Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies : Local officials move toward monitoring nanotechnologies

Massachusetts city health officials urge adoption of unique voluntary program

Washington, DC — State and local officials have taken steps to begin monitoring the manufacture and storage of nanomaterials, a major step for a cutting-edge technology that has yet to be regulated by the federal government.

On July 28, the Cambridge (Mass.) Public Health Department recommended to the city manager that Cambridge take several steps to gain a better understanding of the nature and extent of nanotechnology-related activities now underway within the city. In addition, news outlets are reporting that a key member of California State Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials is holding meetings around the state in advance of introducing legislation next year that may grant state regulators landmark oversight of nanomaterials.

In 2006, Berkeley, Calif., passed the first local ordinance in the nation by requiring handlers of nanomaterials to submit toxicology reports on the materials to the city government.

The efforts by state and local officials come as the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) recently released a report that discusses possible options for state and local governments to follow for oversight of potential negative impacts of nanotechnology – including local air, waste and water regulations, as well as labeling and worker safety requirements.

"In the absence of action at the federal level, local and state governments may begin to explore their options for oversight of nanotechnologies," says Suellen Keiner, the author of Room at the Bottom? Potential State and Local Strategies for Managing the Risks and Benefits of Nanotechnology.

Another recent PEN report, Application of the Toxics Release Inventory To Nanomaterials, addresses the potential application of local "right-to-know" laws concerning nanotechnologies.

The Cambridge Public Health Department, in collaboration with the Cambridge Nanomaterials Advisory Committee, in its new report does not recommend the city manager enact a new ordinance regulating nanotechnology, but it does recommend that the city take the following steps:

• Establish an inventory of engineered nanoscale materials that are manufactured, handled, processed, or stored in the city, in cooperation with the Cambridge Fire Department and the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

• Offer technical assistance, in collaboration with academic and nanotech sector partners, to help firms and institutions evaluate their existing health and safety plans for limiting risk to workers involved in nanomaterials research and manufacturing.

• Offer up-to-date health information to residents on products containing nanomaterials and sponsor public outreach events.

• Track rapidly changing developments in research concerning possible health risks from various engineered nanoscale materials.

• Track the evolving status of regulations and best practices concerning engineered nanoscale materials among state and federal agencies, and international health and industry groups.

• Report to the city council every two years on the changing regulatory and safety landscape of the nanotechnology sector.

David Rejeski, the director of PEN and a member of an advisory committee that oversaw the public health department's document, says that while the recommendations are encouraging and important, there is still a need for federal oversight of nanotechnology and an increase in research concerning the risks posed by nanomaterials.

"Today, there are more than 600 manufacturer-identified consumer products available on the market that contain nanomaterials and countless other commercial and industrial applications the public and policymakers are not aware of," Rejeski says. Unfortunately, federal agencies currently have to draw on decades-old laws to ensure the safe development and use of these technologically advanced products -- many of which are woefully out of date. Federal officials need 21st century tools for cutting-edge technologies. Anything short of that is unacceptable."

Meanwhile, California Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D), a member of the Assembly's Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, is holding meetings at major state universities and research centers with representatives from industry, government, environmental groups and others in an effort to craft legislation for introduction in 2009 that would establish a state nanotechnology regulatory program, according to an April article in Inside Cal/EPA.

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The Cambridge recommendations are available here: http://www.cambridgepublichealth.org/policy-practice/nano_policy.php

Room at the Bottom? Potential State and Local Strategies for Managing the Risks and Benefits of Nanotechnology is available here: http://www.nanotechproject.org/publications/archive/room_at_bottom/

Application of the Toxics Release Inventory To Nanomaterials is available here: http://www.nanotechproject.org/publications/archive/toxics/

About Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide. In 2007, the global market for nanotechnology-based products totaled $147 billion. Lux Research projects that figure will grow to $3.1 trillion by 2015.

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (www.nanotechproject.org) is an initiative launched by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Pew Charitable Trusts in 2005. It is dedicated to helping business, government and the public anticipate and manage possible health and environmental implications of nanotechnology.

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Revolutionary green technology bus has DOE roots

	Fisher Coachworks' lightweight hybrid bus, which achieves twice the fuel economy of current hybrid buses, has some Oak Ridge National Laboratory roots.

Insight from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, commitment from two Michigan companies and funding from the Department of Energy have led to the commercialization of a lightweight urban transit bus with double the fuel efficiency of conventional hybrid buses.

This new green technology 40-foot bus features a high-strength stainless steel body and chassis and a hybrid power system that drives the bus primarily with stored electrical energy. This approach reverses the paradigm of conventional parallel hybrid designs that use electric energy only to supplement the acceleration and torque requirements of a diesel engine.

At the heart of the bus is a chassis made of Nitronic 30, a nitrogen-strengthened stainless steel that is stronger and stiffer than conventional steel. These attributes translate into less material required for a chassis, resulting in reduced weight.

"Nitronic stainless steel is incredibly durable and enables our chassis designs to have significantly longer service life vs. ordinary steel vehicles," said Bruce Emmons, president of Autokinetics (http://www.autokinetics.com/) of Rochester, Mich., which developed the bus. "The fact that stainless is also 100 percent recyclable and more environmentally friendly to produce than aluminum makes this an ideal green raw material for vehicle structures."

Additional advantages of Nitronic 30 include excellent mechanical properties at sub-zero and elevated temperatures along with low-temperature impact resistance and superb resistance to high-temperature oxidation. While this material is more costly than conventional steel, Emmons noted that the additional cost is offset by design innovation, parts consolidation and streamlined manufacturing processes.

