Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology

Postby winston » Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:38 pm

Nanotech Advancing, One Tiny Step at a Time
07/04/08 - 09:40 AM EDT
Kevin Kelleher

Is nanotechnology -- once richly fertilized by hype, then left for dead by investors after it failed to deliver a single hot IPO -- finally starting to deliver on its promise?

A recent report from U.K.-based research firm Cientifica suggests that it just might be. And if so, it will have little to do with all that investment and hype a few years back.

First, some perspective: Back in the 1990s, research firm Gartner outlined the five stages of hype: Technology trigger, peak of inflated expectations, trough of disillusionment, slope of enlightenment, and plateau of productivity.

If you've watched the Internet develop for the last 15 years or so, you might peg it in stage five, and one could say so-called cleantech is riding out stage two.

And nanotech? On Cientifica's blog, President Tim Harper, who has long mixed keen insight with a sharp tongue, declared last week that long after many investors have given up on a molecular-level killer-app, we're at "the point at which nanotech moves out of the 'Trough of Disillusionment' and into the 'Slope of Enlightment.'"

"We always knew that it would get there," he added. "One just needed a little patience to see it come to fruition."

To back up that somewhat contrarian assertion, Cientifica has released a 1,000-word report, an update to one last published five years ago. In it, Cientifica argues that the failure of IPOs such as Nanosys and Nanodynamics, and the string of disappointments among companies that touted their nanotech promise, are paradoxically signs that market opportunities for nanotechnology are finally starting to emerge.

These big honking reports usually go unnoticed unless there are round numbers for readers to grab onto, and Cientifica has them: In 2010, companies -- led by the semiconductor, chemical and drug industries -- will be spending 83% of the estimated $50 billion that will be invested in nanotech. Last year, private investment made up 66% of the $19 billion invested. (They were roughly equal in 2003).

What will that money yield? Much of the R&D has until now been focused on the chemical industry, developing nanomaterials into an $80 billion business supplying manufacturers of higher-level consumer products. Nanomaterials should see cumulative annual growth between 20% and 30% for several years,Cientifica estimates.

After that, growth should come from nano-enabled products. By 2012, the market for such higher-value goods made possible by nanotechnology will reach $263 billion. And three years later, it will grow to $1.5 trillion. The report says much of this growth should come from health care and pharmaceuticals, as well as the odd surprise hit from a niche industry.

"Anyone who bails out of nanotech now is really missing the point," the report argues. "This is where nanotech starts to get interesting, and a lot of it comes down to supply chain maturity. After ten years and fifty billion dollars, we finally understand enough about the nanoscience to start building products."

Assuming that the beneficiaries of this growth are somewhat proportionate to the money that governments and companies are investng in it, the U.S. should see a good share, but maybe not as much as the E.U., where investment has been a little more aggressive. China and India are also outside candidates to become major players.

Asked for an investor takeaway from his lengthy report, Harper shot back: "The key finding is that nanotech is gaining traction DESPITE the attentions of VC's and pundits," he responded. (His caps-lock key, not mine.)

Harper says venture capitalits have poured "almost a billion dollars over the last seven years" into nanotech. But the problem wasn't so much the companies invested in, but the limiting 7-year perspective that many venture funds have. Emerging technologies like nanotech can take 10 or 15 years to bear fruit.

Those who have been invested in nanotechnology for some time might not like having to wait a decade or more for returns. But to investors who are interested less in hype than in the long-term potential of nanotech to change a number of different industries, this report could be pointing to very good news for the patient.
It's all about "how much you made when you were right" & "how little you lost when you were wrong"
User avatar
winston
Billionaire Boss
 
Posts: 118535
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 9:28 am

Health

Postby millionairemind » Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:00 am

Several years ago, I read a report that said that due to environmental pollution, a healthy man's sperm count has dropped by 1/2 in the last 50 years....

Think silver poisoning long term and the nanosilver washing machines...

Unknown risks
Safety of nanotechnology products is no small concern

By Manuel Baigorri, Medill News Service
Last update: 7:01 p.m. EDT July 23, 2008Comments: 8WASHINGTON

(Medill News Service) -- Though you cannot see them, you may be touching them or even wearing them right now. Products made using nanoparticles are already part of our lives. But the growth of this new industry has some scientists worried that the minuscule particles may be carrying health and safety risks, particularly since many come from toxic materials.

