Nanotech Bangaloored!! Bangalore Nano 2007

Check out http://www.bangalorenano.in. The event is scheduled on Dec 6th-7th & has speakers like Prof. C.N.R Rao.

Nanotech triple whammy in cancer care

Dallas Southwestern Medical Center has come up with a 3-prolonged nano approach to Find, Flag & Kill cancerous cells. i.e. target a cancerous cell using targeting molecules, attach & release the drug + an imaging particle and use the imaging particle to monitor cancerous cell destruction.













Using targeting molecules (orange triangles), it finds and enters cancer cells; then it releases chemotherapy drugs (red hexagons) and imaging particles (brown circles) into the cells from its core.

Source: www.technologyreview.com

India's 1st "Real" Nanotech Park

Last year in October I had run a item about a $1.07 billion Nano City at Harayana (see "Hot Male comes up with Nano City"). I was rather pessimistic about the whole thing and the proof of the pudding is in the eating. And after nearly a year the pudding is not yet on the table. A search on the Nano City returns nothing but static.
Hence when I saw the news about plans to start India's 1st Nanotech Park at Bangalore, I thought of putting it as the 1st "Real" Nanotech Park. This time it's the Karnataka State Govt. that's planning to set up the park on a 15 acre location in India's Silicon Valley-Bangalore. The 100 crore project is expected to be funded by Center & State governments.
And this time round with eminent scientists like C.N.R Rao heading the advisory team we should be seeing the pudding on the table soon. Let the next set of Nanotech startups come out from here just like they did at the Bay Area Silicon Valley.

Related Articles:
Hot Male comes up with Nano City
Updates on "NanoCity
Nanotech units on SEZ bandwagon

Nanotex bids me to USC

Seems the Nano bug just doesn't leave me, even when I am shopping around for my trip to Los Angeles for my masters. It's supposed to have a coating on the individual molecular fibers so that stain does enter in it. I brought 3 shirts with the NanoTEX thing in it....good since the last time got a Coffee spill was 3 days ago and a beer spill on all Friday nights :-)
But unfortunately I need to get a new one after every 30 washes as the property doesn't last longer or look at the cheaper option of not washing...well think i'll go with the later :-/

India-China-Russia Nanotech leaders?

Not yet... but maybe soon enough according to the latest report from Lux Research Inc (see "Profiting from International Nanotechnology").

Though US, Japan & S.Korea still have an edge the Chinese dragon is all set to come at par with a $906 million (at purchasing power parity) Government spending on Nanotechnology compared to $6.4 billion for the US. Plus, the Chinese have taken a lead over Japan to be onto the second spot in the number of Nanotech publications.

There is not much data on India in the released part of the report, though it only mentions it as an upcoming power along with Russia & China.

Source: Lux Research Inc.

Indo-US collaboration in Nanocomputing

The emerging and established giants of Nanotech, India and USA have come out with a shared vision document on emerging partnership between the two in the field of Nano computing at the recent workshop, SQUAN-2007 held at Agra, India. The event had was a spectacle of latest research in the field being presented by luminaries from both the nations, with people like Umesh Vazirani of UC Berkeley and Kalyanmoy Deb of IIT-Kanpur chipping in.

Lov K. Grover, of Bell Labs, mentioned that India was poised for major breakthroughs considering the interest in research in these crucial sectors in universities and institutes here.

Let's wait and see how the Vision Document comes out to be in terms of real action and will Grover's bullishness come true.... we're waiting.

Source: RxPG News

Call to Industry-Govt.-Academia partnership in India

The Nanotechnology Conclave 2007 organised under the auspices of International Engineering and Technology Trade Fair saw a call for the Industry a.k.a CII -Govt.-Academia triumvirate to come together to put into place a Center for Nanotechnology by Prof V S Ramamurthy, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT.

As he put it up, the challenges that our Nanotech efforts face are-

• The gap between industry and research labs
• Converting lab ideas into successful business proposition
• Absence of enabling environment for innovation and entrepreneurship
• Bringing in technology incubators linked with vibrant R&D labs, good mentor base and venture finance access to bridge the gap
• Urgent need for proper infrastructure facilities and human resource development initiatives through public private partnership in the field of nano science

Hope the Government babus at the conclave takes up the cue and comes up with a solid policy to take up these issues ..

Source: SDAIndia

Nanotech jobs???

A few years back one of my schoolmates decided to go all the way to Australia to study the "Hotest Up-Coming technology" in town. They called it Bio-Technology. Four years hence after his Post-grad in the Hot Technology from a top-notch University, he works at a Call-Center which services Aussies. Though almost all columns shouted ad-nauseam about the serious "talent-crunch", on the ground scene was entirely different (as my friend found out soon).
The explanation is that though there is enough talent there isn't 'quality talent'.

Circa 2007, Lux Research Inc. report "Hiring Nanotech Talent" talks of a veritable talent crunch. The demand for White-Collar (read: 'quality talent') is expected to quintuple to about 30,000 from the present 5,300. An additional tens of thousands of blue collared jobs in manufacturing and allied sectors. Though in today's parlance this could mean any sector from Electronics to Phrama, which would be remotely related to Nanotech and hence difficult to quantify.

A month back one of the famous faces of Nanotechnology, Howard Lovy who pens the NanoBot blog put up a postadvertising his availability for employment. If Howard Lovy finds it difficult to get a job in the Nanotech sector what about the rest. So all those people (which includes me) who are all set to fly into the world of Nanotech need to have a hard and pragmatic look at it. It has a lot of potential and could well be the technology of the future... But for those who jump on the bandwagon just for the glitter... well.........................