"The benefits of improved strength-to-weight performance quickly compound to all other vehicles systems such as smaller tires, lighter brakes, batteries, motors and so on," Emmons said. "By optimizing the total vehicle we have been able to cut the weight almost in half, which has led to performance improvements, most notably fuel economy gains."

In addition to its reduced weight and hybrid power system, the bus will incorporate a number of advanced design features and advantages, said Gregory Fisher, chief executive officer of Fisher Coachworks (http://www.fishercoachworks.com/), which licensed the technology, has produced a prototype and plans full commercialization. The bus made its debut today and deliveries of the bus are expected to begin in 2009.

Some of the advantages are improved vehicle safety for passengers, lower cost, reduced noise and improved ride dynamics. The major advantage, though, will be in cost to operate, according to Fisher.

Specific contributions from ORNL included computer crash studies and infrared thermal imaging to evaluate the quality of some of the initial laser welds in the structure. Early tests showed some problems with the laser welding technique, so Autokinetics chose to use resistance spot welding in most places and tungsten inert gas welding for the remainder of the joining needs.

But even before its technical contributions, Emmons said ORNL had a huge impact.

"ORNL was the first to suggest the possibility of applying Autokinetics' light-weighting ideas and technologies to the bus field," Emmons said. "Without that insight, this program would never have happened."

Phil Sklad of ORNL's Materials Science and Technology Division served as the program manager and technical monitor and noted that DOE's $2.5 million investment in this project is being rewarded with a revolutionary bus.

"This is a perfect example of how the Department of Energy, a national laboratory and the private sector can collaborate to produce something that is potentially of great value to society," Sklad said.

Fisher Coachworks, located in Troy, Mich., is planning to use this patented technology for transit buses and other commercial vehicle market segments that would benefit from vastly improved fuel economy in urban stop and start applications. Fisher Coachworks was formed in 2007 to focus on production of advanced hybrids using an ultra-lightweight stainless steel unibody construction.

Funding for this project was provided by DOE's Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program. UT-Battelle manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Department of Energy.

Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies : 'Nanotech' A regulatory blueprint for the next administration

Former EPA official highlights shortcomings of current federal oversight

Washington, DC — Nanotechnology will significantly change virtually every facet of the way we live. The next president has the opportunity to shape these changes and to ensure that nanotechnology's benefits will be maximized and its risks identified and controlled. A new report by former EPA official J. Clarence (Terry) Davies lays out a clear roadmap for the next presidential administration and describes the immediate and longer term steps necessary to deal with the current shortcomings of nanotechnology oversight.

"The future of the technology is in the hands of the incoming administration. The shape of the future will depend significantly on what the new government does," says Davies, whose report, Nanotechnology Oversight: An Agenda for the New Administration, was released today.

In the report Davies calls for the White House and federal agency policymakers to maximize the use of existing laws to improve nanotechnology oversight. Such measures include defining nanomaterials as "new" substances under federal toxics and food laws, thereby enabling the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider the novel qualities and effects of nanomaterials. Davies also calls for federal pesticide and workplace safety laws to be used to protect against potential adverse impacts of nanomaterials.

Immediate policy changes, however, need to be followed by longer-term changes to existing oversight laws. For example, two major high-exposure applications of nanotechnology – cosmetics and dietary supplements – are essentially unregulated. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act needs to be amended to deal with these applications. Other laws important to nanotechnology, such as the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Consumer Product Safety Act, also need radical revision, Davies says.

Without increased funding and staffing for relevant agencies many of the actions called for in the report will not be possible.

"In order to ensure the safe development of this rapidly advancing technology, which is projected will enable 15 percent of globally manufactured goods worth $2.6 trillion by 2014, there needs to be an increase in nanotechnology risk research monies in the fiscal year 2009 budget to $100 million and in FY 2010 to $150 million," says David Rejeski, the director of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.

The report highlights the importance of creating sensible nanotechnology oversight policies that will help ensure the safe and sustainable application of nanotechnologies to climate change, food security, water purification, health care, and other pressing global problems.

"Potential risks of nanoscale materials have already been identified, and for the world to realize the benefits of this technology, the next administration must act swiftly and carefully," Rejeski says. "This will be a challenge, but one that could have limitless opportunities to improve the world in the 21st century."

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The report is available at: www.nanotechproject.org/n/oversight/

About Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide. In 2007, the market for nanotechnology-based products totaled $147 billion. Lux Research projects that figure will grow to $3.1 trillion by 2015, or about 15% of total global output.

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (www.nanotechproject.org) is an initiative launched by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Pew Charitable Trusts in 2005. It is dedicated to helping business, government and the public anticipate and manage possible health and environmental implications of nanotechnology.

