Indian-owned UAE firm among top NASA nanotech awardees
A small United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based company owned by an Indian, that produces raw materials for the paint industry, is among this year's list of winners of a top nanotechnology award given by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US. Gold Valley Chemical Company (GVCC), based in the emirate of Ajman in the UAE, figures among the 50 winners of the 2008 Nano 50 awards announced this month by Nanotech Briefs, the digital publication forum of NASA.
GVCC has been selected for developing a product that incorporates nanotechnology in its design and operation, "with significant current or near-term commercial applications". According to GVCC president Adolph Dias, the product that his company has developed - White gold - significantly enhances the quality of titanium dioxide, a major chemical used in the paint industry.
"Titanium dioxide is a very expensive raw material which no paint manufacturer can virtually do without today," Stating that his company decided to enhance the performance of titanium dioxide so that the refractiveness of a paint was increased, he said: "There were two ways to do it: one was to change the refractive index of the product and two, to do what we call the spacing of the product."
"We chose the latter one because it was easier to do and it used a technology that we could bring into practice soon. The other one would take ages to do and I am not sure it will be commercially viable." Elaborating further, he said that the pigment or a paint film consists of a vast number of minute particles but there remains a void or space between these particles.
"In other words, in the pigment there is a void created by these particles and if those voids are correctly filled in and spaced out, the refractiveness of the paint increases. So what it (White gold) does is these nano particles fill in these voids and improve the final product," he said, speaking at the GVCC factory in the Ajman Free Zone. "Titanium dioxide on its own gives a high level of whiteness and opacity, but with our White gold, it improves its own performance. So, together with titanium dioxide, White gold performs in an unbeatable manner."
The GVCC website describes White gold thus: "White gold is a very pure, brilliant white, hybridized inorganic pigment providing excellent Titanium Dioxide extension possibilities. Its excellent opacity and unmatched brightness when used as an extender is just some of the outstanding properties of this product."
According to Dias, the new product was developed by a small GVCC research team comprising six people who have with them around 20 years' experience in the paints industry.
As for the market Whitegold is targeted at, he said, "The customer target is basically in the paints and coatings market. It (Whitegold) is doing a function that no other raw material can do today. No known raw material is able to achieve the kind of opacity that our Whitegold has been able to render." Apart from Whitegold, Dias sounded equally excited about the company's latest product, which he believed would revolutionize the paints industry and market.
Called Kwickcoat, it is a paint that comes in powder form and is a do-it-yourself (DIY) product. Explaining that any person can buy the product from the shelf of any paint shop, Dias, a chartered accountant by profession who got into paint raw materials distribution prior to entering manufacturing, said all that was needed to make paint was a glass of water.
"I will give you a raw material, one bag of raw material. You add that to this water, you stir it in and you have paint ready to apply. Believe it or not, it is as easy as that. It is easier than making tea or coffee because you don't even need to put the kettle on to warm up the water," he said.
Armed with Whitegold and Kwickcoat and five other products that his factory located on the Ajman seaport produces, Dias is now thinking of GVCC's expansion and is actively looking for joint venture opportunities. "We have the products that would create automatic demand. They are so unique that when a customer sees the properties and benefits that they can get from it, I will not need to sell it anymore," Dias, who was born and brought up in Mumbai and moved to the UAE in 1978, said.
As for the kind of partners he was looking at, he said, "We are not closing our eyes to anybody. We need somebody to share the vision that we have. It's a very broad vision, we have a very wide horizon, there is nothing to hold us back." All this even as he prepares to attend the NASA Tech Briefs National Nano Engineering Conference to be held in Boston Nov 12-13 when the Nano 50 awards will be presented for the fourth year in succession.
The awards, according to Nanotech Briefs, "recognize the top 50 technologies, products, and innovators that have significantly impacted - or are expected to impact - the state of the art in nanotechnology". GVCC, along with another Japanese firm, are the only two companies outside of the Americas and Europe, to be selected for the awards this year.
