Europe Concentrates Forces in the Nanotechnology AreaAugust 18, 2004The University Twente (The Netherlands), representing a network of 12 partners, has received a considerable grant from the European Commission to implement the nanotechnology program 'Frontiers'. Frontiers is a European network which aims at establishing leadership in research and innovation on behalf of life sciences related nanotechnology by integrating the strengths and facilities of the network partners. This integrated approach will strengthen Europe's position in nanosciences and will increase its competitive R&D position with respect to the US and Japan. In the Frontiers consortium 12 top-level nanotechnology institutes are united including the University of Cambridge, Max Planck in Germany and the Nano Science Group from Toulouse, France. On August 23 the network gathers in Enschede (The Netherlands) to launch a joint program of activities. Back in 2000 the EU already recognized that the scientific and technological development in Europe was falling behind relatively compared to the US and Japan. It recommended that investment in nanotechnology R&D should triple by 2010 to strengthen Europe's competitive position and to help Europe become world leader in the rapidly developing field of nanotechnology. One of the crucial differences between the EU and our main competitors is that the latter have coordinated R&D programmes whereas European research is scattered. The Frontiers initiative is designed to create critical mass in life sciences related nanotechnology and hence maintain European excellence in nanosciences. The Frontiers network consists of twelve top-level nanotechnology research institutes and integrates 192 researchers. The nanotechnology field is multidisciplinary and consequently Frontiers will set-up an infrastructure allowing researchers with different backgrounds to share their knowledge, experience and research results. Laboratory equipment present at the different institutes and universities will be listed and shared. Frontiers will also create and implement a science-to-industry chain to capitalise the knowledge generated in the network by transforming it into applications and products. By combining the educational material currently present at the partners Frontiers will develop a new high profile nanotechnology master program. Interdisciplinary education and training for research personnel are prerequisites to develop and maintain centres of excellence in Europe. Active participation in international ethical discussions surrounding nanotechnology applications and risk assessment procedures will help contribute to the development of safe and responsible products. On August 23-25 the University of Twente will organize a kick-off conference which as the first step towards the construction of the Frontiers network. The press is kindly invited to attend. Twente, University of |
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| Related Nanotechnology Current Events and Nanotechnology News Articles Findings show nanomedicine promising for treating spinal cord injuries Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a new approach for repairing damaged nerve fibers in spinal cord injuries using nano-spheres that could be injected into the blood shortly after an accident. Magnetic nanoparticles to simultaneously diagnose, monitor and treat Whether it's magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) giving an army of 'therapeutically armed' white blood cells direction to invade a deadly tumour's territory, or the use of mNPs to target specific nerve channels and induce nerve-led behaviour (such as the life-dependant thumping of our hearts), mNPs have come a long way in the past decade. Breakthrough in industrial-scale nanotube processing Rice University scientists today unveiled a method for the industrial-scale processing of pure carbon-nanotube fibers that could lead to revolutionary advances in materials science, power distribution and nanoelectronics. An exquisite container In campy old movies, Lucretia Borgia swans around emptying powder from her ring into wine glasses carelessly left unattended. The poison ring is usually a confection of gold filigree holding a cabochon or faceted gemstone that can be broken to empty the ring's contents. It is invariably enormous - so large it is rather odd nobody seems to notice it. University of Cincinnati researchers create all-electric spintronics A multidisciplinary team of UC researchers is the first to find an innovative and novel way to control an electron's spin orientation using purely electrical means. Nanowire biocompatibility in the brain: So far so good The biological safety of nanotechnology, in other words, how the body reacts to nanoparticles, is a hot topic. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have managed for the first time to carry out successful experiments involving the injection of so-called 'nanowires.' Synthetic cells shed biological insights while delivering battery power Trying to understand the complex workings of a biological cell by teasing out the function of every molecule within it is a daunting task. Berkeley Researchers Find New Route to Nano Self-Assembly If the promise of nanotechnology is to be fulfilled, nanoparticles will have to be able to make something of themselves. An important advance towards this goal has been achieved by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) who have found a simple and yet powerfully robust way to induce nanoparticles to assemble themselves into complex arrays. Harvard scientists bend nanowires into 2-D and 3-D structures Taking nanomaterials to a new level of structural complexity, scientists have determined how to introduce kinks into arrow-straight nanowires, transforming them into zigzagging two- and three-dimensional structures with correspondingly advanced functions. Advance in 'nano-agriculture': Tiny stuff has huge effect on plant growth With potential adverse health and environmental effects often in the news about nanotechnology, scientists in Arkansas are reporting that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) could have beneficial effects in agriculture. More Nanotechnology Current Events and Nanotechnology News Articles |
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