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Alert Triggered for MFIC Corp
MFIC Reached a New 52 Week High at $2.40
MFIC rose 8.1% to a new 52 week high of $2.40. During the last 52 weeks, MFIC's price has ranged from $1.10 on August 10, 2006 to today's high of $2.40.
Please note you will receive only one "New 52 Week High" alert per day for MFIC Corp.
Alert Triggered for FEI Co
FEIC Reached a New 52 Week High at $34.92
FEIC rose 1.0% to a new 52 week high of $34.92. During the last 52 weeks, FEIC's price has ranged from $18.78 on August 10, 2006 to today's high of $34.92.
Additionally, over the last 12 months, FEIC has increased 76.66%.
Alert Triggered for Lumera Corp
Lumera Corp (LMRA) Price Crossed Above Its 60 Day Moving Average
LMRA crossed above its 60 day moving average of $5.70 with a trade of $5.74 at 12:57 PM EST, up 9.0% from the moving average. It is currently trading strongly higher on the day, up 10.9% to $5.71.
Carbon nanotubes against HIV
Nanowerk News
Posted: February 20, 2007
Carbon nanotubes transport gene therapy drug into T-cells known to block HIV from entering cells in vitro.
A promising approach to gene therapy involves short DNA fragments (interfering RNA) that bind to specific genes and block their “translation” into the corresponding, disease-related protein. A stumbling block has been the efficient and targeted delivery of RNA into the cells. Researchers led by Hongjie Dai at Stanford University have chosen to use carbon nanotubes as their “means of transport”.
This has allowed them to successfully introduce RNA fragments that “switch off” the genes for special HIV-specific receptors and co-receptors on the cells’ surface into human T-cells and primary blood cells. This leaves few “entry hatches” for the HIV viruses. The researchers report in the journal Angewandte Chemie ("siRNA Delivery into Human T Cells and Primary Cells with Carbon-Nanotube Transporters") that this allows for much better silencing effect to the cells than current transport systems based on liposomes.
T-cells are one of the types of white blood cells important for a good immune defense; they detect and destroy virus-affected cells. However, they themselves are among the targets attacked by HIV. In order to enter into a T-cell, the virus must first dock to a receptor known as CD4. Also involved is the co-receptor CXCR4. The use of short interfering RNA strands allows the CD4 and CXCR4 genes of the T-cell to be shut off. The T-cell then strops producing these receptors and the virus cannot find any points of attack on the surface of the cell. This could significantly slow down an HIV infection, as previous work have shown.
But how to get the RNA fragments into the T-cells? The shells of nonpathogenic viruses can be used to smuggle genetic material into cells, but this is dangerous in therapeutic applications because they can trigger allergies. Liposomes, tiny bubbles of fat, are safe but have proven to be ineffective for use in T-cells. Dai and his co-workers have tested a new transport system: carbon nanotubes are known for their abilities to be absorbed by cells and to smuggle other molecules in at the same time.
The researchers attached phospholipids—molecules from which cell membranes are also made—to chains of polyethylene glycol. The phospholipids nestle securely onto the outer wall of the carbon nanotubes while the polyethylene glycol chains protrude into the surrounding solution. The required RNA molecules were fastened to the ends of these chains. Once inside the cell, the RNA could easily be split off by means of a sulfur–sulfur bridge.
Source: John Wiley & Sons
Posted by: Merci
In reply to: Dr Worm who wrote msg# 226921 Date:2/20/2007 12:18:35 PM
Post #of 227496
Doc nano's on the next legs hun ACCEL ACUS ALTI BDSI BPA ISOND MFIC KPON NANX MVIX NNPP NVMI TGAL
ACEL ACUS ALTI BDSI BPA ISOND MFIC KPON NANX MVIX NNPP NVMI TGAL
yes they are doc ..
highlight the charts if you have time, they are all posted here, aren't they?
indeed it has ... next legs on several of them ;)
MFIC has been moovin for a while
Alert Triggered for FEI Co
FEIC Reached a New 52 Week High at $34.27
During the last 52 weeks, FEIC's price has ranged from $18.78 on August 10, 2006 to today's high of $34.27.
Additionally, over the last 12 months, FEIC has increased 71.09%.
Re: MFIC from another poster on another board:
By: bigearloil
19 Feb 2007, 06:19 AM EST
Msg. 10830 of 10843
Jump to msg. #
New Key Oil Pipeline Drag Reduction Slurry Patent App.
Baker Hughes INC.(BHI) a $20 billion oil service company and MFIC (MFIC.OB)have come up with a major new pipeline drag reducing slurry using the MFIC Microfluidizer technology and processes.
From a recent Baker Hughes patent application:
This new polymer slurry "provides for optimum pipeline drag reduction" and also "serves as an anti-agglomeration agent".
"Preparation of the Size-Reduced Polymer Slurry
[0033] With respect to the size-reduced polymer slurries described herein, it will be appreciated that the terms "size-reduced" and "size reduction" contemplate a number of different or alternative processes for reducing the size of discrete bulk polymer pieces, whatever their size. Suitable size-reduction techniques include, but are not necessarily limited to, grinding, homogenizing, milling, shear processes (e.g. high shear material processors such as MICROFLUIDIZER.RTM. high shear processors of MFIC Corporation)"
This new slurry production method, as described, in the patent application is expected to result in significant, specially designed, large scale, production Microfluidizer orders from MFIC over the course of the next 2 years.
More information on this key breakthrough can be found in the following US Patent and Trademark office patent application web link.
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FP....
For a flash demo of the MFIC Microfluidizer see:
http://www.microfluidicscorp.com/microflash.html
MFIC CORPORATION
MFIC recently reported record quarterly sales and annual sales.
MFIC also signed a new 5 year lease for the Company's administrative, sales, and manufacturing facilities to allow for a major expansion and improvement of production space and operations and to commence construction on a new, upgraded Applications Laboratory.
MFIC Corporation, through its Microfluidics subsidiary, provides patented and proprietary high performance Microfluidizer® materials processing equipment to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics/personal care, and food industries. The equipment enables the manufacture and formulation of numerous nanomaterials and nanoscale products. MFIC applies its 20 years of high pressure processing experience to produce the most uniform and smallest liquid and suspended solid structures available, and has provided manufacturing systems for more than 15 years.
The Company is a leader in advanced materials processing equipment for laboratory, pilot scale and manufacturing applications, offering innovative technology and comprehensive solutions for nanoparticles and other materials processing and production. More than 3,000 systems are in use and afford significant competitive and economic advantages to MFIC equipment customers.
Baker Hughes
Pipeline drag reducers have proven to be an extremely powerful tool in fluid transportation. Baker Hughes Incorporated has developed a complete line of high molecular weight polymers to reduce the friction pressure loss in pipelines in a wide variety of applications.
By reducing the frictional pressure loss, FLO pipeline boosters can increase throughput by more than 90% of the pipeline's mechanical capacity.
For more information on Baker Hughes see:
http://www.bakerhughes.com/bakerhughes/
Alert Triggered for FEI Co
FEIC Reached a New 52 Week High at $34.20
Additionally, over the last 12 months, FEIC has increased 68.03%.
Alert Triggered for Lumera Corp
LMRA's Trading Volume Exceeded Daily Average by 200.4%
LMRA is up $0.21 or 4.14% to $5.31 on heavy volume that exceeded its daily average by 200.4%. This performance is better than the broader averages as the S&P 500 is down 0.11% on the day.
Alert Triggered for Sono Tek Corp
Sono Tek Corp (SOTK) Price Crossed Above Its 60 Day Moving Average
SOTK crossed above its 60 day moving average of $1.17 with a trade of $1.20 at 12:03 PM EST, up 4.3% from the moving average.
Lumera Ready to Pop
Source: www.antandsons.com
February 13, 2007
Lumera Corp. (NASDAQ: LMRA) has attracted a lot of bottom fishers hoping that the stock would gain some traction to the upside after basing above the $4 level since early February. Lumera was first put on the radar in October of last year when it announced that it completed successful testing of its millimeter wave wireless bridge. Lumera said the system will allow the transmission of "vast amounts of data via a variety of high speed telecommunications networks." Yet, shares just went ice cold, peaking after November earnings news in which the company reported losses for the third quarter and announced a $17 million private placement.
In December, the company updated investors on its wireless bridge, saying that it successfully tested data rates from 2.5 gigabits per second (Gbps) to 10 Gbps and is still trying to create a commercial-ready product. Lumera is also working with Harvard Medical School researchers to build discovery and diagnostic methods with Lumera's Proteomic Processor biosensor relevant to cancer research. More recently, the company announced in January that it was showcasing the new design of its ProteomicProcessor at PepTalk, a week long conference on protein research being held in San Diego. According to Lumera officials, the new design is the result of feedback from drug discovery scientists at several biopharmaceutical companies with whom the company has ongoing discussions.
Could Lumera perhaps strike a partnership with these companies? It is a possibility, but the company has been real quiet. Certainly, though, any update on their research and development activities would likely go a long way in spurring shares that have not seen a lot of interest lately. A move in share price is also likely to be amplified by the massive short position in Lumera shares. Current data shows there are about 3.37 million shares short, nearly 35% of the company's public float of 9.48 million shares. Perhaps that is why there has been a few spikes higher this week as short sellers begin to cover their positions before there is any impetus to push the stock higher.
Alert Triggered for Lumera Corp
Lumera Corp (LMRA) Price Increased 14.19% from Wednesday's Close
LMRA increased 14.19% today and is currently trading at $5.07.
Alert Triggered for FEI Co
FEIC Reached a New 52 Week High at $33.45
FEIC rose 0.6% to a new 52 week high of $33.45. During the last 52 weeks, FEIC's price has ranged from $18.78 on August 10, 2006 to today's high of $33.45.
Alert Triggered for FEI Co
FEIC Reached a New 52 Week High at $32.68
FEIC rose 1.5% to a new 52 week high of $32.68. During the last 52 weeks, FEIC's price has ranged from $18.78 on August 10, 2006 to today's high of $32.68.
I Love Harris & Harris
By Jack Uldrich
The Motley Fool
February 13, 2007
I love Harris & Harris (Nasdaq: TINY) for the little things --the very little things, to be precise. This publicly traded venture-capital firm and Motley Fool Rule Breakers pick has been specializing in nanotechnology-related investments for more than a decade, and it remains one of the best "pure play" investments in the field of nanotechnology.
Harris & Harris first made an impression on me when it bought into a promising nanotech company called Molecular Imprints. MI offers the semiconductor industry step-and-flash nanoimprint lithography equipment, capable of etching chips at resolutions below 20 nanometers. As Moore's Law (basically, that computer chips will keep getting cheaper and more powerful over time) continues to relentlessly work its way down the measuring scale, MI's technology could soon have many semiconductor manufacturers clamoring for it.
But my love for Harris & Harris goes beyond that. I love how it keeps its relationship spicy by making investments across a wide variety of industries, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, material sciences, and energy, to name just a few. Things are never boring with this company, to say the least.
I also love how the Innovalight -- a nanotech start-up seeking to incorporate silicon nanocrystals into a solar-cell printing process -- hits its hair. I also love the quirky nature of its investments in companies such as D-Wave, a Canadian-based start-up that's developing a quantum computer.
I further love how Harris & Harris helps me see things more clearly, as evidenced by its recent investment in Xradia, which designs and manufactures ultra-high resolution 3-D X-ray microscopes and fluorescent imaging systems.
Some of its investments have even opened doors to bigger possibilities for me, through their partnerships or working relationships with larger companies. For instance, Nanosys is working with Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), and Molecular Imprints has already sold equipment to Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) and Motorola (NYSE: MOT).
But in the end, my love for Harris & Harris really just boils down to chemistry -- in the form of such investments as Evolved Nanomaterials Science, which seeks to help chemists separate, screen, purify, and enrich chiral molecules. In turn, that should help pharmaceutical companies manufacture new drugs more effectively, quickly, and safely.
It notices the little things. It keeps the relationship interesting. And it isn't afraid to mix things up on occasion. In short, Harris & Harris has it all.
Keep NNPP on chart on watch for a hit on the lower Bollinger Band:
Good day for SOTK.ob at 1.15 + .10 on vol. of 46.7K.
I have been buying SOTK at these low prices. A $1 stock with 22 consecutive quarterly profits, strong financial condition, tiny float and low market cap of $14 Million gives it limited downside risk IMO. REFR's recent stock price upmove based on its deal with Raytheon Aircraft for electronic window shades for aircraft should remind investors that SOTK deals with PPG Industries in the coating of skyscraper glass for self-cleaning applications. SOTK is also finding uses for its ultrasonic spray coating technology for medical devices, food and textiles including fire-resistant clothing. It has hired a new chief engineer recently having connections with Pfizer and MIT.
Alert Triggered for MFIC Corp
MFIC Reached a New 52 Week High at $2.18
MFIC rose 4.3% to a new 52 week high of $2.18. During the last 52 weeks, MFIC's price has ranged from $1.10 on August 10, 2006 to today's high of $2.18.
Please note you will receive only one "New 52 Week High" alert per day for MFIC Corp.
MFIC running at 1.92/1.93 on 38K volume ahead of today's CEO radio show interview on www.mn1.com at 12:30PM.
MFIC's strong fundamentals:
MFIC is on the OTCBB and is a world class leader in the manufacturing of nanotech capital equipment for the production of nanomaterials and nanoparticles. Its customer base is Fortune 500 cos. and 80% of sales are to biopharmaceutical companies. MFIC's products are found mentioned in thousands of patents issued to major multinational corporations. MFIC is having a strong operational rebound in 2006 after nice profitable growth in 2003 and 2004 and a loss in 2005. The co. is well capitalized with very little bank debt and is cash flow positive. The co. only has 10 million shares outstanding with the CEO and Pfizer controlling about 25%. The market cap is a ridiculously low $18 Million which is 1/10th of what many nanotech stocks with weaker fundamentals are trading at.
Based on the huge 4th quarter sales numbers released this week I am estimating that MFIC could earn at least 10 cents per share in Q4. With a very thin float this could mean a huge price gain for the stock price.
There is one broker that follows MFIC, Taglich Bros., which projected the co. booking $3.8 Million in sales and .01 in EPS in Q4. They will have to significantly increase its numbers in order to remain credible.
I am looking forward to Monday's interview with the CEO which will be simulcast on the Web for additional clues as to what to expect in Q4 and beyond.
Company contacts are Irwin Gruverman, CEO and Jack Swig, General Counsel and Investor Relations. Excellent information available at www.mficcorp.
Ford Motor Company Accelerates Nanotechnology Work into Lightweight Metals at Northwestern University
Posted by admin on 2007/2/7 11:59:58 (450 reads)
* The collaborative research activities between Ford and Northwestern University create another way for Ford to actively participate and assess the dynamically evolving field of nanotechnology, as well as other leading edge technologies.
* Ford is conducting this nanotechnology research jointly with Boeing, as part of an alliance with Northwestern University. This year marks the 11 th year that Ford and Boeing have worked together on technology development that has resulted in improved products for both companies.
* Long-term potential nanotechnology benefits to Ford include lightweight metals and plastics, nano-paints offering greater aesthetics, and enhanced coatings for improved performance and safety.
EVANSTON, Ill. Feb. 7 - Ford Motor Company announced today that it is using one of the most advanced laboratory devices in North America to accelerate its nanotechnology research into lighter weight metals and plastics with greater strength, ultimately helping improve the safety and fuel economy of Ford cars and trucks.
The device, called the Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP), is housed at Northwestern University and is now one of only four such tools in North America. This new laboratory tool enables Ford to cut in half the amount of time it takes to analyze the molecular makeup of metals and plastics and determine ways to tailor the material to make lighter weight and more durable parts.
