Nanonews July 2007
Words from the Director
Dear colleagues
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We have just received the official feedback of the National Science Foundation regarding the 6th Review Panel Site Visit. As mentioned in the previous issue of nanonews we can be extremely happy and proud regarding this year’s feedback. Although it is the best evaluation in the history of our NCCR, there is no time to rest. We have to start planning the Third Phase that starts in 2009. In the months ahead we will develop a strategy how to maintain the high quality and habitual variety of our research despite possible budget constraints. We have to prioritize our projects and to explore different financing options.
In spring the Argovia “Ausschuss” also judged our activities of the first year of the involvement of the Canton Aargau and expressed their satisfaction about the progress that has already been achieved. We will now launch the second call for applied Argovia projects that will start in 2008. Please think about new projects in the field of applied nanoscience and nanotechnology and submit them by 15th September (see the details below). I am looking forward to see your application and the exciting new projects that will emerge.
I am also curious to see if SNI’s research is becoming visible in the European press. At the end of June, the SNI was visited by a delegation of more than 35 science journalists from all over Europe. They followed an invitation of the Swiss Association for Science Journalism and the SNI. During their three day visit we informed them about various topics of our nanoscale research.
I wish all of you some enjoyable and relaxing summer weeks and I am looking forward to our new challenges ahead of us! Many thanks for your contribution to our success. Your work, your enthusiasm and engagement is highly appreciated.
Best regards
Christian Schönenberger
Second call for Argovia projects
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In module 6 of the SNI, projects in applied nanoscience and nanotechnology are funded under the programme Nano Argovia.
Researchers are now invited for the second time to submit proposals for projects in applied nanoscience and nanotechnology. The projects should cover nanotechnological topics with an obvious potential for applications. At least two partners from the University of Basel, the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz and the Paul Scherrer Institute can apply together with at least one partner from the Swiss industry.
Detailed information regarding eligibility, rules and procedures can be downloaded from the Internet. Deadline for applications is 15th September, 2007.
More information and download of forms
Events
Official Feedback on Review Panel Site Visit
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In June, we have received the official feedback from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) regarding this year’s Review Panel Site Visit. The SNF says that “all five modules are at the cutting edge of their fields” and that the Review Panel was “deeply impressed by the scientific level of research which is conducted in the framework of the NCCR and its output”. The panel sees “the interdisciplinarity as a valuable asset of the NCCR, particularly the strong involvement of biology”. The panel is satisfied that “the NCCR does not only involve groups in Basel but created a really strong and broad network”. In the letter the SNF states that the panel was pleased with this year’s well organized site visit. They were “deeply impressed by the talks given by young researchers”.
For the panel it became obvious “that the NCCR manages to attract excellent students who form a very strong foundation for the future of nanoscience in Switzerland”.
Overall the report summarizes that “the university can be proud of the programme” and should use the chance to maintain all the necessary conditions to sustain the long term research in nanoscience in Basel. The NCCR Nanoscience is an area of worldwide recognition for the University of Basel that should be kept intact. Not only research in Basel is excellent but also education: the panel sees the Nano Curriculum as an extraordinary and unique asset of the University of Basel. “It makes the University Basel a kind of focal point and brings important international recognition".
Next year the Review Panel Site Visit will evaluate the proposal for phase 3 of the NCCR and will give recommendations for the next phase.
Visit of European Science Journalists
From 21st – 22nd June, 2007, the SNI hosted an international delegation of 39 science journalists. They were invited by the Swiss Association for Science Journalism and the SNI.
During the first day, SNI project leaders gave a series of presentations and led through selected laboratories at the Department of Physics in Basel and the INKA Labs in Windisch. On day two, the delegation travelled to the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, the CSEM and the University of Neuchâtel. During the two day visit all participants had an excellent opportunity to inform themselves and to exchange thoughts on nanoscale science and nanotechnology. Thanks to a number of generous sponsors the SNI could organize an interesting and pleasant visit in Switzerland.
