NanoNews 2010

Dec. 17, 2010 - Controlling Charge At The Atomic Level

Edmonton...Surface patterning selectively alters charge state of individual silicon atoms


Dec 13, 2010 - Buckyball Winners Announced

nanoAlberta is pleased to announce that Lona Ani of Grandview Heights and Leah Thompson of Concordia High School are the two lucky winners of a Zometool Buckyball kit. The two teachers entered the draw at the 2010 ATA Science Conference in Edmonton, Alberta. Congratulations Lona and Leah!


Dec. 10, 2010 - Canada's Most Innovative New Technology Winners

Edmonton...Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) and the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) have announced the winners and finalists of the prestigious 2010 Regional Innovation Awards for new technology.


Dec. 4, 2010The future of research spending

Mississauga...When Doug Horner flew to New York last January, he was looking to woo U.S. companies to Alberta.


Nov. 30, 2010 - Visions of beauty at the nanoscale: 2010 Ceramographic winners

Houston...Each year, the ACerS Basic Science Division sponsors a ceramographic competition at the Society’s Annual Meeting.


Nov. 29, 2010 - New drug delivery effective against cancer

Edmonton...Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered an effective way of administering a drug that eliminates lung cancer cells.


Nov. 24, 2010 - Canada Research Chairs help solve engineering challenges

Edmonton...Four Faculty of Engineering professors have had their status as Canada Research Chairs renewed today—helping boost advanced research in fuel cells, resource mining, surface science and biomedical engineering.
 

Nov. 22, 2010 - Two awards in two weeks for inventor of revolutionary wound dressing

Edmonton... A University of Alberta engineering professor who revolutionized wound treatment has been awarded the prestigious Dr. Jonas Salk Award.


Nov. 17, 2010 - Angels and Demons reality: researchers trap antimatter atoms

Calgary... A team made up of researchers from the University of Calgary, institutions across Canada and around the world have discovered how to trap atomic antimatter and the results of their discovery is published in the journal Nature.


Nov. 4, 2010 - Big steps in creating small chips

Edmonton... Jillian Buriak, a U of A chemistry professor and NINT researcher, says in the drive to reduce the size of computer chips and speed up its production, her team achieved both goals.


Oct. 29, 2010 - Getting a grip on CO2 capture

Calgary... Researchers at the University of Calgary and University of Ottawa have provided deeper insights to CO2 capture by "seeing" the exact sites where CO2 is held in a capture material.


Oct. 19, 2010 - New imaging technology enlightened by biomedical engineering

Edmonton... A Faculty of Engineering professor is conducting biomedical research that could have profound effects on medical imaging and the delivery of drugs by using light and ultrasound. Roger Zemp, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, researches photo-acoustic imaging -- literally making vivid, high-resolution images of the "sound" of light.


Oct. 14, 2010 - Today’s students are tomorrow’s nanotech leaders

Edmonton... Alberta’s growing nanotechnology industry owes a lot to the U of A and the campus-based NRC National Institute for Nanotechnology—and offers great career opportunities for students.


Oct. 11, 2010 - Canadian-Indian partnerships in research and higher education

Edmonton... As I [Indira Samarasekera] embark on another trip to India, I thought I would share an op-ed that was published in the Hill Times that I wrote with Devang Khakhar, Director of IIT-Bombay about what I hope to accomplish in India and the importance of the Canada-India 'brain chain'.


Oct. 8, 2010 - Harper's coming to Edmonton

Edmonton... Prime Minister Stephen Harper is scheduled to make a stop in Edmonton today for his first visit to the city in more than two years. Harper's first stop in Edmonton will be at Micralyne, a nanotechnology and microsystems company in the city's southeast, where he is expected to make a funding announcement.


Oct. 5, 2010 - Quantiam Technologies Inc. opens Canada's most advanced private nano lab in 2011

Edmonton... Quantiam Technologies Inc., this month’s featured innovator at Edmonton Research Park, is bringing Edmonton the potential of nanotechnology to benefit the environment and transform the city’s economy.


Sept. 20, 2010 - Krauss tells students to find "inner scientist" at physics symposium

Edmonton... Scientific illiteracy and the blurring of scientific truths are a threat to society, according to Lawrence Krauss. He was the keynote address at the First Annual Symposium on Graduate Physics Research last Friday, which highlighted the work of University of Alberta physics students. Nanotechnology included in symposiums list of topics.


Sept. 20, 2010 - Canadian VIP Tours Ulster Nanotechnology Centre

Ireland... Leading Canadian politician Doug Horner today visited the University's nanotechnology facility at Jordanstown to gain insight into the world leading research conducted there.


Sept. 18, 2010 - Engineers on frontlines of fight against cancer

Alberta... Engineers are helping solve some big problems in the health-care field by thinking small. University of Alberta based engineer Jie Chen is using nanotechnology to make cancer treatments more effective, with less damage to healthy tissue in the body.


