Here are 43 of the hundreds of articles we posted in the past week:

Switchable nanostripes: spin-transition compound can be deposited in ordered crystalline microstructures
Angewandte Chemie October 25th, 2008 Progress Toward New Storage Media

Forced to insulate: Substrate-induced strain can be used to switch an organic superconductor into an insulator that responds to the application of a v
Riken October 25th, 2008 Scientists at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Wako, Saitama University, Saitama, and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, have demonstrated that an organic film can be switched from being a superconductor to an insulator through the proper choice of substrate1. In addition, the researchers have shown that the electrical conductivity of the film can be tuned by an external voltage, which is necessary to realize transistors.

Green light for MAX IV
European Spallation Source October 25th, 2008  European Spallation Source will be a multi-disciplinary research centre, the global leader in its field. ESS will open new windows in a large array of scientific disciplines. The ambition of ESS Scandinavia is that the ESS be built in Lund, Sweden - at a crossroads for 10 European countries.

Solar Village production to increase 5-fold
saudigazette.com.sa October 26th, 2008 King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) held a 4-day workshop with IBM Research to discuss the jointly-established Nanotechnology Center of Excellence set up for research into water desalination, solar energy and petrochemicals. Prince Turki Bin Saud Bin Muhammad, KACST vice president for research institutes, and senior officials and researchers discussed the center's work and visited the Solar Village in Al-Oyaynah Town, northwest Riyadh, and the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC). Production capacity at the Solar Village is to be increased five times, with KACST and IBM working together to use nanotechnology to develop the Solar Village and improve its performance, with an agreement made to focus on new materials for converting solar energy into electricity.

Sorenson Legacy Foundation Gives University of Utah $15 Million to Develop Anchor Facility for New �Interdisciplinary Quadrangle� Linking Upper, Lower
Sorenson Legacy Foundation October 27th, 2008  Dedicated to Biomedical and Neurosciences Research, the James L. Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building Will Be First of Four Multidisciplinary Facilities on 11 Acres in Center of Campus, and Will Be the Cornerstone of State's $500 Million �Utah Science Technology And Research Initiative,' a University-Based Drive to Build Interdisciplinary Teams That Explore Novel Technologies and Develop Commercialization Opportunities.

TechConnect World 2009 Matches Tomorrow's Technology Solutions with Today's Business Needs for Clean-Technology, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
The Nano Science and Technology Institute (NSTI) October 27th, 2008 The Largest Technology Matchmaking Event in the US Comes to Houston, May 3-7, 2009 at the George R. Brown Convention Center

Seeing Nanotubes Targeting Tumors In Vivo
National Cancer Institute October 27th, 2008  Carbon nanotubes have significant potential for delivering both imaging and therapeutic agents to tumors, but there is still a need to better quantify how well these rolled-up sheets of graphite can target tumors. Now, thanks to the development of a microscope capable of measuring Raman spectroscopic signals from living mice, researchers have a noninvasive tool to study where carbon nanotubes travel once they are injected into the blood stream.

Nanoparticles Target Multiple Cancer Genes, Shrink Tumors More Effectively
National Cancer Institute October 27th, 2008  Nanoparticles filled with small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules targeting two genes that trigger melanoma have shown that they can inhibit the development of melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. The nanoparticles, administered in conjuction with ultrasound irradiation, exerted their effects only on malignant tissue, leaving healthy tissue alone.

Near-Infrared Nanoparticles Shine a Bright Light on Cancer
National Cancer Institute October 27th, 2008 A new nanoparticle-enabled imaging method for breast cancer has been developed by a team of scientists from Penn State. Their research, utilizing encapsulated fluorescent molecules in calcium phosphate nanoparticles and nontoxic near infrared (NIR) imaging, appears in the journal ACS Nano.

First images of barnacle larva�s footprint
University of Twente October 27th, 2008 The fouling or growth of sea organisms, such as barnacles, on ships' hulls causes damage costing many billions of euros annually. In order to prevent this fouling, In Yee Phang of the University of Twente used nanotechnology to investigate how barnacles colonize a surface. This is the first time that the existence of barnacle cyprid larvae �footprints' has been demonstrated. Phang will be awarded his doctorate on 24 October at the faculty of Science and Technology.