Source: http://www.ndtvprofit.com/2008/07/23124537/Indianowned-UAE-firm-among-to.html
API Nanotronics Receives Two 2008 Nanotech Briefs "Nano 50" Awards
API Nanotronics Corp. (OTCBB: APIO) ("API") (the "Company"), a leading supplier of electronic components and nanotechnology research and development to the defense and communications sectors, today announced it received two of the 2008 NanoBriefs® Nano 50(TM) awards. Dr. Martin Moskovits, API's Chief Technology Officer, was honored as a Nano 50 Innovator and API's SubWave(TM) UV Polarizers were honored with a Nano 50 product award.
The Nano 50 honors the top 50 technologies, products and innovators that have significantly impacted, or are expected to impact, the nanotechnology industry. The winners of the Nano 50 awards are the most innovative people and designs that will move nanotechnology to key mainstream markets. Judged by a panel of nanotechnology experts, the technologies, products and innovators receiving the 50 highest scores were Nano 50 award winners. The Nano 50 Awards Dinner will be held at the NASA Tech Briefs National Nano Engineering Conference in Boston, November 12 and 13, 2008. The full list of winners can be viewed at the Nanotech Briefs website http://www.nanotechbriefs.com/nano50/nano50_winners_08.html.
SubWave(TM) UV Polarizers, developed at API's NanoOpto Division, are based on a patented nanofabricated grating design. The polarizers can be optimized for use at a customer-specified wavelength, such as the 266nm quadrupled YAG laser line or 193nm ArF laser illumination, and exhibit high extinction ratios. These devices, which are super thin, non-dichroic, high-transmission components, can be cut to any application-specific size and shape up to 4" x 4". The product can be used in UV photolithography and display applications.
Stephen B. Pudles, Chief Executive Officer of API Nanotronics Inc., said, "We are pleased to be recognized with this distinguished group of nanotechnology leaders. We look forward to increased commercialization of our industry leading optical and MEMS products which utilize our nanotechnology processes and innovations."
Source: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0417899.htm
Philadelphia nanotechnology startup gets new leadership
Y-Carbon, Inc., a nanotechnology startup developing an innovative method of making and tailoring novel, nanostructured carbon materials with applications in energy storage, medical products, life science research, filtration and purification systems, announced today that Edward L. Erickson has been appointed CEO and a Director.
Mr. Erickson has served as president, CEO or director of a dozen such companies, four of which successfully completed IPOs during his tenure. He has raised more than $500M in equity and debt capital in both the private and public capital markets. Ed will serve Y-Carbon initially on a part-time basis pending completion of certain other entrepreneurial projects.
Y-Carbon, founded in 2004, is a materials science company with an initial focus in energy applications. Y-Carbon has obtained broad and exclusive rights to intellectual property in the field of carbide derived carbon (CDC), which is an innovative “tuneable” nano-porous, high specific surface area material invented by Prof. Gogotsi’s team in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel University. The company is currently based in the Philadelphia Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) and is a spin off from the A.J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute. Y-Carbon is also a portfolio company of the Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center and The Nanotechnology Institute of Ben Franklin Technology Partners Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Source: http://www.phillypreneurs.com/2008/07/philadelphia-nanotechnology-startup-gets-new-leadership/
Nanotechnology Boom Expected by 2015
New report forecasts major growth spurt in next seven years.
The market for nanotechnology-based products is expected to reach $3.1 trillion by 2015, up from $147 billion in 2007, according to a recent report by technology advisory firm Lux Research. The forecast is based on data from more than 1,000 primary interviews Lux Research analysts conduct with technology developers annually, as well as a new survey of 31 top corporations active in nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology realized the greatest growth in the report's materials and manufacturing sector during 2007, with the technology being used in $97 billion worth of products including coatings and composites used in automobiles and buildings. Electronics followed at $35 billion where nanotech is being used to develop displays and batteries. The healthcare industry generated $15 billion of revenue, driven primarily by pharmaceutical applications. Through 2015 the materials and manufacturing sector will remain the top field for nanotechnology applications, growing at 45% to reach $1.8 trillion worth of product revenue. The electronics sector will gain ground through 2015, growing at a 51% compound annual growth rate to reach $940 billion, while healthcare and life sciences will grow at 46% annually to reach $31 billion.