Sept. 9, 2010 - Alberta and General Electric team up to innovate

Calgary... The Government of Alberta and General Electric Canada have signed an agreement that will see the global innovation giant establish new technology centres in Alberta and collaborate with the province in areas of shared expertise: Energy, environment and health care.


Sept. 9, 2010 - 'Geoengineering' can help: scientist

Calgary... A Calgary researcher has developed two new approaches to the controversial science of geoengineering -- a tool its proponents say could one day prevent global warming, but which some environmental groups dismiss as a coverup of political inaction.


Sept. 7, 2010 - Tiny 'Flying Saucers' Could Save Earth From Global Warming

Calgary... Using a trick of sunlight itself, tiny metallic disks could be levitated to the stratosphere where they would shade Earth's surface and counteract the effects of global warming, a new paper proposes.


Sept. 6, 2010 - Scientist Offers Better Ways to Engineer Earth's Climate

Calgary... There may be better ways to engineer the planet's climate to prevent dangerous global warming than mimicking volcanoes, a University of Calgary climate scientist says in two new studies.


Aug. 26, 2010 - U of A reaps research windfall, despite austerity across campus

Edmonton... The U of A ranks second in total research funding, behind only U of T and up from fifth in 2006. This year, the U of A will spend $514-million on research, more than double its total from a decade ago.


Aug. 18, 2010 - Two firms win federal funds: Nano companies at U of A study cell growth, heavy oil

Edmonton... Firms using ultrasound to encourage cell growth and sonic energy to upgrade heavy oil received a $542,000 boost Tuesday for their work at the University of Alberta's nanotechnology research centre.


Aug. 17, 2010 - Government of Canada Supports Nanotechnology Firms' Growth in Edmonton

Edmonton... The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, today announced contributions of $285,268 to Sonoro Energy Limited and $257,000 to IntelligentNano Incorporated from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). The funding supports innovative research and development projects that will assist both firms in developing high-tech solutions for global markets.


Aug. 12, 2010 - TEC: a little TLC for tech startups

Edmonton... Chris Lumb, former CEO of Edmonton nanotechnology firm Micralyne, speaks about innovation in alberta


Aug. 11, 2010 - Calgary team's neurochip can read the brain like never before

Calgary... Six years after Dr. Naweed Syed's research group first fused snail brain cells to a computer chip, they're now preparing to do the same thing with human brain cells.


Aug. 10, 2010 - Calgary scientists to create human ‘neurochip’

Calgary... Researchers at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute are to announce Tuesday that they have made a key advance in connecting brain cells to a newly designed silicon chip, crafted with the National Research Council of Canada, that allows them to “hear” the conversation between living tissue and an electronic device as never before.


Aug. 10, 2010 - New website to showcase nano packaging and ingredient project

Netherlands... Co-coordinated by the University of Alberta, a new website, www.nanolyse.eu, will be launched later this month to showcase the work of the EU’s NanoLyse project dedicated to developing validated methods and reference materials for the analysis of engineered nano-particles (ENP) in food and beverages.


Aug. 6, 2010  - Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Society Release

Arizona... An encylopedia for those who have plenty of questions about nanotechnology - and what it means for their lives - but are afraid to ask. The encyclopedia includes contributions from University of Calgary professor Gregor Wolbring


Aug. 1, 2010 - Edmonton Trade Mission Opens Door for Local High Tech Firms

Edmonton... The Clay County Economic Development Council and the Missouri Department of Economic Development are planning a trade mission to Edmonton, a major technological center for Canada and a world-leader in development of nanotechnology.


July 14, 2010 - Investing in TEC Edmonton is a long-term societal strategy

Edmonton... How on earth do you ever assess the value of strangely constituted organizations like TEC Edmonton, the $6 million a year “incubator” of new technology-based business that’s an “unincorporated joint venture” between the University of Alberta – taking on all the university’s invention-to-industry processes – and Edmonton Economic Development Corporation.


July 9, 2010 - Quest PharmaTech Announces Formation of Clinical Advisory Panel

Edmonton... Quest PharmaTech Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products for the treatment of cancer, today announced the formation of an international clinical advisory panel (the "Panel").


July 7, 2010 - Canada: 100 New Engineering Positions – Nanotech, Biomed, Bioengineering

Edmonton... The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta intends to expand significantly its role as a leader in the provision of engineering education and the conduct of leading, internationally-recognized research. Toward this end, we are seeking candidates to fill 100 new positions at the Assistant, Associate and Full Professor ranks, as well as a number of Canada Research Chairs, Industrial Research Chairs, and Endowed Chairs.


