http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News.aspxNanotechnology and Development Newsen{7182FE5C-7784-4AF9-8686-419D9790B50F}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/16/heres_another_initiative.aspxThe agencies participating in the United States Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) this week announced their fourth Nanotechnology Signature Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to stimulate the development of models, simulation tools, and databases to further enable the prediction of specific properties and characteristics of nanoscale materials. The goal is to accelerate commercialization of nanotechnology innovations that maximize benefits to humans and the environment, while minimizing risks. The initiative, “Nanotechnology Knowledge Infrastructure: Enabling National Leadership in Sustainable Design,” identifies four areas that will benefit from focused attention: “A diverse collaborative community of scientists, engineers, and technical staff to support research, development, and applications of nanotechnology to meet national challenges; An agile modeling network for multidisciplinary intellectual collaboration that effectively couples experimental basic research, modeling, and applications development; A sustainable cyber-toolbox to enable effective application of models and knowledge to nanomaterials design; and, A robust digital nanotechnology data and information infrastructure to support effective data sharing, collaboration, and innovation across disciplines and applications.” The initiative will also engage with, and connect to, the Materials Genome Initiative, which is a multi-stakeholder effort to accelerate domestic advanced materials discovery and deployment.Wed, 16 May 2012 12:16:00 -0400{ADCE3CE0-B6B1-4C67-86FA-4EAC11B8B4F6}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/16/Georgia_researchers.aspxResearchers from the Georgia Health Sciences University, United States, have found that DNA nanoparticles – used to deliver genes or drugs directly into cells to treat diseases – may help arthritis just by showing up. The team injected empty-handed DNA nanoparticles into animals and found they increased expression of an enzyme that calms the immune response. Enhancing the expression of indoleomine 2,3 dioxygenase, or IDO, results in reduction of limb joint swelling and inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis. According to Dr. Andrew L. Mellor, the Director of the GHSU’s Medical College of Georgia Immunotherapy Center and the study’s corresponding author, “It’s like pouring water on a fire. The fire is burning down the house, which in this case is the tissue normally required for your joints to work smoothly. When IDO levels are high, there is more water to control the fire.” The team is not sure why or how the reaction occurs, but speculates that the immune cells start making more IDO in response to the arrival of the DNA nanoparticles. The team next plans to document all cells that respond by producing more IDO, and plan to find a polymer nanoparticle that can biodegrade in the body.Wed, 16 May 2012 12:14:00 -0400{C116BEF7-A0C1-459F-8D45-3A0B53B65B4D}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/16/EC_definition.aspxThe European Commission (EC)’s recommended definition of nanomaterials, published in October 2011, alarmed many in industry, who argued that the guidance is too narrow and will force companies into costly compliance procedures. “Implementing the proposed definition will add unnecessary burden for companies, leading to added costs and less efficient use of resources,” said Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, adding that the definition was “too broad in scope and therefore difficult to integrate into existing legislation in a meaningful way.” Steffi Friedrichs, the director general of the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA), agreed, saying, “Instead of a business development possibility, it is much more a threat of costly product compliance. And that means, obviously, you have some companies that are only making a very small margin on moving from regular materials to nanomaterials that cannot afford now to market product. What we estimate, as a rule of thumb, is half of the companies that are now affected by this would not have been thinking of their material as a nanomaterial before.” Industry analysts say key future decisions will affect the cost of the EC’s definition, such as: will member states implement nanoparticle policies, or will the EC implement a Europe-wide policy; and, will nanomaterials need to be authorized and registered separately from their larger chemical counterparts. Jeremy Warren, CEO of NanoSight, argues that the definition would actually have a long-term positive effect on corporations, as it reduces risk. “Because it comes from the European government and because the number of scientists and the scientific committees working on this have consulted so widely and are so eminent and have thought this through, its provenance gives it a lot of weight,” he said. Still, for nanotechnology to thrive in Europe, the commission and member nations need to come to a consensus on nanomaterial standards, with the ideal result being a single pan-European standard, according to the article’s author, Alex Philippidis, the senior news editor at Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News.Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400{4826172E-2741-4049-9C7D-D43696A22618}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/15/nanoparticles.aspxScientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, United States, made cerium dioxide nanorods of various lengths and diameters in an effort to test how size and shape influences the ability of such particles to damage cells. The team made a library of eight cerium dioxide nanoparticles, then tested the toxicity of the nanoparticles in human leukemia cells, a line commonly used in inflammation studies. The scientists found that cells treated with short rods died at the same rate as untreated cells, indicating that the small particles were not toxic. Bigger particles, however, triggered cells to activate an inflammatory protein, and killed 35 percent of the cells. The team says the test is the first to examine the role of aspect ratio in cell toxicity, and the results, along with other data the group is gathering, could help researchers predict toxicology and risk for nanomaterials.Tue, 15 May 2012 13:05:00 -0400{4A288E56-4A56-4C89-BF57-5E7083E864AD}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/15/codex.aspxThis article, by Dr. Steve Suppan, Senior Policy Analyst at the United States-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), explores the sector of agri-nanotechnology products, many of which are available to consumers in some countries already, with additional ones likely to reach the market soon. Suppan says the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) call the availability of such products “progress,” but Suppan wonders if it is progress to have agri-nanotechnology products in the marketplace without any regulation. WHO and FAO are the parent organizations of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is the international food standards setting body. Codex, says Suppan, has yet to agree on any agri-nanotechnology standards, or even to begin work on standards to protect consumer health. The article examines the current and potential use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in food and food packaging, while also looking at regulators and the pressure to commercialize ENMs. Suppan notes that the IATP, along with five other organizations, sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to respond to a 2006 petition to regulate ENMs. The article further explores the trade policy context of food safety standards. It next goes into a detailed analysis of how Codex could set standards for ENMs, concluding that Codex is the appropriate venue to begin the development of multilateral standards for this emerging technology. Suppan argues for the creation of a Task Force on Agri-Nanotechnology, and says the Commission should commit to including agri-nanotechnology standards work in its Strategic Plan, and request that the Codex Executive Committee propose a work plan, schedule and budget for developing standards and guidance tests. The Codex process should not, Suppan says, wait for other entities to complete their work on regulating nanotechnology, as it could hold up the Codex process for years. Otherwise, he writes, “we could be facing a very long wait, during which time agri-nanotechnology products commercialized without regulation could expose consumers to unnecessary and unjustifiable risks.”Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:00 -0400{03BBB97D-275D-4F8F-B3B6-8672200E578A}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/15/tooting_its_horn_again.aspxThe Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC) has launched a website that monitors and analyzes scientific achievements and improvements of world countries in the field of nanotechnology. The information is based on continually updated statistical data extracted from reputable technical databases. The new website is intended to track regional – mainly Iran – and global technological changes in the field. It has indices of over 105 countries, and allows the user to draw comparisons easily. The website also provides a great deal of information regarding the current status of nanotechnology in Iran. A link to the website is available on the INIC website.Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400{073EDD90-DF75-4C32-9C01-DA43E7BFF5C1}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/14/berkeley_viruses.aspxScientists at the United States Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a way to generate power by using viruses to convert mechanical energy into electricity. The team demonstrated their approach by creating a generator that can produce enough current to operate a small liquid-crystal display. The operator taps a finger on an electrode coated with specially engineered, but harmless, viruses. The viruses then convert the force of the tap into an electric charge. It is the first generator to harness the piezoelectric properties of a biological material to produce electricity. The discovery could eventually lead to tiny devices that harvest electrical energy from the vibrations of everyday tasks such as shutting a door or climbing stairs. Seung-Wuk Lee, a faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Physical Biosciences Division and a University of California Berkeley associate professor of bioengineering, said, “More research is needed, but our work is a promising first step toward the development of personal power generators, actuators for use in nano-devices, and other devices based on viral electronics…We’re now working on ways to improve on this proof-of-principle demonstration. Because the tools of biotechnology enable large-scale production of genetically modified viruses, piezoelectric materials based on viruses could offer a simple route to novel microelectronics in the future.” The team’s work was described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.Mon, 14 May 2012 10:23:00 -0400{62C7BEA5-4D56-4736-96A0-BC0C4528A881}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/14/mining.aspxA compromise substitute for a stalled critical materials bill has been reached between United States Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). The legislation is to create government policy for the development of rare earth elements and other critical minerals by securing the U.S. supply of certain minerals and to rebuild the domestic industry. The legislation has been held up due to concerns over streamlining mine permit reviews. The compromise relies on reforms similar to President Barack Obama’s executive order on the issue, while also calling on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to reduce red tape. The proposal also includes a provision to offset the cost of the bill, and includes grants for the production of lithium used in advanced batteries. According to Republican spokesman Robert Dillon, "Sen. Murkowski now expects it [the legislation] to move forward under regular order. When that will happen is up to Sen. Bingaman." Senator Bingaman’s spokesman, Bill Wicker, said a markup has yet to be scheduled, but confirmed that the new language represented a compromise on the issue.Mon, 14 May 2012 10:20:00 -0400{99E58133-A864-4A6A-A7BA-C5D95EE74457}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/14/potential_solutions.aspxA potential geoengineering project would involve using five tethered balloons to put 1.5 million tons of titanium dioxide particles into the stratosphere each year. The sub-micro particles could turn away the rays of the sun. Peter Davidson, a former senior innovation advisor to the United Kingdom government, chartered chemical engineer, and Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and Royal Academy of Engineering, said, "While it's essential that we work to reduce carbon dioxide emissions now, it would be wise to have a well-researched emergency system in reserve as a Plan B." The idea of using particles to decrease temperature levels on Earth stems from the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which launched 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, decreasing temperatures around the world by 0.5 degrees Celsius. Recreating these conditions using sulfuric acid would deplete the ozone layer and produce regional changes in rainfall patterns, but using a harmless particle of a similar size, such as titanium dioxide, could be the answer, said Davidson. Davidson said an independent trust should be formed to spearhead the project and draw together governments, environmental bodies, legal representatives, and others.Mon, 14 May 2012 10:16:00 -0400{E90B3BAA-249E-486D-8A3B-405BAAA87C8E}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/11/bacteria.aspxA new coating, developed at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, can destroy 99 percent of the bacteria and fungi it encounters. The coating, made from Dimethyldecylammonium Chitosan methacrylate, is a sponge-like polymer that holds a positive charge, and acts like a magnet-type force to draw in bacteria, which have a negative charge on their cell walls. Bacterium that come into contact with the coating are “sucked” into the nanopores, causing the cell to rupture, killing the bacterium. The coating is able to attract and kill bacteria without the need for antibiotics. According to Mary Chan, the acting chair of NTU’s School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, "The coating can also be applied on biomedical objects, such as catheters and implants to prevent bacterial infections, which is a serious cause of concern as many bacteria are now developing resistance to antibiotics - currently our main source of treatment for infections. By developing novel materials which uses physical interaction to kill bacteria cells, we envisage this can be an alternative form of treatment for bacterial infections in the near future." The product is already in use by two companies: a contact lens manufacturer; and, a company specializing in animal care products. The team hopes to extend its use to a wide range of biomedical and consumer products. The team has also developed a broad-spectrum antimicrobial solution that is able to kill off only bacteria and fungi, without harming human cells, in vitro.Fri, 11 May 2012 09:01:00 -0400{0B4BED80-7967-4754-8A44-406D4D5C56C8}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/11/food.aspxNew research in the journal Scientific Reports reveals the presence of carbon nanoparticles in foods, including bread, corn flakes, biscuits and caramels. The research indicates that it could be safe to eat such nanoparticles. According to one of the researchers, Arun Chattopadhyay, from the Indian Institute of Technology in Assam, India, “It is known that nanomaterials were used in dyeing hair, providing colorful glasses and in weapons. Now, our discovery of the presence of carbon nanoparticles in food caramels adds to the repertoire of traditional use of nanomaterials.” The researchers tested for carbon nanoparticles in foods that are prepared by heating in the absence of water, finding spherical carbon nanoparticles ranging from 4 to 30 nanometers in size. “If we and our ancestors have been eating these nanoparticles for centuries (if not for millennia) and if these particles can offer some benefits of nanomaterials – then why not use them?” Chattopadhyay said. The researchers tested the extracted carbon nanoparticles and found that even at high concentrations, they had little or no toxicity. The researchers suggest that these food-derived nanoparticles could be competition to the current expensive synthetics, as they would not need to go through as many safety studies. “They have the potential to improve public perception on the safety of nanoparticles. This does not still mean that all nanoparticles are safe. Some are and some are not,” said Chattopadhyay.Fri, 11 May 2012 08:56:00 -0400{2D1B4CD3-7B66-4D46-BF32-69136AF9C1E4}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/11/nanosafety.aspxThe California Nanosafety Consortium of Higher Education has published a new document, “Nanotoolkit: Working Safely with Engineered Nanomaterials in Academic Research Settings,” which contains a compendium of best practices, standards, and guidelines to using engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). The document was developed in an effort to provide practical guidance on how ENMs should be handled safely in the laboratory in the face of uncertainty over possible toxic effects. While there have been many guidance documents and exposure studies to date, most have focused on industrial settings. Academic laboratories, however, present their own challenges in that much of the initial research and development of nanotechnology occurs in these settings, resulting in hazards that are more diverse, and exposure monitoring that is more challenging. The tool kit is designed to provide academic researchers the ability to quickly identify safe handling practices based on whether the work they propose is in a low, moderate, or high potential exposure category. The document is available for download from the Consortium’s website.Fri, 11 May 