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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2><STRONG>The Nanogirl
News</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>December 31, 2004</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Nanotubes form along atomic steps. The Weizmann
Institute of Science today announced that a research group headed by Dr. Ernesto
Joselevich has developed a new approach to create patterns of carbon nanotubes
by formation along atomic steps on sapphire surfaces. Carbon nanotubes are
excellent candidates for the production of nanoelectronic circuits, but their
assembly into ordered arrays remains a major obstacle toward this application.
(Eurekalert 12/21/04) <A
href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-12/wi-nfa122104.php">http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-12/wi-nfa122104.php</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Robert A.Freitas Jr. has his lecture in which he
spoke at the Foresight conference available online. In his lecture material you
can read about and view images on his new and first of it's kind proposal, for
building DMS tooltips using current technology, as disclosed in his Feb. 2004
provisional patent application. Stay tuned for more available material. <A
href="http://www.molecularassembler.com/Papers/PathDiamMolMfg.htm">http://www.molecularassembler.com/Papers/PathDiamMolMfg.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Red blood cells are go! Physicists in India have
shown that red blood cells can transfer the angular momentum in a circularly
polarized laser beam into rotational motion. The "motor" developed by Deepak
Mathur and colleagues at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in
Mumbai could find use in a variety of applications, including biosensors and
cellular micromachines (J A Dharmadhikari et al. 2004 Appl. Phys. Lett. 85
6048). (Physicsweb 12/14/04) <A
href="http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/8/12/8/1">http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/8/12/8/1</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>UCSB Scientists Build Nanoscale ‘Jigsaw' Puzzles
Made of RNA. Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, working
at the leading edge of bionanotechnology, are using assembly and folding
principles of natural RNA, or ribonucleic acid, to build beautiful and
potentially useful artificial structures at the nano-scale. Possible
applications include the development of nanocircuits, medical implants, and
improved medical testing. This research, published in the December 17 issue of
the journal Science, is led by Luc Jaeger, assistant professor in the Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCSB and a member of UCSB's Biomolecular
Science and Engineering Program, and by Arkadiusz Chworos, a post-doctoral
fellow studying in Jaeger's lab. (UCSB 12/17/04) <A
href="http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=1225">http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=1225</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Nanotechnology sensors could be a $17 billion
market. In a new report, NanoMarkets LC predicts that the nanotechnology sensor
market will generate global revenues of $2.8 billion in 2008 and by 2012 will
reach $17.2 billion. The industry analyst focused on nanoelectronics sensors
that are used to reduce size and cost to provide a high level of integration
including platforms consisting of carbon nanotubes, nanowires, molectronics,
spintronics and so called plastic electronics. Another area of attention in the
report is directed to conventional sensors using nanomaterials and sensing
material. (EETimes 12/08/04) <A
href="http://www.eetimes.com/at/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=55300380">http://www.eetimes.com/at/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=55300380</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>'Fountain pen' etches with molecular ink.
Scientists in the Netherlands have used a micromachined "fountain pen" to write
and etch sub-micron patterns on a surface with molecular "ink". The new device
developed by Miko Elwenspoek and colleagues at the University of Twente is based
on an atomic force microscope (S Deladi et al. 2004 Appl. Phys. Lett. 85 5361).
(nanotechweb 12/13/04)<BR><A
href="http://nanotechweb.org/articles/news/3/12/9/1">http://nanotechweb.org/articles/news/3/12/9/1</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Artificial cells take shape. Bacterium-sized
'protein factories' are a step along the road to synthetic life. Primitive cells
similar to bacteria have been created by US researchers. These synthetic cells
are not truly alive, because they cannot replicate or evolve. But they can churn
out proteins for days, and could be useful for drug production, as well as
advancing the quest to build artificial life from scratch. (nature.com 12/6/04)
<A
href="http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041206/full/041206-2.html">http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041206/full/041206-2.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In some of the first work documenting the uptake of
carbon nanotubes by living cells, a team of chemists and life scientists from
Rice University, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and
the Texas Heart Institute have selectively detected low concentrations of
nanotubes in laboratory cell cultures. The research appears in the Dec. 8 issue
of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. It suggests that the white
blood cells, which were incubated in dilute solutions of nanotubes, treated the
nanotubes as they would other extracellular particles - actively ingesting them
and sealing them off inside chambers known as phagosomes. (Bio 12/9/04) <BR><A
href="http://www.bio.com/newsfeatures/newsfeatures_research.jhtml?cid=6500163">http://www.bio.com/newsfeatures/newsfeatures_research.jhtml?cid=6500163</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tiny Crystals In Large Quantities Method produces
monodisperse nanocrystals on multigram scale. Uniform-sized nanocrystals can be
prepared in large batches through a new preparation method developed by
researchers in South Korea. The technique may hasten development of future
nanotechnology applications by providing a low-cost route to commercial
quantities of uniform nanocrystals. Researchers working in nanometer-scale
science have demonstrated a variety of devices that exploit unique optical,
electronic, and other size-dependent properties of nanocrystals.<BR>(C&E
12/6/04) <A
href="http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/8249/8249notw4.html">http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/8249/8249notw4.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Team Engineers Cell-deforming Technique To Help
Understand Malaria. Subra Suresh has spent the last two decades studying the
mechanical properties of engineered materials from the atomic to the structural
scale. So, until recently, the head of MIT's Department of Materials Science and
Engineering never thought he'd be a player in the hunt for cures to malaria and
pancreatic cancer. (Sciencedaily 12/30/04) <A
href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041219212955.htm">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041219212955.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(Interview) Rebuilding Things "Atom by Atom".
Nanoscience expert Chad Mirkin discusses the promise of supersmall materials,
what breakthroughs are likely, and what's just hype. Chad Mirkin is a world
leader in a field with potential that's near limitless: Nanotechnology.
Governments, venture funds, and angel investors are pouring billions of dollars
into the area, hoping that the ability to manipulate materials at the atomic
level will produce revolutionary medicines, metals, and fuels. Mirkin is
director of Northwestern University's Institute for Nanotechnology, one of the
field's research hot spots. He says while certain aspects of nano, such as a
proliferation of nanosize robots, are overhyped, other breakthroughs are already
happening. He recently talked from his Evanston (Ill.) office with BusinessWeek
Senior Writer Stephen Baker. Edited excerpts from their conversation
follow:...(Businessweek 12/29/04) <A
href="http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/dec2004/nf20041228_7625_db083.htm">http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/dec2004/nf20041228_7625_db083.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Winning an Uphill Battle. It sounds as unlikely as
toothpaste flowing back into the tube: A simple hole in a cell membrane can
cause glycerol to flow "uphill," out of the cell, when the higher concentration
outside would ordinarily make it flow the other way. Known as a channel protein,
the molecular hatch acts like a ratchet to squeeze one glycerol molecule after
another in the direction opposite the concentration gradient, researchers
calculate in the 3 December PRL. Cells may use this effect to avoid overdosing
on glycerol. (Physicsweb 12/3/04) <A
href="http://focus.aps.org/story/v14/st23">http://focus.aps.org/story/v14/st23</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Suit that never gets dirty. Scientists have won a
£1million grant to help develop clothes that never need cleaning. It will aid
research into nano-technology, looking at the properties of fabrics down to
atomic particles. And it could make the plot of the 1951 Ealing comedy The Man
In The White Suit a reality. In the film, scientist Sidney Stratton, played by
Alec Guinness, invents a fabric that never gets dirty or wears out. Experiments
The real experiments will be carried out by chemical giant Unilever.
(Dailyrecord 12/31/04) <BR><A
href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15026874&method=full&siteid=89488&headline=suit-that-never-gets-dirty-name_page.html">http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15026874&method=full&siteid=89488&headline=suit-that-never-gets-dirty-name_page.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Molecular motor goes both ways. University of
Edinburgh researchers have constructed a molecular motor that can spin in either
direction, much like the biological molecular motors involved in many of life's
processes. The motor consists of a pair of interlocking rings; the smaller ring
travels clockwise or counterclockwise around the larger ring depending on the
order in which several chemical reactions are carried out on the molecule. (TRN
12/29/04) <A
href="http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/122904/Molecular_motor_goes_both_ways_Brief_122904.html">http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/122904/Molecular_motor_goes_both_ways_Brief_122904.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Simmons remakes bed with nano-enhanced fabric. In
June, Nano-Tex Chief Executive Donn Tice said his firm would pursue new markets
like home furnishings. He recently made good on the promise with the unveiling
of Simmons Bedding Co.’s new HealthSmart bed. The bed, which features a zip-off
mattress top, is intended to appeal to consumers who want a cleaner mattress.
The mattress top is made of two layers of fabric. On top are DuPont Coolmax
fibers designed to wick away sweat and moisture. Under that is a semi-impervious
layer of Nano-Tex-enhanced fabric that traps fluids and particles so they can be
washed out. The mattress frame has a terry cloth top treated with Teflon for an
extra layer of protection. (SmallTimes 12/22/04) <A
href="http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=8489">http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=8489</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Smart Dust Advances in Russia. Smart Dust is going
to be something really special. But not just yet. Like a toddler learning to
walk by “furniture cruising,” staggering wobbly from stationary object to
object, Smart Dust is looking for its sea legs. The birth of Smart Dust
potential was based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and the journey
toward full-on Distributed-Sensing Smart Dust—which is the goal for final
evolution of this technology--will be a long and arduous one. (GatewaytoRussia
12/16/04) <A
href="http://www.gateway2russia.com/st/art_260273.php">http://www.gateway2russia.com/st/art_260273.php</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(Audio) Do Nanotech Products Live Up to the Hype?
Nanotechnology is the science of designing materials, atom by atom. It promises
revolutionary applications for everything from the military to sports. NPR's
David Kestenbaum investigates whether nanotech products already on the market
are all they're cracked up to be. (NPR 12/31/04) <A
href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4252587">http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4252587</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tight Twist Toughens Nano Fiber. Researchers from
the University of Texas at Dallas and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia have strengthened carbon nanotube
yarn by introducing a tight twist as the nanotubes are spun. The method taps the
secret of spinning discovered in the Late Stone Age: a tight twist produces a
tough fiber. <BR>(Always On 12/14/04) <A
href="http://www.alwayson-network.com/comments.php?id=7486_0_6_0_C">http://www.alwayson-network.com/comments.php?id=7486_0_6_0_C</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>European researchers build prototype DNA ‘velcro’.
A team of German scientists has succeeded in creating what they call DNA
‘velcro’ to bind and then separate nanoparticles. Nanoscientists are already
busily constructing novel materials. This experiment could lead, one day, to
‘self-constructing’ materials. Based at the University of Dortmund, Christof
Niemeyer and his team used strands of artificial DNA – the so-called ‘king of
molecules’ – to attach gold nanoparticles together before separating them again.
Each gold particle, measuring just 15 nanometres across, was attached using
sulphur to the centre of a DNA strand. (Europa 12/14/04)<BR><A
href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/headlines/news/article_04_12_14_en.html">http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/headlines/news/article_04_12_14_en.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Encapsulated Carbon Nanotubes for Implantable
Biological Sensors to Monitor Blood Glucose Levels. Protein-encapsulated
single-walled carbon nanotubes that alter their fluorescence in the presence of
specific biomolecules could generate many new types of implantable biological
sensors, say researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who
developed the encapsulation technique. (A2ZNano 12/13/04) <A
href="http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=439">http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=439</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Coated nanotubes make biosensors. good sensor
should be able to sense extremely small changes and should be able to transmit
this information about its environment consistently. Researchers working to make
sensors that indicate a given chemical or biological agent after sensing only a
few or even a single molecule of that substance are turning to the minuscule
tools of nanotechnology. Researchers from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign are using carbon nanotubes to sense single molecules, and are
tapping the way carbon nanotubes give off near-infrared light in order to read
what the sensors have detected. (TRN Dec/Jan 04) <A
href="http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/122904/Coated_nanotubes_make_biosensors_Brief_122904.html">http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/122904/Coated_nanotubes_make_biosensors_Brief_122904.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Nanotechnology comes to golf balls. Sometime in
2005, start-up company NanoDynamics plans to sell a nanotech golf ball that
promises to dramatically reduce hooks and slices for even the most frustrated of
weekend golfers. That will be a hint of the future of sports. NanoDynamics says
it's figured out how to alter the materials in a golf ball at the molecular
level so the weight inside shifts less as the ball spins. The less it shifts,
the straighter even a badly hit ball will go.<BR>(iseekgolf.com 12/24/04) <A
href="http://www.iseekgolf.com/view_articles.php/0/26/6192/4/52/0/1/">http://www.iseekgolf.com/view_articles.php/0/26/6192/4/52/0/1/</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>NanoSus working on nanofur. If humans ever gain the
ability to crawl up walls like geckos, you can bet that it might have something
to do with nanotechnology research. Creating an artificial version of the tiny
fibers on geckos' toes is just one research project among many at Nanosys in
Palo Alto. Even if the product, dubbed "nano fur," doesn't pan out in consumer
products such as sneakers for walking up walls, Nanosys believes the technology
will be an important tool for molecular researchers. (SmallTimes 12/28/04)<BR><A
href="http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?section_id=45&document_id=8539">http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?section_id=45&document_id=8539</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Just How Old Can He Go? Ray Kurzweil began his
dinner with a pill. "A starch blocker," he explained, "one of my 250 supplements
a day." The risk of encountering starchy food seemed slight indeed at the
vegetarian restaurant in Manhattan he had selected, where the fare was heavy
with kale, seaweed, tofu, steamed broccoli and bean sprouts. But Mr. Kurzweil, a
renowned inventor and computer scientist, has strong views on dietary matters.
His regimen for longevity is not everyone's cup of tea (preferably green tea,
Mr. Kurzweil advises, which contains extra antioxidants to reduce the risk of
heart disease and cancer). And most people would scoff at his notion that
emerging trends in medicine, biotechnology and nanotechnology open a realistic
path to immortality - the central claim of a new book by Mr. Kurzweil and Dr.
Terry Grossman, a physician and founder of a longevity clinic in Denver.
(GoUpstate 12/27/04) <A
href="http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041227/ZNYT05/412270340/1027/OPINION">http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041227/ZNYT05/412270340/1027/OPINION</A><BR>-Or
here at CNet: <A
href="http://news.com.com/Just+how+old+can+he+go/2100-7337_3-5504202.html">http://news.com.com/Just+how+old+can+he+go/2100-7337_3-5504202.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Happy New Year!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gina "Nanogirl" Miller<BR>Nanotechnology
Industries<BR><A
href="http://www.nanoindustries.com">http://www.nanoindustries.com</A><BR>Personal:
<A
href="http://www.nanogirl.com/index2.html">http://www.nanogirl.com/index2.html</A><BR>Foresight
Senior Associate member <A
href="http://www.foresight.org">http://www.foresight.org</A><BR>Nanotechnology
Advisor Extropy Institute <A
href="http://www.extropy.org">http://www.extropy.org</A><BR>My New Project:
Microscope Jewelry<BR><A
href="http://www.nanogirl.com/crafts/microjewelry.htm">http://www.nanogirl.com/crafts/microjewelry.htm</A><BR>Email:
<A
href="mailto:nanogirl@halcyon.com">nanogirl@halcyon.com</A><BR>"Nanotechnology:
Solutions for the future."<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>