“Ford has a long history of research in the field of nanotechnology, and this relationship will strengthen our knowledge for the future,” said Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, Ford’s vice president of Research and Advanced Engineering.
Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating materials at the atomic or molecular level – the size of a billionth of an inch. It is often referred to as a general-purpose technology because it has the potential to impact all industries and areas of society. Its use in pharmaceuticals, electronics and optics is rapidly developing. Nanomaterials, for example, are already being used in sunblock and cosmetics. Nanotechnology is not a product but a set of methods, tools and materials to make better-performing products.
Its use in the automotive industry holds the most promise and is expected to grow. By 2015, experts predict nanomaterials will reach 70 percent usage in automotive applications, with revenues reaching almost $7 billion.
Nano at Ford
Ford was one of the first automakers to apply nanotechnology to its products. Ford has been active since the 1970s in exhaust catalysis and emission controls, which are nano-based systems. Catalysts use nanoscale precious metals to increase the surface area of the metal, reducing costs and making them more efficient.
In 2003, Dr. Haren Gandhi, a Ford technical fellow in emissions and catalysts, won the prestigious National Medal of Technology for exhaust catalyst work. Ford also was an early leader in the development of scanning probe microscopes, which allowed scientists to better view matter at a nano level.
Ford, Boeing and Northwestern
At Northwestern, Ford researchers are working with nanotechnology to develop stronger and lighter structural materials, such as metals and plastic composites. These metals and plastics use nanoparticles as fillers that reduce weight and increase strength. Researchers are making aluminum castings stronger and better performing, such as engine blocks. Paints and glass that block the sun's infrared radiation and actually clean themselves of dirt and grime are being researched.
In addition, Ford is developing nanofluids, which involves dispersing nano-scale particles into vehicle liquids, such as coolants and engine oil, lubricants and transmission fluids. Ford scientists found that sprinkling nanoparticles into these liquids reduces friction and increases thermal conductivity – both of which allow the liquid to operate at lower temperatures.
“Since nanotechnology can impact such a wide range of vehicle components and functionalities, it provides a versatile toolkit for meeting anticipated customer expectations for performance, comfort, convenience and quality,” said Erica Perry Murray, on-campus Ford Boeing Northwestern alliance manager.
The alliance between Ford, Boeing and Northwestern paves the way for the three to research commercial applications of nanotechnology. The agreement is designed to pave the way for future advancements in transportation, specialty metals, thermal materials, coatings and sensors.
The nanotechnology alliance between Ford and Boeing is the latest development in an 11-year relationship that has resulted in improved products for both companies.
Examples of past innovations between Ford and Boeing include:
* Human Factors Modeling : Ford shared with Boeing its “Third Age Suit,” which is made of materials that add bulk, restrict movement and obscure vision to help give engineers and designers a feel for the needs of the elderly. By using the suit, Ford and Boeing engineers have been able to research ways to provide more user friendly interiors for cars and aircraft.
* Aluminum Bonding : Boeing shared with Ford its expertise in aluminum bonding from aerospace products for production of the Ford GT supercar. The technology, including the use of “friction stir welding,” was used by Ford to bond the center tunnel of the Ford GT to its floor pan without deformation.
* Rapid Prototyping: Boeing and Ford shared knowledge of rapid prototyping to refine and develop methods that allow part designs created in a computer to be “printed” in 3-D by a computer-operated laser that cures a photo-sensitive resin. This “printed” model becomes a prototype part without the need for expensive tooling. Ford now can cast parts as large as an engine block with rapid prototyping equipment in days instead of months or weeks.
Ford and Boeing also have committed to a technology exchange program, which includes providing access to each other’s talented people, technology and process know-how to benefit their products.
For Northwestern University, the alliance is an opportunity to develop even closer working relationships. Having embedded personnel leads to better understanding and identification of each partner’s needs and expertise, the university says, and provides opportunities for technology sharing that benefit everyone.
Northwestern has been one of the early leaders in the field of nanoscience and home of one of the first nanotechnology centers in the country.
The study of nanomaterials and technology transcends many departments and schools within the university, ranging from engineering and chemistry to biology and medicine. The learning experiences of students who will be involved with faculty in the new research project are unique opportunities that prepare them for their future roles as creators of value.
In 2005, Ford and Northwestern University dedicated a new $30 million engineering center on the school’s campus in Evanston, Illinoisnear Chicago. Ford provided a $10 million grant to build the new “ Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center ” as part of the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science facility.
“We are pleased to be involved with such an innovative company as Boeing and a university as esteemed as Northwestern,” Ford’s Schmidt explained. “Although our products are different in many ways, we share a common goal of innovating for the future together.”
About Ford Motor Company:
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and more than 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com
Source: Ford Motor Company
MFIC.ob News:
Optimizing Formulation and Production of Pharmaceuticals and Nanomaterials -- An Interview With MFIC's CEO Live On MN1.com
Thursday February 8, 9:29 am ET
NEWTON, Mass., Feb. 8, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Irwin Gruverman, Chairman and CEO of MFIC Corporation (OTC BB:MFIC.OB - News), will be featured live on Market News First (http://www.mn1.com) for an exclusive interview with MN1's Steve Kanaval. The interview is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 12, 2007, at 12:30pm EDT.
During the interview, Gruverman will be discussing the company's latest announcement of MFIC Corporation's record unaudited fourth quarter and fiscal 2006 revenues, trends for fiscal 2007 and a glimpse into the future of high-shear process intensification technology from MFIC Corporation.
Join Irwin Gruverman to learn more about the goals of the company, as well as the exciting value proposition presented by MFIC stock.
About MFIC Corporation
MFIC Corporation, through its Microfluidics subsidiary, provides patented and proprietary high performance Microfluidizer(r) materials processing equipment to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics/personal care, and food industries. The equipment enables the manufacture and formulation of numerous nanomaterials and nanoscale products. MFIC applies its 20 years of high pressure processing experience to produce the most uniform and smallest liquid and suspended solid structures available, and has provided manufacturing systems for more than 15 years.
The Company is a leader in advanced materials processing equipment for laboratory, pilot scale and manufacturing applications, offering innovative technology and comprehensive solutions for nanoparticles and other materials processing and production. More than 3,000 systems are in use and afford significant competitive and economic advantages to MFIC equipment customers. Systems are cGMP compliant and many are used in routine production of diverse pharmaceutical formulations. For more information please visit http://www.microfluidicscorp.com/.
About MN1.com
Market News First is an online, market news provider that brings investors current news on the market. Market News First is the only online, live radio web site that brings real market news to investors and features live interaction with companies from the AMEX, NYSE, NASDAQ, Over the Counter Bulletin Board and the Pink Sheets.
Through daily, live commentary we keep you up to date on the companies you invest in along with what's going on in the stock markets by the second.
The Market News First logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3162
Contact:
MN1 NewsWire
Angela Junell
(214) 461-3411
ajunell@MN1.cm
Big cap nanotech FEIC soared as it beat the Street with a 30 cent quarter today vs. a consensus of 21 cents. Microcap MFIC.ob could earn 10+ cents when they release their EPS in early March compared to a Street consensus (Taglich Bros.) of 1 cent. With only 10 Million shares outstanding and 25% of that tied up with the CEO and PFE, MFIC could make a major upmove IMO.
Nanotech Hiring Continues to Climb
University and Corporate Education Needed for White-Coat and Blue-Collar Workers
February 07, 2007 10:28 AM Eastern Time
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Companies, universities, governments, and economic development groups are all keenly focused on nanotechnology’s potential to create new products and services – and the jobs that come with them. A new Lux Research report entitled “Hiring Nanotech Talent” explores corporate and startup hiring plans over the next two years, providing unique insights, data points, and best practices for R&D leaders, HR departments, and entrepreneurs looking to build their nanotech teams.
