Allison Stoddart of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s magazine Chemical Science interviews nanotechnology researcher David Leigh on the joy of molecular machines in a piece titled “The magic of chemistry”: What motivated you to study molecular machines? I worked in Fraser Stoddart’s group before he made any catenanes or rotaxanes. We made our first catenane… Continue reading Molecular machines: the magic of nanotechnology
In yet another promising example of nanotechnology being used to defeat cancer, Forbes.com tells us of work at University of Michigan on brain cancer research: Tiny “nanoparticles” can be loaded with high concentrations of drugs to kill brain cancer, U.S. researchers report. Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M) Comprehensive Cancer Center incorporated the drug… Continue reading Nanotechnology to fight brain cancer
Nanotechnology will soon be taught in Mexico’s public schools, but Valerie Strauss of The Washington Post explains that it’s a different story in the U.S.: Scientist Robert P.H. Chang of Northwestern University had no trouble persuading education officials in Mexico to introduce the burgeoning field of nanotechnology to schools there, but it’s been a far… Continue reading Nanotechnology taught in Mexico schools, but not U.S.
The useful website Nanowerk describes a new technique invented by researchers in Spain which should be useful in analyzing nanotechnology devices: Many protein molecules, such as those that process DNA, execute twisting motions, but researchers have only managed to measure the torques in a few cases. Often the random thermal jiggling of water molecules makes… Continue reading Nanotechnology torque detected with exquisite sensitivity
As a veteran nanowatcher, I can testify that what most people want most from nanotechnology is dramatic medical advances, such as the cancer treatments now showing so much promise. Science magazine periodically includes a “product” section reviewing what’s happening in a particular field of interest. Nanobiotechnology: an Incredible Voyage for the Life Sciences by Mike… Continue reading Most longed-for nanotechnology: nanomedicine
Red Herring reports that the city of Berkeley, California, has voted to approve its own nanoparticle regulations: On Tuesday night the Berkeley, California City Council passed an ordinance to regulate the use of manufactured nanoparticles, tiny subatomic [sic] materials that can be 100,000 times smaller than the width of human hair… Now the city will… Continue reading Nanotechnology regulations at city level: Unhelpful
NYU prof Nadrian Seeman, who won the Foresight Institute Feynman Prize back in 1995, has done it again. From Science Daily: New York University chemistry professor Nadrian C. Seeman and his graduate student Baoquan Ding have developed a DNA cassette through which a nanomechanical device can be inserted and function within a DNA array, allowing… Continue reading Nanotechnology robotic arm built at NYU
At every meeting of the Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems, we find at least one new rising star in nanotechnology. At the recent meeting held at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, it was Prof. Matthew Francis of UC Berkeley. Access to these folks is one of the main attractions for organizations participating in the Roadmap process.… Continue reading Rising nanotechnology star: Berkeley's Matthew Francis
Cognitive enhancement technologies already exist — if you drink coffee, you’re a user — so it seems likely that nanotechnology will eventually be used for this purpose. A new report (pdf) from the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at ASU summarizes the results of a workshop on this topic held with Sandia. They identified… Continue reading Nanotechnology for cognitive enhancement: okay or not
The Future of Things, an online magazine based in Israel, has a nanotechnology article/interview with the clearest explanation I’ve seen of the two generations of nanocars built at Rice University. We’ve discussed this before, but a more comprehensible exposition is always welcome. See especially the Flash movie of how the latest nanocar moves. Some excerpts:… Continue reading New nanotechnology movie shows nanocar propulsion