The United States leads the way with $59 billion worth of nanotech-based products produced in 2007. Europe followed at $47 billion; Asia/Pacific accounts for $31 billion, and the rest of the world accounted for $9.4 billion. However, Europe is expected to edge the United States in nanotech revenue with $1.09 trillion worth of products generated by 2015, compared with $1.08 trillion in the U.S. over the same period. Asia will remain in third place at $717 billion.
Nanotechnology research and development hit $13.5 billion in 2007, up 14% from 2006. Global corporate R&D spending grew 23% to reach $6.6 billion, passing government spending for the first time.The Lux report, "Nanomaterials State of the Market Q3 2008: Stealth Success, Broad Impact," contends that the growth of nanotechnology is turning a once-overhyped industry into reality.
"Nanotech isn't a new market or industry - it's an enabling technology that improves many types of products," says Jurron Bradley, senior analyst at Lux Research. "For example, you find it in coatings boosting the efficiency of automobile engines, in nano-enabled finishes protecting electronic devices, and nanoparticulate reformulations that make cholesterol-reducing drugs more effective. These innovations aren't always visible to consumers, but they improve products and boost margins. That's why nanomaterials' use is only going to keep growing."
Source: http://www3.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=16884
Nano On A Hot Tin Roof
Andrew Maynard, of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, recently blogged about an Australian study that documented an odd effect of sunscreens containing nanoscale titanium dioxide (TiO2). The study was prompted by the observation that installers of metal roofs who used these sunscreens inadvertently transferred the product onto the roofs. In places where the workers’ skin had touched the painted metal surfaces, the paint showed accelerated weathering. Why? Because the particular type of nanoscale TiO2 in the sunscreen (the anatase crystal form) is photoactive – when it absorbs UV light, it releases free radicals that speed up the oxidation of the underlying paint.
So it’s only fair to ask whether the use of such sunscreens could accelerate the weathering of our skin. Andrew says not necessarily. While the observed damage to roof paint raises a red flag, for harm to our skin to occur would require that the free radicals penetrate down to the living layers of the skin. That step has not (yet) been observed to occur.
Researchers from DuPont noted that some but not all forms of nanoscale TiO2 exhibit such photoactivity. And reactivity can be decreased (or increased) by introducing special treatments and surface coatings to either “passify” or activate such materials.
One might have expected that sunscreen formulators would choose to use the less-reactive nanoscale TiO2. So why do some of these sunscreens exhibit increased photoactivity? Does this demonstrate a lack of understanding on the part of formulators, or are treatments used to reduce reactivity breaking down over time? And is the government watching?
So let’s review what we know and don’t know:
• We know that some forms of nanoscale TiO2 are more reactive than others.
• We know that nanoscale TiO2 can be modified to reduce reactivity.
• We know that some sunscreens that contain the more reactive form of nanoscale TiO2 can damage painted metal roofs.
But:
• We don’t know if frequent use of sunscreens containing the more reactive form of nanoscale TiO2 poses a greater health (or environmental) risk than the less reactive form.
• We don’t know what type of nanoscale TiO2 is present in any given sunscreen we may purchase (in fact we may not even know if the TiO2 is nanoscale or not).
• There’s still a lot more research needed to determine whether each of the various forms of nanoscale TiO2 can or cannot penetrate skin, including actively flexed or damaged (e.g., sunburned) skin.
