news & events
Recent Presentations
Emerging Technologies: Trust and Risk. Presentation by Dr. David Berube, NC State Research Professor of Science Communication and Director of the NCSU Public Communication of Science and Technology Project, to the Science, Expertise, and Ethics in Democracy CCI Interdisciplinary Panel at UNC-Greensboro on March 19, 2009. More of the NCSU Nanotoxicology Interdisciplinary Research Team's recent presentations can be accessed here, and the team's large collection of streamed videos can be accessed here.
Nanotechnology: Think Small and Look into the Future… Presentation by Dr. Gregory N. Parsons, NC State Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Director of the NC State Nanotechnology Initiative, to the Sanford Rotary Club on March 17, 2009.
Recent News
Nanowires pave way for nanodevices (November 11, 2009). Silicon nanowires are attracting significant attention from the electronics industry due to the drive for ever-smaller electronic devices, from cell phones to computers. The operation of these future devices, and a wide array of additional applications, will depend on the mechanical properties of these nanowires. New research from NC State, led by Dr. Yong Zhu, shows that silicon nanowires are far more resilient than their larger counterparts, a finding that could pave the way for smaller, sturdier nanoelectronics, nanosensors, light-emitting diodes and other applications. NC State News Service
NC State researchers to study where nanomaterials go in the body (November 2, 2009). Tiny engineered nanomaterials can be found in many consumer products and have been hailed as having widespread future uses in areas ranging from medicine to industrial processes. However, little is known about what happens if the nanomaterials get into your body – where do they go? NC State researchers are working to answer that question under a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Nancy Monteiro-Riviere, a professor of investigative dermatology & toxicology at the NC State Center for Chemical Toxicology Research & Pharmacokinetics, is lead investigator of the study. NC State News Service
Study shows how nanotubes affect lining of lungs (October 26, 2009). Tiny carbon nanotubes are being considered for use in everything from sports equipment to medical applications, but it has been unknown if these materials cause respiratory problems. A new study from NC State, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences shows that inhaling nanotubes can affect the outer lining of the lung. The inhaled nanotubes “clearly reach the target tissue for mesothelioma and cause a unique pathologic reaction on the surface of the pleura, and caused fibrosis,” says Dr. James Bonner, NC State associate professor and senior study author. NC State News Service
DeSimone wins North Carolina Award (October 22, 2009). Dr. Joseph DeSimone, William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at NC State, will receive the North Carolina Award for Science on Oct. 29. The award is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the state. In announcing the award, the governor’s office lauded DeSimone as “one of the nation’s premier scientists … on the cutting edge of research with revolutionary results for cancer treatment, green chemistry and photovoltaics. His breakthroughs and nanotechnology applications in the fields of polymer chemistry, pharmacology, and biomolecular engineering are life-changing and world-saving inventions.” NC State College of Engineering News
NC State develops material that could boost data storage, save energy (October 20, 2009). NC State engineers have created a new material that would allow a fingernail-size computer chip to store the equivalent of 20 high-definition DVDs or 250 million pages of text, far exceeding the storage capacities of today’s computer memory systems. Led by Dr. Jay Narayan, John C.C. Fan Family Distinguished Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at NC State, the engineers made their breakthrough using the process of selective doping, in which an impurity is added to a material that changes its properties. NC State College of Engineering News
Your feedback requested (February 3, 2009). How has the NC State Nanotechnology Initiative helped you? Please tell us how the Nanotechnology Initiative and our Nano@NC State web site have helped your research, education plans, industry collaborations, or other activities. Email your thoughts to us at: nanotechnology@ncsu.edu Thank you!
Upcoming Events
11/24/09 - Seminar by Dr. John Rogers, University of Illinois: "Materials for Stretchable Electronics: From Hemispherical Digital Imagers to Devices for Cardiac Electrophysiology". Room 1010 of Engineering Building 1 (EB1), Centennial Campus. Seminar begins at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Dr. Michael Dickey.
If you would like to add a nanotechnology-related news item or event listing to this page, please send the information to nanotechnology@ncsu.edu.