July 7, 2010 - Molecular eng. research chair taking a close look at oilsands and environment

Edmonton... Alberta’s oilsands are a study in contrasts. On one hand the scale of oilsands mining is enormous; on the other hand, issues at the molecular level can have enormous impacts on the environment—and whether or not the bitumen can even be extracted and refined. Now, a new research chair in the Faculty of Engineering is exploring these challenges with hopes of developing cleaner, more efficient ways to tap Alberta’s rich oil reserves.


July 5, 2010 - New generation makes engineering DiscoverE

Edmonton... A new generation of explorers interested in engineering, science and technology arrived at the Faculty of Engineering today as two months of DiscoverE summer camps were launched. Among other things, students will be touring nanotechnology labs!


July 1, 2010 - Nanotech could cut oil sands carbon emissions by 25%

Alberta... Scientists at GE Global Research, which is the hub of technology development for all of GE’s businesses, are partnering with the University of Alberta and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures — Alberta’s technology incubator — to use nanotechnology to create a new filtration system that tackles the twin problems of water treatment and carbon capture. The work has the potential to cut carbon emissions during the extraction process by 25 percent.


July 1, 2010 - More bitumen, fewer emissions

Edmonton... Projects that eliminate natural gas and steam from heavy-oil extraction and provide a gateway to billions of barrels of previously inaccessible resource were among recipients of $28 million in government funding Wednesday.


June 30, 2010 - GE Using Nanotechnology to Green the Alberta Oil Sands

Edmonton... In the quest to develop more cost-effective ways to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels, GE is partnering with the University of Alberta and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures on a $4 million CO2 capture project supported by the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation.


June 21, 2010 - Alberta Nanotechnology Asset Map 2009 Released

Edmonton... A new Nanotechnology Asset Map booklet has been released, showcasing resources, facilities, experts and businesses leading the way in Alberta's nanotechnology field.


June 21, 2010 - Unsealed solar cell operates eight month

Edmonton... Researchers from the University of Alberta and Canada's National Institute for Nanotechnology led by David Rider said they created a longer-lasting, polymer coating for the solar cell's electrode -- which extracts electricity from the cell.


June 21, 2010 - Life of plastic solar cell jumps from hours to 8 months

Edmonton... A team of researchers from the University of Alberta and the National Institute for Nanotechnology has extended the operating life of an unsealed plastic solar cell, from mere hours to eight months.


June 20, 2010 - FoodChek Signs Distribution and Fulfillment Agreements with Innovation Diagnostics

Calgary... FoodChek has also signed a separate agreement with Innovation Diagnostics for the non-exclusive North American fulfillment services for the delivery of all FoodChek products.


June 8, 2010 - World's First 2-Hour Vitamin A and D Milk Test

Edmonton... SciMed Technologies Inc. today announces they received certification from the AOAC International - a worldwide scientific association dedicated to analytical excellence - for VitaKit A(R) the world's first 2 hour rapid test for accurate analysis of vitamin A in liquid milk.


May 27, 2010 - TAPPI and VTT Nanotechnology Conference features Dr. Kovalenko as a keynoter

Finland... Dr. Andriy Kovalenko will make a keynote presentation at the 2010 International Conference on Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry, presented by TAPPI and VTT. He is Senior Research Officer, Group Leader – Theory and Modeling, NRC-NINT and Adjunct Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta.


May 18, 2010 - Home-grown talent takes international prize

Edmonton... University of Alberta Ph.D. candidates Jaron Van Dijken and Michael Thomas placed third in the international Global Venture Challenge 2010 held at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on March 24-26, 2010.


May 14, 2010 - U of A Prof researching better solar panels

Edmonton... With his $20,000 research grant, Karthik Shankar intends to develop a more efficient, cheaper solar panel using nanotechnology.


May 13, 2010 - Nanotechnology and Its Application to Type 1 Diabetes Treatment

Calgary... See the bottom of the article for information on University of Calgary's vaccine for type 1 diabetes.


May 13, 2010 - Dr. Gary Albach Heads Up Alberta Innovates Technology Futures

Edmonton... The new president and CEO of Alberta Innovates Technology Futures brings with him a strong background in both science and business. Now Dr. Gary Albach will have a staff of 700 at Technology Futures. This new corporation amalgamates the Alberta Research Council, Alberta Ingenuity, iCORE and nanoAlberta.


May 10, 2010
 - Alberta prof researching more effective solar panels

Edmonton... With his $20,000 research grant, Karthik Shankar intends to develop a more efficient, cheaper solar panel using nanotechnology.


May 8, 2010 - Researchers Use Novel Nanoparticle Vaccine

Calgary... Using a sophisticated nanotechnology-based “vaccine,” researchers were able to successfully cure mice with type 1 diabetes and slow the onset of the disease in mice at risk for the disease.