Source: http://environmentaldefenseblogs.org/nanotechnology/2008/07/22/nano-on-a-hot-tin-roof/
Nanotechnology: Learning from past mistakes
Nanotech's success depends on addressing safety questions
A new expert analysis in Nature Nanotechnology questions whether industry, government and scientists are successfully applying lessons learned from past technologies to ensure the safe and responsible development of emerging nanotechnologies
The study applies the 12 "late lessons from early warnings," published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in 2001, to the emerging field of nanotechnology. EEA's "lessons" are drawn from case studies that include the introduction of ozone-damaging halocarbons and of environmentally persistent and toxic PCBs. The authors of this latest study, who include Steffen Foss Hansen of the Technical University of Denmark and Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies Chief Science Advisor Andrew Maynard, conclude that while the nanotechnology community is doing some things right, "we are still in danger of repeating old, and potentially costly, mistakes."
"Despite a good start, nanotechnology commercialization appears hampered and diverted because many of the same government organizations responsible for promoting nanotechnology also are responsible for regulating it. Risk research strategies are weak and not leading to clear answers to critical safety questions and to filling clear knowledge gaps. Collaborations on risk research, environment and health monitoring, and 'green' applications are hindered by disciplinary and institutional barriers. Most importantly, stakeholders and the public are not being fully engaged," according to lead author Hansen.
"Nanotechnology is all about looking to the future-solving new challenges with new science," says Maynard. "But if it is to succeed, we also need to look back and heed the lessons of the past. And those lessons are clear-work with foresight, honesty and humility; be grounded in reality; and listen to people. We still have a chance to get it right with nanotechnology. But we are not there yet."
Source: http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/39094/Nanotechnology_Learning_from_past_mistakes.html
Cosmetic Clinic Introduces Nanotechnology Rejuvenation into Aesthetic Medical Practice
Singapore Cosmetic Clinic Simply Aesthetic introduces nanotechnology rejuvenation into Aesthetic medical practice in Singapore. The Perfector mimics cellular communication, commanding age reversal and cellular regeneration.
"This is the technology that we have been dreaming about" says Dr Christine Cheng, Director of Simply Aesthetic. "To see immediate reversal of signs of ageing without undergoing painful treatments with risks and downtime, however minimal, is nothing short of a miracle!"
Developed by Gerry Pollock, the co-inventor of the first pacemaker, the Perfector generates nano-currents in a complex series of waveforms similar to the inherent biological communication system. The electrons discharged during the treatment neutralise the free radicals in the skin, and form an antioxidant defense against future free radical damage. Collagen and elastin production are enhanced, and the facial muscles are stimulated to contract to create a lift.
The Perfector is the only aesthetic device available to treat the ageing face at multiple levels from muscle upwards, without the requirement of trauma inherent in other treatment modalities. The minute nano-currents have no sensation associated, yet significant lifting and sculpting can be seen after the first 30 minute session. Treatments should be done twice weekly until the desired result is achieved, then maintenance is every 1-2 months depending on lifestyle factors.
The Perfector can be used for lifting and sculpting, improving skin tone, treating acne, reducing eye bags & dark eye circles, as well as detoxification. It is suitable for all age groups, being useful for prevention as well as reversal of the ageing process.
Dr Cheng adds "Now we have the perfect solution for those in need for an effective treatment just before an important event, such as weddings and important functions."
Source: http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=6915
Patent Covers Three Main Methods of Associating Nanoparticles with Filter Media
Applied Nanoscience Inc., a nanotechnology-based filtration development company, today announced that it has been issued a patent in New Zealand for its core technology platform encompassing "Filtering Devices Incorporating Nanoparticles." The patent covers three main methods of associating nanoparticles with filter media: (1) having pellets of nanoparticles located adjacent to the filter media; (2) coating the filter media with a powder of nanoparticles; and, (3) impregnating the nanoparticles into the filter media.
In addition, ANI has been informed by its attorneys in Australia that a patent for this same invention will issue as a matter of course within 90 days. The patent became sealed on July 17 and will afford broad protection for filtration applications across all of Australia.