2012 08:54:00 -0400{FDDB5D6C-8EA2-476B-AA19-1DD4FD6D3870}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/10/catalyst.aspxHydrogen gas offers one of the most promising sustainable energy alternatives to fossil fuels, but its full potential is stymied by challenges - such as the releasing of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to requiring rare and expensive chemical elements such as platinum - in producing pure hydrogen. Now scientists at the United States Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new electrocatalyst of nickel-molybdenum-nitride in a high-performing nanosheet structure that generates hydrogen gas from water cleanly, and with much more affordable materials. Kotaro Sasaki, a chemist at Brookhaven, said, “We wanted to design an optimal catalyst with high activity and low costs that could generate hydrogen as a high-density, clean energy source. We discovered this exciting compound that actually outperformed our expectations.” The new catalyst performs nearly as well as platinum, and, while it does not represent a complete solution to the challenge of creating affordable hydrogen gas, it does reduce the cost of essential equipment. According to James Muckerman, a senior chemist, “Brookhaven Lab has a very active fuel cell and electrocatalysis group. We needed to figure out fundamental approaches that could potentially be game-changing, and that’s the spirit in which we’re doing this work. It’s about coming up with a new paradigm that will guide future research.”Thu, 10 May 2012 10:31:00 -0400{9E1C1A8E-9F44-4883-89FB-3A5E21031F72}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/10/leaf.aspxThe first practical artificial leaf is described in the American Chemical Society’s journal Accounts of Chemical Research. The new device, unlike previous ones that used costly ingredients such as platinum, is made from inexpensive materials and uses low-cost engineering and manufacturing processes. An artificial leaf has a sunlight collector sandwiched between two films that generate oxygen and hydrogen gas, and, when dropped in water in the sunlight, it bubbles away, releasing hydrogen that can be used in fuel cells to make electricity. Daniel G. Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States, replaced the platinum catalyst that produces the hydrogen gas with a nickel-molybdenum-zinc compound, and, on the other side, used a cobalt film to generate oxygen gas. All these materials are abundant on Earth, unlike platinum, noble metal oxides and semiconducting materials that have been used in previous versions. “Considering that it is the 6 billion nonlegacy users that are driving the enormous increase in energy demand by midcentury, a research target of delivering solar energy to the poor with discoveries such as the artificial leaf provides global society its most direct path to a sustainable energy future,” Nocera said.Thu, 10 May 2012 10:28:00 -0400{6342CA14-7AF3-45EA-8054-867AD6DEF718}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/10/sensor.aspxResearchers at Seoul National University, South Korea, have developed a chemical sensor based on polymer nanostructures that can detect nerve gas at concentrations as low as 10 parts per trillion, which is two to three orders of magnitude more sensitive than previously reported sensors. The researchers say the new sensors would be less expensive and more sensitive than the spectroscopy-based devices currently used by soldiers and police to detect organophospates, which is the group of compounds that includes the nerve gas sarin. The sensors, with further development, could eventually be made into a wearable device built on plastic or even fabric. Paul Rhodes, a team manager at chemical-sensor company Nanosense, said an advantage of these new sensors is that they can be used continuously, as the gas molecules do not stay bound to the polymer for long. He added, however, that he would like to see more evidence that the sensors are specific for organophosphate gases. “You can’t freak out that you’ve got nerve gas if someone has mopped the floor with ammonia,” Rhodes said. The team is currently working on developing a wearable device that contains the sensor, its power source, and all other necessary parts.Thu, 10 May 2012 10:25:00 -0400{8BF75295-FC25-49BD-A12C-02304EC9CA77}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/09/clothing.aspxA scientist from Cornell University, United States, and an African designer have created a fashionable hooded bodysuit that wards off mosquitoes infected with malaria. Malaria is estimated to kill 655,000 people a year in Africa. Unlike insecticide-treated nets, this garment can be worn throughout the day, providing extra protection against the insects. The repellant and fabric are bonded at the nanolevel using metal organic framework molecules, allowing the fabric to be loaded with up to three times more insecticide than normal nets, which usually wear off after six months. Frederick Ochanda, a postdoctoral associate in Cornell's Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design, and a native of Kenya, said, "The bond on our fabric is very difficult to break. The nets in use now are dipped in a solution and not bonded in this way, so their effectiveness doesn't last very long." Ultimately, say Ochanda, and designer Matilda Ceesay, a Cornell undergraduate from Gambia, they hope the outfit will serve as a prototype to drive new technologies for fighting malaria. "Although there are already mosquito nets being used, the solution isn't foolproof," Ceesay said. "People are still getting sick and dying. We can't get complacent. I hope my design can show what is possible when you bring together fashion and science and will inspire others to keep improving the technology.”Wed, 09 May 2012 10:50:00 -0400{A89635F8-A951-4D32-B5BE-9F5973C27A89}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/09/dots.aspxQuantum dots are one of the few alternative technologies to the incandescent light bulb. White-light quantum dots are fluorescent beads of cadmium selenide that are able to convert the blue light produced by an LED into a warm white light reminiscent of incandescents. Seven years ago, when these dots were discovered, their efficiency was too low for commercial applications. Now researchers at Vanderbilt University, United States, are reporting that they have boosted the efficiency from an original level of three percent to as high as 45 percent. According to Sandra Rosenthal, a professor of chemistry, “Forty-five percent is as high as the efficiency of some commercial phosphors which suggests that white-light quantum dots can now be used in some special lighting applications. The fact that we have successfully boosted their efficiency by more than 10 times also means that it should be possible to improve their efficiency even further.” The team found that by treating the quantum dots with metal salts, they could increase the fluorescent efficiency of the dots. The team next plans to test different methods for encapsulating the enhanced quantum dots.Wed, 09 May 2012 10:47:00 -0400{0A23B720-EBA0-41A8-A70C-2F4A11E5DD3F}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/09/nanofair_conference.aspxThe international symposium “Nanofair 2012” will be held from June 12-13, 2012, in Dresden, Germany. The conference, which serves as a European platform for the field of nanotechnological research, will include experts from 23 countries. The experts will come together to network their know-how with Dresden’s cutting-edge research. The focus of the conference is on nanotechnological issues, such as nanomaterials for lightweight construction, nanoelectronics, optics, energy, life sciences, and nanoanalytics. The full program and registration information are available on the conference website.Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400{381824EE-1FAD-4987-A86A-9C6EAEA7AE18}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/08/another_sunscreen_article.aspxA new study, by researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology, United States, suggests that sunscreen ingredients may pose a cancer risk. Dr. Yinfa Ma, a professor of chemistry, found that zinc oxide – a common sunscreen ingredient – undergoes a chemical reaction when exposed to sunlight that may release unstable molecules known as free radicals. These free radicals can damage cells or the DNA contained within them, possibly increasing the risk of skin cancer. Moreover, Ma found that the longer zinc oxide is exposed to sunlight, the greater the potential damage to human cells. "Zinc oxide may generate free radicals when exposed to UV (ultraviolet) sunlight," Ma said, "and those free radicals can kill cells." Ma cautions that his research is still in the early stages, and people should not draw conclusions about the safety or dangers of sunscreens based on his preliminary research. "More extensive study is still needed," Ma said. "This is just the first step…I still would advise people to wear sunscreen. Sunscreen is better than no protection at all." His latest results will be published in the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.Tue, 08 May 2012 08:50:00 -0400{3F28665B-C5F6-48C1-BA8C-0AFB2B5FAABA}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/08/breathalyzer.aspxA