Georgia Institute of Technology : Using Magenetic Nanoparticles to Combat Cancer

Scientists at Georgia Tech have developed a potential new treatment against cancer that attaches magnetic nanoparticles to cancer cells, allowing them to be captured and carried out of the body. The treatment, which has been tested in the laboratory and will now be looked at in survival studies, is detailed online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Magnetic Nanoparticles Capture Ovarian Cancer CellsFLV = 1.77 MB

"We've been able to use magnetic nanoparticles to capture free-floating cancer cells and then take them out of the body,” said John McDonald, chair of the School of Biology at Georgia Tech and chief research scientist at the Ovarian Cancer Institute. “This technology may be of special importance in the treatment of ovarian cancer where the malignancy is typically spread by free-floating cancer cells released from the primary tumor into the abdominal cavity.” The idea came to the research team from the work of Ken Scarberry, a Ph.D. student in Tech’s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Scarberry originally conceived of the idea as a means of extracting viruses and virally infected cells when his advisor, Chemistry professor John Zhang, had another idea. He asked if the technology could be applied to cancer. Scarberry suggested it might be an effective means of preventing cancer cells from spreading. They began by testing the therapy on mice. After giving the cancer cells in the mice a fluorescent green tag and staining the magnetic nanoparticles red, they were able to apply a magnet and move the green cancer cells to the abdominal region. “If the therapy is able to pass further tests that show it can prevent the cancer from spreading from the original tumor,” Scarberry said, “it could be an important tool in cancer treatment.” This technology holds more promise than solely using antibodies to fight cancer because there seems to be less potential for the body to develop an immune response due to the unique peptide-targeting strategy, and the composition of the magnetic nanoparticles. "If you modify the nanoparticle and target it directly to the tumor cells using a small peptide, you are less likely to generate an undesirable immune response and more accurately target the cells of interest,” said Research Scientist Erin Dickerson. In addition to testing magnetic nanoparticles, the research team is collaborating with other groups at Georgia Tech to determine how peptide-directed gold nanoparticles and nanohydrogels might also be used in fighting cancer.

Georgia Institute of Technology Study reveals principles behind stability and electronic properties of gold nanoclusters

International team confirms 'divide and protect' bonding structure

Structure of phosphine-chloride- and phosphine-thiolate-protected 39- and 11-atom gold clusters. (a) 39-atom gold cluster; (b) 39-atom gold cluster core; (c) 11-atom gold cluster; and (d) 11-atom gold cluster....

A report published in the July 8 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is the first to describe the principles behind the stability and electronic properties of tiny nanoclusters of metallic gold. The study, which confirms the "divide and protect" bonding structure, resulted from the work of researchers at four universities on two continents.

"While gold nanoparticles are being used by so many researchers – chemists, materials scientists and biomedical engineers – no one understood their molecular and electronic structures until now," said Robert Whetten, a professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Physics and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "This research opens a new window for nanoparticle chemistry."

Gold and sulfur atoms tend to aggregate in specific numbers and highly symmetrical geometries. Sometimes these clusters are called "superatoms" because they can mimic the chemistry of single atoms of a completely different element.

(a) Spacefilling and (b) ball-and-stick representations of 102-atom gold nanoparticle; (c, d) 79-atom gold core surface with 23-atom protective layer; (e) Close-up of protective layer units; and (f, g) 79-atom...

Researchers commonly use gold nanoparticles because they are stable and exhibit distinct optical, electronic, electrochemical and bio-labeling properties. However, understanding the physicochemical properties of such clusters is a challenge, according to Whetten, because that requires knowledge of their atomic structures.

A significant advance came in late 2007 though, when Stanford University researchers reported the first-ever total structure determination of a 102-atom gold cluster. The X-ray structure study revealed that pairs of organic sulfur ("thiolate") groups extracted gold atoms from the gold layer to form a linear thiolate-gold-thiolate bridge while interacting weakly with the metal surface below. These gold–thiolate complexes formed a sort of protective crust around the nanoparticles.

"This discovery contradicted what most chemists believed was going on – which was that the sulfur atom merely sat atop the uppermost gold layer, bound to three adjacent metal atoms," said Whetten.

With the experimentally determined structural coordinates, an international team of researchers from Georgia Tech, Stanford University, the University of Jyväskylä in Finland and Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden set out to determine the electronic principles underlying the 102-atom gold compound and others like it. The team conducted large-scale electronic structure calculations in supercomputing centers in Espoo, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Juelich, Germany.

"Divide and protect " structure of the 25-atom gold nanocluster.

The researchers found that the 102-atom gold cluster was a "superatom" with a core of 79 gold atoms arranged into a truncated decahedron: two pyramids with pentagonal bases joined together into a faceted shape, but with the pyramids' tips chopped off. Around the core, 23 gold atoms formed an unusual pattern, joining the thiolates in shapes that resemble handles.

The results confirmed the "divide and protect" structure first predicted by team member Hannu Häkkinen, a professor at the University of Jyväskylä and former senior research scientist at Georgia Tech in the laboratory of Uzi Landman. Häkkinen and Henrik Grönbeck of the Chalmers University of Technology previously proposed that a cluster of 38-atom gold contained a central metallic core of 14 gold atoms and a protective layer of 24 gold atoms bound to sulfur.

"In 2006, we predicted that gold atoms in this bonding motif were divided in two groups – those that made the metal core and those that helped to protected it," explained Häkkinen. "Now there was evidence that this was true."

In the study reported in PNAS, the researchers found that the clusters were stable because the surface gold atoms in the core each had at least one surface-chemical bond and the gold core exhibited a strong electron shell closing.

With the 102-atom gold cluster, each gold atom in the cluster donated one valence electron. Forty-four of those electrons were immobilized in bonds between gold atoms and thiolates, leaving 58 electrons to fill a shell around the "superatom." In this configuration, the cluster wouldn't benefit from adding or shedding electrons, which would destabilize its structure. This process is similar to what happens in noble gases, which are chemically inert because they have just the right number of electrons to fill a shell around each atom's nucleus.