Nanotechnology -- the science of reducing materials to tiny sizes with new properties -- already has been used in more than 600 products in the U.S. market, said Lloyd Tran, president of the International Association of Nanotechnology, a nonprofit trade organization based in San Jose, Calif.

Carbon nanotubes are used to make bike frames and tennis rackets lighter and sturdier, according to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, an initiative of the Woodrow Wilson International Center and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Nano-size particles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are used in many sunscreens to block UV radiation. Clothes treated with nanoengineered coatings are more stain-resistant. And computer chips using nanocomponents are a mainstay of electronics -- from computers to digital cameras.

A report released Wednesday by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies called for the Bush administration to increase its nanotechnology spending in order to improve oversight.

"The regulatory system as a whole is in very bad shape in this country, and nanotechnology highlights that," said J. Clarence Davies, author of the report and former Environmental Protection Agency official. "The role of regulatory agencies should be bigger."

Federal spending on nanotechnology has increased more than 75% in the last five years -- from $849 million in 2004 to more than $1.5 billion proposed for 2009. But Davies wants to be sure enough of that funding is devoted to environmental, health and safety issues surrounding the use of nanotechnology.

Tran said the level of toxicity "is pretty much unknown because of the lack of funding from the government and the lack of funding from the industry. I wish the government provided more funding for the universities and the industry to study thoroughly the side effects of nanomaterials," he said.

James M. Hussey, CEO of Skokie, Ill.-based NanoInk Inc., a privately held company that commercializes nanotech to protect people and companies from counterfeiting, said there is no proof that products made using nanotechnology are unsafe, but research is needed to quantify the safety or risk levels.

"We make this ubiquitous statement that nanotech is unsafe," Hussey said. "[But] this is nonsense because nobody knows. But how can we prove that the products we are making are safe? Right now nobody has that answer."
No problems yet

Experts said there is no example of a product made using nanotechnology harming anyone. But the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies said that "nanoparticles' small size might allow them to get places that conventional particles would not be able to go. This could mean penetrating to deep within the lungs when inhaled, then passing into the bloodstream and reaching other organs. Or it might lead to nanometer-scale particles spreading through the environment and building up in places you wouldn't normally find pollutants."

Jennifer Sass, senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, warned that many products come out of toxic materials and that federal agencies are not spending as much as they should, and that health and safety research is poorly coordinated.
"Universities and companies should be working closely with the federal agencies to develop health and safety data and put it into a central location where it would be useful for the regulatory agencies to make decisions and also publicly accessible," she said.

To ensure the safe development of nanotechnology -- projected to be used in 15 percent of manufactured goods worldwide 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," according to David Rejeski, director of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.
Sean Murdock, executive director for the NanoBusiness Alliance, which promotes the commercialization of nanotechnology, noted that federal funding for nantechnology research has increased in recent years.
"We've called for increases in environmental, health and safety funding for the past several years and honestly, the government has responded. It's grown dramatically over the last couple of years and it will continue to grow," he said.
Murdock said the research to develop scientific understanding of the risks of nanotechnology is crucial to federal policymaking on the issue. Regulation that is not well founded on scientific understanding is unlikely to be good regulation, he said.

Regulation lacking

Europe and other parts of the world are ahead of the U.S. in regulation of industries where nanomaterials are used, said Sass of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Europe is regulating different sectors that we are not regulating well here and is ahead of us in coming up with regulatory frameworks."
A February study by Dietram A. Scheufele, professor of life sciences communication at the University of Wisconsin, showed the level of confidence with safety and regulatory systems varies worldwide. In the U.S., 17% of the respondents said they were confident, whereas in the United Kingdom, France and Germany the levels of confidence were 33%, 56% and 45%, respectively.

In December 2003, President Bush signed into law the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, which authorized funding for nanotechnology research and development for four years, starting in 2005, through the National Nanotechnology Initiative, a program established in 2001 to coordinate federal nanotechnology research and development.
In June, the House passed the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008 and sent it to the Senate. The measure calls on the White House to implement a plan for environmental, health and safety research.

