Tag Archives: AFM

Park Nano Academy: How Graphene–based Nanomaterials and Films Revolutionize Science webinar

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There’s another Park Systems webinar coming up on July 9, 2015 (the last one concerning Nanostructured Polymers and Nanomaterials for Oil & Gas was mentioned  in my June 9, 2015 posting).

This latest webinar series is focused on graphene, from a June 29, 2015 Park Systems news release,

Park Systems, world-leader in atomic force microscopy (AFM) is hosting a webinar to provide advanced scientific research into new classes of Nanoscale Graphene-based materials poised to revolutionize industries such as semiconductor, material science, bio science and energy.   Touted as ‘the wonder material of the 21st Century’ by the researchers who were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics for their graphene research,  this carbon-based lightweight material is 200 times stronger than steel and one of the most promising and versatile materials ever discovered.

The Park Systems Webinar titled Graphene Based Nanomaterials and Films will be given by Professor Rigoberto Advincula of Case Western Reserve University on July 9, 2015 at 9am PST.  Prof. Advincula is an eminent professor, researcher and expert in the area of polymers, smart coatings, nanomaterials, surface analytical methods for a variety of applications.

“The discovery of graphene is but a continuing evolution on how we analyze, treat, synthesize carbon based nanomaterials which includes the fullerenes, nanotubes, and now C polymorph platelets called graphene,” explains Dr. Advincula.  “Graphene is used in many areas of research and potential applications for electronics, solid-state devices, biosensors, coatings and much more for numerous industries where there are opportunities to make quantum improvements in methods and materials.”

Graphene is part of the C polymorph family of nanomaterials and because of the platy nature of the basal plane, it’s reactivity on the edges, and various redox forms, it is an excellent thin film additive and component that can be grown by vapor deposition methods as well as exfoliation. Current research into dispersion, preparations, and patterning of graphene using Park Systems AFM to identify nanoscale characteristics and surface properties as well as conductivity indicates that numerous breakthroughs in materials and chemicals are on the horizon.

“Park AFM is the natural tool to investigate Graphene’s adsorbed state on a flat substrate as well as characterize its surface properties and conductivity because of the reliability and accuracy of the equipment,” adds Dr. Advincula who will give the Webinar on July 9. “AFM is useful in understanding the surface properties of these products but is equally valuable in failure analysis because of the capability to do in-situ or real time measurements of failure with a temperature stage or a magnetic field.”

Graphene-based Nanomaterials offer many innovations in industries such as electronics, semiconductor, life science, material science and bio science. Some potential advancements already being researched include flexible electronics, anti bacterial paper, actuators, electrochoromic devices and transistors.

“Park Systems is presenting this webinar as part of Park Nano Academy, which will offer valuable education and shared knowledge across many Nano Science Disciplines and Industries as a way to further enable NanoScale advancements,” comments Keibock Lee, Park Systems President.  “We invite all curious Nano Researchers to join our webinars and educational forums to launch innovative ideas that propel us into future Nano Scientific Technologies.”

The webinar will highlight how the research into is conducted and present some of the findings by Professor Rigoberto Advincula of Case Western Reserve University.

This webinar is available at no cost and is part of Park Systems Nano Academy.

To register go to: http://www.parkafm.com/index.php/medias/nano-academy/webinars/115-webinars/486-nanomaterials-webinar-july-9-2015

Enjoy!

Nanotech and the oil and gas industry: a webinar

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How serendipitous! I stumbled on an announcement from Park Systems for a webinar designed for the oil and gas industry after my June 8, 2015 post featuring Abakan and its new Alberta (Canada)-based cladding facility designed for oil and gas pipes in particular. From a June 8, 2015 news item on Nanowerk,

Park Systems, world-leader in atomic force microscopy (AFM) today announced a webinar to provide next generation technology to improve oil and gas production in both traditional drilling and hydraulic fracturing for oil & gas producers and equipment manufacturers as they continue to pursue the latest developments in production efficiencies.