new invention, the Single Breath Disease Diagnostic Breathalyzer, uses ceramics nanotechnology to allow the public to screen themselves for everything from diabetes to lung cancer. The device, developed by Dr. Perena Gouma and her team at Stony Brook University, United States, with funding from the National Science Foundation, uses a sensor chip coated with tiny nanowires as the brain of the breathalyzer. "These nanowires enable the sensor to detect just a few molecules of the disease marker gas in a 'sea' of billions of molecules of other compounds that the breath consists of," Gouma explained. While the device is not yet available for purchase, the research team envisions that the final product will be under US$20. The low cost, says Gouma, has the potential to empower individuals to take care of their own health like never before. "People can get something over the counter and it's going to be a first response or first detection type of device. This is really a nanomedicine application that is affordable because it is based on inexpensive ceramic materials that can be mass produced at low cost," she said. Eventually, Gouma added, the nanowires could be rigged to detect infectious viruses and microbes such as Salmonella, E. coli, or even anthrax. "There will be so many other applications we haven't envisioned. It's very exciting; it's a whole new world," she said.Tue, 08 May 2012 08:47:00 -0400{94AA4203-4729-405E-8589-A9FAAA5F5A0E}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/08/nanomedicine.aspxThis article offers insights into how nanotechnology has the potential to change medicine – both in the research laboratory and the clinic – while also touching on some of the challenges and concerns surrounding this emerging science. It explores the topics of: manipulating DNA; nanobots and nanostars; nanofactories that make drugs in situ; and, nanofibers. While the potential of nanomedicine is huge, there are concerned parties who worry that not enough is being done to discover the toxicological consequences of this emerging science. Critics cite the size and exceptional mobility of nanoparticles, as well as their solubility and persistence. Additionally, the high surface area to mass ratio of nanoparticles makes them highly reactive, potentially triggering as yet unknown chemical reactions. The article concludes: “It would appear, therefore, whether actual or perceived, the potential risk that nanotechnology poses to human health must be investigated, and be seen to be investigated. Most nanomaterials, as the NCI [United States National Cancer Institute] suggests, will likely prove to be harmless. But when a technology advances rapidly, knowledge and communication about its safety needs to keep pace in order for it to benefit, especially if it is also to secure public confidence. We only have to look at what happened, and to some extent is still happening, with genetically modified food to see how that can go badly wrong.”Tue, 08 May 2012 08:45:00 -0400{18D68C59-04D1-46CD-8BE1-9C3390241B3C}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/07/in_Pakistan.aspxA new study, conducted by Rizwan Sarwar Bajwa, a research associate at the Preston Institute of Nanoscience and Technology in Islamabad, Pakistan, and his colleague Khwaja Yaldram, found that nanotechnology research in Pakistan, which had shown a trend of higher publication numbers over the last decade, has suffered from the country’s present financial crisis. Research publications in the field had grown from seven in 2000 to 542 papers in 2011 – a 29 percent annual growth rate. The study said the dramatic increase was due to heavy government spending on manpower training and procuring the latest equipment for laboratories working on nanotechnology research. "Unfortunately, the present financial crunch faced by the country could have a negative impact on the progress achieved so far," the study concluded. According to Bajwa, "The publication shows that despite availability of funding, the research and development institutes contributed very little in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.” He added that unless developing countries such as Pakistan engage in nanoscience, they would end up as consumers of high-tech products from other countries. Pervez Hoodbhoy, a professor of physics at Quaid-e-Azam University, also in Pakistan, said that higher publication numbers are not a true indicator of progress in the field. "A better indicator is citations. But, if self-citations are removed the numbers will collapse. Another metric of progress could be the creation of nanodevices and their commercial production. In the absence of such steps, it is not clear what is being achieved by the mass production of papers." Bajwa said the lack of patents in Pakistan was due to a dearth of funds for research, which leads many scientists to confine themselves to teaching.Mon, 07 May 2012 09:28:00 -0400{56E9094F-9523-43C6-888B-0B2A4E14307C}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/07/nanoclays.aspxA researcher at Michigan Technological University, United States, has developed asphalt that could fight off cracks, rutting and potholes. Zhanping You, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and his team, have tested adding two types of nanoclays to asphalt. His research suggests adding nanoclays to asphalt could make for safer, longer-lasting roadways. “Asphalt is now made from petroleum, so it’s very expensive,” said You. “As a result, a lot of people are looking at ways to make it more durable.” The team added 2-4 percent of nanoclay by weight to the asphalt. According to You, “It improved the viscosity significantly. That means it will provide better stiffness, which means that it won’t deform as much in hot weather or under heavy traffic.” The team hasn’t yet completed their testing, so they don’t know if the nanoclay will help asphalt resist cracking in cold weather or under heavy loads, although You added that it has always been their goal to develop new asphalt mixtures with those qualities. The lab is also testing how nano-silica and nano-composites will affect asphalt durability.Mon, 07 May 2012 09:25:00 -0400{328CC7C4-B8CE-44FC-8528-C4E2775624C1}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/07/opionion.aspxIn this opinion piece, Diane Ackerman, writing in The New York Times, explores recent nanotechnology advances, but hones in on one recent “marvel of nanotechnology” that she says promises to revolutionize daily life. She says the marvel – a product with nanoparticles of silver that can coat both hard surfaces and soft – strikes her as “wickedly dangerous, though probably inevitable.” Ackerman writes: “You’d think the new nano-coating would offer a silver bullet, be a godsend to patients stricken with hospital-acquired sepsis and pneumonia, and to doctors fighting what has become a nightmare of antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms that can kill tens of thousands of people a year. It does, and it is. That’s the problem. It’s too effective. Most micro-organisms are harmless, many are beneficial, but some are absolutely essential for the environment and human life.” Bacteria, she says, were the first forms of life on the planet, and we owe them everything. But, she continues, “How tempting for nanotechnology companies, capitalizing on our fears and fetishes, to engineer superbly effective nanosilver microbe-killers, deodorants and sanitizers of all sorts for home and industry.” The writing, she adds, is on the wall, whether “it’s electric tuxedos for the prom or hospital chairs robed in pesticide jackets…And when it comes to the delicate balance of earth’s life forms, it may be a small, small world after all.”Mon, 07 May 2012 09:22:00 -0400{42CC57AA-7350-4812-8DA8-CF2C70229CBC}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/04/graphene.aspxSupratik Guha, an IBM researcher, says a new material that revolutionizes the field of electronics and changes society comes along about once in a generation. Guha says graphene and carbon nanotubes are the new materials that could have an enormous impact on our future. He writes: “No material since silicon (and perhaps steel) has seen such diverse possibilities, and few appear to be endowed with the attractive electronic, optical, and mechanical properties that graphene and nanotubes are reported to possess. This groundswell of good news is certainly part hype, but, most researchers feel that these materials will eventually lead us to a convergence of computing, sensing, communications, and consumer electronics.” Right now, however, Guha calls the materials “a rebel without a cause,” saying the materials are not to a point where we can precisely predict where they will be used. It offers a tremendous opportunity, he says, for the United States to establish dominance in these core technologies. The next phase of carbon material development will need significant additional investment, he writes, in order for the U.S. to retain its competitive advantage. “The United States faces economic hardship and there is no doubt that its financial deficits need to be addressed in order to remain competitive. But we also must recognize that austerity alone is not enough to drive continued