Associated with the filled electron shell, the gold-thiolate compound also had a major energy gap to unoccupied states. The calculated energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital states for the 102-atom compound was significant – 0.5 electron volts. Metals typically have a gap of zero, so this gap indicates an atypical electronic stability of the compound, explained Whetten.

Besides the 102-atom compound, the researchers also determined the electronic structures for 11-, 13- and 39-atom gold cluster compounds. They found that the 11- and 13-gold atom clusters form closed electronic shells with 8 electrons and the 39-atom gold clusters with 34.

"The theoretical concepts published in this paper provide a solid background for further understanding of the distinct electrical, optical and chemical properties of the stable mono-layer-protected gold nanoclusters," said Whetten, whose funding for this research came from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. Former Georgia Tech graduate student Ryan Price and current graduate student James Bradshaw also contributed to this work.

The study also shows that experimentally well-characterized, structure-resolved, thermodynamically stable species of thiolate-, phosphine-halide-, and phosphine-thiolate-protected gold nanoparticles share common factors underlying their stability.

Once this initial work was completed, the researchers started predicting the structures of other stable gold cluster compositions that are still awaiting a precise structure determination.

In the March 26 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the research team predicted the structure for a cluster containing 25 gold atoms. They determined that the structure was comprised of an icosahedron-like 13-atom gold core protected by six "V-shaped" long units, creating a "divide and protect" composition. The structural prediction was recently confirmed by another group's experimental work.

"We now have a unified model that provides a solid background for nanoengineering ligand-protected gold clusters for applications in catalysis, sensing, photonics, bio-labeling and molecular electronics," said Häkkinen.

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Additional authors on the PNAS paper included Michael Walter, Jaakko Akola and Olga Lopez-Acevedo of the University of Jyväskylä; and Pablo Jadzinsky, Guillermo Calero and Christopher Ackerson of Stanford University.

American Chemical Society's Weekly PressPac

-- July 9, 2008

Scientists are reporting a new method that uses sugar molecules instead of antibodies to detect influenza.

ARTICLE #1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Detecting flu viruses in remote areas of the world
Journal of the American Chemical Society

Researchers in Ohio and New Mexico are reporting an advance in the quest for a fast, sensitive test to detect flu viruses — one that requires no refrigeration and can be used in remote areas of the world where new flu viruses often emerge. Their new method, the first to use sugar molecules rather than antibodies, is in the July 2 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication.

In the new study, Jurgen Schmidt, Suri Iyer, and colleagues point out that conventional tests for flu viruses — including bird flu — rely on antibodies, proteins produced by the immune system, to recognize viruses. But antibody-based tests can be expensive and require refrigeration to remain stable.

Their solution involved development of artificial forms of sialic acid, a sugar molecule found on the surface of cells that flu viruses attach to when they attack humans. In laboratory tests, the researchers showed that their highly-selective artificial sugars could be used to quickly capture and recognize two common strains of influenza viruses, H1N1, which infects birds, and H3N2, which infects pigs and humans. They used the molecules to differentiate between 2 strains (Sydney and Beijing) commonly found in human infections without isolating the viral RNA or surface glycoproteins. The sugars remain stable for several months, can be produced in large quantities, and exhibit extended shelf life. — MTS

ARTICLE #1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Detection of Intact Influenza Viruses using Biotinylated Biantennary /S-/Sialosides"

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja800842v

CONTACT:
Jurgen Schmidt, Ph.D.
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
Email: jschmidt@lanl.gov

Suri S. Iyer, Ph.D.
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0172
Phone: 513-556-9273
Fax: 513-556-9239
Email: suri.iyer@uc.edu

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Researchers are reporting the protein composition of the fang-like jaws of Nereis virens, a common marine worm. The finding could be used in construction and aerospace.

ARTICLE #2 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Marine worm's jaws say "cutting-edge new aerospace materials"
Biomacromolecules

Researchers in California and New Hampshire report the first detailed characterization of the protein composition of the hard, fang-like jaws of a common marine worm. Their work could lead to the design of a new class of super-strong, lightweight materials for use as construction and repair materials for spacecraft, airplanes, and other applications. Their study is scheduled for the July 14 issue of ACS' Biomacromolecules, a monthly journal.

In the new study, Chris C. Broomell and colleagues note that Nereis virens, also known as the sandworm or ragworm, is a burrowing marine worm found in shallow waters in the North Atlantic region. Researchers remain intrigued by the remarkable hardness of its jaws and long pincers, which rivals that of human teeth and exceed the hardness of many synthetic plastics. But little is known about the exact chemical composition of these structures.

Broomell and colleagues collected the jaws of 1,000 worms and analyzed their protein content using high-tech instrumentation. They found that the primary chemical in the jaws and pincers of the worm is a unique protein, named Nereis virens jaw protein-1 (Nvjp-1), which is rich in the amino acid histidine. The researchers also characterized the chemical conditions needed for its formation, such as the presence of zinc, which could allow researchers to create synthetic versions of this super-hard, lightweight material. — MTS

ARTICLE #2 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Cutting Edge Structural Protein from the Jaws of Nereis virens"

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bm800200a

CONTACT:
Chris C. Broomell, Ph.D.
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California 93106
Phone: 406-599-6678
Email: broomell@lifesci.ucsb.edu

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ARTICLE #3 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New "scrubber" speeds removal of powerful anthrax clean-up agent
Organic Process Research & Development

Researchers in New Jersey report discovery of a fast, efficient method for removing a powerful pesticide used to sterilize buildings and equipment following anthrax attacks. Their chemical "scrubber" removes 99 percent of the pesticide following fumigation and could pave the way for its broader use in anthrax clean-up efforts, the scientists say. Their study is scheduled for the July 18 issue of ACS' Organic Process Research & Development, a bi-monthly journal.