A June 8, 2015 Park Systems news release, which originated the news item, expands on the theme,

The oil and gas industry is ripe for innovation and the cost of extracting oil can be reduced. Research at PETRO Case Consortium is uncovering new materials, chemicals and coatings that improves yield and reduce costs and with an eye towards diminishing the impact on our environment. This webinar is part of an ongoing series offered by Park System’s new Nano Academy, a platform for providing education and shared knowledge on the latest advancements across a wide spectrum of nanosciences.

This webinar titled Nanostructured Polymers and Nanomaterials for Oil & Gas will be given June 11 [2015] by Dr. Rigoberto Advincula, Director of the Petro Case Consortium and Professor with the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University and is designed to offer innovations in microscopy nanotechnology for oil & gas producers and suppliers.

“Our best in class AFM equipment registers nanoparticle observations and analysis not previously available that extends the ability to analyze chemicals and materials to develop the optimum efficiency,” said Keibock Lee, President of Park Systems. “We are proud to offer this webinar for the oil & gas industry, showcasing Dr. Advincula’s outstanding contribution towards cost reduction and sustainability for the current energy producers and paving the way for future innovations that can enable global energy solutions.”

PETRO Case Consortium at Case Western [Reserve] University, led by Dr. Advincula, is working hard to ensure that the industry can catch up with new technology and apply it to oil & gas production that improves productivity by creating longer lasting concrete, coatings and apply other methods to increase yield in production. This webinar is the first of a series that will cover multiple topics related to nano scale developments across a wide variety of research applications and bio scientific fields.
“Hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling has unlocked many resources,” states Dr. Advincula. “Revolutionary new microscopy technology provided thru Park Systems AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) and new innovations in chemical and material research indicates that there is a defined opportunity to use the advances in chemistry, materials, and nanoscience to make valuable industry process updates.”

For the last 10 years there has been an increase in interest and research for new materials useful for upstream, midstream, and downstream processes to effectively find function in demanding environments including directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing. High temperature high pressure (HT/HP) and brine conditions pose a challenge for emulsification, demulsification, and viscosity of drilling fluids. Usually the “easy” oil or conventional oil has allowed technologies even dating back to the first oil well in Pennsylvania to become very profitable. But with high pressure high temperature (HPHT) conditions in the most challenging wells, many of the established technologies and materials do not suffice.

The discovery driven group, PETRO Case Consortium at Case Western University, a Park AFM user, investigates the area of molecular, macromolecular, and supramolecular synthesis and structure of polymers and nanomaterials capable of controlled-assembly to form ultrathin films and dispersions with the aim of finding new technologies and materials that improve and replace established oil and gas field formations.

For instance, the evaluation of chemicals and changing or altering the formulas can greatly improve production yields. Different chemicals used for the field include inhibitors for scaling, fouling, corrosion, asphaltene control, formation damage, differential pressures in multiphase environments which will be met by new synthesis methods including metathesis reactions, bio based feedstocks, new polymer surfactants, living polymers, and nanoparticle. Other uses of new chemical technologies include tracers and reporters for geomapping and well connectivity, as well as different types of fluid loss agents that prevent formation damage or keep well integrity, and smart and stimuli-responsive nanoparticles that can be used for improving gelation.

This webinar is available at no cost and is part of Park Systems Nano Academy which will offer valuable education and shared knowledge across many Nano Science Disciplines and Industries as a way to further enable NanoScale advancements. To register go to: http://bit.do/polyoilgas

Webinar logistics (from the Park Systems news release),

About Webinar
Title: Nanostructured Polymers and Nanomaterials for Oil & Gas
Date: June 11, 2015
Time: 9am PST
To Register, go to: http://bit.do/polyoilgas
Pre-requisite: Knowledge of oil field chemicals and rubber materials is preferred but not required.

Here’s more about the expert (from the news release),

About Prof. Rigoberto Advincula
Prof. Rigoberto Advincula, Director of the Petro Case Consortium, is recognized industry-wide as an expert regarding polymer and materials challenges of the oil-gas industry. He is currently a Professor with the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University and is the recipient of numerous awards including Fellow of the American Chemical Society, Herman Mark Scholar Award of the Polymer Division, and Humboldt Fellow.