Corporations directly employed some 5,300 “white-coat” nanotech developers at the end of 2006, poised to grow to over 30,000 in the next two years; in addition, nanotechnology indirectly affects tens of thousands of additional jobs in blue-collar roles like manufacturing, a number the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) estimates will reach two million within a decade. To see whether there will be enough workers with the right skills and experiences to meet this demand, Lux Research surveyed 26 companies active in nanotechnology application development about their hiring plans, priorities, and preferences.
“Companies’ nanotech teams are poised to grow 74% by 2008, and today, 60% of the companies we spoke with feel a shortage of nanotech talent,” said Lux Research’s Director of Research Mark Bünger. “Our study found that as nanotechnology moves up the value chain, the proportion of scientists on development teams will shrink to 40%, as engineering grows to 25% and sales and marketing to 22% of future hires.” Other findings include:
Soft skills are critical: despite the technical nature of nanotech work, only 36% of respondents view scientific depth as “very important”. Creativity and problem-solving capability were more important at 60% and 50% respectively.
Corporations will source 34% of their new people internally and take another 26% straight from universities. Start-ups can’t grow if they just shift workers, so they plan to poach 70% of their new people from other science-based businesses.
While more and more universities create nanotechnology degree programs, companies are evenly split as to whether they are an advantage or a detractor.
“Companies must make nanotechnology teams as productive as possible, which is not simply a question of hiring more people,” added Bunger. ”They can use the best practices outlined in this report to find and attract talent, make developers’ scientific research faster and more efficient, train various categories of developers, and build the best extended team.”
The report provides data and best practices on hiring, training, and managing personnel developing nanotechnology. It is available immediately to clients of Lux Research’s Nanotechnology Strategies advisory service. For information on how to become a client, contact Rob Burns, Vice President of Sales, at (646) 723-0708.
About Lux Research:
Lux Research provides market intelligence and strategic advice on nanotechnology and the physical sciences. We help our clients make better decisions to profit from cutting-edge technologies by tapping into our analysts' unique expertise and unrivaled network. Our clients include top decision makers at large corporations, investment professionals at leading financial institutions, CEOs of the most innovative start-ups, and visionary public policy makers. To get connected and for more information, visit www.luxresearchinc.com.
Contacts
Lux Research, Inc.
Peter Hebert, 646-723-0702
peter.hebert@luxresearchinc.com
Alert Triggered for FEI Co
FEIC Reached a New 52 Week High at $29.90
FEIC rose 17.5% to a new 52 week high of $29.90. During the last 52 weeks, FEIC's price has ranged from $18.78 on August 10, 2006 to today's high of $29.90.
This is an area that the new Chief Engineer for SOTK, Dr. Joseph Riemer, will be looking to exploit. SOTK already has been dealing with Nestle:
The Coming of Nanotech Food
Posted on Sunday, February 04 @ 07:40:30 CST
The potential benefits of Nanofoods – foods produced using nanotechnology – are astonishing. Advocates of the technology promise improved food processing, packaging and safety; enhanced flavor and nutrition; ‘functional foods’ where everyday foods carry medicines and supplements, and increased production and cost-effectiveness. In a world where thousands of people starve each day, increased production alone is enough to warrant worldwide support.
For the past few years, the food industry has been investing millions of dollars in nanotechnology research and development. Some of the world’s largest food manufacturers, including Nestle, Altria, H.J. Heinz and Unilever, are blazing the trail, while hundreds of smaller companies follow their lead. Yet, despite the potential benefits, compared with other nanotechnology arenas, nanofoods don't get a lot of publicity.
The ongoing debate over nanofood safety and regulations has slowed the introduction of nanofood products, but research and development continue to thrive - though, interestingly, most of the larger companies are keeping their activities quiet (when you search for the term 'nano' or nanotechnology' on the websites of Kraft, Nestle, Heinz and Altria you get exactly zero results). Although the risks associated with nanotechnology in other areas, such as cosmetics and medicine, are equally blurry, it seems the difference is that the public is far less apt to jump on the nanotechnology bandwagon when it comes to their food supply.
According to a definition in a recent report (Nanotechnology in Agriculture and Food) food is “nanofood” when nanoparticles, nanotechnology techniques or tools are used during cultivation, production, processing, or packaging of the food. It does not mean atomically modified food or food produced by nanomachines.
In the forefront of nanofood development is Kraft Foods, which took the industry’s lead when it established the Nanotek Consortium, a collaboration of 15 universities and national research labs, in 2000. Kraft’s focus is on "interactive" foods and beverages.
These products will be customized to fit the tastes and needs of consumers at an individual level. Possible products include drinks that change colors and flavors to foods that can recognize and adjust to a consumer's allergies or nutritional needs. Other large companies, such as Nestlé and Unilever, are exploring improved emulsifiers that will make food texture more uniform. These huge Western companies are responsible for the bulk of the food industry’s research and development, however the nanofood industry is truly a global phenomenon.
In Australia for instance, nanocapusles are used to add Omega-3 fatty acids to one of the country’s most popular brands of white bread. According to the manufacturer, nanocapsules of tuna fish oil added to Tip Top Bread provide valuable nutrients, while the encapsulation prevents the bread from tasting fishy. NutraLease, a start-up company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has developed novel carriers for nutraceuticals in food systems. The nano-sized self-assembled structured liquids (NSSL) technology allows for encapsulation of nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and essential oils and drugs in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Another advantage to the NSSL technology is that it allows the addition of insoluble compounds into food and cosmetics. One of the first products developed with this technology – a healthier version of canola oil – is already available to consumers in Israel.
In other parts of the world, nanotechnology efforts are focused on the agricultural side of food production. A joint effort among universities in India and Mexico is directed at developing non-toxic nanoscale herbicides. Researchers at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in India and Monterrey Tech in Mexico are looking for ways to attack a weed’s seed coating and prevent it from germinating.
The range of current nanofood research and development is as impressive as the industry’s projected growth. Last August, UK-based Cientifica estimated that nanotechnologies in the food industry were currently valued at $410 million and would grow to $5.8 billion by 2012 ("Nanotechnologies in the Food Industry").
Food Packaging is the Trail Blazer
Novel food packaging technology is by far the most promising benefit of nanotechnology in the food industry in the near future. Companies are already producing packaging materials based on nanotechnology that are extending the life of food and drinks and improving food safety.
While the nanofood industry struggles with public concerns over safety, the food packaging industry is moving full-speed ahead with nanotechnology products. Leading the way is active or “smart” packaging that promises to improve food safety and quality and optimizes product shelf-life (for example, see a recent Nanowerk News article "Intelligent food wrappers with nanotechnology"). Numerous companies and universities are developing packaging that would be able to alert if the packaged food becomes contaminated; respond to a change in environmental conditions; and self-repair holes and tears.
One of the most promising innovations in smart packaging is the use of nanotechnology to develop antimicrobial packaging. Scientists at big name companies including Kraft, Bayer and Kodak, as well as numerous universities and smaller companies, are developing a range of smart packaging materials that will absorb oxygen, detect food pathogens, and alert consumers to spoiled food. These smart packages, which will be able to detect public health pathogens such as salmonella and e. coli, are expected to be available within the next few years.
Similar technology is being developed for the U.S. Government as a means of detecting possible terrorist attacks on the U.S. food supply. Scientists in the Netherlands are taking smart packaging a step further with nanopackaging that will not only be able to sense when food is beginning to spoil, but will release a preservative to extend the life of that food.
Because of their ability to improve safety and extend the life of food, these nanopackaging solutions are some of the most exciting innovations in the food industry today. However, other less dramatic (but far more practical) developments in nanopackaging are already in use around the world.
Clay nanocomposites are being used in plastic bottles to extend the shelf life of beer and make plastic bottles nearly shatter proof. Embedded nanocrystals in plastic create a molecular barrier that helps prevent the escape of oxygen. The technology currently keeps beer fresh for six-months, but developers at several companies are already working on a bottle that will extend shelf life to 18 months. Several large beer makers, including South Korea’s Hite Brewery and Miller Brewing Company, are already using the technology.