Indian research centers take nanotech route to cancer treatment

AIIMS & IITs have decided to take the Nanotech route for cancer treatment. Jointly, they have developed a set of nanoparticles used ot kill Cancerous cells. The product is supposedly in phase I clinical trials.


Source: cities.expressindia.com

First Nano-enabled drug delivery system in India

Dabur Pharma has come with the first Nano-enabled drug delivery system in Indian market. Nanoxel, a Nano-based drug delivery system for Cancer drug Paclitaxel has been launched in the Indian market. The drug delivery system ensures localised delivery with minimum side-effects to non-carcenogenic tissue.

A really great indicator of Nanotech capabilities in India and the market readiness of the breakthroughs that are being researched in India.
The drug is priced at about Rs 16,000 or $350.... Evident of the next level of opportunity for the Indian firms; to cut down the cost to globally competitive levels... keep watching this space.

Source: http://www.daburpharma.com

Berkeley 1st city to be Nano-regulated

Another reason to put Berkeley on the World Nano-map? or just another gimmick by the City council?

Officially, Berkeley City becomes first City (among other firsts) in the world to be Nano-regulated. On the ground it means researchers will need to report what nano-materials they are working on, to ensure they are safe to the environment.

What does that mean for the bustling Nanotech start-ups in the hottest place on Earth for Nanotech start-ups? Isn't it another instance of cart being placed before the horse. Would it prove to be a head-ache for the budding Nanotech firms, who I believe haven't come up with anything potent enough to envenom the World.
Interestingly the plan by Lawrence Berkeley Labs to put up a Molecular Foundry is what prompted the City council to enact the regulation. Well any indicator to the "Killer" nano-materials thats gonna come out of the Lab? Well that's what the City council believes...quite literally though.

Source: http://www.nanotechwire.com

Nanotech learning options-Nanotech 101

After a few mail queries, I feel I should be putting up the info here..

Q: What are nanotech learning opportunities in India :-
Ans:
* For an introductory course see Nano Sensitization Program http://www.nstc.in/
* For specialised courses like Mtech in Nanoscience etc. see Amity Institute of Nanotechnology http://www.amity.edu/aint/courses.htm
* There is research on Nanosciences at IISc & IITs. But there is no specialised course as such.

Q: Where do I do my "Bachelors" in Nanotechnology?
Ans:

*I know it sounds really cool to get a Bachelors in Nanotechnology, but chances are there exists none in the world. If they do they r not gud enough. Why so? Because nanotechnology involves skills from different areas like Chemistry, Biology, Physics, material science, electronics etc etc.
There is no way u can focus on all, so next best thing is to get a strong fundamental knowledge of these areas in your undergrad & later decide which are you would like to focus on. To start of, I would suggest reading the seminal book "Engines of creation" available online at http://www.e-drexler.com/d/06/00/EOC/EOC_Cover.html
It inspired me to study nanotech about 8 years back & has inspired me ever since. So this is the book u need. Keep updated on different blogs like-

Q: Nanotech blogs-
Ans:
*http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/
*http://nanobot.blogspot.com/ - by Howard Lovy. Interesting & funny
*http://crnano.typepad.com/crnblog/ - on issues


Q: Global nanotech learning centers-

First thing I would like to make clear is the fact that nanotechnology is like an Ocean with mutiple facets. There are universities around the world which focus on different aspects of nanotechnology.

In US-
http://www.nano.gov/html/edu/eduunder.html (pretty comprehensive link)

In UK http://www.nano.org.uk/CareersEducation/courses.htm

Updates on "NanoCity"

Indian Express Nov 30 edition carries a news of on the ground situation at proposed NanoCity in Harayana:- Nano City a huge realty boom prospect.
As with everything Indian there is the farmer's protest against the project...the middlemen duping the farmers by buying land at a lower price..etc etc.
The good part from the clip is that there is real movement on the ground to bring up the NanoCity..

One step forward and two steps back for NanoFledgling@India

It's not all Hunky Dory for NanoFledgling India.
There are hardly a few commercial Nanotech firms like Cranes, Qtech or Yashnanotech. Now if we take up companies with core focus as Nanotech & with a solid business model the only India start-up that stands out is Qtech Nanosystems.

This is exactly why the decision of Bangalore based firm set up in 2004 to relocate to Singapore is a serious set back for Nanotech India. The company website lists down an impressive product portfolio...like Nanomaterials & Nanopositioners. The company is one of the few which won an award from CSIR India for it's Nanotech initiatives. With the key management comprising of all Indians, the news of Qtech being 'Singapored' should be an eye opener for India to put it's business climate in order. With Chinese and rest-of-world going all-out to get a lead in the NanoRace it is the imperative for India to see that going forward this would turn to be just an aberration & norm will still remain Nanotech 'Bangalored' ..... God save Nanofledgling India

My paper "In-Vivo Cancerous Cell Annhilation device" is finally ready..

After a long thrust I have finally managed to finish my paper "In-Vivo Cancerous Cell Annhilation device". Basically the plot goes like this... a mythical creature called a NanoBot exists which can detect and destroy cancerous cells inside the body... looks a bit Sci-Fi; but it's more tech stuff added to it...things which can bring it to reality. Maybe Victor Frankenstein can in fact bring this creature to life.
Here's the abstract for anyone brave enough to have a look ...
http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dc6x7v6v_4hdnh2f

Conceptual Model of the Device