Double-patterning immersion lithography and advanced strained-silicon technology used to deliver fully functional 28nm chips
UMC October 27th, 2008 UMC Announces Foundry Industry's First 28nm SRAMs

Synthetic Biology: Coming Up Fast!
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies October 27th, 2008 Synthetic biology is being touted by scientists and venture capitalists as "the next big thing." Researchers claim to be on the brink of creating artificial life in a laboratory and making the world's first synthetic microbes. The first blockbuster synbio drug�an affordable cure for malaria�is expected on the market by 2010. And a whole new biofuels industry spawned by synthetic biologists that promises to conquer the globe's energy problems seems just around the corner.

New molecules with many branches will help unleash potential of nanotechnology
European Science Foundation October 27th, 2008  Materials science and the pharmaceutical industry could soon be revolutionized by emerging nanotechnologies based on designer molecules with long complex tree-and branch structures. Such molecules offer almost limitless scope for design of bespoke compounds for specific applications in disease therapy, for novel materials such as resins, as well as electronic displays, and energy storage. Almost every field involving design and synthesis of chemical compounds will be transformed by the arrival of technologies allowing nanoscale design of these branched molecules, known as hyperbranched polymers.

Iran Ranks 25th in Nanotechnology
farsnews.com October 27th, 2008 Iran ranked 25th in the field of nanotechnology, improving its ranking by 35 place compared to seven years ago. Head of Nanotechnology Association, Mojtaba Shariati-Niasar said that Iran took the 60th place in 2000 in the field in the world and sixth among the Islamic countries. But it reached 25th place in the international scene and first in the Islamic world, he said. He further said that the organizers of the Second International Nanotech Congress intend to show the international community how Iran managed to attain such a position in the field. The congress will be held in Tabriz University from October 28-30 with the participation of Iranian and foreign scientists.

Faculty Profile: Nina Markovic - Unraveling the Mysteries of Physics on the Nanoscale
Institute for NanoBioTechnology October 28th, 2008  Quantum dots (QD)�nanoscale particles that confine electrons and can emit and absorb light�have been studied in lasers, solar paneling, and biomedical therapeutics. Nina Markovic, affiliated faculty member of the Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology (INBT) and assistant professor of physics in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, believes this emerging technology will prove important in cancer therapies, energy transmission, and drug delivery.

Nanoscale Dimensioning Is Fast, Cheap with New NIST Optical Technique
NIST October 28th, 2008 A novel technique* under development at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) uses a relatively inexpensive optical microscope to quickly and cheaply analyze nanoscale dimensions with nanoscale measurement sensitivity. Termed "Through-focus Scanning Optical Microscope" (TSOM) imaging, the technique has potential applications in nanomanufacturing, semiconductor process control and biotechnology.

Sniffing Out a Better Chemical Sensor
NIST October 28th, 2008 Marrying a sensitive detector technology capable of distinguishing hundreds of different chemical compounds with a pattern-recognition module that mimics the way animals recognize odors, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a new approach for "electronic noses." Described in a recent paper,* their electronic nose is more adept than conventional methodologies at recognizing molecular features even for chemicals it has not been trained to detect and is also robust enough to deal with changes in sensor response that come with wear and tear. The detector could be a potent tool for applications such as sniffing out nerve agents, environmental contaminants, and trace indicators of disease, in addition to monitoring industrial processes and aiding in space exploration.

Mcgovern Institute funds collaborative neurotechnology projects
MIT October 28th, 2008 The McGovern Institute for Brain Research has announced six new funding awards to develop technologies aimed at accelerating neuroscience research and developing new therapeutic approaches for brain disorders. The new projects are on themes ranging from brain-machine interfaces to new genetic tools and brain imaging methods.

