University of California, Riverside - Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering

Initially the Center is focusing on carbon, silicon and biology as these three areas already make compelling arguments for the power of the nanoscale world, and because these areas fall within the campus' existing expertise. The case for nanotechnology is often made by reference to biology, where processing is frequently carried out at the level of individual molecules on the nanometer length scale. This thrust for CNSE is predicated on the idea that biology is the theater in which nanotechnology will have its first successful applications. This follows from the fact that biology is the premier example of nanoscale science and engineering, and also because biology is currently the most important driver of the research enterprise.