GENERAL COMPANY NEWS
• Nantero is working with Hewlett-Packard (HP) to explore the use of HP inkjet technology and Nantero's carbon nanotube formulation to create flexible electronics products and to develop low-cost printable memory solutions. Applications include very-low-cost RFID tags.
See also - "HP invents" from nanotechweb.org's show blog.
• Surrey NanoSystems has won what it describes as a "major order" for its carbon-nanotube-growth tool from the Italian Advanced Technologies Institute known as ITA. Located in Trapani, Sicily, ITA is a consortium of university, industrial and research institute partners. The group plans to use the equipment to develop nanocomposites and mechanical sensors.
• VeruTEK, a provider of "green" nanotechnology solutions and QuantumSphere (QSI), a maker of nanocatalysts, have teamed up to develop advanced materials for environmental remediation applications. VeruTEK will combine QSI's catalysts with its own natural surfactants to target specific contaminants in soil and groundwater.
• ATDF, US, and UMC, Taiwan, have agreed to combine their foundry expertise and focus on so-called "speciality technologies" such as nanotechnology and memory designs coming out of small firms, university labs and other organizations. "Our partnership with UMC gives technology innovators an important new resource for implementing their best ideas," said Dave Anderson, general manager of ATDF. "Novel technologies now have a clearer path to a foundry, which is especially important for smaller participants in the industry."
• Unidym, a supplier of carbon nanotubes, has signed a strategic alliance agreement with Battelle, an independent research and development organization with more than 120 locations worldwide. The firms are looking to speed up the commercialization of carbon-nanotube-based products from composite materials through to fuel-cell components and electronics. As part of the deal, Battelle will have the option to invest up to $2 m in Unidym's next round of financing.
• Pacific Fuel Cell (PFCE) has added a second shift to its operation to meet increasing demand for fuel-cell bipolar plates, especially from the forklift and stationary power markets. PFCE describes itself as a nanotechnology company committed to producing fuel-cell components with reduced cost and higher performance. The firm has set a target for the plant to hit break even point by the end of this year and to be profitable starting January 2008.
LICENSING
• Nanogen, a US developer of nanotechnology-enabled diagnostic tools, has acquired the rights to genetic markers related to schizophrenia. The agreement is between Nanogen, the Co-operative research centre for diagnostics and Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Nanogen says that it plans to use the markers to create diagnostic tests for schizophrenia and related conditions, which may also help to predict adverse drug reactions.
• AeonClad Coatings, a US-based nanotechnology start-up, is developing a method to improve the biocompatibility of medical implants and to enhance the functionality of coated particles for laboratory and industrial purification uses. The firm has obtained an exclusive license for the technology from the University of Texas at Arlington. Key to the method is a pulsing algorithm that maximizes plasma-deposition rates and minimizes surface ablation. "It allows for ultrathin, highly controllable, functional surfaces with no 'pin holes' that inhibit a devices intended function," added Richard Timmons, chief scientist at AeonClad.