TECHNOLOGY: Nanodiamonds

Nanomaterials have long been implicated as the potential capsules in which we will deliver the drugs of the future. While familar nanomaterials such as nanotubes and fullerenes have been studied extensively and show promise for this application, their biocompatibility remains in question. Detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) are highly structured diamond-based materials that can form in sizes as small as 2nm. These NDs are very appealing for future drug delivery applications due to the ease of their production (literally through TNT detonations), stability, and their high ordered structure. Most importantly, this ordered structure appears to make these NDs less harmful to cells and less likely to cause inflammation.

A study from Dean Ho's lab at Northwestern recently used these ND structures to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to murine macrophage cells and human colon cancer cells. The group was able to cluster ND particles into 50-100nm clusters which bound to the cancer drug, DOX, upon the addition of salt. This binding is typically stable until salt concentration lowers, at which point the drug can be released. Moreover, the high surface area on the 1000's of tiny NDs that compose the delivery structure allows a high amount of drug to be delivered by this mechanism.

When the group tested DOX-loaded NDs on murine and human cells, they found that they could control the release of DOX to occur at the target sites. Morover, the group found that there was no imflammation in cells caused by presence of the ND's, and upon drug release the clusters breakdown into tiny ND components that appear to be harmless to the body. The stability of these NDs also allows for significant functionalization, which is essentially chemistry performed on the surface of the molecules, and can be used to facilitate targeting to the right areas of the body. While work on these NDs for drug delivery is still in its early stages, NDs hold promise in drug delivery because of their stability, safety, and ease of functionalization.


(FIGURE from CNN.com)

TECHNOLOGY: Block Copolymers

A monomer is a small chemical building block that can chemically bond with other monomers to form more complex structures called polymers (i.e. A-A-A-A-A-A). While many polymers consist of repeats of the same monomer, some called copolymers are the result of two or more different monomers linking together in chains (i.e. A-B-A-A-B-B). Block copolymers are examples of copolymers that can be joined to eachother to form a meta-structure with multiple domains (see figure). A recent paper published in ACS Nano has demonstrated the use of block copolymers in a nanofilm for coating medical devices.In this paper, Dean Ho, et al. add a polymethyloxazoline-polydimethylsiloxan- polymethyloxazoline (PMOXA-PDMS-PMOXA) copolymer with dexamethazone - together referred to as PolyDex - to an implant using a method called Langmuir-Blodgett deposition. The PolyDex was able to "cloak" the implant as it was found to be necessary and sufficient to prevent immune response from cells in normal mice after the implantation of two polyethylene disks.

This PolyDex nanofilm can contribute significantly in the medical device field as devices become smaller and more fragile. The ability of these nanofilms to prevent the accumulation of inflammatory cells may help protect implants from post-implantation damage and increase the mortality of implants in the future. Moreover, this coating may aid in the reduction of overall inflammation of the implant site that may reduce further complications that occur after surgeries. The small thickness of these films at 4 nanometers per layer will make this film extremely versitile as it will allow manufacturers to apply it to the smallest of implants.

While these nanofilms are still very early in development, they show great promise in medical devices, for which inflammation is an all too common issue.

(FIGURE from http://www.warwickeffectpolymers.co.uk/)

COMPANY: Oxonica

Overview
Oxonica is a publicly traded international nanotechnology company with subdivisions in energy, healthcare, materials, and security. Oxonica was founded in 1998 by Prof. Peter Dobson and Dr. Gareth Wakefield out of the Universit of Oxford. The company was founded around a core set of patents encompassing nanoparticles and coatings that Oxonica sought to use in diagnostics, fuel additives, metal coatings, and topical treatments. Oxonica has U.S. offices in Mountain View, CA for its healthcare and security divisions and reported a gross profit of £6M from £10.3M revenue in 2006.

www.Oxonica.com

Products
Oxonica's commercialized products are Envirox™ and Optisol™ from the energy and materials divisions, respectively, and the Nanoplex™ system is currently under development in the healthcare division.

Envirox™- A fuel born catalyst designed as an additive in diesel engines to reduce fuel consumption and emission. Technologically, Envirox™ is engineered from cerium oxide to make it active enough to be added at 5 mg/L of diesel. The catalyst acts by lowering the combustion temperature of carbon in the combustion chamber and improving the oxidation of unburnt fuel and carbon deposits. Refer to this pdf for more info.

Optisol™- A UV absorber used as an additive in sun-care and anti-aging products. Optisol™ is produced by incorporating manganese ions in the the major titanium dioxide component of the product. This provides a major competitive advantage, as the manganese ions cause Optisol™ to absorb free radicals and prevent them from harming the body.

