MRAM: Improved by Nanowires

In all our digital devices, there are two main main places of memory storage, the virtual memory (on the computer's disk) and the Random Access Memory (RAM)

The memory on the disk is what is saved on your computer's permanent memory. The Random Access memory is the memory used up by what you are doing on the computer. A file is on the disk, and the actual unsaved word document you are typing on is in the RAM.

Researchers and companies alike are beginning to look at MRAM for the future of memory. MRAM stands for Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory. Unlike traditional RAM, this type of memory uses magnets, rather than electrical charges to make it work. Researchers have begun to use multilayer nanowires to enhance memory so much that there would be no boot up time for computers, and one would not have to save a document constantly for fear that it would be lost due to a power failure.

It may also let us charge our mobile devices weekly, rather than daily.

As the memory does not run on electricity, it promises a large amount of memory, without consuming power. This technology was originally invented in the 90s, but did not come to widespread use because it was hard to fabricate, and because the memory only last for a year. However, researchers have discovered that by layering 20nm of magnetic nanowires, they are able to harness the speed and energy effeciency of the technology.

Though still in research phases with funding from major companies such as Toshiba and IBM, MRAM shows promise for the future of Random Access Memory.
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Potential danger in Nanotechnologies: Nanosilver

As the Prefix nano- becomes a more and more popular and commonplace term to make a product or device sound like its on the bleeding edge of research, it becomes easy to forget the power of the science: not only in beneficial ways.

Nanosilver is an example of this. Silver has always had its reputation for fighting infection, which seems good, and we would expect such behavior at the nanoscale. However, researches in a in 2009 published that the use of this nanomaterial in storage materials such as plastic bags, containers, and films, could be harmful due to an unexpected property of Nanosilver.

The problem is that nanosilver is able to bond with DNA, and interfere with its reproduction. Many people have begun to present this to the FDA in hopes of creating regulations for the use of nanomaterials in food.
What do you think?
To read more, click here

HIgh school NanoTechnology Summers Camp

UC Berkeley has recently released a summer camp to help raise awareness of the growing importance of the field.
To find out more, go to: http://www.nisenet.org/catalog/programs/high_school_nanotechnology_summer_camp_framework or http://www.nisenet.org/sites/default/files/catalog/uploads/8416/high_school_nanocamp.pdf
or for the program schedule: http://www.nisenet.org/sites/default/files/catalog/uploads/8416/nano_camp_outline_example.pdf

Nanotrain?

How do we currently make chemical reactions occur more quickly? The answer: Catalysts. The future may use Nanotrains.

Though in their beginning stages, Nanotrains have the potential to bring together chemicals in one place to speed up reactions. They do this by using a protein called kinesin, which is a motor protein. This means that it can move along the track. Nanobots are formed when two of these kinesin molecules are bound together to make the network of tracks. Once these nanobots create this track, a "shuttle" (which is made up of 1 kinesin protein) is bonded to a chemical or molecule. Finally, ATP (the unit of energy in cells) is added to the shuttles, and cause them to follow the tracks to the center, focal point of the network of tracks. This is called the "hub" and it the destination of the chemicals. 

At the moment, Only a series of fluorescent dyes have been transported to such a hub. However, this a foundation to a technology that may prove to be very useful.

For a video of the reaction and more information, click here.

Green: The shuttles
Red: The tracks

Pratical Uses for Nanocoatings: ATI

Applied technology International (ATI) is joining the ever growing market for NanoMaterials. They have developed a nanocoating that can reduces weathering, rusting, and scratching of a substrate or material. The coating is also self-cleaning. This means that grime, and dust come off with running water. The company looks to sell to all types of automobiles from planes to boats.

(Source)

A ship treated with the nanocoating

Nanotechnology Now: Business

This is an amazing resource that I've mentioned before, but have recently discovered has a list of all the Nanotechnology companies that exist right now. I suggest you watch this site, as it will bring to you the hottest news in nanotechnology.

Nanotube Diamond Laced Saw

As any wood worker knows, when you cut wood, you will always get sawdust. This however is a problem when we are working with costly materials such as semiconductors or photovoltaic materials (which are used in solar cells). This of course causes the manufactures too loose a considerable amount of money. Fortunately, researchers at the commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) have found a way to drastically reduce the amount of sawdust and lost materials. They do this by lacing the surface of carbon nanotubes with diamond. It is the combination of the two hardest and toughest materials in the world. Almost literally (graphite).

Unfortunately, it is currently tough to synthesis this, but researchers are currently looking at ways to make the process more efficient. 

(Source)

Resource: Summer camp in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Next summer there will be a camp that introduces juniors and seniors in high school to Nanobiotechnology.
It takes place in Lancaster Penn. and features trips to Aptagen LLC and the nanofabrication facility at Penn State University. (source)(source)

This was the session in 2013

Super Black

A company called Surrey NanoSystems has recently developed  a new nanocoating that has taken the lead as the blackest, or least reflective, material made my man. Their technology only reflects about 0.15% of the light that hits it. They have designed a well defined and repeatable process, and they plan to use the super black for imaging in space, allowing telescopes to have higher sensitivity to light, without any interference.