"We absolutely need to strengthen and provide transparency for federal research to understand the potential risks of nanotechnology in particular on the near-term questions on safety of the products that are in commercial development," said a spokeswoman for the House Science and Technology Committee.
"If a speculator is correct half of the time, he is hitting a good average. Even being right 3 or 4 times out of 10 should yield a person a fortune if he has the sense to cut his losses quickly on the ventures where he has been wrong" - Bernard Baruch

Disclaimer - The author may at times own some of the stocks mentioned in this forum. All discussions are NOT to be construed as buy/sell recommendations. Readers are advised to do their own research and analysis.
User avatar
millionairemind
Big Boss
 
Posts: 8183
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 8:50 am
Location: The Matrix

Re: Nanotechnology

Postby winston » Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:39 am

Not vested. From Brian Hunt:-

THIS STOCK WILL SOAR HUNDREDS OF PERCENT SOMEDAY

Times aren't tough in the banking sector alone... just ask TINY.

TINY is the ticker symbol of Harris & Harris, our favorite way to track the market's opinion of nanotechnology.

Nanotech is the manipulation of matter on an atomic scale. It promises awesome scientific advances... like eradicating disease, building skyscrapers from junk heaps, and manufacturing stain-proof trousers. TINY is a pure play on these promises.

TINY is a lot like a nanotech mutual fund. It doesn't produce any nanowidgets or nanobots itself. It invests in and advises small nanotech businesses. As you can see from today's chart, the market doesn't care much for nanotech promises right now. TINY is scraping multiyear lows... and is down more than 60% from its 2007 high.

We're sure this stock will soar hundreds of percent when investors warm up to the nanotech sector. This story is too good not to produce a mania. But right now, investors are more concerned with making the mortgage payment.
It's all about "how much you made when you were right" & "how little you lost when you were wrong"
User avatar
winston
Billionaire Boss
 
Posts: 118535
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 9:28 am

Re: Nanotechnology

Postby winston » Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:29 am

Gold to power nanotechnology revolution: WGC

LONDON (Commodity Online): The World Gold Council (WGC) has published 'Gold for Good: Gold and nanotechnology in the age of innovation', a research paper detailing new scientific and technological innovations using gold. The report, which was produced in conjunction with Cientifica Ltd, the world's leading source of global business and investor intelligence about nanotechnologies, demonstrates how gold nanoparticles offer the potential to overcome many of the serious issues facing mankind over the coming decades.

Gold nanoparticles exhibit a variety of unique properties which, when harnessed and manipulated effectively, lead to materials whose uses are both far-ranging in their potential and cost effective. This report explores the many different applications that are being developed across the fields of health, environment and technology.

Trevor Keel, Nanotechnology Project Manager at World Gold Council said: "The opportunities and possibilities identified in this report are just a subset of the amazing scope to use gold in the era of nanotechnology. As a readily available and well understood material, gold nanoparticles are ideal for use in a vast array of applications that improve our lives. WGC is looking to promote and invest in the development of gold-based innovations through Innovations Partnerships, so that the full benefits of gold nanotechnology can be realised".

Tim Harper, founder of Cientifica Ltd, said: "Over the last decade, almost $50 billion of government funding has been invested into nanotechnologies, and this investment is now starting to bear fruit with a steady stream of commercially viable nanotechnologies which are positively impacting human health, the environment and technology. This paper demonstrates the many varied applications in which gold nanotechnology can improve society's standard of living".

Health: Gold has a long history in the biomedical field stretching back almost five thousand years. However the dawn of the 'nano-age' has really broadened the potential of gold in biomedical applications and today, gold nanoparticles are being employed in entirely novel ways to achieve therapeutic effects.

Tumour targeting technologies which exploit gold's inherent bio-compatibility are being developed to deliver drugs directly into cancerous tumours. Additionally, simple, cost effective and sensitive diagnostic tests are being developed for the early detection of prostate and other cancers.

Environment: Environmental concerns have never been more prominent - energy and clean water scarcity, global warming and pollution are all major issues that need to be addressed. Gold nano-particle based technologies are showing great promise in providing solutions to a number of environmentally important issues from greener production methods of the chemical feedstocks, to pollution control and water purification.