May 4, 2010 - Nanotechnologies to mitigate global warming

Calgary... University of Calgary researchers mentioned under "Fuel Cells" in this Nanowerk Spotlight.


May 1, 2010 - Alberta’s Forest Industry Strives To Become a Bio-Economy

Alberta... Left for dead by many investors, Canada’s forest industry has one great, green hope for the future – as the source of feedstock for an emerging “bio-economy.” Here in Alberta, it’s already happening. See page 2 for the nanotechnology!


May 3, 2010 - Nanotechnology Helps Illuminate Activation Process of T-Cells

Edmonton... Scientists took a major step forward in understanding how T-cells are activated in the course of an immune response by combining nanotechnology and cell biology. T-cells are the all important trigger that starts the human body's response to infection.


Apr. 22, 2010 - President and CEO named to the helm of Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures

Edmonton... Dr. Gary Albach, Director of Alberta’s progressive, commercialization hub for advanced technologies, nanoAlberta, has been named President and CEO of Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures, the new provincial corporation launched in January to consolidate support for Alberta’s growing next generation economy.


Apr. 6, 2010 - Innovation finds new energy in western Canada

Edmonton... Steeped in a pioneering spirit and enriched by ingenuity, one of the most exciting, modern day outposts on the nanotechnology frontier is located on the prairies of Western Canada.


Mar. 22, 2010 - New Optical MEMS Platform Will Advance Telecom Equipment Technology

Edmonton... Micralyne Inc., a world-renowned, independent MEMS solutions company, has developed an Advanced Optical MEMS platform for the fiber communication industry that decreases the time it takes to bring a device to market and reduces development and operational costs.


Mar. 18, 2010 - Iosil Announces Funding for Pilot Plant

Edmonton... Iosil Energy Corporation Secures First Close on $13.5 M in Equity Financing to Build Pilot Manufacturing Plant.


Mar. 11, 2010ACAMP hosts Conventional Energy seminar

Edmonton ...Today at ACAMP's latest seminar, Alberta's conventional energy industry learned how nanotechnology, micro-systems and micro-fluidics can play a powerful role in enhancing operational performance, reducing costs and promoting efficient extraction of oil and gas resources, while opening new markets for Alberta companies worldwide.


Mar. 11, 2010 - Alberta offers unique educational opportunity in nanotechnology

Edmonton... NAIT’s new Nanotechnology Systems diploma – the first such diploma in Canada is launching in September 2010.


Mar. 10, 2010 - Research team uses nanotechnology to deliver targeted cancer treatment

Edmonton... A team of researchers at the University of Alberta are using tiny technology for a big purpose — the improvement of cancer treatment. The group, led by Afsaneh Lavasanifar, an associate professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy, is working on a nanoparticle that boost the human body's immune system in its fight against tumours.


Mar. 3, 2010 - UofC Chemist Finds Tools to Measure Nanomaterials in Blood Vessels

Calgary... University of Calgary chemistry professor David Cramb is a step closer to helping solve a complex problem in nanotechnology: the impact nanoparticles have on human health and the environment.


Feb. 19, 2010 - Nanotechnology Boosting Anti-Cancer Immunotherapy

Edmonton... Cancer researchers have identified the molecule responsible for unwanted immune suppression, and have even designed an inhibitor of this molecule. Now, they have the means of delivering this molecule to tumors - a biocompatible polymer nanoparticle that will release potentially therapeutic levels of the inhibitor for as long as a month at a time.


Jan. 28, 2010 - NanoFab, Micralyne Partnership Enables Access to State of the Art Tech

Edmonton... a recent partnership between NanoFab and Mycralyne brings ASML Stepper Technology access to the NanoFab community.


Jan. 21, 2010 - Playing Catch Up

Edmonton... In water and wastewater treatment, carbon nanotube technology (CNT) has many advantages, such as reusability and therefore increased efficiency compared to traditional membranes that require frequent replacement. Nanotubes require low energy for operation, due to their hydrophobic nature and chemical selectivity, which can be functionalized to target contaminants such as arsenic, fluoride, heavy metals and toxic organic compounds.
But despite showing promise in commercial and industrial applications, CNT has steadily been the subject of toxicology studies that suggest the benefits may come at a cost.


Jan. 21, 2010 - Horner to spread the news about Alberta Innovates

Edmonton... Enhancing Alberta’s value-added activity, increasing innovation and helping build a skilled workforce is the focus of Deputy Premier and Minister of Advanced Education and Technology, Doug Horner’s mission to New York state and New Jersey, January 25-29.


Jan. 4, 2010 - Alberta Innovates is new hub for innovating, investing, collaborating

Edmonton... As a new year begins, five new Alberta Innovates agencies start their work to strengthen the province’s role as a world leader in using science to seek solutions to challenges like climate change, water conservation and health conditions.