Posted: September 25, 2008

Save-the-date: Major nanotechnology, energy, and biomed meeting

(Nanowerk News) Next month in Boston, the AVS 55th International Symposium & Exhibition will showcase research from across the spectrum of science and engineering devoted to discoveries on the edge-in a vacuum, at interfaces, in plasmas, and in other controlled environments used to develop new materials and technologies.
AVS is an interdisciplinary nonprofit professional society, and its members come from universities, government agencies, and industrial laboratories alike. Their work represents major breakthroughs in nanotechnology, alternative energy, materials research, and medicine.
Preliminary meeting highlights are listed below. The full meeting program can be accessed at http://www.avssymposium.org/Overview.asp.

1. Plenary Talk on Nanotechnology

2. Lecture by 2007 Nobel Laureate Albert Fert

3. Industrial Physics Forum

4. Frontiers in Physics

5. Ask the Experts

6. Short Courses

7. Information for Journalists

1) PLENARY TALK ON NANOTECHNOLOGY
This year's plenary talk will be delivered by Jackie Ying, the Executive Director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), Singapore. Ying's laboratory has been responsible for the development of several novel approaches that create nanocomposites, nanoporous materials and nanodevices with unique size-dependent characteristics. Her talk, "Nanostructure Processing of Advanced Catalysts and Biomaterials" will be at noon on Monday, October 20, 2008 in Ballroom B of the Hynes Convention Center. For full details, see: http://www2.avs.org/symposium/AVS55/pages/sessions_lect.html
2) LECTURE BY 2007 NOBEL LAUREATE ALBERT FERT
Fert, of Université Paris-Sud and Unité Mixte de Physique CNRS/THALES in Orsay, France, won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics with Peter Grünberg for the discovery of giant magnetoresistance. In Boston, Fert will describe the potential of carbon nanotubes, graphene and other molecules for spintronics-a developing field that seeks to achieve new forms of data storage by exploiting electron spin along with charge.
Fert's talk "Spin Transport between Spin-Polarized Sources and Drains: Advantage of Carbon Nanotubes on Semiconductors" will be at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 in Room 206 of the Hynes Convention Center. For full details, see: http://www.avssymposium.org/paper.asp?abstractID=38.
3) INDUSTRIAL PHYSICS FORUM
A meeting within a meeting, the Industrial Physics Forum (IPF, http://www.aip.org/ipf) is a multifaceted science meeting that presents industrial, academic, and governmental views on significant issues in physics and related fields. Held in conjunction with the AVS meeting this year, the 2008 Industrial Physics Forum has a research theme of Frontiers in Imaging, from Cosmos to Nano. Sessions include:
  • ASTRONOMICAL IMAGING: Large telescopes, adaptive optics, and instrumentation: http://www.avssymposium.org/Session.asp?sessionID=139.
  • BIO IMAGING: Single molecules, viruses, cells, and new views of the retina. See: http://www.avssymposium.org/Session.asp?sessionID=140.
  • IMAGING OF MATERIALS WITH SUBATOMIC RESOLUTION: Vibrational, nanoplasmonic, and force microscopy. See: http://www.avssymposium.org/Session.asp?sessionID=141.
  • MARINE/TERRESTRIAL IMAGING: Coral Fluorescence Imaging, Deep-Sea Bioluminescence, LIDAR in the Coastal Environment, Streak-Tube Imaging and Virtual Periscope: See: http://www.avssymposium.org/Session.asp?sessionID=142.
  • 4) FRONTIERS OF PHYSICS
    The Industrial Physics Forum (IPF) also hosts the Frontiers in Physics Symposium, showcasing some of the top speakers on some of the hottest topics in physics. This year's symposium speakers are as follows: J. Gordon (IBM Almaden Research Center) on developing nano-circuits; J. Flanz (Massachusetts General Hospital) on proton cancer therapy; J. Ye (National Institute of Standards and Technology) on the best atomic clocks; and M. Lukin (Harvard University) on diamond circuitry. The session will be from 1:40 to 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 in Room 312 of the Hynes Convention Center. See: http://www.avssymposium.org/Session.asp?sessionID=143.
    5) A CHANCE TO ASK THE EXPERTS
    The proliferation of tiny electronic and other gadgets sometimes overwhelms meeting attendees (and journalists). Consequently there will be an "ask-the-experts" booth in the exhibit area. So save up your questions (Exhibit Hall Booth 607).
    6) SHORT COURSES
    AVS promotes communication, dissemination of knowledge, recommended practices, research, and education in a broad range of technologically relevant topics. One way that it does this is by offering short courses in areas such as
  • Vacuum processing design, operation, and maintenance;
  • Characterization of films, surfaces, particles, and interfaces; and
  • Materials processing, modification.
  • In Boston, AVS will offer short courses on everything from engineering solar cells to the latest technologies for analyzing biological molecules. To access the complete short course schedule, see: http://www.avs.org/education.schedule.aspx#national_schedule.
    7) INFORMATION FOR JOURNALISTS The AVS 55th International Symposium & Exhibition lasts from October 19-24 in Boston, Massachusetts. All meeting information, including directions to the Hynes Convention Center is at: http://www2.avs.org/symposium/.
    USEFUL LINKS

    Searchable meeting program: http://www.avssymposium.org/Overview.asp.

    Main meeting page: http://www2.avs.org/symposium/AVS55/pages/info.html.

    Journalist registration: http://www.avs.org/pdf/pressinvite.pdf.

    Online press room: http://www.avs.org/inside.press.aspx.

    Source: American Institute of Physics