Gold-based catalysts are being developed that can effectively prevent the release of highly toxic forms of mercury into the atmosphere, the reduction of chemicals from green feedstock, and also for water purification and contaminant detection. In addition, gold is being used in meeting the challenge of constructing cost effective and efficient fuel cells, a key 'clean-energy' technology of the future.

Advanced technology: Gold is already a well established material in the electronics industry and the use of gold can only increase as the worlds of electronics and nanotechnology interact further in the future. Gold is being developed for conductive nanoparticle inks for plastic electronics because of its material compatibility, inherent durability and proven track record of reliability.

Gold nanotechnologies have also been shown to offer functional benefits for visual display technologies like touch sensitive screens and potentially for use in advanced data storage technologies including advanced flash memory devices.

http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Gol ... 7-3-1.html
It's all about "how much you made when you were right" & "how little you lost when you were wrong"
User avatar
winston
Billionaire Boss
 
Posts: 118535
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 9:28 am

Re: Nanotechnology

Postby helios » Tue Feb 16, 2010 10:33 pm

I am finding a book written by Mr. Marco Beckmann (Sole Member of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer at Nanostart AG). He has published a book on nanotechnology stocks, Nanostocks - The Stocks of the Future.

If anyone has seen it, do let me know.
helios
Permanent Loafer
 
Posts: 3608
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 8:30 am

Re: Nanotechnology

Postby helios » Thu Mar 04, 2010 10:27 pm

Today, i was told that a drug-pharma company in Japan has successfully invented biodegradable nano-constructs for nanotherapeutics.

Imagine that we are still lagging behind in terms of nano-technology adopters (and downstream applications) ...

However, I'm optimistic. Bio- Nano-tech might be on the verge of breakout within these 2 - 3 years ...
helios
Permanent Loafer
 
Posts: 3608
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 8:30 am

Re: Nanotechnology

Postby helios » Fri Mar 05, 2010 3:56 pm

News > Nanowerk Research and General News >
Posted: March 4, 2010

Sizing up nanotechnology: How nanoparticles may affect skin care products

(Nanowerk News) The rapidly growing field of nanotechnology and its future use in cosmetic products holds both enormous potential and potential concern for consumers. Currently, major cosmetic manufacturers have imposed a voluntary ban on the use of nanoparticles in products while they await a ruling from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the safety of this technology. However, these manufacturers know that when ingredients in products such as sunscreens and anti-aging products are converted into nano-sized particles, the end product displays unique properties that can benefit the skin in ways that otherwise could not be achieved using larger-sized particles.

Speaking today at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), dermatologist Adnan Nasir, MD, PhD, FAAD, clinical assistant professor in the department of dermatology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, presented an overview of nanotechnology and how nanoparticles may eventually be used in cosmetic products.

“Research in the area of nanotechnology has increased significantly over the years, and I think there will be considerable growth in this area in the near future,” said Dr. Nasir. “The challenge is that a standard has not been set yet to evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical products that contain nanosized particles.”

Nanotechnology: On the Plus Side
Products incorporating nanotechnology are being developed and manufactured at an ever-growing rate, especially among clothing manufacturers that incorporate nanomaterials into fabrics to enhance stain and wrinkle resistance, and water repellence. However, Dr. Nasir explained that a substantial proportion of patents issued for nanotechnology-based discoveries are currently in the realm of cosmetic and consumer skin care products. In fact, the cosmetic industry leads all other industries in the number of patents for nanoparticles, which have the potential to enhance sunscreens, shampoos and conditioners, lipsticks, eye shadows, moisturizers, deodorants, after-shave products and perfumes.

One example of how nanoparticles are being considered for use is to improve some of the undesirable properties of skin care products. Dr. Nasir explained that when certain ingredients are included in micrometer-sized particles, which are considerably larger than nanosized particles, the result is a product than can be cosmetically unappealing.

For example, one common ingredient in broad-spectrum sunscreens, which protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays, is avobenzone, which can make a sunscreen greasy and very noticeable when applied to the skin. Since titanium, another common sunscreen ingredient, requires an oily mixture to dissolve, a white residue can be apparent on the skin upon application. However, when these active ingredients in sunscreens are converted into nanoparticles, they can be suspended in less greasy formulations – which seem to vanish on the skin and do not leave a residue – while retaining their ability to block UVA and UVB light.

