008: In yet another twist on the strangeness of the nanoworld, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Maryland-College Park have discovered that materials such as silica that are quite brittle in bulk form behave as ductile as gold at the nanoscale. Their results may affect the design of future nanomachines. Read more

13 March 2008: Tiny Brain-Like Transistor Controls Nanobots. Read more

11 March 2008: An information day on the ARTEMIS (embedded computer systems) and ENIAC (nano-electronics) JTIs (Joint Technology Initiatives) will be held in Brussels, Belgium, on 4 April. Read more

11 March 2008: In the hands of jewelers, gold can be fashioned into rings and pendants of long-lasting beauty. But, when reduced in size to nanocrystals containing a few thousand atoms, this noble metal is a surprisingly good catalyst. Read more

11 March 2008: All done with mirrors: Microscope tracks nanoparticles in 3-D. Read more  

11 March 2008: Hygienic, antibacteria sprays can be harmful to the environment as well as germs. Read more

10 March 2008: IBM researchers have discovered a way to use graphite effectively in building nanoelectonic circuits vastly smaller than those in silicon-based computer chips. Read more

10 March 2008: Like a smart highlighter, immunofluorescent labeling can zero in on a specific protein, helping scientists understand the structure of a cell and how diseases affect that structure. Read more

10 March 2008: We encounter valves every day, whether in the water faucet, the carburetor in our car, or our bicycle tire tube. Valves are also present in the world of nanotechnology. Read more

7 March 2008: Researchers create 'invisibility cloak' for colloidal nanoparticles. Read more

7 March 2008: Nanoscale tool allows scientists to study membrane proteins one at a time. Read more

6 March 2008: Ultrafast electron microscopy reveals switchable nanochannels in materials. Read more

6 March 2008: Cellular construction methods emulated. Read more

6 March 2008: Good vibrations probe innards of molecular electronic junctions. Read more

6 March 2008: Prioritizing federal efforts for studying health and safety of nanomaterials evolves. Read more

6 March 2008: Nanotechnology conference tackles safety issues. Read more

4 March 2008: The march of the carbon nanotubes. Read more

4 March 2008: Surface dislocation nucleation: Strength is but skin deep at the nanoscale. Read more

4 March 2008: In an advance in food safety, researchers are reporting development of a nano-sized sensor that detects record low levels of the deadly prion proteins that cause Mad Cow Disease and other so-called prion diseases. Read more

4 March 2008: Nanomedicine system engineered to enhance therapeutic effects of injectable drugs. Read more

3 March 2008: Breakthroughs in nanotechnology on edge of 'knowledge frontier'. Read more

3 March 2008: Israeli researchers help reveal electronic structure of DNA. Read more

3 March 2008: Biomagnetics developed for use in new breast cancer tests. Read more

3 March 2008: Magnetic atoms of gold, silver and copper have been obtained. Read more

3 March 2008: The dream of climate-friendly, petroleum-free motoring is creeping closer - thanks to a clutch of breakthroughs in nanotechnology. Read more

3 March 2008: Clues to how plants form cell walls could aid bio fuels and nanotechnology. Read more

29 February 2008: The Valencian Regional Government offers sixty Santiago Grisolia grants for foreign fellow investigators interested in participating in specific research programmes in a range of subjects. Read more

29 February 2008: The European Commission is to spend €3bn (£2.3bn) on nanoelectronics research and €2.5bn (£1.9bn) on embedded computer systems over the next 10 years. Read more

29 February 2008: Advances in atomic force microscopy allow scientists to measure single-atom forces on a surface. Read more

29 February 2008: Carbon nanotubes printed on plastic substrate speed mobility x100. Read more

28 February 2008: A new kind of probe microscope can measure the force needed to push a single atom. Read more

28 February 2008: A nanocomposite of aluminium oxide and a polymer is as tough as metals but lighter. Read more

27 February 2008: Nanoemulsion vaccines show increasing promise. Read more

27 February 2008: Analogue logic for quantum computing. Read more

27 February 2008: The European Commission has launched two new Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs) designed to boost Europe's competitiveness in the fields of nanoelectronics and embedded computer systems. Read more

27 February 2008: Federal toxics disclosure law could help inform public of nanotechnology risks. Read more

26 February 2008: IBM experimenting with DNA to build chips. Read more

26 February 2008: Cambridge, Nokia introduce new stretchable and flexible mobile phone concept. Read more

26 February 2008: Silica smart bombs deliver knock-out to bacteria. Read more

26 February 2008: Nanopores that can recognize and separate proteins and small molecules. Read more

26 February 2008: Astronomy technology brings nanoparticle probes into sharper focus. Read more

25 February 2008: IBM scientists are the first ever to measure the force it takes to move individual atoms on a surface. This provides important information for designing future atomic-scale devices. Read more

25 February 2008: Energetic nanoparticles swing sunlight into electricity. Read more

22 February 2008: Graphene takes the heat. Read more

22 February 2008: Researchers discover new way to store information via DNA. Read more

21 February 2008: Despite an onslaught of research, scientists cannot say which nanomaterials are hazardous to the environment or human health. Read more

21 February 2008: Astronomy technology brings nanoparticle probes into sharper focus. Read more

21 February 2008: Chemists measure copper levels in zinc oxide nanowires. Read more

21 February 2008: Cheap, clean drinking water purified through nanotechnology. Read more

20 February 2008: Strengthening fluids with nanoparticles. Read more

20 February 2008: Clicking synthetic and biological molecules together. Read more

20 February 2008: Lens-less camera uses X-rays to view nanoscale materials and biological specimens. Read more

20 February 2008: Federal nanotech risk research plan still comes up short. Read more

19 February 2008: New transportation technology for micro cargoes. Read more

19 February 2008: Using fireballs to uncover the mysteries of ball lightning. Read more

18 February 2008: Small graphene wires may be poor conductors. Read more

18 February 2008: Protein's strength lies in h-bond cooperation. Read more

18 February 2008: As nanotech's promise grows, will puny particles present big health problems? Read more

18 February 2008: New nanotube findings give boost to potential biomedical applications. Read more

18 February 2008: Nanotechnology advances brain cancer detection and therapy. Read more

18 February 2008: Study: Religion colors Americans' views of nanotechnology. Read more 

15 February 2008: Strategy for nanotechnology-related environmental, health and safety research. Read more

15 February 2008: A new kind of artificial skin made from thin layers of polymers and carbon nanotubes could soon give patients and robots alike the sensation of hot, cold, and pressure. Read more

15 February 2008: By wiring up DNA between two carbon nanotubes, researchers have measured the molecule's ability to conduct electricity. Read more

15 February 2008: Self-cleaning wool and silk developed using nanotechnology. Read more

15 February 2008: Nanomagnets add new dimension to nanotechnology. Read more

14 February 2008: Unique infrared technique finds applications in nanoscience. Read more

14 February 2008: Remarkable new nano-fiber clothing may someday power your iPod. Read more  

14 February 2008: NEC Corporation announces the successful development of a carbon nanotube (CNT) transistor using a coating process. The basic operation of the new transistor with advanced characteristics has been verified, confirming its application in the printed electronics field. Read more

14 February 2008: Nanosieves save energy in biofuel production. Read more

13 February 2008: Bacteria and nanofilters: the future of clean water technology. Read more

13 February 2008: Unique infrared technique finds applications in nanoscience. Read more

12 February 2008: Nanotechnology's future depends on who the public trusts. Read more

12 February 2008: The European Commission has adopted a code of conduct for responsible research in the relatively new fields of nanosciences and nanotechnologies (N&N). Read more

11 February 2008: Researchers Hear the Sound of Quantum Drums.  Read more

11 February 2008: Sometimes simpler is better. Engineering researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a new way to produce ultra-thin electricity-conducting wire that is simpler and faster than existing processes. Read more

11 February 2008: Scientists produce carbon nanotubes using commercially available polymeric resins. Read more

11 February 2008: Graphene is a nanomaterial combining very simple atomic structure with intriguingly complex and largely unexplored physics. Since its first isolation about four years ago researchers suggested a large number of applications for this material in anticipation of future technological revolutions. In particular, graphene is considered as a potential candidate for replacing silicon in future electronic devices. Read more

11 February 2008: European Commission adopts Code of Conduct for Responsible Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies Research. Read more