China, Russia issue joint communique on co-op
xinhuanet.com October 28th, 2008  In the fields of science and technology, China and Russia, by combining their efforts in high priority fields of scientific research, will implement joint projects with great innovative potential and commercial prospects. The two sides will further promote cooperation in nanotechnology, energy, energy saving, ecology and rational utilization of natural resources.

Laser flashes without bounds
Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short-Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI) October 28th, 2008 Researchers of the Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short-Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI) have developed a novel optical fiber that enables transmission of ultrashort light pulses with an unprecedented low degree of distortions.

NJIT professor finds engineering technique to identify disease-causing genes
New Jersey Institute of Technology October 28th, 2008  Scientists believe that complex diseases such as schizophrenia, major depression and cancer are not caused by one, but a multitude of dysfunctional genes. A novel computational biology method developed by a research team led by Ali Abdi, PhD, www.njit.edu/news/2008/2008-367.php, associate professor in NJIT's department of electrical and computer engineering, has found a way to uncover the critical genes responsible for disease development.

FEI Company Reports Third Quarter Financial Results: Bookings Increase 25% from the Second Quarter to a Record $175.3 million
FEI Company October 28th, 2008 FEI Company (NASDAQ:FEIC) reported all-time record bookings in the third quarter. Gross margins and operating income improved compared with the second quarter and GAAP earnings per share of $0.11 exceeded prior guidance.

U.S. Energy Department Streamlines Access to High-Tech User Facilities at DOE National Laboratories
U.S. Department of Energy October 29th, 2008 The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Technology Transfer Coordinator, Under Secretary for Science Dr. Raymond L. Orbach, announced today two new model agreements that will expand access to DOE's world-class research facilities by academia and industry. The streamlined agreements will also simplify the process for gaining access to DOE facilities and promote the transfer of cutting-edge technologies from DOE national laboratories.

A new mass sensor to weight atoms with an unprecedented resolution
CIN2 (Research Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology) October 29th, 2008 A group of researchers led by Adrian Bachtold of the CIN2 laboratory in Spain has developed an ultrasensitive mass sensor, which can measure tiny amounts of mass with atomic precision, and with an unprecedented resolution to date.

European researchers developed OLED element that can be manufactured using printing technology
VTT Technical Research Centre October 29th, 2008  The flexible and affordable source of light is particularly suitable for packaging

Northeastern University Physicists Create Assembly Technique for Carbon Nanotubes
Northeastern University October 29th, 2008  Srinivas Sridhar, Ph.D., distinguished professor and chair of Physics at Northeastern University, Evin Gultepe and their team of researchers from the university's Electronic Materials Research Institute have demonstrated a technique to assemble single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) into three-dimensional structures. This technique will be useful for the large scale, accelerated assembly of SWNTs at room temperature, which is more suitable for nanoscale electronic applications, such as flat panel displays and electronic memory devices.

CNSI program at UCLA helps bring nanoscience to high school classrooms
The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA October 29th, 2008 As developments in nanoscience and nanotechnology reshape our world on a daily basis, the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UCLA is helping Los Angeles-area high school science teachers incorporate these subjects into their standard core curriculum. The High School Nanoscience Program introduces teachers wishing to expand their curricula to nanoscience concepts and helps them integrate nanoscience experiments into the prescribed high school program of study. In this way, required fundamental science concepts can be taught while introducing students to this burgeoning new field.

Top Korean researcher joins CNSI as visiting scientist in nanotechnology
The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA October 29th, 2008  The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA announces the arrival of visiting scientist Jinwoo Cheon, professor of chemistry at Yonsei University in Korea. With a focus in inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry and nano-medical science, Dr. Cheon brings over twenty years of experience and the promise of numerous, robust research collaborations.