Biovalley Meeting Nanobiotech
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In June, a Biovalley meeting of experts on Nanobiotech took place at the Department of Physics of the University of Basel. Around 70 specialists from academic research and industry met to review the last advances in the field and to give an outlook on its further development.
The vice-president of Biovalley, Rolf Rolli from Merck Biosciences, opened the session with an introduction to Nanotech. Dr. Martin Hegner from the University of Basel followed with a presentation on Nanomechanics in Life Sciences. Dr. David Bodmer from Novartis talked on the opportunities for innovation in the pharmaceutical industry that nanotechnology could offer. Closing the presentations, Dr. Patrick Hunziker from the Kantonsspital Basel reported on promising clinical applications of nanotechnology for diagnosis and therapeutics.
After the presentations, an aperitif enabled networking and discussions among the participants and gave the two local companies Concentris and Nanosurf the chance to present themselves to the audience. They both derive from the Department of Physics at the University of Basel and deliver high technology products for nanotechnology.
Meeting report
Dates for your calendar
Second Argovia call
Deadline for 2nd Argovia call: 15th September, 2007.
Press releases
25th May, 2007: Millions of switches in a network
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Scientists from the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) on Nanoscale Science at the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI) have taken a further important step forward in the development of functional addressable supramolecular structures. In collaboration scientists from the University of Basel, the Paul Scherrer Institute (Villigen, Switzerland) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich have succeeded in creating a surface with millions of tiny multi stable devices. These switches, made of porphyrin molecules, about one nanometer in size, can be individually operated using the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope. Today this work is published in the renowned international science journal Angewandte Chemie (International Edition).
Full paper
30th May, 2007: Molecular quantum computer: Researchers from Basel propose recipe
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Theoretical physicists of the NCCR Nanoscale Science at the Swiss Nanoscience Institute at the University of Basel propose to specifically influence the electron spin in suitable molecules in an all-electrical way. With this targeted manipulation new possibilities for the realization of a quantum computer are opened. In the future, a quantum computer could provide computing power that multiplies today's conventional computer architectures. Instead of classical bits (0 and 1), the quantum computer uses quantum bits (qubits).
Full paper
6th July 2007: News about apoptosis
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Scientists of the Swiss Nanoscience Institute at the
University of Basel have imaged single ion channels in native biological
membranes with submolecular resolution. These channels play a crucial role in programmed cell death (apoptosis), which makes them a target for drugs against cancer, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. Using
highly sophisticated scanning force microscopy, Prof. Andreas Engel's group has shown how these channels are organised in the mitochondrial
membrane. This work was published with front cover in the Journal of Molecular Biology.
Full paper
All three media releases generated considerably press coverage.
See examples on our webpage.
Recent publications
Reduction of the contact resistance by doping in pentacene few monolayers thin film transistors and self-assembled nanocrystals
Claudio Vanoni, Soichiro Tsujino, and Thomas A. Jung
Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 193119 (2007)
A Supramolecular Multiposition Rotary Device
Nikolai Wintjes, Davide Bonifazi, Fuyong Cheng, Andreas Kiebele, Meike Stoehr, Thomas Jung, Hannes Spillmann, and Francois Diederich
Angewandte Chemie International Edition: issue 22, p. 4089-4092
Optical characterization of alignment and effective refractive index in carbon nanotube films
T de los Arcos, P Oelhafen and D Mathys
Nanotechnology 18 (2007) 265706
Diameter-Dependent Elastic Modulus Supports the Metastable-Catalyst Growth of Carbon Nanotubes
Kyumin Lee, B. Lukic, A. Magrez, J.W. Seo, G.A.D. Briggs, A.J. Kulik, and L. Forro
Nano Letters, 7, 1598--1602 (2007)
The Supramolecular Assemblies of Voltage-dependent Anion Channels in the Native Membrane
Bart W. Hoogenboom, Kitaru Suda, Andreas Engel, and Dimitrios Fotiadis
Journal of Molecular Biology, Volume 370, Issue 2, 6 July 2007, Pages 246-255