Activist Concerns
Because there is little government oversight in this area, says Craig Minowa, an environmental scientist for the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), the public may have little to say about it. "Products are not labeled, so consumers cannot choose to avoid them," he explains.
The OCA, a grassroots non-profit public interest organization based in the U.S., is one of many vocal organizations calling for government regulation on nanofoods, at least until more safety testing is completed. These organizations argue that a lack of evidence of harm is not the same as reasonable certainty of safety, which is what food companies must demonstrate to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before introducing a new food additive.
"The OCA is focusing its efforts on educating the public about the potential risks of nanofoods and putting pressure on government agencies to increase oversight," says Minowa, adding that ever-tightening federal budgets, at least in the U.S., will make the latter a huge challenge. "There’s a lack of consumer understanding, a lack of government oversight and a lack of labeling," says Minowa. "Combine these with a lack of testing and you have an equation for serious problems."
Although there is far less opposition to nanopackaging than there is to nanofoods, there are some who argue that the use of these devices will allow the food industry to further shirk their corporate responsibilities.
"While devices capable of detecting food-borne pathogens could be useful in monitoring the food supply, sensors and ‘smart packaging’ will not address the root problems inherent in industrial food production that result in contaminated foods: faster meat (dis)assembly lines, increased mechanization, a shrinking labor force of low-wage workers, fewer inspectors, the lack of corporate and government accountability and the great distances between food producers, processors and consumers," says the ETC Group ("Down on the Farm: The Impact of Nano-scale Technologies on Food and Agriculture" pdf download 1 MB), a conservation and sustainable advancement organization. "Just as it has become the consumer’s responsibility to make sure meat has been cooked long enough to ensure that pathogens have been killed, consumers will soon be expected to act as their own meat inspectors so that industry can continue to trim safety overhead costs and increase profits."
Interestingly enough, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. declared on November 22, 2006 that it intends to to regulate a large class of consumer items made with silver nanoparticles. The decision, which will affect not only washing machines but other consumer products such as odor-destroying shoe liners, food-storage containers, air fresheners, and a wide range of other products that contain nanosilver, marks a significant reversal in federal policy.
Nanosilver containing consumer products that are applied to food packaging are not regulated by the EPA but by the FDA. The FDA is still considering whether it needs new rules for nanomaterials.
Via NanoWerk
SOTK has recently opened two offices in China:
China bets big on nanotech
Country takes aim at $3 trillion global market in nanotech products
By Clement James
vnunet.com
06 Feb 2007
Nanotechnology is key to the future economic success of China, according to a leading academic in the field.
Richard Appelbaum, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said that China is betting that its growing investment in nano-science will help the country capture a large share of what will become a $3 trillion global market in nanotech manufactured goods.
Breakthroughs in nanotechnology research and commercialisation will also confer economic superpower status on the country that attains first mover advantage in this cutting-edge technology, according to the professor.
Appelbaum made his remarks at an event co-sponsored by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, the Asia Program, the China Environment Forum, and the Program on Science, Technology, America and the Global Economy, at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
China and the US are seen as big players in the nanotech race, although each faces a number of significant competitive challenges and collaborative opportunities, including the need for internationally coordinated risk research strategies and effective oversight mechanisms.
A senior US Department of Commerce official recently claimed that China is rapidly "gaining on" the US in nanotechnology.
This news comes on top of the latest Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development forecast that China will have spent more on R&D than Japan in 2006, making it the world's second highest investor in R&D after the US.
For MFIC I am looking for SIGNIFICANT increased revenue and EPS guidance from Taglich Bros. based on the very bullish Q4 revenue number released yesterday and a much higher price target by Taglich than 2.80 for the stock price. Also, the stock rating should be raised from speculative buy to strong buy IMHO.
he said ass.
Beavis and Butthead are now stock analysts?? I wouldn't be surprised...
From another board:
By: nanonanoscale
05 Feb 2007, 03:40 PM EST
Msg. 99463 of 99463
Jump to msg. #
Is the nanotechnology revolution underway?
MFIC Corporation, the company with by far the smallest market cap on the Punk-Ziegel Nanotechnology Index, today released its preliminary unaudited Q4 revenue number of $5 million. That is such an extraordinary kick-ass quarter for this company that one wonders, since they are involving in selling laboratory and production nanomanufacturing equipment, if this isn’t a signal that the nanotechnology revolution is underway...or, at least, past its earliest infancy.
The news release:
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070205/20070205005992.html?.v=1
I am not trading MFIC. This is socked away as a long-term investment and at this price is the steal of the century IMHO!
you have had MFIC a long time? Do you trade it? Or is this a long term hold for you?
For a frame of reference, another profitable microcap nanotech stock, CVV on the AMEX, had a 7 cent quarter and the stock jumped to 7.50. A 10 cent quarter for MFIC would be huge! Stock looks way undervalued.
MFIC 1.75/1.80 - Could this be 10 cent EPS quarter? Revenues of $5 Million reported, GPM of 56%, R&D expenses of $400K and SG&A expenses of $1.4 Million with no tax expense. Only 10 millions shs. out. Stock looks way undervalued.
MFIC is soaring on spectacular record revenues for Q4/06. This is one of the few profitable microcap nanotech stocks out there with very strong IP demanded by the biopharmaceutical industry. Of note the CEO owns about 20% and Pfizer owns 6%. Only 10 million shares outstanding and a very low PSR. This could see new highs today.
MFIC out with news of record revenues in Q4/06:
MFIC Corporation Announces Record Unaudited Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2006 Revenues
Monday February 5, 12:21 pm ET
MFIC Attains Both Record $5 Million Quarterly and $15.7 Million Annual Revenue Results
NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MFIC Corporation ("MFIC" or the "Company") (OTCBB: MFIC - News) announced today its preliminary and unaudited fourth quarter and fiscal 2006 revenue results.
Unaudited preliminary revenue in the fourth quarter of 2006 was approximately $5.0 Million. This compares with revenue of approximately $3.1 Million in the fourth quarter of 2005. This result represents an increase of $1.9 Million, or 61%, over the comparable period in 2005. Unaudited preliminary revenues for 2006 were approximately $15.7 Million, as compared to approximately $11.6 Million for 2005, an increase of 35%.
Order backlog at December 31, 2006 was approximately $3.1 Million as compared to a backlog at December 31, 2005 of approximately $2.8 Million. Order backlog at September 30, 2006, was $4.9 Million.
Robert P. Bruno, President and COO, stated, "We are pleased with the significant expansion of both the fourth quarter and annual revenues in 2006. The results were, in large part due to the increase in the number of laboratory unit sales and, in particular, the strong demand for the Company's improved M-110EH-30 system, introduced in the last quarter of 2005.
Also, several large pharmaceutical systems were delivered, one of which included our newly standardized M-7250 systems for the BioPharm industry. This system included our Constant Pressure feature with Ultra Clean in Place and Steam in Place (SIP) for aseptic processing of drugs. These latter features enable compliance with cGMP regulatory requirements, which are critical for the pharmaceutical industry. The system incorporated our new system architecture integrating the machine, all machine controls, functions and data recording onto a single common platform (see more details under Quarterly Highlights).
Going forward in 2007, we remain optimistic about continued revenue growth, in particular to the bio-pharmaceutical industries, where we are expecting our standardized systems to be widely accepted."
Irwin Gruverman, CEO and Chairman, stated, "Revenue expansion for 2006 exceeded our internal projections.
During 2006 we saw, in part, the economic realization of our substantial and continuing investment in R&D, infrastructure development and marketing/sales. We believe that the product and features developments achieved in the past few years, combined with ongoing applications and other initiatives enabled by continued R&D spending will keep us in a leadership position and permit continued growth in 2007.
Final results are dependent on the completion of our year-end audit and are expected to be released in March."
Mr. Gruverman added, "We continue to experience positive trends in equipment inquiry and sales quotation, sales bookings and backlog, which stood at approximately $3.8 million at January 31st."