8 February 2008: In an achievement some see as the "holy grail" of nanoscience, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have for the first time used DNA to guide the creation of three-dimensional, ordered, crystalline structures of nanoparticles. Read more

8 February 2008: The continuous fabrication of complex, three-dimensional nanoscale structures and the ability to grow individual nanowires of unlimited length are now possible with a process developed by researchers at the University of Illinois. Read more

7 February 2008: Drapers’ Company Junior Research Fellowships are given for research in the sciences, and will be offered this year for research in the fields of engineering science, materials science and Earth sciences. Read more 

7 February 2008: Voluntary EPA program criticized for not giving agency the data it needs to regulate nanoscale materials. Read more

7 February 2008: A conference entitled 'Nanotechnology - towards reducing animal testing' will be held in London, UK, on 28 and 29 May. Read more

7 February 2008: Nanoscopic DNA pyramids that change shape with different chemical signals could potentially drive DNA robots, or aid precision drug delivery. Read more

7 February 2008: One of the immediate applications of carbon nanotubes (CNT) is as an additive to polymers to create electrically conducting plastics-a relatively low CNT concentration can dramatically change the polymer`s electrical conductivity by orders of magnitude, from an insulator to a conductor. Read more

7 February 2008: In a study that could lay the foundation for mass-produced single-molecule sensors, physicists and engineers at Rice University have demonstrated a means of simultaneously making optical and electronic measurements of the same molecule. Read more

5 February 2008: Researchers create three-dimensional structures using DNA-directed assembly. Read more

5 February 2008: Research underway at the University of Leeds will provide a completely fresh insight into the workings of nano-scale systems, and enable advances in the development of nano-electronic devices for use in industry, medicine and biotechnology. Read more

5 February 2008: A University of Waterloo physics and astronomy research team has shown how some solids behave like liquids on the nanoscale. Read more

5 February 2008: Researchers create three-dimensional structures using DNA-directed assembly. Read more

5 February 2008: Research underway at the University of Leeds will provide a completely fresh insight into the workings of nano-scale systems, and enable advances in the development of nano-electronic devices for use in industry, medicine and biotechnology. Read more

5 February 2008: A University of Waterloo physics and astronomy research team has shown how some solids behave like liquids on the nanoscale. Read more

4 February 2007: A new process for catching gas from the environment and holding it indefinitely in molecular-sized containers has been developed by a team of University of Calgary researchers, who say it represents a novel method of gas storage that could yield benefits for capturing, storing and transporting gases more safely and efficiently. Read more

4 February 2007: A University of Waterloo physics and astronomy research team, in a paper to be published Friday in Science Magazine, shows how some solids behave like liquids on the nanoscale. Read more

4 February 2007: Radiation sickness drug in the form of carbon nanotubes gets DARPA's attention. Read more

4 February 2007: While biomedical, electronics, and other branches of research are marching steadily into the realm of the smaller-than-small nanometer scale, building needed materials at this scale has been problematic. Read more

1 Feburary 2008: Integrated circuits, such as the silicon chips inside all modern electronics, are only as good as their wiring, but copper conduits are approaching physical performance limitations as they get thinner Read more

1 Feburary 2008: “There are some discussions about the recent applications on photonic nanolasers and photonic integrated circuits based on photonic crystals,” Read more

31 January 2008: Integrated circuits, such as the silicon chips inside all modern electronics, are only as good as their wiring, but copper conduits are approaching physical performance limitations as they get thinner. Read more  

31 January 2008: The continuous fabrication of complex, three-dimensional nanoscale structures and the ability to grow individual nanowires of unlimited length are now possible with a process developed by researchers at the University of Illinois. Read more

31 January 2008: Strands of DNA can be programmed to assemble nanoparticles into 3D structures, pointing towards a new way to engineer materials from the bottom up. Read more

30 January 2008: Researchers have recently built an x-ray microscope that has a pixel resolution of just 15 nanometers, allowing scientists to study the properties of materials at the molecular scale and beyond. Read more

30 January 2008: Carbon nanotubes have a sound future in the electronics industry, say researchers who built the world’s first all-nanotube transistor radios to prove it. Read more