In the new study, Roman Bielski and Peter J. Joyce note that the commonly used pesticide, methyl bromide, is superior to chlorine dioxide for destroying anthrax-causing bacteria and their spores. However, it is highly toxic to humans and may harm the environment by destroying the ozone layer. Researchers thus have sought an efficient method for removing this promising anthrax decontamination agent.

Bielski and Joyce documented the effectiveness of their removal method in experiments with an empty office trailer filled with air containing methyl bromide. They treated air exhausted from the trailer with a solution of sodium sulfide combined with a powerful catalyst. This chemical "scrubber" removed more than 99 percent of the methyl bromide from the air. — MTS

ARTICLE #3 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"The Use of Methyltricaprylylammonium Chloride as a Phase Transfer Catalyst for the Destruction of methyl Bromide in Air Streams"

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/op800016j

CONTACT:
Roman Bielski, Ph.D., and Peter J. Joyce, Ph.D.
Value Recovery, Inc.
Bridgeport, New Jersey 08014
Phone: 856-467-6316
Fax: 856-467-6317
Email: bielski@ptcvalue.com

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Scientists are reporting that venom of snakes, such as the Bothrops asper from Costa Rica, could differ based on geographical regions, an important finding in the production of antivenom.

ARTICLE #4 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Snake venom tells tales about geography
Journal of Proteome Research

Just as people give away their origins by that southern drawl or New England twang, poisonous snakes produce venom that differs distinctly from one geographic area to another, the first study of the "snake venomics" of one of the most common pit vipers in Latin America has found. The study is scheduled for the August 1 issue of ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research.

In the new study, Juan J. Calvete and colleagues point out that researchers have known for decades that venom collected from snakes of the same species from different geographic locations can differ in terms of their biological effects and symptoms on snakebite victims. However, scientists know little about the chemical differences behind these geographically different venoms.

To find out, the scientists collected venom samples from adult and newborn specimens of the lancehead pitviper from two geographically isolated populations from the Caribbean and Pacific regions of Costa Rica. After a detailed laboratory analysis of the proteins found in the venom — so-called "snake venomics" — the researchers found major differences in the venoms collected from the two regions. They also found distinct differences in proteins collected from newborns and adult snakes. The study "highlights the necessity of using pooled venoms as a statistically representative venom for antivenom production" for human snakebite victims, the report states. — MTS

ARTICLE #4 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Snake Venomics of the Lancehead Pitviper Bothrops asper: Geographic, Individual, and Ontogenetic Variations"

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/pr800332p

CONTACT:
Juan J. Calvete, Ph.D.
Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia
Valencia, Spain
Phone: 34 96 339 1778
Fax: 34 96 369 0800
Email: jcalvete@ibv.csic.es

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ARTICLE #5 EMBARGOED FOR 9 A.M., EASTERN TIME, July 14, 2008

'Electronic chemicals' pave the way for brighter, more energy-efficient future
Chemical & Engineering News

From solar power to computer chips to advanced lighting, new materials developed by chemists are helping consumers reap the benefits of advanced electronics, according to an article scheduled for the July 15 issue of Chemical & Engineering News. Some of these electronics will soon appear on store shelves and offices near you.

In the C&EN cover story, writers Michael McCoy, Alexander Tullo, and Jean-Francois Tremblay point out that so-called 'electronic chemicals' play key roles in today's advanced electronics but go largely unnoticed by consumers. These unsung materials, part of a multibillion dollar electronic materials market, provide improved solar panels that crank out more fossil fuel-free electricity and new computer chips that are smaller and more energy efficient than ever. These materials also fuel the development of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) that promise energy savings and could render today's incandescent light bulbs and fluorescent bulbs obsolete, according to the article.

But making advanced electronics comes with a steep price. Chemical companies now invest billions of dollars to build new manufacturing plants to produce raw materials for advanced electronics. Manufacturers are also spending heavily on research and development, as new electronic advances demand innovative new chemicals, the article states.

ARTICLE #5 EMBARGOED FOR 9 A.M., EASTERN TIME, July 14, 2008
"Electronic chemicals"

This story will be available on July 14 at
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/86/8628cover.html

FOR ADVANCE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Michael Bernstein
ACS News Service
Phone: 202-872-6042
Fax: 202-872-4370
Email: m_bernstein@acs.org

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Journalists' Resources

ACS's 236th National Meeting, August 17-21, Philadelphia
One of 2008's largest and most important scientific conferences — the 236th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society-- will be held Aug. 17-21, 2008, in Philadelphia, Pa. At least 12,000 scientists and others are expected for the event, which will include more than 8,000 reports on new discoveries in chemistry. The multi-disciplinary theme is Chemistry for Health: Catalyzing Transitional Research. Stay tuned for information on registration, housing, press releases, and onsite press briefings that will be available via the Internet.

New ACS Annual Report
The 2007 ACS annual report, Our Science, Our Lives, Our Stories, can be a valuable resource for journalists trying to keep pace with chemistry and the multiple fields of science that involve chemistry. The report features ACS members describing in their own words why they became chemists, what they find rewarding about their work and how the transforming power of chemistry helps address mounting global problems and improves people's lives. Some are humorous, some are poignant. All of them are compelling. The newly published report is at: http://www.acsannualreport.org/acsannualreport/2007.