Invivo delivery of siRNA through the use of nanoparticles

Cells are the building block of life. They live everywhere, and interact with everything to react or adapt to their surroundings and environment. It is without surprise that scientist have gone out of their way o see how these fundamental bodies of life work. A piece of this question is answered by DNA, RNA, ribosomes, and protein production, and how they interact with each other. When we look at protein production, everything starts with the instructions that the DNA tells the cell to carry out. 

The DNA will send messenger RNAs (mRNA) out of the cell, and they in turn will find a ribosome to attach to, and it will tell the ribosome what to do. The primary job of ribosomes is protein production. One could look at ribosomes as a translator of what the boss wants to the language of the workers. The workers in this case, are the organelles, who cannot understand the genetics code of the genome. The organelles speak and act with proteins, so they do what the ribosome's proteins tell it to do. (Source)

Therefore, we see that the expression of the DNA is intimately reliant on proteins being expressed - or lack thereof - in the correct amounts. Biologist today are finding ways on controlling which genes are being expressed by altering which RNAs's instructions reach the cell. SiRNAs (short interfering RNA) are a type of RNA that allow us to "knock-down" genes. This is to say, we keep them from being expressed. 

This is so ground breaking because now we can suppress what a gene says This thus has obvious applications for cancer and other genetic maladies. 

RNAs are only slightly larger than the nanoscale in size (~300nm, where nanoscale is 1-100nm). The real nanotechnology being used is the method of delivery. For the siRNAs to be most useful, they need to injected into the cell. This problem was solved using what is called interfering nanoparticles, of iNOPs. These are made with a small natural polymer called poly-L-lysine, which had positively charged residues. As it happens, siRNA molecules are negatively charged, with means the two would stick together until they got into the cell. At this point, the cell naturally breaks the bond between the two, causing the siRNAs to be released into the cell to silence the undesired gene. (Source)

Resource: NanoCellBiology

"The 400-page book discusses novel approaches and applications that have unraveled a new understanding of the cell and its impact on biology, medicine and health care. The book, according to the publisher, is intended to familiarize readers with major developments in the field of nanotechnology, novel imaging methods and new discoveries related to understanding the cell.The book also provides a comprehensive understanding of the discovery of a new cellular structure identified as the porosome. Discovered by Jena 15 years ago, the porosome is the universal secretory machinery in cells. Secretion is a fundamental cellular process that occurs in all living organisms. Cell secretion is responsible for numerous activities, including neurotransmission and the release of hormones and digestive enzymes. Secretory defects are responsible for a number of debilitating conditions, including growth defects, diabetes and neurological disorders.Jena's work has focused primarily on the molecular machinery and mechanism underlying cell secretion. His discovery of the porosome has revolutionized understanding of the secretory process in cells. He and his team have further determined the structure and dynamics of the porosome, its isolation and composition, and its functional reconstitution in lipid membrane. His studies demonstrate for the first time that, following a secretory stimulus, membrane-bound secretory vesicles transiently dock and fuse at the base of porosomes present at the cell plasma membrane to release intravesicular contents as opposed to the commonly held belief that during cell secretion, secretory vesicles completely merge and collapse at the cell plasma membrane. His discoveries explain the presence of partially empty secretory vesicles in cells following secretion." Nanowerk News

Read more 

Nano Mona Lisa

Much in the same fashion as the nanoguitar, which was made in 1997 by the Cornell NanoFabrication Lab, scientist have continued the craze of real, tiny objects by making a nano Mona Lisa, where each pixel is 125nm in width and length..

Mona Lisa

This Mona Lisa, which is 30 microns in width, was made by controlling the number of molecules in each pixel. They did this by either heating each pixel (which would increase the concentration and make a lighter cool) or decreasing the temperature (which would do the opposite). 

This has been concluded to being the easiest way to manipulate molecules, nanoparticles, and other materials. It is also advantageous because atomic force microscopes (which were used in making it) are fairly common, making this an effective method in industrial and educational labs.

(Source)

ALD NanoSolutions

This company is the heart of Nanotechnology and everything that it stands for. This company is presenting ideas that were not thought to be possible a few years ago, and is creating jobs that did not exist before.
ALD NanoSolutions makes individual atoms adhere to themselves and other atoms, at our will. This obviously opens the possibility of using properties only available at the nanoscale. Normally, this process takes a long time, but ALD has perfected the procedure, and is now able to do it almost instantly, by utilizing gas deposited and reactions. They are able to make aluminum oxide, a nanoparticle that is capable of blocking UV radiation (so it is used for sunscreens),  of being used as a catalyst, cosmetics, paint, as an abrasive, and as a way to remove water from a gas stream. They make the particle by layering an aluminum compound onto an oxygen containing compound, and do so sereveral times to make an atomically thin sheet.