"We continue to build momentum in securing key foreign protection for our core technology platform. This recent progress, combined with our proprietary silver nanoparticle formulation (NanoFense™) should become a very attractive consideration to established filtration-based companies in some of the more populated parts of the world," said Thomas K. Allen, President and CEO, ANI.
ANI has also received patents on its platform technology in Russia, Singapore, Taiwan and India.
Posted July 24th, 2008
Source : http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=6918
Russia to offer nanotechnology for blood plasma cleaning
Nanotechnology will soon allow people to have their blood plasma cleaned relatively inexpensively, the head of Russia's Nanotechnology Corporation told his American partners during a visit to the United States. Leonid Melamed is leading a Rosnanotech delegation at a three-day summit on nano renewable energy that opened in Denver, Colorado last Sunday. "We could possibly have an opportunity to test the technology in December," Melamed said. Russians have so far been able to have their blood plasma cleaned during an almost two-hour session of plasmapheresis priced at up to 5,000 rubles ($215) at clinics. Patients can undergo treatment for metabolic disorder and remove toxins from their blood.
Melamed said that fitness centers and beauty parlors could soon use nanotechnology to offer plasmopheresis to their customers. Melamed also invited Clayton Teague, who heads the U.S. National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, to attend an international nanotechnology forum to be held in Moscow on December 3-5, 2008. On the first day of the summit Michael Bruce, senior advisor for finance at the US Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, described nanotechnology as an important sector for national security, finance and environmental protection. Alexander Losyukov, Rosnanotech deputy general director for international contacts, said earlier "one of our tasks is to introduce the corporation to our American partners and to outline directions for specific cooperation and prospects for the implementation of joint projects."
Source: http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=6474.php
Scientists Discovering Springfield a Home for Nanotechnology
(Springfield, MO) -- You may not expect a nanotechnology business to take up shop here in the Ozarks, but Brewer Science says a collaboration effort here in Springfield is what drew its team of scientists to the area. Seven businesses here at the Jordan Valley Innovation Center are working with Missouri State and the government to improve the technology we use every day. At Brewer Science, that task involves researching how even the tiniest molecules developed in labs can be sold inside items we use every day like cell phones. "This whole fifth floor is ours," Kevin Edwards of Brewer Science says. "This is Brewer Science, Springfield." They just moved in a few weeks ago, but these scientists are already hard at work to make new advances in nanotechnology.
What we do here is research and development on carbon nanotubes suspended in water," Edwards says.This model of a carbon nanotube (right) is clearly a lot larger than what the scientists here are dealing with, but they say it its smallest form it actually looks like a really long strand of spaghetti. They say this carbon nanotube is actually the basis for microchips of tomorrow. These experts hope to make items like computer displays and memory drives faster, smaller and less expensive. "The real endgame of carbon nanotubes is to produce products that people can understand and can use in everyday life," Mike Stroder of Brewer Science says. Scientists say what's developed in this lab could make next-generation products like the Apple iPhone easier to use. "It could be used for an iPhone," Edwards says. "It could be used for a touch-screen display for any kind of kiosk that you see, whether it's an ATM or something in an airport." Since the materials they deal with under microscopes are so small, even a tiny particle of dust could do some serious damage. "What 
you're seeing now is a 'clean room,' meaning that it's controlled with filtration units above," Edwards says. "The air blows down and escapes out the bottom, so the room is continually washed in air that's extremely clean and pure." An extra precaution to ensure the research inside this lab improves lives on the outside. Brewer Science is very familiar with Missouri. It's actually based in Rolla, and the old Springfield lab was inside Kemper Hall on Missouri State's campus, but Edwards says this lab is 3 to 4 times larger. The businesses located at the Innovation Center do collaborate. A lot of their goals, like improving technology, overlap. So in some cases, one company will work on one piece of the puzzle, like Brewer Science does with the carbon nanotube, and they develop solutions by putting those pieces together
Source: http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=35951
Treating Eye Diseases using Nanotechnology
While nanotechnology is being used in everything from paints to car exteriors, clothing and cosmetics, research is also underway using the technology to discover medical breakthroughs. Nanoparticle research by Professor Sanku Mallik and his group at North Dakota State University, Fargo, appears in the July issue of the Review of Ophthalmology in the article "Nanoparticles: Into the New Frontier."
The article by senior editor Christopher Kent notes that cutting-edge work is being done in North Dakota, Oklahoma and Florida. The promise of such research includes finding treatments for eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. Sanku Mallik, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at NDSU, conducts research that uses a nanoparticle called nanoceria as a drug delivery device. It is made of cerium oxide molecules. The brain-blood barrier can prevent medicines from reaching their therapeutic targets, but nanoparticles are so small they are capable of crossing the brain-blood barrier. Quoted in the article, Mallik notes, “So far, nanoceria appears to be nontoxic, but the drugs we attach to the particle might be toxic, so targeting molecules are necessary. These particles can also be used for imaging; we can attach molecules that can be made to glow after they reach targets such as cancer cells.”
So far, the research of Mallik and his associates has been conducted in a controlled environment outside of a living organism and is in its initial stages. Researchers must ensure that the particles are water-soluble for effective delivery and less irritation to the cornea. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness if left untreated, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation. An estimated four million Americans have glaucoma but only half of them know it, according to Prevent Blindness America. Minnesota Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett (1960-2006) was forced to retire due to loss of vision in one eye from glaucoma. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in Americans older than 50, affecting more than two million people, according to the American Academy of Opththalmology.
The pharmaceutical research of Mallik’s team includes attaching anti-cancer drugs to the nanoparticles and targeting molecules so particles only enter cells that are in need of treatment. Nanotechnology is often defined as the science of the extremely small. A nanometer, for example, is a hundred-thousandth of the thickness of a human hair, or one-billionth of a meter.
Mallik recently received a five-year, $1.46 million grant from the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute. D. K. Srivastava, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at NDSU, is the co-investigator on this award. It relies on the complementary scientific expertise of Mallik and Srivastava. The grant will allow the investigators to prepare selective, “multi-prong” inhibitors for matrix metalloproteinases using lipid-based nanoparticles. They also will use the nanoparticles for isozyme-selective detection of these enzymes.
Mallik received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, and his doctorate degree in organic chemistry at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. He completed post-doctoral work at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. He is a past recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER award, which recognizes and supports the early career-development activities of scholars who are likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century. Information about Dr. Mallik’s research is available at http://pharmsci.ndsu.nodak.edu/facstaff/mallik/research.htm
Source: http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=6855
Bringing Cleaner and Healthier Pet Products Worldwide through Smart Nanotechnology
Nano Pet Products, LLC, a Wilton, Connecticut-based company dedicated to bringing cleaner and healthier pet products to pet owners worldwide through Dog Gone Smart(TM) nanotechnology, has added Royal Pet Supplies, one of the nation's largest independent pet supply distributors based in Brentwood, Long Island, New York, and Pompano Beach, Florida, to meet increasing demand for the company's revolutionary new Dog Gone Smart(TM) Bed and Dog Gone Smart(TM) Wear product lines.
"Now, our innovative pet products will be readily available coast to coast," said Chris Onthank, managing member and founder of Nano Pet Products, LLC. He added, "Royal Pet's enthusiasm for our nanotechnology and product durability demonstrates their dedication to the well-being of pets and the increasing needs of pet owners nationwide."
Founded over 60 years ago, Royal Pet Supplies distributes to over 3,500 independent pet stores and groomers in 48 states. They deliver to customers on the Eastern Seaboard from Maine to Florida and as far west as Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, and ship to all other regions, including South America, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. Nano Pet Products, LLC has already realized brisk initial sales and positive feedback from consumers.
"We carry thousands of pet products but Nano Pet's Dog Gone Smart(TM) line of pet beds and pet apparel caught our attention because of the unique nature of the fabric and protection technology," explained Royal Pet Supplies Senior Buyer, Mark Whitney. He added, "When we tested the dog beds, we were impressed by the remarkable durability and washability of the product. We look forward to seeing additional applications of the technology in the near future."
According to The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Inc.'s (APPMA) Americans will spend more than $43.4 billion on pets in 2008, a 5.5 percent increase from 2007 which is also more than double what pet owners spent a little more than a decade ago.
Nano Pet Products, LLC offers more than 22 styles and sizes of The Dog Gone Smart(TM) Bed, including round, rectangular (both available with Sherpa top), donut, crate pad, and memory therm, each in six different colors. All Dog Gone Smart(TM) Beds use hollow core slick fiber fill that some of the world's finest pillows are made of, which also allows the dog to nest, yet has wonderful loft and rebounds when the dog leaves its bed. The beds are priced between $24.95 and $129.95.
Dog Gone Smart(TM) Wear offers two styles in more than 12 sizes, five different colors, and is priced between $35 and $65. Owners will find that the jacket is an attractive and cost-effective option that is hygienic, easy to clean and looks like new, year after year.
Source: http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=6858
Karnataka to pitch Bangalore as nanotechnology hub
Tech-savvy Karnataka is set to promote Bangalore as a nanotechnology hub to replicate its success in information technology (IT) and biotechnology (BT) sectors, with novel initiatives to attract investors, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, a top official said here.
"We have initiated a number of measures to accelerate the growth of the nanotechnology sector on the lines of IT and BT sectors. Efforts are on to replicate the success in IT and BT sectors in terms of innovation, investment and job creation," Karnataka secretary for IT, BT and science and technology Ashok Kumar C. Manoli told IANS late on Wednesday.
As part of its effort to showcase India's IT hub as a premier destination for the nanotechnology industry, the state government will host the second edition of "Bangalore Nano" Dec 12-14.
To be organised in association with the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), headed by prime minister's scientific advisory council chairman C.N.R. Rao, the three-day event will hard-sell Bangalore as a nano hub for stakeholders from India and abroad.
The focal theme of the event will be "Nanotechnology in India's Future" to create opportunities for innovators, researchers, academia, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and enterprises to showcase the latest advancements in the sunrise sector.
"Application of nanotechnology in diverse products is estimated to be $15 billion. Its increased usage in a range of applications and products has the potential to generate a trillion dollars by 2015," Manoli said.
A nano exposition during the event will provide an opportunity for the industry and the research community to explore possibilities of nanotech applications in electronics, biopharma, engineering and allied fields. A two-day conference will enable the stakeholders to interact and network on collaborations and partnerships.
"After becoming an IT and BT bellwether, the state is shifting focus to nanotechnology. Many Indian small and medium companies have done research and innovation in the emerging knowledge area for product development and applications in daily use," Manoli said. According to Ajay K. Sood, state nanotechnology vision group member and Indian Institute of Science professor, India has made a modest beginning with a five-year nano mission and Rs.10 billion outlay by the central government for development of nanotechnology.
"Nano revolution is on the world over with several countries making huge investments in developing products and applications using the cutting-edge technology," Sood said. In tune with the focal theme, the event will focus on nanotechnology and its impact on India's future with special attention on industry and manufacturing, energy and environment, food and agriculture, electronics and chemicals. The event is expected to attract 500 delegates from the world over, including Australia, Britain, Germany, France, Japan, Korea and the US.
Indian private firms and state-run research and development organisations doing path-breaking work in nano science and nanotechnology will also showcase their domain expertise, services and achievements at the nano expo. IANS
Source: http://www.indiaedunews.net/Karnataka/Karnataka_to_pitch_Bangalore_as_nanotechnology_hub_5214/