U.S. economic competitiveness. As the government makes these decisions, we urge lawmakers to consider that this is the time to step up investing in the seeds of this technology. Carbon nanoelectronics could have the impact that silicon has had on us in the last century,” says Guha.Fri, 04 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400{8E8D7763-2DF3-4284-B84B-1753A9956082}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/04/bacteria.aspxResearchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, both in the United States, have designed nanoparticles that can deliver high doses of antibiotics directly to bacteria. The goal of their work is to find a strategy to combat the increasing resistance of bacteria to existing drugs. The new approach would both mitigate the side effects of some antibiotics, while protecting the beneficial bacteria that normally live inside our bodies. The team’s antibiotic-carrying nanoparticles can switch their charge depending on their environment. Normally the nanoparticles have a slight negative charge, but when they encounter an infection site, the particles gain a positive charge, allowing them to bind to the bacteria and release their drug payload. The change in the nanoparticle’s charge is triggered by the slightly acidic environment surrounding the bacteria. The current version of nanoparticle releases its drug payload over one to two days. Aleks Radovic-Moreno, an MIT graduate student and lead author of a paper describing the particles in the journal ACS Nano, said, “You don’t want just a short burst of drug, because bacteria can recover once the drug is gone. You want an extended release of drug so that bacteria are constantly being hit with high quantities of drug until they’ve been eradicated.” The team hopes the high doses delivered by their particles could eventually help overcome bacterial resistance. “When bacteria are drug resistant, it doesn’t mean they stop responding, it means they respond but only at higher concentrations. And the reason you can’t achieve these clinically is because antibiotics are sometimes toxic, or they don’t stay at that site of infection long enough,” Radovic-Moreno said.Fri, 04 May 2012 11:58:00 -0400{A71929C3-8D8E-4F89-AADE-2BB3313E18D1}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/04/Trends_conference.aspxThe 13th edition of Trends in Nanotechnology International Conference (TNT2012) will be held from September 10 to 14, 2012, in Madrid, Spain. The conference, which is a high-level scientific meeting, aims to present a broad range of current research in nanoscience and nanotechnology, as well as related policies and other kinds of initiatives. TNT events are, according to the sponsors, particularly effective at transmitting information and allowing workers in the field to establish contacts. The full program and registration information can be viewed on the conference website.Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400{9CD770DB-6262-4944-9A73-192D214C3F00}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/03/aquatic_ecosystems.aspxResearchers from the Institute for Watershed Science at Trent University, Canada, and colleagues from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment Canada, are conducting the Lake Ecosystem Nanosilver (LENS) project to look at nanomaterials’ threat to aquatic ecosystems. The use of nanomaterials in consumer products has exploded over the last decade, raising questions about how such materials interact with cells and organic molecules, and how they impact organisms. Nanosilver is among the most widely used nanomaterial in consumer goods. There is a risk, as these products are used and disposed, that nanosilvers will travel through municipal water systems into lakes and rivers. Dr. Maggie Xenopoulos, one of the Trent researchers, said, "We have seen an exponential growth in the use of nanomaterials. However, questions of safety are not being asked." The research team is conducting a study at the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario. The team will monitor changes in the lake’s ecosystem after the addition of nanosilver. Initial laboratory research has indicated that nanosilver can strongly affect aquatic organisms at the bottom of the food chain. "The Experimental Lakes Area is the only place in the world where we can study the effects of nanosilver at the whole ecosystem level," added Dr. Xenopoulos. "The LENS project is extremely important to help guide future policy." The LENS project, and its results, will help policy makers understand whether nanomaterials can be a threat to aquatic ecosystems, and whether regulatory action is required to control their release.Thu, 03 May 2012 09:40:00 -0400{2BF9D16A-737F-4EEF-9E8D-2CFAE3BB83B3}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/03/microsub.aspxScientists from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), United States, and colleagues in Spain, are reporting the development and successful testing of the first self-propelled “microsubmarines”, which are designed to retrieve oil from contaminated waters and transport it back to collection facilities. Such machines could play an important role in cleaning up oil spills, such as the 2010 incident in the Gulf of Mexico. There is a great need for better ways to separate oil from water in oceans, and inside factories to avoid releasing oil-contaminated water into the environment. Joseph Wang, at UCSD, and his colleagues, developed these machines – which require very little fuel and move ultrafast – to see if they could help clean up oil. The machines have a special surface coating that is extremely water-repellant and oil absorbent, making them superhydrophobic. According to the researchers, “These results demonstrate the potential of the superhydrophobic-modified microsubmarines for facile, rapid and highly efficient collection of oils in oil-contaminated water samples.” The results were published in the journal ACS Nano.Thu, 03 May 2012 09:38:00 -0400{A7EA5F2F-B5A1-4660-B1F8-688AA6AD5579}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/03/nose.aspxA team of researchers has reported, in a paper published in the American Institute of Physics’ journal AIP Advances, that they have developed a new DNA-based chemical sensor that is both sensitive and discerning, making it an important step toward an all-electronic nose. The system uses specially tailored strands of DNA attached to carbon nanotubes that are able to tell the difference between very similar molecules, even ones with identical chemical makeup. A.T. Charlie Johnson, a physicist at the University of Pennsylvania, United States, and a co-author of the study, said, "We're trying to develop this into an electronic nose system. We used this system to distinguish between optical isomers, molecules that are nearly identical except that one is structurally reversed -- a mirror image." The next step for the researchers is to create something akin to an actual electronic nose comprised of as many individual DNA-based sensors as an olfactory receptor, with an eventual goal of developing a system that is highly versatile and sensitive with wide-scale applications. For example, the chemical dimethylsulfone is associated with skin cancer. The new sensor could detect concentrations as low as 25 parts per billion.Thu, 03 May 2012 09:35:00 -0400{B0882D52-2F8F-4D76-ACBB-E96625D902F4}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/02/a_way_to_quit_smoking.aspxA United States-based company, Selecta Biosciences, is attempting to make the world’s first nicotine vaccine. The treatment would deprive a smoker of the habit’s addictive effects by inducing an immune response that could last several years. The company believes nicotine, which is not a virus, can be targeted in the same way a virus can. The technology would use synthetic nanoparticles to prompt the immune system into creating specialized antibodies that bind to nicotine molecules. The antibodies instigated by the nanoparticles, once attached to the nicotine molecule, would create a super-sized nicotine compound that is thereby prevented from crossing the blood-brain barrier and delivering the normal smoking kick. Selecta is currently testing the safety of the nanoparticles in people, in a Phase I trial. Results should be available by July, at which point the trial will either expand, or continue to Phase II. Existing drugs to quit smoking have severe side effects and are largely ineffective at getting people to stop. The treatment will have to cause people to quit smoking, not just reduce their smoking, in order to be considering effective in clinical trials. The company has raised almost $80 million from venture capital firms, as well as from the Russian government through its biotech investment fund Rusnano.Wed, 02 May 2012 13:35:00 -0400{A4027E40-94CD-4F7E-8AFD-58B001EB7384}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/02/Europe.aspxThe European Commission (EC) has announced that it will be taking steps to more tightly control the risks of certain chemicals in three areas that are considered to be insufficiently regulated: endocrine disrupters; the combined effects of chemical mixtures; and, nanosubstances. A strategy paper on chemical combinations is to be published