Pfizer's work on penicillin becomes National Historic Chemical Landmark
Pfizer's deep-tank fermentation — a revolutionary process that enabled mass production of penicillin for use in World War II — was designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in a special ceremony in Brooklyn, N.Y., on June 12. The process ushered in the era of antibiotics and represented a turning point in modern medicine. After World War II, Pfizer applied its deep-tank fermentation to manufacture the antibiotics streptomycin and Terramycin,® which proved effective against a wide range of deadly bacteria. For more information, the press release can be found at: http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=222&content_id=WPCP_010032&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1

ChemMatters Matters for Journalists
This quarterly ACS magazine for high school chemistry students, teachers, and others explains the chemistry that underpins everyday life in a lively, understandable fashion. ChemMatters is available at www.acs.org/chemmatters. You can also receive the most recent issues by contacting the editor, Pat Pages, at: 202-872-6164 or chemmatters@acs.org.

ACS Press Releases
General science press releases on a variety of chemistry-related topics.
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=222&content_id=CTP_006740&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1

General Chemistry Glossary
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/glossary.shtml

For Wired Readers

Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions
Don't miss this special series of ACS podcasts on some of the 21st Century's most daunting challenges, and how cutting-edge research in chemistry matters in the quest for solutions. This sweeping panorama of challenges includes topics such as providing a hungry, thirsty world with ample supplies of safe food and clean water; developing alternatives to petroleum to fuel the global economy; preserving the environment and assuring a sustainable future for our children; and improving human health. An ongoing saga of chemistry for life — chemistry that truly matters— Global Challenges debuts June 25 with new episodes through December. Subscribe at iTunes [itpc://feeds.feedburner.com/GlobalChallenges] or listen and access other resources at the ACS web site www.acs.org/GlobalChallenges.

Bytesize Science, a new podcast for young listeners
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Science Elements: ACS Science News Podcast
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The American Chemical Society — the world's largest scientific society — is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Experts describe promise of nanotech for cancer detection, more

Speakers from MIT and other institutions described the promise of nanotechnology to help diagnose, treat and monitor cancer at the annual symposium hosted by the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT on Friday, June 27.

More than 1,100 people attended the symposium, titled "Nanotechnology and Cancer: The Power of Small Science."

Institute Professor Robert Langer, a pioneer in nanotechnology, described new techniques that researchers in his lab are using to create delivery systems for gene therapy and RNA interference. They have developed new ways to quickly synthesize a vast array of polymers that can be modified for optimal ability to deliver their payload, whether it's DNA, RNA or a drug.

"Small changes in chemistry can make huge changes in what you get," said Langer, who is also a member of the Koch Institute. "You can find very different properties and pick out polymers that do different things."

Langer and Sangeeta Bhatia, professor of electrical engineering and health sciences and technology and a member of the Koch Institute, talked about the prospect of building nanodevices that diagnose tumors, deliver drugs, and monitor the progress of treatment, all in one device.

Paula Hammond, the Bayer Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT and Koch Institute member, described the polymers that her lab is developing to deliver cancer drugs directly to tumor cells. She uses self-assembling polymers with specific molecules attached that allow the nanoparticles to find and bind to tumor cells.

"We've been able to design these systems so they can act as very specific targeting vehicles for drug delivery," said Hammond.

Other speakers included Ralph Weissleder, director of the Center for Systems Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, who described several types of nanoparticles his group is developing to detect cancer in its early stages. Weissleder and Langer are principal investigators of the MIT-Harvard Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence.

This is the first cancer symposium held since the MIT Center for Cancer Research officially became the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. The institute will be located in a new building now under construction at the corner of Main and Ames streets.

The institute will house both cancer biologists and engineers, who will work together to find new ways to detect, treat and prevent cancer.

"I'm convinced that the Koch Institute, in both the design of the building and its organization, will help define and accelerate a whole new era in cancer research," said MIT President Susan Hockfield, who opened Friday's symposium.

Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies : Nanotechnology oversight: An agenda for the new administration

Few domestic policy areas that the new administration must address will have greater long-range consequences than nanotechnology — a new technology that has been compared with the industrial revolution in terms of its impact on society. If the right decisions are made, nanotechnology will bring vast improvements to almost every area of daily living. If the wrong decisions are made, the American economy, human health and the environment will suffer.

Nanotechnology can have a major impact on many of the most important problems facing the United States. It can reduce dependence on foreign oil, help deal with global climate change, improve the country's health system, strengthen national defense, help fight terrorism and make a major contribution to the national economy. Nanotechnology is also important as a prototype of the technological opportunities and challenges that will characterize the 21st Century. The country needs to learn how to deal with potential adverse consequences of new technologies and how to make sure that the technologies best serve society's needs.

Join former Environmental Protection Agency official J. Clarence Davies, one of the nation's foremost authorities on environmental regulation and policy, at the release of his new report that identifies the steps the incoming president must take to deal with the potential risks posed by nanotechnology.

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*** Webcast LIVE at www.wilsoncenter.org ***

What: Release of a new report, Nanotechnology Oversight: An Agenda for the New Administration

When: Wednesday, July 23, 2008, 12:30 – 1:30 PM (Light lunch available at 12:00 noon)

Who: J. Clarence (Terry) Davies, Senior Advisor, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, and Senior Fellow, Resources for the Future.

David Rejeski, Director, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies

Where: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 5th Floor Conference Room. The Wilson Center is located in the Ronald Reagan Building at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies was launched in 2005 by the Wilson Center and The Pew Charitable Trusts. It is a partnership dedicated to helping business, governments, and the public anticipate and manage the possible health and environmental implications of nanotechnology.

