General company news
• Industrial Nanotech has more than doubled its pipeline project with Petrobras, the Brazilian oil and gas company. "The length of the pipeline has increased from 105 to 155 miles and 31 miles of the new section is a much larger pipe diameter, which has increased the total surface area to be coated with our Nansulate thermally insulating and corrosion protecting coating by 57%," explained Stuart Burchill, CEO of Industrial Nanotech.
• Intertek Group, a worldwide provider of laboratory testing services to nanotechnology, pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients, has acquired Quantitative Technologies Incorporated (QTI), a US-based contract analytical research and development facility. QTI has been serving the pharmaceutical, medical-device and drug-delivery industry in North America for over 15 years.
• Molecular Imprints Incorporated (MII), a developer of nano-imprint lithography systems, has added Edward Grady to its board of directors. Grady has a strong background in the semiconductor industry and brings more than 30 years of experience in sales, marketing and operations to MII.
Technology
• Copernicus Therapeutics says that the methods used to produce DNA nanoparticles are also very effective when applied to siRNA. "Opportunities for siRNA are numerous and include serious viral lung infections and other genetic disorders," commented Robert C Moen, president and CEO of Copernicus.
• Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have demonstrated that DNA nanoparticles supplied by Copernicus Therapeutics can correct vision defects in mice. "We look forward to moving these studies forward to a potential human clinical trail," said Muna Naash, professor of cell biology at the University of Oklahoma health sciences center.
• Octillion has engineered a mechanically stable, see-through prototype of its NanoPower photovoltaic window. Key to the development is the firm's spray coating of silicon nanoparticles, which is fluorescent and converts the sun's energy into electricity.
Industry analysis
• Millienium Research Group (MRG) says that nanotechnology is creating a "buzz" in the US dental-implant market. According to the firm, many prominent dental-implant manufacturers are incorporating nanotechnology into their dental-implant-surface designs because the technology is purported to halve healing time and improve osseointegration. See "US Markets for Dental Implants 2007" published by MRG for more information.