“While widespread use of this technology is currently under evaluation, I think one of the main benefits of nanoparticles used in sunscreens will be that the particles can fit into all the nooks and crannies of the skin, packing more protection and more even coverage on the skin’s surface than microsized particles,” said Dr. Nasir. “Since sunscreen formulations using nanoparticles may be more cosmetically appealing and seem to vanish when applied, consumers may be more inclined to use them on a regular basis.”

Nanotechnology also is generating excitement for its potential use in anti-aging products. When properly engineered, nanomaterials may be able to topically deliver retinoids, antioxidants and drugs such as botulinum toxin or growth factors for rejuvenation of the skin in the future.

In anti-aging products, Dr. Nasir added that nanotechnology may allow active ingredients that would not normally penetrate the skin to be delivered to it. For example, vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps fight age-related skin damage which works best below the top layer of skin. In bulk form, vitamin C is not very stable and is difficult to penetrate the skin. However, in future formulations, nanotechnology may increase the stability of vitamin C and enhance its ability to penetrate the skin.

“Since anti-aging products that contain nanoparticles of antioxidants will be harder to make, we expect that these products will cost more than products using traditional formulations,” said Dr. Nasir. “Once these products are determined to be safe, the consumer will have to decide if the increased costs are worth the added benefits.”

Nanotechnology: Future Melanoma Treatment

Researchers also are reviewing the use of nanomaterials for the treatment of melanoma. In particular, gold, when turned into a nanomaterial called nanoshells, has been shown to be a useful treatment for melanoma in animal studies.

According to Dr. Nasir, gold nanoshells can be engineered to absorb specific wavelengths of light. If the wavelength of light unique to a particular type of gold nanoshell is used on it, the particle generates heat. In one animal study done at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, investigators joined gold nanoshells with a molecule which homes to melanoma. When these gold nanoshells are injected into mice harboring melanoma, the nanoshells accumulate in the cancerous tissue. When mice are illuminated with the proper wavelength of light, their tumors, laden with gold nanoshells, heat up and are effectively killed. The surrounding tissue, which lacks targeted gold nanoshells, is unharmed.

“Nanotechnology holds promise for new non-invasive treatment methods, particularly for challenging dermatologic conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis,” said Dr. Nasir.

Nanotechnology: More Consumer Information Needed
Because the skin is the first point of contact and the first line of defense for newly manufactured nanomaterials, Dr. Nasir noted that many dermatologists have concerns about the potential health risks posed by nanotechnology. “Although nanotechnology is an exciting area that holds enormous potential,” said Dr. Nasir, “we anxiously await the FDA’s review of the safety of nanoparticles which will determine their future role in skin cancer products.”

Source: American Academy of Dermatology
helios
Permanent Loafer
 
Posts: 3608
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 8:30 am

Re: Nanotechnology

Postby kennynah » Fri Mar 05, 2010 4:06 pm

this is nanotechnology ---
.............................................................!
.............................................................!
Image
Options Strategies & Discussions .(Trading Discipline : The Science of Constantly Acting on Knowledge Consistently - kennynah).Investment Strategies & Ideas

Image..................................................................<A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control-Proverbs 29:11>.................................................................Image
User avatar
kennynah
Lord of the Lew Lian
 
Posts: 16005
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 2:00 am
Location: everywhere.. and nowhere..

Re: Nanotechnology

Postby helios » Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:56 pm

Interestingly, do watch the EDB's clip on Nanotechnology in Singapore ...

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUvyhRZW ... PL&index=2
helios
Permanent Loafer
 
Posts: 3608
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 8:30 am

Re: Nanotechnology

Postby kennynah » Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:07 pm

come to think of it...what has EDB done in the last 15 years?
Options Strategies & Discussions .(Trading Discipline : The Science of Constantly Acting on Knowledge Consistently - kennynah).Investment Strategies & Ideas

Image..................................................................<A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control-Proverbs 29:11>.................................................................Image
User avatar
kennynah
Lord of the Lew Lian
 
Posts: 16005
Joined: Wed May 07, 2008 2:00 am
Location: everywhere.. and nowhere..

Next

Return to Business Sectors & Industries

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests