Solar-powered splitting of water promises an attractive, clean energy source and numerous research projects around the world are working on making this process sufficiently efficient - reducing the systems' cost and extending their lifetimes - to be able to compete with dirty carbon fuels on an industrial scale. Natural photosynthesis uses chlorophyll to absorbe visible light and many solar hydrogen cells are imitating this process by using light-sensitive organic dye molecules as light absorbers and then transfer the absorbed energy to a catalyst that reduces protons to hydrogen. Researchers in the UK have now shown that an inexpensive and environmentally benign inorganic light harvesting nanocrystal array can be combined with a low-cost electrocatalyst that contains abundant elements to fabricate an inexpensive and stable system for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production.

Sensitiv, selektiv, raeumlich und zeitlich aufgeloest: ATP-Detektion in lebenden Zellen mit Kohlenstoffnanoroehrchen und Luciferase.

Agilent Technologies Inc. announced the appointments of Robert Schueren as vice president and general manager, Genomics; and John Fjeldsted, Ph.D., as general manager, Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry.

A conference which will discuss emerging silicon-based nanotechnologies for advanced information AND communication devices which mean that mobile phones and computers will be even lighter, more functional and more economical, will be held at the University of Southampton next month.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced today it has set two world records for photoelectric conversion efficiency in polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells, achieved by reducing resistive loss in the cells.

Two new appointments at the University of Southampton's Nano Research Group will drive research into a whole new range of nano and bio-nano technologies and lead to global industrial research collaborations.

Malvern Instruments will focus on its range of analytical instrumentation for life science applications, with an emphasis on the company's comprehensive solutions for characterizing proteins and other macromolecules.

SabryCorp, Ltd. announced the upcoming NanoAgri Conference, scheduled for April 11-12, 2010 in Cairo, Egypt. It will host the leading experts in this field to discuss the revolutionary solutions nanotechnology offers the agricultural and food industries.

The thin-film silicon PV cell developed by Mitsubishi Electric has a triple junction structure that utilizes a majority of the solar spectrum for higher efficiency.

Many nanotechnology applications are plagued by very poor wear resistance of device components at the nanoscale. Gears, bearings, and liquid lubricants can reduce friction in the macroscopic world, but the origins of friction for small devices such as micro- or nanoelectromechanical systems require other solutions. Despite the unprecedented accuracy by which these devices are nowadays designed and fabricated, their enormous surface-volume ratio leads to severe friction and wear issues, which dramatically reduce their applicability and lifetime. Although there is a significant amount of research work going on in the area of nanoscale friction, at present there is much less research conducted on nanoscale wear. Researchers have now demonstrated extremely low wear rates at the nanoscale, representing a technological breakthrough for numerous applications in emerging fields such as nanolithography, nanometrology, and nanomanufacturing.

Park Systems' XE-Bio helped researchers at Stanford University discover a vulnerable step in the virus' reproduction process that in lab testing could be effectively targeted with an obsolete antihistamine.

The Supervisory Council of RUSNANO has approved a project to produce nanodrugs with targeted delivery for treatment of malignant neoplasms. Total budget for the project is 3.9 billion rubles of which RUSNANO will invest 1.299 billion rubles.

Toshiba Corporation and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) today announced joint development of a mask pattern optimizing technology that improves the accuracy of lithography for LSIs by approximately 20%.

Ultra thin, quantum effect touch sensors are smart replacements for old fashioned switches in mobile phones, robotics and many other devices.

Challenges in developing cost-effective, efficient and stable solar energy systems are being tackled by two government-led solar research projects.

Diamond nanowires emit single photons, providing new options for high-speed computing, advanced imaging and secure communication.

By creating diamond-based nanowire devices, a team at Harvard has taken another step towards making applications based on quantum science and technology possible.

By manipulating a mysterious quantum property of light known as entanglement, researchers are able to mount up to two photons on top of one another to construct a variety of quantum states of light - that is, build two-story quantum toy houses of any style and architecture.

2011 is the International Year of Chemistry! To celebrate Leonardo is seeking to publish papers and artworks on the intersections of chemistry, nanotechnology and art for their on-going special section on nanotechnology and the arts.

This book provides a very detailed and interesting overview of the fundamental principles of nanoscience, discusses the background of several nanoscience experimental techniques, and sheds light on some of the visionary and important applications in the truly interdisciplinary area of nanotechnology.