If you're searching for a new
buzzword, look no further.
Nanotechnology is it.
That was essentially the message
of Dr. Haris Doumanidis,
nanomanufacturing program director
at the National Science
Foundation, during a recent visit at
the University of Nevada Reno.
Nanotechnology is molecular
manufacturing, or assembling
things one atom at a time.
Although it sounds a little like
science fiction, nanotechnology is
simply part of an evolution, said
Doumanidis, citing the ongoing
trend towards miniaturization in the
electronics industry.
NSF's nanotechnology initiative,
which provides more than $300
million in grants, falls into five categories.
The majority of its funds
goes to fundamental research into
nanodevices and biosystems at
nanoscale, among other things. It
funds research and research instruments
curriculum development,
workforce training and research on
social impacts of nanotechnology.
In fact, the greatest challenge
facing nanotechnology's future, said
Doumanidis, isn't money or science
- it's people. The area lacks both
experienced scientists and
researchers as well as students who
are studying it.
The technology is promising
though. Potential applications are
amazingly varied, from tissue engineering
of skin, for example, to
batteries and fuel cells.