Nanoplex™- Oxonica's acquisition of Nanoplex, Inc. in 2006 provided the company with Nanoplex™ system, which is a cost effective system capable of performing high throughput detection of multiple particles within human samples. The system uses gold nanoparticles, which are coated with Raman-activated dye and SiO₂, and conjugated with antibodies that recognize targets within a tissue or blood sample. Through a process called Raman Scattering, the targets can be detected in stereotypical readouts that are analyzed by the physician. The major advantage of this system is its speed (under 30 min) and its ability to detect multiple targets in a single sample.

News
12.13.2007- Oxonica's security division completes technological milestones, prompting the business to receive $275K in follow-on orders from a total of $1.16M promised upon further completion of milestones.

9.27.2007- Oxonica signs a follow-on R&D agreement with Becton Dickinson, a major pharma company interested in the Nanoplex™ system. Under the terms of the agreement, BD will fund the development of Nanoplex™ to evaluate its use in clinical situations.

10.19.2006- Oxonica is named by Lux Research to be one of four nanotechnology startups of the greatest value to corporate partners.

7.6.2006- Oxonica's platform detection technology wins Nanotech Briefs Nano 50 Award.

(FIGURE from Nanotech-now.com)

COMPANY: Nanoident Technologies

Overview
Nanoident Technologies is a privately held company founded in 2004 out of Austria with the aim of printing semiconductors, biometric assays, and photonic lab-on-a-chip systems with a method similar to that utilized by nanosolar. Nanoident has two major subsidiaries. The Austrian-based Nanoident Biometrics prints biometric sensors for security purposes, while Bioident Technologies, based in Menlo Park, CA, prints opto-electronic capabilities on lab-on-a-chip systems for diagnostics. Details on the financial investments made into Nanoident are unknown, but CEO Klaus Schröter claims to have received no venture capital money to fund R&D.

www.Nanoident.com

Subsidiaries
Bioident Technologies- Bioident prints opto-electronic capabilities on semiconductor based photonic lab-on-a-chip systems for detection of biological agents in food, water, and blood or tissue samples for diagnotic purposes. Bioident's technology integrates microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems with printed light emitting and detecting electronic interfaces to create a novel platform in which samples can be easily illuminated and detected in real time for detailed analysis.

Nanoident Biometrics- Nanoident biometrics prints biometric sensors for use in identification softwares. Nanoident's biometric sensor are printed for touch screening, and test for fingerprints as well as blood and skin parameters on the surface of the finger. Nanoident seeks to use this technology in next generation wireless and internet communication, payment systems, as well as other identification solutions.

Products
Semiconductor 2.0- This is Nanoident's platform for printed semiconductor-based products. This printing process allows for custom designed devices to be produced at a fraction of the cost as traditional semiconductor fabrication plants.

PhotonicLab- This platform enables real-time, in-situ and multi-parameter detection and analysis capabilities for lab-on-a-chip systems. The technology improves on the capabilities of traditional lab-on-a-chip technology while maintaining the cost-effectiveness inherent in the technology.

News
3.08.2007- Bioident receives the 2007 Frost & Sullivan enabling technology of the year award

3.08.2007- Biodent announces first complete lab-on-a-chip system based on printed semiconductor technology

3.13.2007- Nanoident opens first manufacturing plant for printed opto-electronic semiconductor sensors

9.18.2006- Bioident technologies opens U.S. headquarters in Menlo Park, CA

6.26.2006- Nanoident announces its biometrics division

11.28.2005- Nanoident builds the world's first factory for organic semiconductor sensors

10.10.2005- Nanoident wins the coveted Austrian Innovation award

6.30.2005- Nanoident presents first high resolution photodetector based on organic semiconductors

(FIGURE from Nanoident.com)

TECHNOLOGY: Lab-on-a-chip

Lab-on-a-chip technology is superficially similar to traditional microchips. They are currently sketched on silicon surfaces and consist of many micro- or nanosized connections. However, rather than passing electric current across these connections, lab-on-a-chips are designed to transmit and mix fluids for scientific assays. These chips can be used in detection assays in cells for viruses, bacteria, or cancer, and may soon be used to test the physiological responses of patients to new medicines.

This technology utilizes principles from micro- and nanofluidics. On this scale, fluids behave differently than they do on a more macro level, especially regarding movement. Rather than using physical force to guide the fluids, techniques involving electrophoresis and electroosmosis must be used. Electrophoresis is accomplished by applying a voltage difference across a channel connecting fluids. The voltage difference interacts with ions within the fluids to push the fluids across as needed. Electroosmisis, however, involves charges on the wall of connectors that interact with ions at the outer surface of the fluid to push it along the channel. Both methods are electronic by nature, making these chips conducive to automation using software protocols.