The news release also included some information about Park Systems,

About Park Systems
Park Systems is a world-leading manufacturer of atomic force microscopy (AFM) systems with a complete range of products for researchers and industry engineers in chemistry, materials, physics, life sciences, semiconductor and data storage industries. Park’s products are used by over a thousand of institutions and corporations worldwide. Park’s AFM provides highest data accuracy at nanoscale resolution, superior productivity, and lowest operating cost thanks to its unique technology and innovative engineering. Park Systems, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with its global manufacturing, and R&D headquarters in Korea. Park’s products are sold and supported worldwide with regional headquarters in the US, Korea, Japan, and Singapore, and distribution partners throughout Europe, Asia, and America. Please visit http://www.parkafm.com or call 408-986-1110 for more information.

So there you have it.

Nanorobotic approach to studying how skin falls apart

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Scientists have combined robotic techniques with atomic force microscopy to achieve understanding of how skin falls apart at the nanoscale. From a Sept. 11, 2014 news item on Azonano,

University at Buffalo researchers and colleagues studying a rare, blistering disease have discovered new details of how autoantibodies destroy healthy cells in skin. This information provides new insights into autoimmune mechanisms in general and could help develop and screen treatments for patients suffering from all autoimmune diseases, estimated to affect 5-10 percent of the U.S. population.

…

“Our work represents a unique intersection between the fields of biology and engineering that allowed for entirely new investigational strategies applied to the study of clinical disease,” says Animesh A. Sinha, MD, PhD, Rita M. and Ralph T. Behling Professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and senior author on the study.

A Sept. 9, 2014 University of Buffalo news release by Ellen Goldbaum (also on EurekAlert dated Sept. 10, 2014), which originated the news item, describes the condition and the research in more detail,

PV [Pemphigus Vulgaris] results in the often painful blistering of the skin and mucous membranes. Generally treated with corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents, the condition is life-threatening if untreated.

…

Sinha’s research team, in collaboration with scientists at Michigan State University, describe the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM), a technique originally developed to study nonbiological materials, to look at cell junctions and how they rupture, a process called acantholysis.

“It has been very difficult to study cell junctions, which maintain the skin’s barrier function by keeping cells attached to each other,” says Sinha. “These junctions, micron-sized spots on cell membranes, are very complex molecular structures. Their small size has made them resistant to detailed investigation.”

Sinha’s interest lies in determining what destroys those junctions in Pemphigus Vulgaris.

“We haven’t understood why some antibodies generated by the condition cause blisters and why other antibodies it generates do not,” says Sinha.

By studying the connections between skin cells using AFM and other techniques that probe cells at the nanoscale, Sinha and his colleagues report that pathogenic antibodies change structural and functional properties of skin cells in distinct ways.

“Our data suggest a new model for the action of autoantibodies in which there are two steps or ‘hits’ in the development of lesions,” says Sinha. “The first hit results in the initial separation of cells but only the pathogenic antibodies drive further intracellular changes that lead to the breaking of the cell junction and blistering.”

The researchers examined the cells using AFM, which requires minimal sample preparation and provides three-dimensional images of cell surfaces.

The AFM tip acts like a little probe, explains Sinha. When tapped against a cell, it sends back information regarding the cell’s mechanical properties, such as thickness, elasticity, viscosity and electrical potential.

“We combined existing and novel nanorobotic techniques with AFM, including a kind of nanodissection, where we physically detached cells from each other at certain points so that we could test what that did to their mechanical and biological functions,” Sinha adds.

Those data were then combined with information about functional changes in cell behavior to develop a nanomechanical profile, or phenotype, for specific cellular states.

He also envisions that this kind of nanomechanical phenotyping should allow for the development of predictive models for cellular behavior for any kind of cell.

“Ultimately, in the case of autoimmunity, we should be able to use these techniques as a high-throughput assay to screen hundreds or thousands of compounds that might block the effects of autoantibodies and identify novel agents with therapeutic potential in given individuals,” says Sinha.  “Such strategies aim to advance us toward a new era of personalized medicine”.