in May of this year, with the other initiatives in 2012 and 2013. The call for tighter regulation was contained in a European Parliament resolution adopted in April, saying “specific measures” to tackle these risks should be included in the European Union’s Seventh Environment Action Program (EAP), scheduled to be published in November. Commission spokesman Joe Hennon said a strategy paper on nanosubstances would come out in the coming months. Nanosubstances, under REACH - the European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use - are currently treated the same as the same substance at standard scale. The new paper will follow on the heels of a regulatory definition of a nanosubstance, published by the EC in October 2011. The definition is expected to open the way for nano-specific provisions in chemical legislation. The European Parliament has previously said that nanosubstances should be more tightly regulated based on the fact that they present more of a risk than the same substance at standard scale.Wed, 02 May 2012 13:32:00 -0400{2EA7D421-AEDE-4269-9887-C2DA94E96571}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/02/tooth.aspxScientists at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, United States, have created the first cavity-filling composite that also kills harmful bacteria and regenerates tooth structure lost to bacterial delay. A key component of the new nanocomposite and nano-structured adhesive is calcium phosphate nanoparticles. The antibacterial component also contains ammonium and silver nanoparticles. Conventional fillings just limit the decay, but the new composite can control harmful bacteria, which co-exist in the natural colony of microorganisms in the mouth, and remain in the cavity, even after the dentist drills out the decayed tooth. Removing all the damaged tissue is not possible, so it is important to neutralize the harmful effects of the bacteria. According to Huakun Xu, director of the Division of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering in the School's Department of Endodontics, Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry, "The reason we want to get the antibacterial agents also into primers and adhesives is that these are the first things that cover the internal surfaces of the tooth cavity and flow into tiny dental tubules inside the tooth." Failure of tooth restoration generally results from secondary caries or decay at the restoration margins. Xu said he also expects the nanocomposite to last longer than the typical five to 10 years. The team is next planning to test its product on animal teeth and in human volunteers.Wed, 02 May 2012 13:29:00 -0400{71810003-0F1B-4053-879C-14F30B002859}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/01/better_solar_cells.aspxResearchers from Princeton University, United States, have taken a cue from nature to develop microscopic folds on the surface of photovoltaic material, thereby significantly increasing the power output of flexible, low-cost solar cells. The team said the folds, which channel light waves and increase the photovoltaic material’s exposure to light, resulted in a 47 percent increase in electricity generation. Yueh-Lin (Lynn) Loo, a professor of chemical and biological engineering, explained, "On a flat surface, the light either is absorbed or it bounces back. By adding these curves, we create a kind of wave guide. And that leads to a greater chance of the light's being absorbed." The team’s work involves using photovoltaic systems made of relatively cheap plastic. The folds lead light to be trapped in the material for a longer time, leading to greater absorption of light and generation of energy. Jong Bok Kim, a postdoctoral researcher in chemical and biological engineering, said, "I expected that it would increase the photocurrent because the folded surface is quite similar to the morphology of leaves, a natural system with high light harvesting efficiency. However, when I actually constructed solar cells on top of the folded surface, its effect was better than my expectations." The folding technique increased absorption at the red side of the light spectrum by roughly 600 percent, an area on conventional solar panels where almost no light is absorbed. "If you look at the solar spectrum, there is a lot of sunlight out there that we are wasting," Loo said. "This is a way to increase efficiency." Their findings were published in the journal Nature Photonics.Tue, 01 May 2012 10:21:00 -0400{1A7C7647-7887-428C-9210-08BC50819A95}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/01/observatory_nano.aspxThe ObservatoryNANO Project, a European Union Seventh Framework program, is coming to an end after four years. The project has published a final annual report for the wider public that summarizes the 18 briefings issued in the last year. It also includes the European Nanotechnology Landscape Report, and updates to Ethical and Societal Aspects of Nanotechnology (ELSA), Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) of nanotechnology, and regulations and standards. A final summary of the project’s public output will be published during the summer of 2012. The full report is available for download from the Nanoforum website.Tue, 01 May 2012 10:18:00 -0400{F8A5F05A-609C-447E-BC6B-39B1253E5358}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/May/01/glass.aspxResearchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States, have found a way to make glass that is anti-fogging, self-cleaning and free of glare. The glass features a nano-textured surface that produces an array of cones. The glass virtually eliminates reflections and has potential applications in optical devices, the screens of smartphones and televisions, solar panels, car windshields, and windows in buildings. Solar panels protected by the self-cleaning glass could increase the efficiency of the panels. Currently, the panels can lose as much as 40 percent of their efficiency within six months due to the dust and dirt that accumulates on their surface. The new glass is effective at repelling water, keeping the surfaces clean longer, plus the glass would allow light to be transmitted through its surface, rather than it being reflected away. The researchers hope to find a way to make the glass inexpensive enough that it could even be used in car windows. They also plan to test how well the nanostructures hold up over time in practical applications. The technology is described in the journal ACS Nano.Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400{2658DE2D-BEEA-401D-A63C-68044F79FD5A}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/30/fruits_and_veggies.aspxUnited States supermarkets lose roughly 10 percent of their fruits and vegetables to spoilage every year. Now researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the U.S., have built a new sensor that could help grocers and food distributors better monitor their produce, in an effort to reduce losses. The new sensors use carbon nanotubes and cooper atoms to detect tiny amounts of ethylene, a gas that promotes ripening in plants. The sensors could be attached to cardboard boxes of produce and scanned with a handheld device that would reveal the ripeness of the contents. Grocers would then know when to put certain items on sale to sell them before they get too ripe. Timothy Swager, a chemistry professor, said, “If we can create equipment that will help grocery stores manage things more precisely, and maybe lower their losses by 30 percent, that would be huge.” The team’s sensors were tested on several types of fruit – banana, avocado, apple, pear and orange – and were able to accurately detect their ripeness based on how much ethylene the fruits secreted. Swager has filed a patent on the technology and plans to start a company to commercialize the sensors. Their work was published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:06:00 -0400{DE4D4296-A936-492A-891A-6BF38398868B}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/30/nanosilver.aspxA researcher at Notre Dame University’s Center for Nano Science and Technology (NDnano), United States, has written a paper that provides an example of a nanotechnology-related safety and ethics problem that is currently unfolding. Kathleen Eggleson, a research scientist at the Center, said the world of nanotechnology may seem remote to many people, but, like most new advances, the application of the technology to everyday life has implications that can affect people in real ways, some of which might even be harmful. Eggleson describes how nanosilver is being developed for use in medical facilities, to coat medical materials, as well as applying the nanoparticles to hard surfaces and fabrics, to help reduce the number of hospital-acquired infections. These new materials are proving effective, but, says Eggleson, the vast majority of bacteria and other microorganisms are actually neutral, or even beneficial, to human life and a healthy environment. Overuse of nanosilver products could pose a danger to such microorganisms and enable resistant strains to flourish. “Under most conditions, the preservation of microbial biodiversity is a benefit,” explains Eggleson. “In fact, those who would use these potent new antimicrobial technologies for frivolous uses, such as for odor control, work directly against the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative’s goal of responsible nanotechnology development.”Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:04:00 -0400{415265D7-2754-4CAC-BD4E-2683201D8793}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/30/PCAST.aspxThe United States President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) last week released its latest assessment of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). The assessment, which is a Congressionally mandated biennial review of the NNI, this year focused on the progress made by NNI and the National Nanotechnology Coordinating Office (NNCO) in fulfilling the recommendations PCAST made in its 2010 assessment. One of NNI’s main goals is to maintain U.S. leadership in nanotechnology, with particular emphasis on staying ahead of heavily investing competitors, such as China, South Korea, the European Union, and Russia. PCAST concluded that NNI continues to be a successful cooperative venture that is ensuring America’s continued global leadership in this sector. PCAST also recognized the efforts of the NNCO in the area of commercialization and coordination with industry, its focused research strategy for addressing environmental, health and safety (EHS) implications of nanotechnology, and the NNI for its strong and growing portfolio of research on the societal implications of nanotechnology, and its nanotechnology education and public outreach. The report recommends additional progress be made in the areas of strategic planning, program management, metrics for assessing nanotechnology’s commercial and societal impacts, and increased support for EHS research.Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:01:00 -0400{545E8936-F88B-4893-B087-C48AFE49FFD4}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/27/nutraceuticals.aspxA food scientist, David Julian McClements, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States, has received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study the design and fabrication of all-natural nanoparticles for delivering oil-soluble vitamins and other nutrients in food products. Often called “nutraceuticals,” these tiny capsules use nanoparticles to boost nutrition by adding beneficial compounds such as carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, D and E to food. According to McClements, "Using nanoparticles to encapsulate nutrients has many potential benefits. But consumers and manufacturers want products made from all-natural ingredients, which is often technically difficult to achieve. Also, because the technology is new, it’s important to ensure these ingredients are safe to consume." McClements said conventional technology relies on high-energy machines to break food down into tiny particles, with the result being that the process is quite expensive. "If we can find a less expensive, low-energy way to make stable, all-natural nanoparticles from such ingredients as milk proteins or tree gums, for example, it would be a big benefit to the industry," he said. "But it’s very difficult to accomplish with all-natural ingredients." Using nanoparticles in food gives nutrients more stability and a longer shelf life, plus they allow liquids to appear crystal clear. "Perhaps the most interesting factor in using nano-sized encapsulated nutrients is that the smaller particles increase the bioavailability of oil soluble nutrients," McClements added.Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:09:00 -0400{701CF771-7931-4EC3-8039-91A862E2E954}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/27/firefighters.aspxThe proliferation of nanotechnology in consumer products is making the microscopic materials that become airborne during fires even more deadly than realized, according to this article. Firefighters and responders have known for decades the dangers of smoke to their health, but the increasing use of nanotechnology is adding a different dimension to the danger. Captain Peter McBride of the Ottawa Fire Services, Canada, is a safety officer in his department. He first became concerned about nanotechnologies when a huge sporting goods store burned, emitting black, acrid smoke due to the thousands of skis and other sporting goods that burned and released microscopic particles. “It’s not all black and white being a safety officer,” he said. “There’s a lot of gray... I am OK with unsafe, but I am not OK with dangerous.” And he found that when material with nanotechnology burns, it emits dangerous particulates. He has changed the safety precautions for his firefighters in an effort to mitigate the transfer of cancer-causing materials to personal property or to the families of firefighters. “I am not against nanotechnologies,” McBride said. “I am against us not doing anything to protect ourselves from the known dangers.”Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400{17075FC6-056F-45BE-A926-FE9C671B30D5}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/27/webinars.aspxThe ICPC NanoNet Project has two upcoming webinars addressing nanotechnology for diseases. The project is inviting expert speakers to deliver 20-30 minute presentations, while also engaging in question and answer sessions with other participants around the world. The webinars will allow researchers to: let others know about their current research; engage worldwide with experts in their field; and, network with others for future collaborations. The first webinar, to be held May 15 from 14:45 to 17:00 BST, is titled: “Nano for Poverty Related Diseases (HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Diabetes).” The second, “Nano for Cancer,” will be held May 17 from 9:00 to 12:00 BST. A proposed title for prospective presentations and an overview of content is due by April 27. The webinars are free to speakers and participants. More information is available on the ICPC NanoNet website.Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400{01FC69A6-A2DE-4A44-9D9E-C167F92F1EF9}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/26/ag_product.aspxP. Murugesa Boopathi, vice-chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), India, is determined to extend the shelf life of fruits. "At present India is the second largest producer of fruits and stands first in producing mangoes, bananas, and a few other fruits. About 40 percent of our fruits are lost during transport and storage. To prevent this from happening, we are working on a project based on nanotechnology which will help increase the shelf-life of fruits," he said. Boopathi was speaking at the Inception Workshop of a two-year project pertaining to Enhanced Preservation of Fruits in South Asia. K.S. Subramanian, the head of the Department of Nano Science and Technology, who is involved in the project, said the team is working to develop a nano-film with hexanal, a chemical extracted from plants that could enhance shelf life and quality of fruits and vegetables. "A combination of these two technologies could help develop a nano film with hexanal, which will improve the longevity of these fruits. Through this technology, around 30 percent of the losses could be avoided. This will improve the export of fruits and vegetables and increase the sales of fruits making farming more economically viable," he said. He added that the product will be eco-friendly, and will be developed from bananas or coconuts. The project, which will be funded by the International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF), Canada, is expected to have a commercial product in two years. "We hope this will help farmers," said Boopathi.Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:02:00 -0400{B27D06C6-C2A8-46E2-8795-60CF6B31D79F}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/26/friend_of_the_court.aspxA coalition of advocacy groups has joined the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in its challenge to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s decision to conditionally register an antimicrobial pesticide product made by HeiQ Material AG. The friend-of-the-court brief was filed this week by the International Center for Technology Assessment, Center for Food Safety, Friends of the Earth, Beyond Pesticides, Center for Environmental Health, and Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. The brief asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to “set aside EPA's unprecedented decision to conditionally register the nanosilver pesticide products … as unsupported by substantial evidence. EPA has failed to show that the conditional registration will not cause any ‘unreasonable adverse effect’ on human health and the environment.” The EPA’s conditional approval of the product was issued in February of this year. NRDC recently filed a motion to expedite oral argument in the case, arguing, “Irreparable harm may occur while this petition is pending, because AGS-20 is currently allowed on the market and threatens human health.”Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:58:00 -0400{4B4E1EF1-3E34-4F4C-967F-097E8F1AA00B}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/26/INSTANT.aspxA new international project, INSTANT (Innovative Sensor for the fast Analysis of Nanoparticles in Selected Target Products), will involve ten institutions in six different countries. The purpose of the project is to develop a sensor that will be able to test for nanoparticles quickly and cost effectively, even in complex media such as blood or milk. Nanoparticles are being introduced into more and more everyday products, but little is known about their possible side effects. They are widely added to cosmetics, textiles, foodstuffs, drinks, packaging, and paints, yet manufacturers are not obliged to label their products as such. Scientists at the University of Tübingen, Germany, will head up the project. The opto-electrochemical sensor to be developed by the INSTANT project will be designed to help scientists and regulators understand the properties of artificial silver, silicates, titanium oxide and zinc oxide, as well as a number of organic nanoparticles, in terms of size, structure, and interrelationship with organic molecules.Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400{E28D4152-7CA4-4781-A3D5-976C78098303}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/25/domino.aspxA new metal cube, dubbed the “Domino,” is capable of performing the same genetic tests as most fully equipped modern laboratories, in a fraction of the time. Developed by researchers at the University of Alberta, Canada, the cube uses a small plastic chip developed with nanotechnology. It has, says the researchers, the potential to revolutionize point-of-care medicine. The Domino uses polymerase chain reaction technology to amplify and detect targeted sequences of DNA, allowing the device to not only find out if you have a disease like malaria, but also to determine the type of malaria and whether your DNA makes you resistant to certain anti-malarial drugs. Jason Acker, an associate professor of laboratory medicine and pathology, and chief technology officer with Aquila Diagnostic Systems, the startup that licensed the technology, said, “We’re basically replacing millions of dollars of equipment that would be in a conventional, consolidated lab with something that costs pennies to produce and is field portable so you can take it where needed. That’s where this technology shines.” Each portable box is expected to cost about US$5,000 and each chip a few dollars – plus, the device is designed to be easy to use and rugged. The company’s first target market is the livestock industry, where it would be used to pinpoint infectious diseases in a herd of cattle. According to Aquila president David Alton, “We see a huge potential market for the technology and we’re looking at applying the technology developed here at the U of A to markets first in Alberta and then globally, to address important health issues here and throughout the world.”Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:33:00 -0400{4BE7CD37-3693-4B35-9B1A-AAFD6CDD9D6B}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/25/new_survey.aspxA new study, ““Nanotechnologies from Consumers’ Point of View – What Consumers Know and What They Would Like to Know,” conducted on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health and the Risk Dialogue Foundation, found that “nano-hype” is fading out. The researchers conducted 100 in-depth interviews in Germany and Switzerland, and compared the results with the previous consumer study done in 2008. Consumers’ knowledge about nanotechnology was found to have decreased, with respondents unable to name as many nanotechnology applications as they could in 2008. Their descriptions of the risk debate have, however, become more precise. Accordingly, the respondents showed more uncertainty in their judgments about the technology. About 40 percent of the consumers questioned concluded that nanotechnology has disappeared from public discussion, and two-thirds said they would like to try nano-products. Antje Grobe said one of the core findings of the study was: “Companies, public organisations, NGOs and, most of all, the scientists have all communicated far too little. The uncertainty among the consumers has clearly grown.” He added that it is alarming that most of nanotechnology’s benefits are associated with saving time on cleaning. “If the majority of consumers associate nanotechnologies’ benefits with cleaning their cars or bathrooms only, communicating innovation has clearly failed.”Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:29:00 -0400{59EC5ACC-8F85-44CE-AEDC-8063B6F47BF3}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/25/survey.aspxAn international team of researchers investigated Canadian attitudes toward nanotechnology, and its applications in the food industry. A significant amount of research in recent years has focused on consumers’ aversion to new technologies – neophobia - in food production and processing, with other research showing that environmental attitudes may be related to the purchasing behavior of consumers. They examined the relationship between the food technology neophobia scale, environmental attitudes, and nanotechnology. The results of this study show food technology neophobia is significant in explaining attitudes toward nanotechnology in general, and for food packaging and foods. Environmental attitudes, however, while important in explaining respondents’ attitudes toward nanotechnology in general, do not explain attitudes toward nanotechnology in food packaging or food applications. The researchers also found that respondents’ views of whether science and technology make society worse or better off was a more important determinant of attitudes toward nanotechnology than if they had heard of nanotechnology prior to the survey.Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:27:00 -0400{98121E7E-5DF3-4434-9799-914087D5D85A}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/24/nanopores.aspxA multi-disciplinary team of scientists at the University of Texas at Arlington, United States, has received funding from the National Science Foundation to build artificial nanopores of silicon that can detect “bad molecules” as a very early indication of cancer and other diseases. The team would run human blood-derived samples through the nanopores in a silicon chip and record how the composition may change as a function of disease. Abnormal levels of particular chemicals will indicate whether a disease is present at the molecular level. According to Samir Iqbal, an assistant professor of electrical engineering with a focus on nanotechnology, who is leading the project, “We know many variants of certain chemicals like enantiomers, or the abnormal amounts of certain chemicals like cholesterol. These chemicals tell us if someone is subject to certain diseases. Now we will be able to detect these variants at extremely small amounts and in a portable system format. We’ll be able to detect even a few hundred copies of bad molecules to identify risks of diseases like cancer. That is very, very early detection.” Team members said the technology has the potential for crossover applications, such as to gauge air or water quality. “Again, the earlier we know whether a water or air source is polluted, the better off the people who live there will be,” Iqbal said.Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:18:00 -0400{D33CFED4-8D58-4F80-8103-6D1B418488FE}http://www.merid.org/en/Content/News_Services/Nanotechnology_and_Development_News/Articles/2012/Apr/24/model.aspxToxicologists, in an effort to understand the effects of nanoparticles on human health, ideally want to develop models that can predict a material’s toxicity based on its chemical properties. Such a model is increasingly important as more and more nanoparticles make their way into consumer products and the environment. Now a research team from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), United States, is reporting the first such model for metal oxide nanoparticles that uses the metal’s electrical and solubility properties. Metal oxide nanoparticles are used as semiconducting materials in devices such as fuel cells and electronics. They have been linked, via studies, to health problems, such as inflammation in the lungs of welders who inhale fumes containing the compounds. Andre Nel, of UCLA, suspected the particles’ electrical properties could be linked to their toxicity, by disrupting a cell’s well-regulated oxidation and reduction reactions, if the band gap – the energy needed for the nanoparticle to pick up an electron from another compound or material – matched the energies needed to drive those particular cellular reactions. The team studied 24 metal oxide nanoparticles, exposing human bronchial and mouse blood cells to each of the nanoparticles. They found that five of the six predicted metal oxides caused toxic effects in the cells. Two other materials not predicted by the team’s model – CuO and ZnO – were also toxic. These particular metal oxides dissolve in water to release toxic metal ions, thus indicating that the toxicity model needs to include information not only about the band gap, but also solubility. Nel says he hopes industry and the government will use the model to make decisions about which materials should be tested in detailed, animal-based analyses.Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:14:00 -0400