Post by Devastator on Apr 18, 2005 14:12:15 GMT -5
FIU's new nanotechnology facility, dedicated Monday, seriously elevates the school's profile in one of the hottest areas of scientific research.
BY GREGG FIELDS
gfields@herald.com
At Florida International University, they're dreaming big by thinking small. Really small.
Monday, the FIU College of Engineering inaugurated the Motorola Nanofabrication Research Facility.
Nanotech, at its simplest, is defined as building devices at the molecular or single-atom level. The basic unit of measurement in this world is the nanometer -- it would take 100,000 of them to equal the diameter of a human hair.
With its new facility, FIU is catapulted into the realm of universities delving into nanotech -- considered by many to be the next wave of technological revolution.
''It could be a device so small that you can insert it in your bloodstream and it can go around your body,'' said FIU President Modesto ''Mitch'' Maidique, who has a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an extensive background in the semiconductor industry. ``We're talking world-scale revolution.''
The nanotechnology center also symbolizes the kind of high-skill, tech-driven jobs that will create a more affluent Florida in the future, said Gov. Jeb Bush in his dedication remarks.
''This investment into FIU will make it even more possible for South Florida residents to pursue their dreams and not go elsewhere,'' he said. ``It is important for us to promote research that can be applied to the real world.''
Nanotech is widely expected to be a trillion-dollar industry someday, and research money is rapidly making its way into labs across the country.
The National Science Foundation, for instance, is supporting more than $100 million in research at Cornell University. In 2003, President Bush signed the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, which authorized $3.7 billion in nanotech funding beginning in fiscal 2005.
And venture capital funds are pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the field. Meanwhile, major companies like IBM are undertaking aggressive development projects in nanotechnology.
The field is huge, and virtually wide open. Drug delivery is one area generating a great deal of excitement, as is data storage that dwarfs the capacity of semiconductors and potential breakthroughs in communications technologies.
The expectation is that FIU's center could create spinoff companies at some point, although it may be a bit early to say when.
FIU's facility has been a couple of years in the making. It was bolstered significantly when Motorola donated two complete laboratories, including a Class 100 Clean Room -- a lab virtually devoid of pollutants, which allows devices to be developed in a pure atmosphere.
FIU officials said the headaches of constructing such a high-tech facility are never-ending.
A building that vibrates too much, for instance, could jeopardize research. The duct work, climate controls and other infrastructure can cost millions.
''After the [Motorola] contribution came the hardest part -- what do we do now?'' said Kinzy Jones, director of FIU's Advanced Materials Research Engineering Institute. ``We worked really tirelessly for two years to get this facility done.''
Midway through the process it was determined the current engineering center, at 10555 W. Flagler St., couldn't accommodate the donated equipment -- the ceilings weren't high enough.
In the end, new space was built on the ground floor, which was previously used for parking.
The $15 million center, said Vish Prasad, dean of engineering, is already garnering attention.
''The ground-breaking research being conducted at FIU has not gone unnoticed,'' he said. ``We have received $4 million in [research] grants in the last six months. This is just the beginning.''
The labs are open to researchers from other universities as well as industry. Derek Jacobs, an engineering prodigy who, at 17, is in his third year of college, said it's a clear sign of FIU moving forward.
''With the opening of this lab, there's the opportunity for research, to apply all your techniques,'' he said.
www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/11253911.htm
BY GREGG FIELDS
gfields@herald.com
At Florida International University, they're dreaming big by thinking small. Really small.
Monday, the FIU College of Engineering inaugurated the Motorola Nanofabrication Research Facility.
Nanotech, at its simplest, is defined as building devices at the molecular or single-atom level. The basic unit of measurement in this world is the nanometer -- it would take 100,000 of them to equal the diameter of a human hair.
With its new facility, FIU is catapulted into the realm of universities delving into nanotech -- considered by many to be the next wave of technological revolution.
''It could be a device so small that you can insert it in your bloodstream and it can go around your body,'' said FIU President Modesto ''Mitch'' Maidique, who has a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an extensive background in the semiconductor industry. ``We're talking world-scale revolution.''
The nanotechnology center also symbolizes the kind of high-skill, tech-driven jobs that will create a more affluent Florida in the future, said Gov. Jeb Bush in his dedication remarks.
''This investment into FIU will make it even more possible for South Florida residents to pursue their dreams and not go elsewhere,'' he said. ``It is important for us to promote research that can be applied to the real world.''
Nanotech is widely expected to be a trillion-dollar industry someday, and research money is rapidly making its way into labs across the country.
The National Science Foundation, for instance, is supporting more than $100 million in research at Cornell University. In 2003, President Bush signed the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, which authorized $3.7 billion in nanotech funding beginning in fiscal 2005.
And venture capital funds are pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the field. Meanwhile, major companies like IBM are undertaking aggressive development projects in nanotechnology.
The field is huge, and virtually wide open. Drug delivery is one area generating a great deal of excitement, as is data storage that dwarfs the capacity of semiconductors and potential breakthroughs in communications technologies.
The expectation is that FIU's center could create spinoff companies at some point, although it may be a bit early to say when.
FIU's facility has been a couple of years in the making. It was bolstered significantly when Motorola donated two complete laboratories, including a Class 100 Clean Room -- a lab virtually devoid of pollutants, which allows devices to be developed in a pure atmosphere.
FIU officials said the headaches of constructing such a high-tech facility are never-ending.
A building that vibrates too much, for instance, could jeopardize research. The duct work, climate controls and other infrastructure can cost millions.
''After the [Motorola] contribution came the hardest part -- what do we do now?'' said Kinzy Jones, director of FIU's Advanced Materials Research Engineering Institute. ``We worked really tirelessly for two years to get this facility done.''
Midway through the process it was determined the current engineering center, at 10555 W. Flagler St., couldn't accommodate the donated equipment -- the ceilings weren't high enough.
In the end, new space was built on the ground floor, which was previously used for parking.
The $15 million center, said Vish Prasad, dean of engineering, is already garnering attention.
''The ground-breaking research being conducted at FIU has not gone unnoticed,'' he said. ``We have received $4 million in [research] grants in the last six months. This is just the beginning.''
The labs are open to researchers from other universities as well as industry. Derek Jacobs, an engineering prodigy who, at 17, is in his third year of college, said it's a clear sign of FIU moving forward.
''With the opening of this lab, there's the opportunity for research, to apply all your techniques,'' he said.
www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/11253911.htm