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PEOPLE & PLACES
APRIL 2009 | VOLUME 12 | NUMBER 440
Celebrate Darwin’s 200th birthday It is two hundred years, 73,000 revolutions of the
planet and several million permutations of the fruit
fly since Charles Darwin was born. Budding scientists
from across the globe will pay homage to the man and
revolutionary ideas on evolution in a series of special
events this summer.
Featuring a packed program of seminars,
lectures and fascinating site visits, London
international youth science forum (LIYSF) 2009
will center on ‘Science serving mankind’ as it looks
to develop Darwinian notions regarding the very
advancement of human endeavour. “We believe it
will enable a host of young scientists from across
the globe to leave the event fuelled with a multitude
of scientific ideas for the future,” says Richard
O’Kennedy.
Apart from a series of discussions on Charles Darwin,
the forum will focus on the future of energy on the
planet with contributions from some of the world’s
leading scientists, dignitaries and industry pioneers.
This year the forum will be led by key note speaker
physicist, Professor John Ellis, from the European
organization for nuclear research (CERN).
Attracting 300 outstanding science students globally
aged 17-21 years old, from over 50 participating
countries, LIYSF is dedicated to catalyzing interactions
between young people throughout the world
with science as a central theme. LIYSF will also be
celebrating a landmark in its own existence – it’s
now in its 50th year. Applications for LIYSF 2009 – July
29 to August 12 - are now open! For more information
visit www.liysf.org.uk or email [email protected]
Asylum research speakers featured at MRS spring meetingAsylum Research scientists will be presenting their
recent work in piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM)
at the upcoming MRS spring meeting, session JJ, in San
Francisco, CA on April 15-17, 2009.
Asylum’s Dr Roger Proksch will be co-instructor for a
tutorial on April 15 on “Nanoscale electromechanics
and piezoresponse force microscopy - Recent advances
and applications to ferroelectric and biological
systems” with Dr Alexei Gruverman (University
of Nebraska-Lincoln) and Dr William Brownell
(Baylor College of Medicine). Dr Proksch will also be
presenting an invited paper entitled “Multifrequency
response and dissipation mapping in active materials”
on April 16, followed by “Nanoindentation-based
piezoresponse imaging and strain-induced modification
of ferroelectric domains” presented by Dr Alejandro
Bonilla (with Keith Jones and Roger Proksch), also of
Asylum Research.
Partnership formed to advance nonwovens and technical textilesThe Institute of Environmental and Human Health
(TIEHH) at Texas Tech University announces a
partnership with Enercon Industries Corp. that will
combine each organization’s expertise to develop
technology to advance the functionality of nonwovens
and technical textiles.
Seshadri Ramkumar, an associate professor in the
nonwovens and advanced materials laboratory of
TIEHH, said the partnership seeks to explore the
opportunities of commercializing atmospheric
plasma technology in the nonwovens and specialty
fabrics industry to make apparel-grade nonwovens
and other value-added fabrics, such as liquid-repellent
fabrics and breathable protective fabrics. “We are very
excited at the possibilities of working with Enercon,”
Ramkumar said. “Initial lab trials indicate that
Enercon’s atmospheric plasma technology improves
a nonwoven fabric’s breathability by as much as
95 percent, which is a welcoming result for exploring
atmospheric plasma for a number of value-added
applications.”
New CEO of institute of nanotechnology The Institute of Nanotechnology (IoN) – a global
leader in the provision of education, information
and support to the development of nanotechnology
– is pleased to announce the appointment of
Dr Mark Morrison as its chief executive officer, on
the retiral of the original founder and CEO, Ottilia
Saxl.
Dr Morrison, scientific manager at the Institute of
Nanotechnology since 2003, succeeds Ottilia Saxl,
who has spearheaded the role of the institute as
a provider of education, training and information
to industry, government bodies, academia
and the public at large through a culture of
entrepreneurship, initiative and creativity. Ottilia
Saxl will continue to represent IoN in the Nano-TV
project which involves the production of a series of
14 short films on FP5 and FP6 research results in
nanotechnology.
As scientific manager, Dr Morrison has been
instrumental in IoN winning several prestigious
contracts within the European Union’s seventh
framework program, including two major projects,
ObservatoryNano and ICPCNanonet, which have a
combined funding of €5.3 million.
Cambridge anniversary year beginsIn 2009, the University of Cambridge
reaches a special milestone – 800 years
of people, ideas and achievements that
continue to transform and benefit the
world.
Celebrating the best of Cambridge’s
rich history and looking forward to
the future, the University will reflect
on the myriad of achievements and
world-changing ideas born within
its walls, from the establishment
of the fundamentals of physics
to the discovery of the structure
of DNA; from the transformative
thinking of great Cambridge
philosophers, poets and artists to the
groundbreaking work of its many Nobel
Prize winners.
WITec - Advanced customer training programWITec, a manufacturer of high-resolution
optical and scanning probe microscopy
solutions, has established the WITec
academy as a new forum for advanced
instrument and software operation
training. It offers a variety of basic
and expert level courses covering the
entire range of WITec products and
potential applications. Experienced and
new users can benefit from a graded
course structure with seminars and
extensive hands-on training sessions.
The full day courses are held frequently
throughout the year to accommodate
the attendees’ schedules. Small group
sizes for each course guarantee individual
mentoring for the most thorough
instruction.
Agilent technologies introduces new automation brandAgilent Technologies Inc. has
renamed Velocity11 as Agilent
Automation Solutions and selected
LabAutomation2009 to introduce
the new division. The company
is also launching new products
and applications designed to help
researchers and scientists increase
productivity and decrease costs.
Agilent Automation Solutions is part
of the Agilent’s Life Sciences Solutions
Unit.
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