I found some more information about the nanorobotics technique, mentioned in the news release, in the researchers’ paper (Note: A link has been removed),

Nanorobotic surgery

AFM-based nanorobotics enables accurate and convenient sample manipulation and drug delivery. This capability was used in the current study to control the AFM tip position over the intercellular junction area, and apply vertical indentation forces, so that bundles of intercellular adhesion structures can be dissected precisely with an accuracy of less than 100 nm in height. We used a tip sharp enough (2 nm in tip apex diameter) to penetrate the cell membrane and the intermediate filaments. It has been shown that intermediate filaments have extremely high tensile strength by in vitro AFM stretching [19]. Thus, the vertical force and moving speed of the AFM cantilever (0.06 N/m in vertical spring constant) was controlled at a vertical force of 5 nN at an indentation speed of 0.1 µm/s to guarantee the rupture of the filament and to partially dissect cell adhesion structures between two neighboring cells.

For those who want to know more, here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Nanorobotic Investigation Identifies Novel Visual, Structural and Functional Correlates of Autoimmune Pathology in a Blistering Skin Disease Model by Kristina Seiffert-Sinha, Ruiguo Yang, Carmen K. Fung, King W. Lai, Kevin C. Patterson, Aimee S. Payne, Ning Xi, Animesh A. Sinha. PLOSONE Published: September 08, 2014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106895

This is an open access paper.

Atomic force microscopes, images, and friction

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To me, this looks like the ‘batman’ symbol but it’s not.

Nanofriction at the tip of the microscope. Courtesy SISSA [Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzat], Italy

Nanofriction at the tip of the microscope. Courtesy SISSA [Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzat], Italy

Here’s more about the work that produced this image from a Dec. 17, 2013 news item on Azonano,

Atomic force microscopes are able to reproduce spectacular images, at the scale of single atoms. This is made possible by the oscillation of a very sharp probe tip over the surface being observed. The tip never touches the surface but gets so close to it, at distances in the order of one billionth of a metre, that it “feels” the force due to the interaction with the atoms making up the material being observed.

These are tiny forces, in the order of nanonewtons (meaning one billion times smaller than the weight of an apple). By measuring these forces one can reproduce an image of the material. A research group, which brings together experimental physicists from the University of Basel and theoretical physicists from SISSA, has observed and explained a peculiar effect, a source of “friction” in this type of nanoscopic observations.

The Dec. 16,  2013 SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzat) press release, which originated the news item, provides more specific detail,

 When the tip of the microscope oscillates over certain surfaces, in this case over NbSe2 (niobium selenide), peaks of “dissipation” (i.e., loss of energy) can be seen when the tip is at specific distances from the surface, as if it were held back, at certain locations, by some frictional force. This effect, which is related to a property of the surface known as charge density waves (CDW), was experimentally observed by the Basel physicists and first explained by Franco Pellegrini, Giuseppe Santoro and Erio Tosatti, of SISSA, by means of a theoretical model analysed with the use of numerical simulations.

“Our model describes in detail the interaction between the tip of the atomic force microscope and the CDW,” explains Pellegrini. “The model reproduces – and predicts – the data observed experimentally”.

“Knowledge of nanofriction is important today. Progressive miniaturization of electronic devices makes it crucial to understand the mechanisms underlying energy losses, continues Pelligrini.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Giant frictional dissipation peaks and charge-density-wave slips at the NbSe2 surface by Markus Langer, Marcin Kisiel, Rémy Pawlak, Franco Pellegrini, Giuseppe E. Santoro, Renato Buzio, Andrea Gerbi, Geetha Balakrishnan, Alexis Baratoff, Erio Tosatti & Ernst Meyer. Nature Materials (2013) doi:10.1038/nmat3836 Published online 15 December 2013

This paper is behind a paywall although you can obtain a preview through ReadCube Access.

Mini Lisa made possible by ThermoChemical NanoLithography

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One of the world’s most recognizable images has undergone a makeover of sorts. According to an Aug. 6, 2013 news item on Azonano, researchers Georgia institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in the US, have created a mini Mona Lisa,

The world’s most famous painting has now been created on the world’s smallest canvas. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have “painted” the Mona Lisa on a substrate surface approximately 30 microns in width – or one-third the width of a human hair.