Lab-on-a-chips are advantageous in their ability to save a lot of space and personnel for research laboratories. By automating tasks, the chips reduce the need for technicians to conduct the experiments. Furthermore, the size of these chips make it possible to run orders of magnitudes more assays simultaneously in a given lab. Lab-on-a-chips should reduce the cost and efficiency of running experiments. However, there are still issues with this new technology. Micro- and nanofluidics are not completely understood, making it more difficult to manipulate fluids at this level. While lab-on-a-chip technology is promising, progress has been slower than expected as developers have struggled to understand the behavior of fluids on the micro- and nanoscale.

(FIGURE from Agilent.com)

Russia Pledges $1B to Nanotech Research

Last Wednesday President Vladimir Putin announced a $1B initiative to fund nanotech research and aid companies with investments in the science. The money would also help transform the Kurchatov nuclear institute into the hub for Russian nanotech research. The initiative stems from Russia's massive oil and gas export and is intended, according to Minister Sergei Ivanov, to diversify an economy now heavily dependent on raw materials. The money is in addition to the approximately $5.8B that Russia has already devoted to nanotech research.

Ivanov, who will head the budgeting of the nanotechnology initiative, predicted that 90% of the money will go to fund civilian applications, with the rest going toward the military. Putin added that “No doubt, nanotechnologies will become a key industry for the creation of ultra-modern and ultra-effective offensive and defensive weapons, as well as means of communications.”

This last quote certainly compels concern, especially given the strained relations between the United States and Russia as of late. With all the attention being given to the health concerns of domestic nanotechnology manufacturing, it seems that the threat of nanotech-enabled weaponry has been overshadowed.

Below are some links to articles regarding nanoweapons:
CRNano.com
Janes.com
Newsmax.com

TECHNOLOGY: Nanorust

Water purification has become a major issue in third world countries, where thousands of people die each year from arsenic contamination in their drinking water wells. A lab at Rice University recently published an article in Science magazine describing small crystals containing Fe3O4 rust particles dubbed "nanorust", which may prove to be an answer to low-cost and effective water purification in these countries. These nanorust crystals serve as another example of how the unique properties of nanoscale materials can be applied in today's industries.

A general principle of magnetics states that as particles get smaller, the amount of magnetic force required to move the particles increases. This relationship is due to the fact that magnetic power is proportional to the volume of the material acted upon, so when particles get too small their magnetic power potential falls below the threshold required to overcome initial inertia. A lab at Rice led by Dr. Vicki Colvin sought to test this principle on the nanoscale and found that, after reaching a critical threshold of approximately 50 nm, it becomes easier to manipulate the materials. This, they propose, is due to the fact that at this miniscule size, the particles exert forces on each other in a cooperative manner that allows for magnetic separations with even weak handheld magnets.

After proving this concept of nanoscale separation, Dr. Colvin's lab tested the potential of this method to remove arsenic from drinking water. Taking advantage of the tendency of rust to bind arsenic, the lab found that adding nanorust to water and applying a magnetic field effectively removed the arsenic and purified the water enough to meet EPA standards.

The benefits of this method of magnetic separation over traditional separation methods such as centrifugation and filtration are a few fold. The process is not only more selective and efficient than its counterparts, but it may also turn out to be a much cheaper method. While Dr. Covlin admits that the process is too expensive to currently use in water filtration, they claim to be working on methods that will eventually produce nanorust at a very low cost and scalable level.

(FIGURE from TechnologyReview.com)

COMPANY: Nanophase

Overview
Nanophase was founded in Romeoville, IL in 1989 and is currently publically traded with a market cap of $130M. Nanophase is one of the first companies founded in the nanomaterials field and specializes in manufacturing metal-oxide powders for use in a wide variety of applications, including personal care, semiconductors, optics, and environmental catalysts. Nanophase's business model relies on partnerships with businesses in target markets. Nanophase's current exclusive partnerships with BASF, Rohm, and Haas Electronic Materials brought in $9M in revenue in 2006, and is reporting first quarter revenues of $2.9M in 2007, representing a year-over-year growth of 45% - the highest in the field.

Nanophase.com

Technology
Nanophase produces nanocrystalline powders containing nanoscale grains with properties capable of enhancing the performance of other materials. Nanophase has produced powders designed to enhance the chemical, mechanical, electrical and optical behavior of materials. Nanophase has combined methods of Physical Vapor Synthesis and Nanoarc Synthesis with a patented polymer coating to manufacture a variety of nanocoatings, including some that are compatible with fluids - a feat unmatched by current competitors.

Applications
Antimicrobial- Powders have been developed with antimicrobial properties to aid in the preservation of certain materials including wood, plastics, textiles, and materials subjected to harsh conditions.