Fourth Quarter 2006 Company Highlights
Sold an unprecedented number of laboratory units and experienced strong demand, in particular for the improved Model M-110EH-30
Introduced and shipped the first newly standardized M-7250 system for the BioPharm industry, which includes our Constant Pressure feature with Ultra Clean in Place and Steam in Place (SIP). The system incorporates our new system architecture integrating the machine, all machine controls, functions and data recording onto a single common platform. A Program Logic Control (PLC) is also integrated to manage and record sensor signals, system alarms, and interlocks. The PLC will process all of this captured information chronologically to provide the customer with real time "Event Log" data for cGMP monitoring and to assure that the machine will act correctly during adverse events.
Signed a new 5 year lease for the Company's administrative, sales, and manufacturing facilities which allowed us to begin a major expansion and improvement of production space and operations and to commence construction on a new, upgraded Applications Laboratory.
Forward Looking Statement:
Management believes that this release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties including statements relating to the Company's plan to attain and/or increase operating profitability and/or to achieve net profitability. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results achieved by the Company to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The Company cautions investors that there can be no assurance that the actual results or business conditions will not differ materially from those projected or suggested in such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to the following risks and uncertainties: (i) whether the performance advantages of the Company's Microfluidizer® materials processing equipment or that a commercial market for the equipment will continue to develop, (ii) whether the performance advantages of the Company's MMR nanoparticle production systems will be realized commercially, (iii) whether the Company will be able to increase its market penetration and market share, (iv) whether the timing of orders will significantly affect revenues and resulting net income for particular quarters in a manner that could cause increased volatility in the Company's stock price, and (v) whether the Company will have access to sufficient working capital through continued and improving cash flow from sales and ongoing borrowing availability, the latter being subject to the Company's ability to comply with the covenants and terms of its loan agreement with its senior lender.
MFIC CORPORATION
MFIC Corporation, through its Microfluidics subsidiary, provides patented and proprietary high performance Microfluidizer® materials processing equipment to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics/personal care, and food industries. The equipment enables the manufacture and formulation of numerous nanomaterials and nanoscale products. MFIC applies its 20 years of high pressure processing experience to produce the most uniform and smallest liquid and suspended solid structures available, and has provided manufacturing systems for more than 15 years.
The Company is a leader in advanced materials processing equipment for laboratory, pilot scale and manufacturing applications, offering innovative technology and comprehensive solutions for nanoparticles and other materials processing and production. More than 3,000 systems are in use and afford significant competitive and economic advantages to MFIC equipment customers. For more information please visit http://www.microfluidicscorp.com/.
Contact:
MFIC Corporation
Irwin Gruverman, CEO & Chairman
Robert P. Bruno, President & COO
Jack M. Swig, Investor Relations Manager
617-969-5452
Fax: 617-965-1213
info@mfics.com
or
Kawski Investor Relations, Inc.
James L. Kawski, 978-490-6827
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: MFIC Corporation
Industrial Nanotech Begins Working With the Battelle Institute
Thursday February 1, 4:05 pm ET
The Company Adds Battelle Institute to Its List of World Class Research Partners
NAPLES, Fla., Feb. 1, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Industrial Nanotech, Inc. (Other OTC:INTK.PK - News), a company that specializes in nanotechnology innovation and product development, today announced that it will begin working with the Battelle Institute, focusing on innovative technology and product development.
Battelle is the world's largest independent research and development organization with 120 locations worldwide, including five national laboratories that it manages for the U.S. Department of Energy.
``Battelle's successful track record of 'helping commercial customers leverage technology into a competitive advantage' is at the core of what Industrial Nanotech has accomplished with the development of Nansulate. We began discussions with Battelle last year and through our meetings and phone conversations with their researchers, it became apparent that there existed strong synergies between their ongoing product development work and our own,'' commented Stuart Burchill, CEO of Industrial Nanotech, Inc. ``We are very excited to work with Battelle as they have a long history of developing successful commercial products in collaboration with their clients, such as playing a significant role in the development of the original office copier machine by Xerox,'' continued Mr. Burchill.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle conducts $3.7 billion in R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management, and technology commercialization. Battelle provides innovative solutions to some of the world's most important problems including global climate change, sustainable energy technologies, high performance materials, next generation healthcare diagnostics and therapeutics, and advanced security solutions for people, infrastructure, and the nation.
http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/070201/112953.html
Of interest to SOTK and its new commitment to China:
Nanotech Gets Big In China
Josh Wolfe, Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report 02.01.07, 12:30 PM ET
It's no secret that China's economy is fast becoming an economic powerhouse, but I wasn't prepared for the signs everywhere of hyperactive growth when I landed in China last month to meet with numerous advanced materials start-ups and fellow venture capitalists. Shanghai and Beijing are cityscapes of cranes operating in every direction around the clock. Everywhere highways and buildings were being raised, and the presence of Western investors and businesspeople was ubiquitous.
Clearly, change is coming to China on a massive scale. But it is also happening at the nanoscale.
China is now rapidly trying to catch up to the U.S. in nanotech, and already U.S. startups are heading there for competitive advantage. The question for stateside nanotech investors, however, isn't how broad China's expansion is, but how deep it goes. The country's manufacturing infrastructure may be expanding at an alarming rate, and its markets are now opening to foreign business. But the country still has a long way to go as an innovator in nami jishu--aka nanotechnology.
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Lux Research reported last year that China's nanotech spending, adjusted for current exchange rates, trailed fourth behind the U.S., Japan and Germany in 2005 [Full disclosure: My venture firm Lux Capital is an equity investor in Lux Research]. But adjusting the figures further to reflect purchasing power parity (i.e., the difference in the cost of goods and services from one country to the next), China's investment in nanotech research jumped to second place, reaching the equivalent of $1.11 billion, compared with $1.57 billion in the U.S. China was second only to the U.S. in 2005 in terms of published, peer-reviewed journal articles on nanotech. In nanotech patents, China ranked third in 2003, behind the U.S. and Japan.
While impressive, these raw statistics provide only a glimpse of the big picture--and China's emerging nanoscape fills a very, very big frame. Depending on what pundit you listen to, China is presented as a gleaming investment opportunity or a looming threat to free trade. My read is that China represents something in between these two poles. It poses risks and opportunities as a commercial market, as a manufacturing power and as an innovator. In each of these roles, China deserves closer inspection than we can devote in a single issue of this newsletter. But we can get a better grasp of what the most important questions are.
China as a Market
With an integrated market encompassing roughly one-fifth of the world's population, China's opportunities for investment and trade are simply undeniable. China's urban population alone has risen by 200 million people over the last decade; that's equivalent to two-thirds of the entire U.S. population. Another 75 million rural Chinese are expected to migrate into the cities over the next five years.
With numbers like that within its borders, China doesn't need to be a technology leader or a global player to become a powerhouse economy. In other high-tech sectors like semiconductors, for example, China chose to build out its chipmaking industry operations with lower-cost, trailing-edge technology that could fill domestic demand rather than invest heavily in the advanced manufacturing technology it would need to compete with world-class chipmakers in Taiwan and Japan. Why invest in cutting edge manufacturing equipment to compete globally with Taiwan and Japan, when your domestic market consumed roughly two-fifths of the world's semiconductor output in 2005?
The question is whether or not this same dynamic applies to nanotech products. In one sense, nanotechnology is something of a fad among Chinese consumers. In an essay for Science magazine last year, the executive V.P. of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chunli Bai, cited examples of domestic companies boosting profits by simply adding a "nano" label to their products. He mentioned products such as nano-gas, nano-cups, nano-toothpaste and nano-beer.
These attitudes contrast with those of Western consumers, which are sometimes more circumspect about the possible health risks of nanotechnology. Even so, very few foreign nanotech firms appear to have tapped the Chinese market to date. One notable exception is Woodbury, N.Y.-based Nanosphere member Veeco (nasdaq: VECO - news - people ), a leading supplier of atomic force microscopes (AFM) used to characterize, measure and manipulate nanoscale structures. Most of Veeco's trade is currently conducted with China's institutes and universities, although it is also selling equipment to multinational companies who have opened tech centers in Asia.