30 January 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Polyset Company have developed a new inexpensive, quick-drying polymer that could lead to dramatic cost savings and efficiency gains in semiconductor manufacturing and computer chip packaging. Read more

30 January 2008: Members of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE are traveling to Tokyo with bulky luggage these days. Their destination is Nanotech 2008, the world’s largest trade fair for nanotechnology. Their solar module, which they will be presenting in the BMBF marketing campaign ‘Nanotech Germany’, is the size and shape of a door: two meters high and sixty centimeters wide. Read more

30 January 2008: Sculpting a surface composed of tightly packed nanostructures that resemble tiny nails, University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers and their colleagues from Bell Laboratories have created a material that can repel almost any liquid. Read more

30 January 2008: Carbon nanotubes-cylinders so tiny that it takes 50,000 lying side by side to equal the width of a human hair-are packed with the potential to be highly accurate vehicles for administering medicines and other therapeutic agents to patients. Read more

30 January 2008: The Department of Defense has commissioned a nine-month study from Rice University chemists and scientists in the Texas Medical Center to determine whether a new drug based on carbon nanotubes can help prevent people from dying of acute radiation injury following radiation exposure. Read more

29 January 2008: While X-ray images easily show up the difference between bone and soft tissue, there's not enough contrast between the soft tissues to tell them apart. Read more

29 January 2008: Nanochemists Discover Novel, Semi-Conducting Nanotube. Read more

29 January 2008: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published today in the Federal Register its plan for the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Read more

28 January 2008: Millions of nearly invisible wires may hold the answer to making solar cells a more affordable source of alternative energy. Read more

24 January 2008: Carbon nanotubes are attractive candidates for use as the active elements in the next generation of electronic devices. However, it has proven incredibly difficult to align nanotubes within device architectures. Read more

24 January 2008: Scientists have created silicon nanowires that are perfect—at least atomically. Down at the single-atom level, the identical wires have no bumps, bends, or other imperfections. Read more

22 January 2008: For the first time, researchers have demonstrated a means of controlling cell functions with a physical, rather than chemical, signal. Read more

22 January 2008: New carbon nanotube hydrogen storage results surpass Freedom Car requirements. Read more 

16 January 2008: The Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin’s Jackson School of Geosciences announces the Advanced Energy Consortium (AEC), a multimillion-dollar research consortium dedicated to the development of micro and nanotechnology applications to increase oil and gas production. Read more

14 January 2008: Scientists at George Mason University's Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine have invented an innovative nanotechnology tool that may lead to a dramatic improvement in treatment results for patients diagnosed with cancer or other diseases. Read more

14 January 2008: Scientists at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute have developed the world’s first gene detection platform made up entirely from self-assembled DNA nanostructures. Read more

14 January 2008: Energy now lost as heat during the production of electricity could be harnessed through the use of silicon nanowires synthesized via a technique developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley. Read more

10 January 2008: The National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued its first reference standards for nanoscale particles targeted for the biomedical research community—literally “gold standards” for labs studying the biological effects of nanoparticles. Read more

10 January 2008: In the race to make solar cells cheaper and more efficient, many researchers and start-up companies are betting on new designs that exploit nanostructures--materials engineered on the scale of a billionth of a meter. Read more

10 January 2008: Scientists have determined how to connect carbon nanotubes together like water pipes, a feat that may lead to a whole new group of bottom-up-engineered nanostructures and devices. Read more

10 January 2008: Two EU-funded projects have been pushing the limits of chip miniaturisation, trying to make complementary metal-oxide semiconductor chips (CMOS) even smaller than they already are. While the NanoCMOS project, which was completed in 2006, helped develop 45 nanometre (nm) node semiconductors, its follow-up project NANOPULL is aiming at 32nm and ultimately 22nm features. Read more

9 January 2008: Atom-thick sheets of a carbon compound called graphene should smash the record for room-temperature conductivity, say UK researchers. Read more

9 January 2008: Scientists from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Brewer Science, Inc. have used carbon nanotubes as the basis for a high-speed thin-film transistors printed onto sheets of flexible plastic. Read more