Catalysts- Nanomaterials can be used as catalytic converters for more efficient emissions in fuels or for the creation of fuel cells.

Performance Coatings- Powders can be used as coatings to dimish the effects of UV rays, static charge, and general abrasion on materials.

Personal Care- Nanomaterials can be used as sunscreens, deodorants, dental coatings, and antibacterial coatings in personal care products.

Polishing- Nanophase's uniquely blended polishes can be used for high-quality semiconductor or glass polishing.

Products
For a list of Nanophase's products, see their catalog.

Collaborations
BASF- Nanophase partners with BASF for sunscreen and personal care applications.

Rohm & Haas- This partnership is largely for semiconductor applications.

BYK Chemie- For coatings and ink applications.

Alfa Aesar- For research sample distribution.

(FIGURE from NSTI.org)

TECHNOLOGY: Nanogenerator

Much of the buzz surrounding nanotech has been centered around the prospect of nanoscale devices. Nanotech pundits theorize that these devices will serve as "smart molecules", building nanostructures and treating diseases on their own power. Before these nanodevices can be used on a mass scale, however, a nanoscale power source must be developed. There are two major requirements that this power source must fulfill. First, it must be small enough that it maintains the nanoscale size advantage of the device after it is coupled with that device. Second, these devices must be able to generate power from their immediate surroundings.

Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology recently published an article in Science detailing the creation of a nanoscale generator (see figure 1) capable of generating power from environmental phenomena such as ultrasonic waves, mechanical vibrations, and even blood flow. These generators consist of zinc-oxide nanowires (nanowires are nanotubes made out of elements other than carbon) which create charges based on their movements in relation to a jagged silicon electrode plate (see figure 2).

The nanowires are moved by environmental forces such as waves or vibrations, which cause charge to be transfered from the wires to the electrode. This transfer of charge can create a current on the level of nano-Amps which, with further optimization, could lead to up to 4 watts of power delivered per square centimeter.

These nanogenerators are non-toxic and represent a large step in the development of nanoscale "smart molecules". Imagine drugs that live in your body and work to not only cure ailments, but maintain the body and prevent potential ailments as well. These generators could provide the power necessary for such long term pharmaceutical action.

(FIGURE 1 from HipTechBlog.com, FIGURE 2 from Science article)

COMPANY: Arrowhead Research

Overview

Arrowhead Research Corporation is a publicly traded company based in Pasadena, CA with a market cap of around $160M. Arrowhead focuses on developing nanotechnology with sponsored research grants to top institutions and through research and development within its subsidiary companies, Aonex Technologies, Insert Therapeutics, Calando Pharmaceuticals, and Unidym. Arrowhead's business plan involves commercializing nanotechnology products owned by its subsidiaries, funding nanotech R&D in exchange for licensing rights, and acquiring IP for nanotechnologies.

ArrowheadResearch.com

Subsidiaries

Aonex Technologies- Specializes in nano-enables semiconductor fabrication to reduce costs, improve performance, and integrate multiple functions into a single device. The technology under Aonex has many applications in electronics, but the major focus is currently on next-generation solar cells.

Insert Therapeutics- Couples its patented delivery technology, Cytosert, with drugs for improved drug solubility, stability, circulation, and targeting for enhanced safety and efficacy. The cytosert linkage lengthens the drug combination and, through the enhaced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of tumor cells, prevents loss of drug by normal vessel leakage while enhancing drug accumulation in targeted tumor cells.

Calando Pharmaceuticals- Utilizes the phenomenon of RNA interference (RNAi) to “silence” the expression of disease causing genes. While the RNAi technology is rather widely used, Calando uses self-assembling nanoparticles to prime the drug for intravenous injection. Preclinical studies on this polymer-RNAi combination have been promising.

Unidym- Uses carbon nanomaterials (buckytubes and buckyballs) in the development of next-generation electronics. The technology is based on networks of carbon nanotubes, leading to high electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, transparency, and environmental resistance. Initial products include transparent and electrically conductive films that offer competitive alternatives to indium tin oxide (ITO) in applications such as flat panel displays, touch screens, and solar cells.

News

1.25.2006- Arrowhead receives $19.6M in institutional investments from York Capital Management and Knott Partners in exchange for stock.

1.10.2006- Arrowhead is selected for inclusion in the Powershares Lux Nanotech Portfolio, which is intended to track a group of leading companies involved in developing and manufacturing nanotechnology.

Collaborations

6.14.2006- Arrowhead acquires nanoelectronics company Unidym for $7M

2.22.2005- Arrowhead launches Calando Pharmaceuticals as a majority-owned subsidiary to develop new technology taking advantage of RNAi technology