To learn more about the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, visit www.nanotechproject.org.

Media planning to cover the event should contact Colin Finan at (202) 691-4321 or at colin.finan@wilsoncenter.org.

DOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory :Visualizing atomic-scale acoustic wavesin nanostructures

Acoustic waves play many everyday roles - from communication between people to ultrasound imaging. Now the highest frequency acoustic waves in materials, with nearly atomic-scale wavelengths, promise to be useful probes of nanostructures such as LED lights.

However, detecting them isn't so easy.

Enter Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists, who discovered a new physical phenomenon that enables them to see high frequency waves by combining molecular dynamics simulations of shock waves with an experimental diagnostic, terahertz (THz) radiation. (The hertz is the base unit of frequency. One hertz simply means one cycle per second. A terahertz is 10^12 hertz.).

The Livermore scientists performed computer simulations of the highest frequency acoustic waves forming spontaneously at the front of shock waves or generated by sub-picosecond pulse-length lasers.

They discovered that, under some circumstances, when such a wave crosses an interface between two materials, tiny electric currents are generated at the interface. These currents produce electromagnetic radiation of THz frequencies that can be detected a few millimeters away from the interface. Part of the wave is effectively converted to electromagnetic radiation, which propagates out of the material where it can be measured.

Most molecular dynamics simulations of shock waves connect to experiments through electronic properties, such as optical reflectivity.

"But this new approach connects to the much lower frequency THz radiation produced by the individual atoms moving around in the shock wave," said Evan Reed, lead author of a paper that appears in the July 7 edition of the journal, Physical Review Letters. "This kind of diagnostic promises to provide new information about shocked materials like the dynamics of crystals pushed to ultra-high strain rates."

Using molecular dynamics simulations, the team, made up of Livermore's Reed and Michael Armstrong in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory colleagues shows that the time-history of the wave can be determined with potentially sub-picosecond, nearly atomic time and space resolution by measuring the electromagnetic field.

Reed and colleagues studied the effect for an interface between two thin films, which are used in LED (light-emitting diode) nanostructures, and are piezoelectric (electric currents that are generated when they are squeezed). Piezoelectric materials have been used for decades as arrival time gauges for shock-wave experiments but have been limited by electrical equipment that can only detect acoustic frequencies less than 10 gigathertz (GHz), precluding observation of the highest frequency acoustic waves. The new THz radiation technique can help improve the time resolution of such approaches.

The technique has other applications as well. It can be applied to determine the structure of many kinds of electronic devices that are constructed using thin film layered structures, such as field-effect transistors.

"The detection of high frequency acoustic waves also has been proposed for use in imaging of quantum dot nanostructures used in myriad optical devices, possibly including solar cells in the future," Reed said. "The technology is not there yet for that application, but our work represents a step closer."

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Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (https://www.llnl.gov) is a national security laboratory, with a mission to ensure national security and apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed New process creates 3-D nanostructures with magnetic materials

Materials scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a process to build complex, three-dimensional nanoscale structures of magnetic materials such as nickel or nickel-iron alloys using techniques compatible with standard semiconductor manufacturing. The process, described in a recent paper,* could enable whole new classes of sensors and microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices.
The NIST team also demonstrated that key process variables are linked to relatively quick and inexpensive electrochemical measurements, pointing the way to a fast and efficient way to optimize the process for new materials.
The NIST process is a variation of a technique called "Damascene metallization" that often is used to create complicated three-dimensional copper interconnections, the "wiring" that links circuit elements across multiple layers in advanced, large-scale integrated circuits. Named after the ancient art of creating designs with metal-in-metal inlays, the process involves etching complex patterns of horizontal trenches and vertical "vias" in the surface of the wafer and then uses an electroplating process to fill them with copper. The high aspect ratio features may range from tens of nanometers to hundreds of microns in width. Once filled, the surface of the disk is ground and polished down to remove the excess copper, leaving behind the trench and via pattern.
The big trick in Damascene metallization is ensuring that the deposited metal completely fills in the deep, narrow trenches without leaving voids. This can be done by adding a chemical to the electrodeposition solution to prevent the metal from building up too quickly on the sides of the trenches and by careful control of the deposition process, but both the chemistry and the process variables turn out to be significantly different for active ferromagnetic materials than for passive materials like copper. In addition to devising a working combination of electrolytes and additives to do Damascene metallization with nickel and a nickel-iron alloy, the NIST team demonstrated straightforward measurements for identifying and optimizing the feature-filling process thereby providing an efficient path for the creation of quality nanoscale ferromagnet structures.
The new process makes it feasible to create complex three-dimensional MEMS devices such as inductors and actuators that combine magnetic alloys with non-magnetic metallizations such as copper interconnects using existing production systems.
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* C.H. Lee, J.E. Bonevich, J.E. Davies and T.P. Moffat. Magnetic materials for three-dimensional Damascene metallization: void-free electrodeposition of Ni and Ni70Fe30 using 2-mercapto-5-benzimidazolesulfonic acid. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 155 (7) D499-D507 (2008)
Images available at: http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/current.htm#magnetic

MIT Research team develops better X-ray nanomirrors Nanotechnology will enhance future telescopes