8 January 2008: Scientists have determined how to connect carbon nanotubes together like water pipes, a feat that may lead to a whole new group of bottom-up-engineered nanostructures and devices. Read more

19 December 2007: Nanowire battery holds 10 times the charge of existing ones. Read more

19 December 2007: A new material, nano flakes, may revolutionise the transformation of solar energy to electricity. If so, even ordinary households can benefit from solar electricity and save money in the future. Read more

18 December 2007: The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UCLA and NanoPacific Holdings Inc. have announced a partnership to commercialize a mechanized, nanoparticle-based technology that could lead to prolonged lives of enhanced quality for millions of cancer sufferers. Read more

18 December 2007: Nano pioneer Ferrari test-launching multi-stage drug delivery system. Read more

18 December 2007: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed an imaging system that quickly maps the mechanical properties of materials--how stiff or stretchy they are. Read more

17 December 2007: Two engineers at the University of California, Riverside [profile] are part of a binational team that has found semiconducting nanotubes produced by living bacteria - a discovery that could help in the creation of a new generation of nanoelectronic devices. Read more

17 December 2007: In collaboration with the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies at Los Alamos, an international team of researchers has, for the first time, viewed on a nanoscale the formation of mysterious metallic puddles that facilitate the transition of an electrically insulating material into an electrically conducting one. Read more

17 December 2007: A new design for silicon-based chips makes it possible to mechanically stretch them out to cover large areas. Read more

17 December 2007: Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have unveiled important details about a class of catalysts that could help improve the performance of fuel cells. Read more

14 December 2007: Taiwan scientists and engineers have invented a nonvolatile organic memory device. The device uses gold nanoparticles mixed with a polymer that is wedged between two aluminum electrodes. Read more

14 December 2007: India is hoping nanotechnology could provide a new thrust to its booming economy and to become a world leader in a market expected to be worth one-trillion dollars by 2015.Read more

14 December 2007: With a novel twist on existing techniques used to create porous crystals, University of Michigan researchers have developed a new, high-capacity material that may be useful in storing hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. Read more

14 December 2007: Using computer simulations, researchers at the University of Illinois have demonstrated a strategy for sequencing DNA by driving the molecule back and forth through a nanopore capacitor in a semiconductor chip. The technique could lead to a device that would read human genomes quickly and affordably. Read more

12 December 2007: A technique for controlling the magnetic properties of a commonly used blue dye could revolutionise computer processing power, according to research published recently in Advanced Materials. Read more

11 December 2007: Using Carbon Nanotubes To Seek and Destroy Anthrax Toxin and Other Harmful Proteins. Read more

11 December 2007: Union government has identified Bangalore among the three cities in the country for the promotion and development of Nanotechnology under the Union government grant of Rs 1,000 crore (approx. $225 million). Read more

10 December 2007: Supercomputers that consist of thousands of individual processor "brains" connected by miles of copper wires could one day fit into a laptop PC, thanks in part to a breakthrough by IBM scientists announced today. Read more

10 December 2007: Two engineers at the University of California, Riverside are part of a binational team that has found semiconducting nanotubes produced by living bacteria – a discovery that could help in the creation of a new generation of nanoelectronic devices. Read more

6 December 2007: From eliminating the side effects of chemotherapy to treating Alzheimer’s disease, the potential medical applications of nanorobots are vast and ambitious. Read more

6 December 2007: The EU-funded network of excellence in nanobiotechnology, Nano2Life (N2L), will hold its annual meeting from 9 to 11 January 2008 in Champéry, Switzerland. Read more

5 December 2007: A five-day workshop addressing 'Imaging of nano-objects' will be taking place from 4 to 8 February 2008 in Les Houches, France. Read more

4 December 2007: Researchers at Cornell are working to use the same energy that drives sperm to power nanoscale robots or to deliver chemo drugs or antibiotics, for example, to targeted sites within the body. Read more

4 December 2007: Cancer cells treated with carbon nanotubes can be destroyed by noninvasive radio waves that heat up the nanotubes while sparing untreated tissue. Read more

4 December 2007: To ensure that South Africa remains competitive with the international research community in this fast-developing field, the country’s nanoscience and nanotechnology effort is being coordinated at national level by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) through its National Nanotechnology Strategy. Read more