The Process

  

Resource: NanoTechnology Resource map

This is an excellent resource for those interested in going into nanotechnologies. It is a map created by the National Nanotechnology Initiative, and is useful to find the number of Nanotechnology programs in your individual State. Specifically, it says the number of PHD, Master, Bachelor, programs and the Schools and Training Programs, NNI Centers and Networks of Excellence Regional, State, and Local Initiatives in Nanotechnology.
The Website is: http://nanodashboard.nano.gov/nanomaps/map.aspx

Quantum computing; D-wave

As many people are beginning to realize, the future of computing lies in the utilization of quantum properties.

Traditional computers like macs and PCs run using bits, which can either be a 1 or a 0, to store or process information. In the past we have increased the speed of our computers by creating hardware that can move and decode these strings of bits faster than before.

However, computers that run in this fashion are beginning to reach a limitation in crunching numbers and finding the best solution to a problem because of one factor; the computer needs to run every single possible outcome, one after another, and then compare to see which was the best solution. Quantum computing solves this problem because an electron, and every other subatomic particle, has the property of being in two places at once when not being directly observed. This is proven by the double slit experiment (read more on this).

Due to the fact that a subatomic particle can be in two places at once, there is now a gray area for the quantum computing world. With this gray area, quantum computers reject the traditional, on/off, yes/no, up/down approach, and embrace the ability to be both up and down, both 1 and 0. Thus, in principle, a quantum computer is able to run many of the possibilities at the same time, instead of one by one.

Whereas traditional computers use bits to store pieces of information, quantum computers use a qubit. Originally, developers aimed for quantum computers to work in the same style as traditional computers, with the sole difference being the possibility of checking multiple solutions at once. However, this early idea failed to be conceived with accuracy because the qubits were so sensitive to changes in the world around it (such as movement and temperature changes).

This was cleverly solved through the creation of "adiabatic quantum computing", which, instead of solving for a solution, solves for the best answer to a problem with certain criteria. For example, it would find the most energetically efficient way to fold a protein where (criteria) various amino acids attract or repel each other.

In 2007, a company called D-wave launched the first quantum computer ever that used this technique. This prototype used only 16 qubits, but was still powerful enough to search a database of molecules to find a molecule similar to a given drug. Today, D-wave has not doubled or tripled the computer's processing power, but made it 32 times faster. It now uses 512 qubits. This quantum computer, called the D-wave two, is now on the market and commercial. A model has already been bought by Google.

The D-Wave two is housed in a 10x10 meter room. The quantum chip itself is the size of a finger nail. The rest of the space is taken up by cooling systems.

The company hopes to double its computers' processing power every year. Everybody is hopeful that these quantum computers will take over our classical computers in the very near future.

(source: Nature, June 20 edition, pages 286-288)

Like many others I believe that this is a huge step to the near future of powerful computers. There is much work to be done, though, before the average american can have a quantum computer. This is especially true for the cooling industries, as that is what is taking up all the space in the machines. if it is not possible to shrink the cooling systems, it is obvious that we should find a way to utilize the quantum chips at room temperature. Despite these obstacles, I am confident that we will overcome these challenges with time, and I hope that there will soon be a day where we can have quantum chips in our cell phones; or even embedded in our brains (to either have a super mobile device or to elevate our brain capacity.

Nano-Corrosion

It seems like every day we hear of some disaster. Maybe there was a bridge failure or a nuclear reactor exploding. Many of these catastrophic events occur because the structure in question was old. But, why is old bad? Corrosion and stress is the answer. Everyday steel bridges support the weight of thousands of cars  and is subject to corrosion through oxidation, wind, and water. It is no surprise, then, that the bridges eventually fail, and fall apart if they are not cared for. The same is true of nuclear reactors. These reactors support extreme heat, pressure, and just like bridges corrosion.

failure of an old bridge

In nuclear power plant, the walls are now made of groups of tiny crystal structure. When these structures are aligned, it creates stress. However, through corrosion, it is often misaligned, creating weakness, and making it prone to shattering. These misalignments are called grain boundaries. 

To test the strength of the grain boundaries, the researchers used a technique called nano-indentations. In this, they push a tip into a solid substance, and measures the resistance as well as the downwards force to measure the hardness of the object. In this way, they proved that smooth surfaces are harder that cruder surfaces. They also proved that the cruder surfaces are more suspect-able to oxidation corrosions because electrons transfer more easily.

Damaged vs. Smooth surface oxidation corrosion on nickel

Researchers are currently looking for a way to limit corrosion. Nothing has been found yet, however, while also working with experiments, the researchers are also solving problems, theoretically. They have developed a computational model that can model corrosion further into the future, and also with more variables, like radiation damage (The physical corrosion is found out using the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL).

With this, people will be able to more effectively and accurately judge how damaged a wall or structure is, and prevent potential devastating events
(source)