The team’s creation, the “Mini Lisa,” demonstrates a technique that could potentially be used to achieve nanomanufacturing of devices because the team was able to vary the surface concentration of molecules on such short-length scales.

The Aug. 5, 2013 Georgia Tech news release, which originated the news item, provides more technical details,

The image was created with an atomic force microscope and a process called ThermoChemical NanoLithography (TCNL). Going pixel by pixel, the Georgia Tech team positioned a heated cantilever at the substrate surface to create a series of confined nanoscale chemical reactions. By varying only the heat at each location, Ph.D. Candidate Keith Carroll controlled the number of new molecules that were created. The greater the heat, the greater the local concentration. More heat produced the lighter shades of gray, as seen on the Mini Lisa’s forehead and hands. Less heat produced the darker shades in her dress and hair seen when the molecular canvas is visualized using fluorescent dye. Each pixel is spaced by 125 nanometers.

“By tuning the temperature, our team manipulated chemical reactions to yield variations in the molecular concentrations on the nanoscale,” said Jennifer Curtis, an associate professor in the School of Physics and the study’s lead author. “The spatial confinement of these reactions provides the precision required to generate complex chemical images like the Mini Lisa.”

Production of chemical concentration gradients and variations on the sub-micrometer scale are difficult to achieve with other techniques, despite a wide range of applications the process could allow. The Georgia Tech TCNL research collaboration, which includes associate professor Elisa Riedo and Regents Professor Seth Marder, produced chemical gradients of amine groups, but expects that the process could be extended for use with other materials.

“We envision TCNL will be capable of patterning gradients of other physical or chemical properties, such as conductivity of graphene,” Curtis said. “This technique should enable a wide range of previously inaccessible experiments and applications in fields as diverse as nanoelectronics, optoelectronics and bioengineering.”

Another advantage, according to Curtis, is that atomic force microscopes are fairly common and the thermal control is relatively straightforward, making the approach accessible to both academic and industrial laboratories.  To facilitate their vision of nano-manufacturing devices with TCNL, the Georgia Tech team has recently integrated nanoarrays of five thermal cantilevers to accelerate the pace of production. Because the technique provides high spatial resolutions at a speed faster than other existing methods, even with a single cantilever, Curtis is hopeful that TCNL will provide the option of nanoscale printing integrated with the fabrication of large quantities of surfaces or everyday materials whose dimensions are more than one billion times larger than the TCNL features themselves.

Here’s an image of the AFM and the cantilever used in the TCNL process to create the ‘Mini Lisa’,

Atomic force microscope (AFM) modified with a thermal cantilever. The AFM scanner allows for precise positioning on the nanoscale while the thermal cantilever induces local nanoscale chemical reactions. Courtesy Georgia Tech

Atomic force microscope (AFM) modified with a thermal cantilever. The AFM scanner allows for precise positioning on the nanoscale while the thermal cantilever induces local nanoscale chemical reactions. Courtesy Georgia Tech

Finally, the “Mini Lisa’,

Georgia Tech researchers have created the "Mini Lisa" on a substrate surface approximately 30 microns in width. The image demonstrates a technique that could potentially be used to achieve nano-manufacturing of devices because the team was able to vary the surface concentration of molecules on such short length scales. Courtesy Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech researchers have created the “Mini Lisa” on a substrate surface approximately 30 microns in width. The image demonstrates a technique that could potentially be used to achieve nano-manufacturing of devices because the team was able to vary the surface concentration of molecules on such short length scales. Courtesy Georgia Tech

For those who can’t get enough of the ‘Mini Lisa’ or TCNL, here’s a link to and a citation for the research team’s published paper,

Fabricating Nanoscale Chemical Gradients with ThermoChemical NanoLithography by Keith M. Carroll, Anthony J. Giordano, Debin Wang, Vamsi K. Kodali, Jan Scrimgeour, William P. King, Seth R. Marder, Elisa Riedo, and Jennifer E. Curtis. Langmuir, 2013, 29 (27), pp 8675–8682 DOI: 10.1021/la400996w Publication Date (Web): June 10, 2013
Copyright © 2013 American Chemical Society

This article is behind a paywall.