In addition to AFM sales, Veeco is also doing a brisk business in other nanotech process equipment, such as instrumentation used to make thin film magnetic heads and LEDs. Overall, Asia in general and China in particular, have become an increasingly significant driver of Veeco's instrument business. They now generate approximately 40% of the company's revenues and represent its fastest growing region for sales. That's good news for Veeco, but it's less clear what this suggests for Western players trying to break into other nanocentric sectors of the Chinese market like biotech, energy and materials. Applications in electronics and life sciences are virtually nonexistent today.
Where China can compete strongly--both domestically and abroad--is as a manufacturer of nanomaterials. Players include Shanghai-based Yaohua Nano-Tech, which makes metal oxide nanoparticles, and nanotube manufacturer Shenzhen Nanotech in Guangdong. These and other Chinese ventures in the fields of nanoparticle-enabled coatings and composite materials could pose strong competition to foreign firms.
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China as Manufacturer
Economic and commercial dominance is nothing new to China, which had fielded the world's largest economy for most of the last millennium. A decade or two before the Industrial Revolution caught on in Britain, China was cranking out a third of the world's manufactured goods. Today, the relative cost of labor and services has attracted a long list of foreign firms that have opened manufacturing operations in Asia.
But countering the potential cost benefits, are lingering concerns about IP protection, particularly in highly technical fields. Many companies are reluctant to expose proprietary processes or technology to copycats, and opt to move assembly operations in China while keeping sensitive operations elsewhere. Concerns about IP haven't stopped companies from opening R&D operations on the Asian mainland. Veeco, for one, opened a research center operated jointly with the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing. Also, in the Shanghai area, General Electric (nyse: GE - news - people ), Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ) and Rohm & Haas (nyse: ROH - news - people ) have all launched world-class tech centers.
Another example is Accelergy Corporation, which, in addition to developing its own products for energy markets, also performs contract research in and beyond nanotech for mostly Western clients. [Full disclosure: My venture firm Lux Capital is an equity investor in Accelergy.] Despite its current client base and Palo Alto, Calif.-based headquarters, the firm opted to locate its R&D operations in Shanghai for two strategic reasons, according to Accelergy CEO Vic Sprenger. The first is to tap into China’s rapidly growing pool of world-class scientists. The second is a trend of scientific innovation and creativity. If true, that trend could evolve greater demand for improved patent laws and enforcement.
Earlier, I mentioned that China ranked third in worldwide nanotech patents in 2003, a detail that advocates of Chinese nanotech like to quote. Another way of counting might only include patents on file with the U.S. patent office, in which case China can present only 21 between 1995 and 2005, putting it in 12th place worldwide. China may not feel it needs to attract specialized industry operations to its shores. But if it does, the patent culture needs to change and the government will have to regulate and enforce IP more rigorously. Veeco's V.P. of marketing and business development for metrology and instrumentation, David Rossi, said he has heard talk of that, but he and other industry leaders need to see results.
Another trend I'll be watching for is a greater willingness among Chinese firms to form joint ventures and competitive partnerships with foreign nanotech companies. Today, the best and perhaps only example of this is San Jose, Calif.-based NeoPhotonics' merger with Photon Technology in Shenzhen, signed last year. Combined, the companies aim to advance photonic integration technology, which is similar to integrated chips except it shuttles around photonics instead of electrons. NeoPhotonics is backed by U.S. VCs including Nanosphere member Harris & Harris Group (nasdaq: TINY - news - people ).
There may be other joint nano ventures on the horizon, however. I've caught wind of two companies that had signed credible agreements in the last year. One to develop a nanoclay composite, the other to develop a heat transfer technology for semiconductor chips.
China as an Innovator
Measured purely in terms of years, nanotech in Japan and the West does not have much of a head start against China, especially considering that China can leverage the basic research already done elsewhere. On the other hand, technology in any highly advanced field evolves at an exponential rate, which can make it hard for emerging players like China to catch up. This may help explain the conventional wisdom, which is that China excels as a manufacturing country and as a market for goods, but not as an innovator.
Presented with this belief, Accelergy's Sprenger responded simply: "We believe conventional wisdom is about to change." If China's emerging nanotech sector hopes to compete on a global scale in the next six years, it will need to invest heavily in research today--and it appears to be doing just that. As I mentioned earlier, when adjusted for exchange rates and purchasing power parity, China's investment in nanotech research runs a close second to the U.S. Much of that largesse is going toward construction of 33 nanotech centers across Asia, but significant portions are also funding centers already in operation like the National Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology in Shanghai and the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China in Beijing.
But some of the momentum created by government funding may be lost by China's lack of a nationally coordinated nanotech initiative. The government imposes high level omnibus vehicles for disbursing money and setting priorities. Lacking direction at the national level, much of the research done at the regional level is redundant or less relevant than it could be. Also, while the large national research centers are well-funded, smaller universities often have to find other resources. This has driven some of them to seek collaborations with multinational corporations based nearby, particularly if the corporation has a well-equipped tech center. From this trend, two others have branched out. One is that, in contrast to the basic research conducted by large government funded centers, smaller universities have become the de facto source for applied research --partly due to their collaboration with more commercially oriented multinationals.
Another, according to Veeco's Rossi is that the multiple collaborations of China's small universities often facilitates connections between the foreign firms they work with.Veeco's collaborations with Fudan University in Shanghai and with CAS, for example, could open inroads with other multinationals located in Shanghai. "It's almost like the universities are allowing cross-pollination between companies that may not have opened up otherwise," he said.
Looking ahead, Lux Research has projected that China's R&D infrastructure will not only improve by 2012, but is also poised to become a dominant global contributor. Continuing government support will fuel further growth of nano-related publications. Meanwhile, reforms under way through the Chinese Academy of Science will help researchers think more like entrepreneurs, which could help invite increased international patent activity, more risk capital and more partnerships with major corporations.
Excerpted from the January issue of Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report.
Alert Triggered for Flamel Technologies SA
FLML Reached a New 52 Week High at $36.80
FLML rose 2.5% to a new 52 week high of $36.80. During the last 52 weeks, FLML's price has ranged from $15.93 on July 18, 2006 to today's high of $36.80.
Additionally, over the last 12 months, FLML has increased 57.39% while its peers in the Pharmaceuticals industry increased 12.24%.
Spinal cord implants on the way
By Kate Jones
vorkt.com
The Melbourne scientist who pioneered the bionic ear is working to help paraplegics walk again.
Professor Graeme Clark, who developed the cochlear implant, is developing a spinal cord implant.
The implant relies on the same bionic technology that has restored hearing to more than 50,000 people around the world.
Prof Clark, 71, leads a team of cell biologists, biophysicists, plastic specialists and electrical engineers from the Australian Research Council's Centre for Excellence, seeking bionic solutions for spinal cord injuries.
"The ultimate goal is to get people to walk, to feel and to function properly," Prof Clark said.
Using "smart plastics", the team is developing an implant that would be surgically inserted into the damaged area of a patient's spinal cord.
"Smart plastics" conduct electricity and are combined with carbon nanotubes – thousands of microscopic fibres that touch nerve endings.
The implant receives radio waves through the skin from a transmitter pack worn outside the body on the patient's back.
The electrical stimulus received by the implant allows it to release nerve growth hormones that encourage damaged spinal nerves to regrow and eventually reconnect with other nerves.
Once the nerves are reattached, Prof Clark said patients should begin to feel their legs and walk again.
The project has received $1 million in federal funds over five years.
Researchers at St Vincent's Hospital, the Bionic Ear Institute and the University of Wollongong are working on the implant.
Prof Clark said developing the implant was just as challenging as making the bionic ear.
"With the bionic ear, 99 per cent of the world's scientists said it wouldn't work and I was severely criticised," he said.