Looking down the tube � How defects make nano-objects better
chemie.de October 29th, 2008 They are extremely light, yet stronger than steel and more resilient than diamond. They are nearly unbeatable as heat and electricity conductors. In some cases, they even become superconductors with no electric resistance: carbon nanotubes are - at a diameter of a few millionths of a millimeter - truly a tiny wonder, and are awakening great hope in all branches of industry from metrology to optoelectronics. An international research group that includes scientists from LMU has now shown that defects in nanotubes can actually make the material better. Selective doping can change the electrical conductivity and other properties of the nanostructures to suit their intended purpose. This work revolved around the new, highly complex microscopy technology dubbed TENOM. The LMU researchers have also used this technology previously to study various nanotube systems in higher resolution than ever before. One of the things they demonstrated was that a complex of nanotubes and DNA makes an ideal sensor for individual molecules - right down to the nanoscale.

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation awards grant for imaging-agent research
Clemson University October 29th, 2008 Clemson University researchers developing imaging agents to allow a new method of detecting breast cancers have received $180,000 from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American women.

Researchers find new chemical key that could unlock hundreds of new antibiotics
University of Warwick October 29th, 2008  Chemistry researchers at The University of Warwick and the John Innes Centre, have found a novel signalling molecule that could be a key that will open up hundreds of new antibiotics unlocking them from the DNA of the Streptomyces family of bacteria.

European Energy Research Alliance launched
Cordis October 29th, 2008 Leading European energy research institutes have joined together to found the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), with the aim of speeding up the development of the new energy technologies that Europe needs if it is to address the triple challenge of climate change, energy security and competitiveness.

European Nanoelectronics Forum 2008, Paris, France
Cordis October 29th, 2008 The European Nanoelectronics Forum 2008 will be held in Paris, France, on 2 and 3 December. The event is jointly organised by EUREKA clusters MEDEA+ and CATRENE as well as the European Technology Platform on Nanoelectronics (ENIAC).

Sheikh Saud opens USD 150 mn Guardian RAK float glass plant
uaedailynews.com October 30th, 2008 H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, officially inaugurated the new USD 150 million float glass plant of Guardian RAK at a function held at Al Jazeera Al Hamra in Ras Al Khaimah. "Soon you will see the addition of nanotechnology with advanced coatings produced on our float glass and vacuum coater in the RAK plant, enabling the manufacture of a variety of world class products. These innovations, like our SunGuard series of advanced architectural products installed on the Burj Dubai, help architects and developers to `build with light'. This myriad set of advanced products will be available next year in Ras Al Khaimah," he added.

Coalition aims to develop 'smart' nanoscience drugs
irishtimes.com October 30th, 2008 A coalition of Irish universities and colleges came together today for an ambitious plan to develop "smart" drugs to fight cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Ten of the country's top third-level institutions will share expertise and technology in the emerging nanoscience field under the �32 million project. The Inspire partnership, unveiled by Jimmy Devins, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, will be headed up by Trinity College, which opened the country's first nanoscience institute earlier this year. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) allocated �31.6 million to Inspire, the largest funding allocation awarded to a consortium under the Government's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions. The scheme will allow around 500 researchers access to cutting-edge equipment including clean room facilities seen only in world-leading computer chip manufacturing companies.

Platinum playing its part in super-fast nanomotors 30th October 2008
platinum.matthey.com October 30th, 2008  Scientists are making huge advances in developing special nanotubes which make use of platinum as they target tumour cells or clogged arteries in the body, it was reported yesterday (29th October). Nanomotors, as they are more broadly known, can move forwards through liquid, transporting pharmaceutical agents to specific areas or facilitating the movement of specimen molecules via microchip. The best-performing of these is a tiny catalytic nanotube which contains platinum at one end and gold at the other and is propelled through a medium that contains the fuel it needs, which is often hydrogen peroxide. Previously, it could attain speeds of ten to 20 micrometres per second, but now a team led by Joseph Wang at the University of California and Arizona State University has made rapid improvements.

Nanotechnology improves food safety by detecting prions
farmtalknewspaper.com October 30th, 2008 Mad cow disease is a fatal neurodegenerative condition in cattle that is related to the human form of a disease that has caused the deaths of nearly 200 people worldwide. Currently, testing for this disease in cattle is a lengthy process that only occasionally results in a correct diagnosis. With funding from USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) National Research Initiative (NRI), scientists in New York created a new device that may provide a faster, easier, and more reliable way to test for mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). This new tool targets prions, which are the cause of BSE. Prions are abnormally structured proteins that convert normal proteins into an abnormal form. Prions are responsible for forms of the neurodegenerative diseases, such as BSE in cattle, scrapie in sheep, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. If often takes years before the symptoms arise that indicate the disease is present. Harold Craighead and colleagues at Cornell University have developed nanoscale resonators, which are tiny devices that function like tuning forks by changing pitch with increased mass. Craighead's group, in collaboration with Richard Montagna at Innovative Biotechnologies International, Inc., modeled the device after a similar idea used to detect bacterial pathogens. When prions bind to the resonator's silicon sensor, it changes the vibrational resonant frequency of the device. In experimental trials, the sensor detected prions at concentrations as low as two nanograms per milliliter, the smallest levels measured to date.

IMEC calls for true European collaborations
IMEC October 30th, 2008 To increase Europe's microelectronics competitiveness, the Belgian nanoelectronics research center IMEC asks Europe and its governing public authorities to stimulate true cross-border collaborations, not only by setting up networks but also by creating financial means. Only international collaboration will enable Europe to continue to play a competitive role in nanoelectronics and related fields.

Nanostart holding Namos achieves important milestone
Nanostart AG October 30th, 2008 - Proprietary process from Namos reduces precious metal consumption for making automotive catalytic converters by up to 50% - Successful completion of aging test marks major step toward market introduction - Test confirms that new technology functions flawlessly at high operating temperatures

Self-propelled microbots navigate through blood vessels
technologyreview.com October 31st, 2008 The 1966 science-fiction movie Fantastic Voyage famously imagined using a tiny ship to combat disease inside the body. With the advent of nanotechnology, researchers are inching closer to creating something almost as fantastic. A microscopic device that could swim through the bloodstream and directly target the site of disease, such as a tumor, could offer radical new treatments. To get to a tumor, however, such a device would have to be small and agile enough to navigate through a labyrinth of tiny blood vessels, some far thinner than a human hair. Researchers at the �cole Polytechnique de Montr�al, in Canada, led by professor of computer engineering Sylvain Martel, have coupled live, swimming bacteria to microscopic beads to develop a self-propelling device, dubbed a nanobot. While other scientists have previously attached bacteria to microscopic particles to take advantage of their natural propelling motion, Martel's team is the first to show that such hybrids can be steered through the body using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To do this, Martel used bacteria that naturally contain magnetic particles. In nature, these particles help the bacteria navigate toward deeper water, away from oxygen. "Those nanoparticles form a chain a bit like a magnetic compass needle," says Martel. But by changing the surrounding magnetic field using an extended set-up coupled to an MRI machine, Martel and his colleagues were able to make the bacteria propel themselves in any direction they wanted.

Cells traverse developmental divide via Blimp
Riken October 31st, 2008 A method for single-cell genomic profiling has helped researchers to identify a putative �master switch' for reproductive cell development in the mouse embryo

Antimatter trap to test nature's symmetry:Origins of our Universe could be probed by detailed study of antihydrogen atoms
Riken October 31st, 2008 RIKEN scientists have developed a method for trapping and manipulating antimatter that could be key to solving one of the universe's biggest mysteries. The technique will allow scientists to "test the most fundamental symmetry of nature," says Yasunori Yamazaki of RIKEN's Advanced Science Institute, Wako.

Smaller, cheaper and better:A new design for compact free-electron lasers leads the way towards exploiting extremely short wavelengths
Riken October 31st, 2008 Physicists are greatly interested in free-electron lasers (FEL) because they are capable of generating high-intensity laser radiation across a very broad wavelength spectrum, even down to the extreme ultraviolet rays and x-rays. Worldwide, several multi-billion-dollar efforts are underway to build next-generation free-electron lasers at x-ray wavelengths. As part of these efforts, a compact and efficient design has been realized by researchers from the RIKEN XFEL Project Head Office, collaborating with the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI). They report on the superior properties of extreme ultraviolet FEL laser radiation from a first-test system in Nature Photonics1.