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May 5, 2008

Big ideas in nanotechnology

The keys to finding answers to some of the big problems may lie in understanding the nature of the very small.

To that end, Brown University has created the Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation, a new center of study that draws intellects from across the spectrum of knowledge to focus on some of the tiniest particles used in engineering.

Today marks the first of a three-day Nanoscience Forum to inaugurate the institute. Speakers from some of the top universities in the country –– including Harvard, Johns Hopkins and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology –– will get together on College Hill to discuss topics from ethics to the environment, using nanoparticles in batteries and for human tissue growth.

Fifty-five faculty members from departments as varied as molecular biology to sociology will be directly affiliated with the institute, which has divided research into three areas: the Center for Advanced Materials Research; the Center for Nanoscience and Soft Matter; and the NanoHealth Working Group.

In addition to the academic speakers, the forum will feature a keynote speech by Mihail Roco, the director of the National Nanotechnology Initiative at the National Science Foundation and a roundtable discussion on nanotechnology policy and safety with representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, IBM, and other public and private research groups.

Download a .PDF file with detailed schedule information.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson  at 11:16 AM | Permalink

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