"There's now more of a sense of optimism with the spinal cord project, but the problems are just as complex."
Prof Clark said a major hurdle was the scar tissue that develops in the spinal cord, which can block nerve pathways.
Scientists also need to figure out how to encourage nerves to grow far enough along the nerve pathways to reconnect.
The spinal cord implant will be tested on animals this year, while human tests are expected to start in a few years.
At the same time as they develop the bionic implant, scientists are also perfecting the cochlear ear implant.
About 8500 Australians have debilitating spinal cord injuries, preventing them from walking and, in some cases, even breathing independently.
More than half of all spinal cord injuries are caused by road accidents, while 35 per cent are the result of falls and sports accidents. Spinal cord injuries cost Australia $285 million in health care costs each year.
Textile Industry Benefits from Nanotechnology
Gautam,Dehradun, INDIA
Jan 25 2007, 7:11 am GMT
Now the textile industry stands to gain from nanotechnology as researchers are working to blend textile with nanotechnology. This is being undertaken by researchers at the North Carolina State University. Researchers who are working on processes and finishes for fabrics and fibers which are environment friendly for creation of textile material which has extraordinary physical properties and color perception technologies.
It will also be possible to create anti microbial fabrics with the aid of nanotechnology. Poly-lactic acid which is a polymer used in developing the fabric is biodegradable as it has been created from corn as compared to traditional polymers that are petroleum based.
Carbon nanotubes are being used for improving the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of conventional and nano fibers. Now get ready for some cool fabrics, courtesy nanotechnology.
Via nanowerk
Tags: textile, Nanotechnology
SOTK on sale at .95/.97 with only 14 Million shares and 22 straight quarters of profits out with solid news:
Sono-Tek Appoints Vice President of Engineering
Thursday January 25, 11:53 am ET
MILTON, N.Y., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sono-Tek Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: SOTK - News) announced that it had appointed Dr. Joseph Riemer as Vice President of Engineering, on January 23, 2007. Dr. Riemer holds a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), focusing on food technology, food chemistry, biochemical analysis, and food microbiology. His experience includes 7 years with Pfizer in its Adams Confectionary Division, where he was Director, Global Operations Development. Dr. Riemer has also held leading positions with several food, food ingredients, and personal care products companies. He has served in the capacities of research and development, operations, and general management. Prior to joining Sono-Tek, he was a management consultant serving clients in the food, biotech and pharmaceutical industries.
In his new position, Dr. Riemer will be responsible for the growing engineering team at Sono-Tek, and for leading Sono-Tek in the development of new business in the food technology area. Many food production processes involve the use of traditional spray nozzles to apply low dose antimicrobial agents to both food products and food packaging and containers, as well as nutriceutical coatings directly on foods. Many of these applications would benefit from Sono-Tek's ultrasonic atomization and Nanotechnology capabilities. Sono-Tek has helped numerous clients in reducing the amount of liquid material required by reducing overspray, with the additional benefit of producing thinner, more precisely controlled coatings of greater uniformity. These technological advantages of Sono-Tek systems provide Sono-Tek's customers both cost and environmental benefits over traditional spraying and coating systems.
According to Dr. Christopher L. Coccio, Sono-Tek's CEO and President, "The addition of Dr. Riemer to our team is a continuation of our efforts and willingness to put in place resources that could lead to significant growth of the business over the next several years".
For further information, contact Dr. Christopher L. Coccio, at 845-795- 2020, or visit our website at www.sono-tek.com.
Sono-Tek Corporation is a leading developer and manufacturer of liquid spray products based on its proprietary ultrasonic nozzle technology. Founded in 1975, the Company's products have long been recognized for their performance, quality and reliability.
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Source: Sono-Tek Corporation
Coated Nanoparticles Solve Sticky Drug-delivery Problem
Baltimore, MD | Posted on January 24th, 2007
The layers of mucus that protect sensitive tissue throughout the body have an undesirable side effect: they can also keep helpful medications away. To overcome this hurdle, Johns Hopkins researchers have found a way to coat nanoparticles with a chemical that helps them slip through this sticky barrier.
During experiments with these coated particles, the researchers also discovered that mucus layers have much larger pores than previously thought, providing a doorway that should allow larger and longer-acting doses of medicine to reach the protected tissue.
The team's findings were reported this week in the Early Online Edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The discoveries are important because mucus layers, which trap and help remove pathogens and other foreign materials, can block the localized delivery of drugs to many parts of the body, including the lungs, eyes, digestive tract and female reproductive system. Because of these barriers, doctors often must prescribe pills or injections that send drugs through the entire body, an approach that can lead to unwanted side effects or doses that are too weak to provide effective treatment.
"Mucus barriers evolved to serve a helpful purpose: to keep things out," said Justin Hanes, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering who supervised the research. "But if you want to deliver medicine in a microscopic particle, they can also keep the drugs from getting through. We've found a way to keep helpful nanoparticles from sticking to mucus, and we learned that the openings in the mucus ‘mesh' are much larger than most people expected. These findings set the stage for a new generation of nanomedicines that can be delivered directly to the affected areas."
To get its particles past the mucus, Hanes' team studied an unlikely model: viruses. Earlier research led by Richard Cone, a professor in the Department of Biophysics at Johns Hopkins, had established that some viruses are able to make their way through the human mucus barrier. Hanes and his colleagues decided to look for a chemical coating that might mimic the characteristics of a virus.
"We found that the viruses that got through had surfaces that were attracted to water, and they had a net neutral electrical charge," said Samuel K. Lai, a Johns Hopkins chemical and biomolecular engineering doctoral student from Canada and Hong Kong who was lead author of the journal article. "We thought that if we could coat a drug-delivery nanoparticle with a chemical that had these characteristics, it might not get stuck in the mucus barrier."
To make their nanoparticles behave like viruses, the researchers coated them with polyethylene glycol, PEG, a non-toxic material commonly used in pharmaceuticals. PEG dissolves in water and is excreted harmlessly by the kidneys.
The researchers also considered the size of their nanoparticles. Previous studies indicated that even if nanoparticles did not stick to the mucus, they might have to be smaller than 55 nanometers wide to pass through the tiny openings in the human mucus mesh. (A human hair is roughly 80,000 nanometers wide.) Using high-resolution video microscopy and computer software, the researchers discovered that their PEG-coated 200-nanometer particles could slip through a barrier of human mucus.
They then conducted further tests to see how large their microscopic drug carriers could be before they got trapped in the mesh. Larger nanoparticles are more desirable because they can release greater amounts of medicine over a longer period of time. "We wanted to make the particles as large as possible," said Hanes, who also serves as director of therapeutics for the Institute for NanoBioTechnology at Johns Hopkins. "The shocking thing was how fast the particles that were 500 nanometers wide moved through the mucus mesh. The work suggests that the openings in the mucus barrier are much larger than originally expected by most. And we were also surprised to find that the larger nanoparticles (200 and 500 nanometers wide) actually moved through the mucus layer more quickly than the smaller ones (100 nanometers wide)."
This has important implications, Hanes said, because a 500-nanometer particle can be used to deliver medicine to a targeted area, released over periods of days to weeks. Larger particles also allow a wider array of drug molecules to be efficiently encapsulated. He and his colleagues believe this system has great potential in the delivery of chemotherapy, antibiotics, nucleic acids and other treatment directly to the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and cervicovaginal tract.
Through Johns Hopkins Technology Transfer, the team has applied for patents covering this process.
In addition to Lai, Hanes and Cone, co-authors of the PNAS paper included D. Elizabeth O'Hanlon and Suzanne Harrold, doctoral students in the Johns Hopkins Department of Biophysics in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences; Stan T. Man, a former visiting research scientist in the Johns Hopkins Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in the Whiting School of Engineering; and Ying-Ying Wang, who contributed to the research as a Johns Hopkins undergraduate and who is now a graduate student in the university's Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Lai's participation was partially supported by a scholarship from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Digital photos of the researchers available; contact Phil Sneiderman.
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