David Chandler, MIT News OfficeJune 9, 2008

A new way of bending X-ray beams developed by MIT researchers could lead to greatly improved space telescopes, as well as new tools for biology and for the manufacture of semiconductor chips.
X-rays from space provide astronomers with important information about the most exotic events and objects in our universe, such as dark energy, black holes and neutron stars. But X-rays are notoriously difficult to collect and many interesting cosmic sources are faint, which makes collecting these high-energy rays difficult and time-consuming, even with telescopes on satellites far above our X-ray-absorbing atmosphere.
Now a group of researchers from MIT has fabricated a new, highly efficient nanoscale Venetian-blind-like device that contains thousands of ultrasmooth mirror slats per millimeter for use in future improved space-based X-ray telescopes. The so-called Critical-Angle Transmission (CAT) gratings feature dense arrays of tens-of-nanometer-thin, freely suspended silicon structures that serve as efficient mirrors for the reflection and diffraction of nanometer-wavelength light--otherwise known as X-rays.
New instrument designs based on these gratings could also lead to advances in fields beyond astrophysics, from plasma physics to the life and environmental sciences, as well as in extreme ultraviolet lithography, a technology of interest to the semiconductor industry. The concept behind CAT gratings might also open new avenues for devices in neutron optics and for the diffraction of electrons, atoms and molecules.
Based on an invention by Ralf Heilmann and Mark Schattenburg of the Space Nanotechnology Laboratory (SNL) at the MIT Kavli Institute of Astrophysics and Space Research, the daunting fabrication challenges were overcome by graduate student Minseung Ahn of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT in a yearlong effort, with the help of financial support from NASA and a Samsung Fellowship.
Motivated by technology goals for NASA's next-generation X-ray telescope, called Constellation-X, the new devices promise to improve more than five-fold upon the efficiency of the transmission gratings on board NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory (launched in 1999), which were also built at the Space Nanotechnology Lab. The reason for this improvement lies in the fact that in the new design, X-rays are reflected very efficiently at very shallow angles--akin to skipping stones on water--from the sub-nanometer-smooth sidewalls of the silicon slats, through the spaces between the slats. Also, in the earlier version the X-rays had to pass through a supporting substrate of polyimide, which absorbed many of the rays and reduced the grating's efficiency.
The silicon slats--as thin as 35 nanometers, which is comparable to the smallest feature sizes still under development in commercial computer chip manufacturing--are parallel to each other and separated by as little as about 150 nanometers. The slats have to extend many micrometers in the remaining two dimensions. "Imagine a thin, 40-foot-long, 8-foot-tall mirror, with surface roughness below a tenth of a millimeter," says Heilmann. "Then put tens of thousands of these mirrors next to each other, each spaced precisely an inch from the next. Now shrink the whole assembly--including the roughness--down by a factor of a million, and you have a good CAT grating."
Recent X-ray test results from a prototype device, obtained with the help of Eric Gullikson of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, confirmed that it met theoretical expectations. The results of this work will be published in Optics Express (Vol. 16, No. 12) on June 9. They were also presented at the 52nd Intl. Conference on Electron, Ion and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication in Portland, Ore., on May 28, and will be presented again at the SPIE Conference on Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation in Marseille, France, on June 23.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on June 11, 2008 (download PDF).

Michigan Technological University research : Michigan Tech scientist models molecular switch

HOUGHTON, Mich.--Michigan Technological University physicist Ranjit Pati and his team have developed a model to explain the mechanism behind computing's elusive Holy Grail, the single molecular switch.
If born out experimentally, his work could help explode Moore's Law and could revolutionize computing technology.
Moore's Law predicts that the number of transistors that can be economically placed on an integrated circuit will double about every two years. But by 2020, Moore's Law is expected to hit a brick wall, as manufacturing costs rise and transistors shrink beyond the reach of the laws of classical physics.
A solution lies in the fabled molecular switch. If molecules could replace the current generation of transistors, you could fit more than a trillion switches onto a centimeter-square chip. In 1999, a team of researchers at Yale University published a description of the first such switch, but scientists have been unable to replicate their discovery or explain how it worked. Now, Pati believes he and his team may have found the mechanism behind the switch.
Applying quantum physics, he and his group developed a computer model of an organometallic molecule firmly bound between two gold electrodes. Then he turned on the juice.
As the laws of physics would suggest, the current increased along with the voltage, until it rose to a miniscule 142 microamps. Then suddenly, and counterintuitively, it dropped, a mysterious phenomenon known as negative differential resistance, or NDR. Pati was astonished at what his analysis of the NDR revealed.
Up until the 142-microamp tipping point, the molecule's cloud of electrons had been whizzing about the nucleus in equilibrium, like planets orbiting the sun. But under the bombardment of the higher voltage, that steady state fell apart, and the electrons were forced into a different equilibrium, a process known as "quantum phase transition."
"I never thought this would happen," Pati said. "I was really excited to see this beautiful result."
Why is this important? A molecule that can exhibit two different phases when subjected to electric fields has promise as a switch: one phase is the "zero" and the other the "one," which form the foundation of digital electronics.
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Pati is working with other scientists to test the model experimentally. His results appear in the article "Origin of Negative Differential Resistance in a Strongly Coupled Single Molecule-metal Junction Device," published June 16 in Physical Review Letters. The other coauthors are Mike McClain, an undergraduate from Michigan Tech; and Anirban Bandyopadhyay, of the National Institute for Materials Science, Japan. The work of Pati's team was financed by a five-year, $400,000 Faculty Early Career Development Program award he received from the National Science Foundation.
An abstract and a PDF file of the article are available at
http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v100/e246801