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) approves standards for tracking and measuring nanoparticles

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The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has announced new standards for tracking and measuring nanoparticles as per a Feb. 11, 2013 news item on Nanowerk (Note: A link has been removed),

Two new standards developed by ASTM International Committee E56 on Nanotechnology will assist a variety of users in aspects of nanomaterial measurement. ASTM E2834, Guide for Measurement of Particle Size Distribution of Nanomaterials in Suspension by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), and ASTM E2859, Guide for Size Measurement of Nanoparticles Using Atomic Force Microscopy, are both under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee E56.02 on Physical and Chemical Characterization.

The ASTM Feb. 4, 2013 news release, which originated the news item, describes the new standards,

Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis
ASTM E2834 describes nanoparticle tracking analysis, a new measurement technique for direct and real-time visualization and analysis of nanoparticles in liquids. In NTA, particles in suspension are illuminated with a focused laser beam and light scattered from each particle is visible through magnifying optics fitted to a digital camera.

ASTM E2834 discusses the scientific basis for nanoparticle tracking analysis, as well as size limits, concentration ranges, sampling and sample preparation considerations, condition and analysis selection, data interpretation and comparison to other techniques.

Duncan Griffiths, an E56 member, says that, as a new technique, NTA has been deliberately kept simple and general to cover possible variants of the basic theory. “Many of the details of the hardware and software involved are evolving rapidly, so there may be some extension or revision of the standard in the future,” says Griffiths, who is the business development manager with NanoSight USA. “In the near term, test methods for specific sample types are expected to follow from this base document.”

Griffiths notes that NTA is applicable to many nanomaterials, as well as a range of biotech and pharmaceutical samples, including drug delivery and virus and protein aggregates. The standard will be used primarily by industries regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency as a means of referencing the basis of NTA.

Nanoparticle Size Measurement
According to Vince Hackley, research chemist and project leader in the Materials Measurement Science Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, ASTM E2859 provides guidelines for sample preparation, measurement and analysis of results related to the use of atomic force microscopy, or AFM. AFM is a technique used to image, measure and manipulate matter at the nanoscale. The standard guide describes the use of height measurements in order to determine the size of nanoparticles deposited on a flat substrate. AFM measurement has been adopted extensively within the nanotechnology community as an important tool for visualizing and quantifying structures on the nanoscale.

ASTM E2859 provides practical and metrological guidance for applying AFM to measure the size of substrate-supported nanoparticles, including:
• Procedures for dispersing nanoparticles on various surfaces in order for the particles to be  suitable for imaging and height measurement via intermittent contact mode AFM;
• General AFM calibration and operation guidelines; and
• Procedures for data analysis and reporting.

“We believe this to be the first AFM-based international standard for particle size measurement on the nanoscale,” says Hackley, an ASTM E56 member. “While the standard is a guide, it could potentially be converted into a test method in the future. E56.02 is interested in developing standards for nanoparticle characterization that have practical and immediate impact for the nanotechnology community.”

The news release includes an invitation,

E56 invites all interested parties from industry, regulatory agencies and others with an interest in the safe commercialization of nanotechnology to participate in the development of its standards.

To purchase ASTM standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation, or contact ASTM Customer Relations (phone: 877-909-ASTM; sales@astm.org). ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

For more news in this sector, visit www.astm.org/sn-quality or follow us on Twitter @ASTMQuality.

ASTM Committee E56 Next Meeting: May 20-21, 2013, May Committee Week, Indianapolis, Ind.
Technical Contact: (E2834) Duncan Griffiths, NanoSight USA, Costa Mesa, Calif., Phone: 714-747-9955; duncan.griffiths@nanosight.com; (E2859) Vincent A. Hackley, Ph.D., National Institute of Science and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., Phone: 301-975-5790; vince.hackley@nist.gov
ASTM Staff Contact: Kathleen McClung, Phone: 610-832-9717; kmcclung@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

ASTM Committee E56 on Nanotechnology was formed in 2005 and has a membership of 180 according to its webpage,

E56 meets twice each year, in May and November, with about 25 members attending three days of technical meetings (every 3rd to 4th meeting of E56 is held outside of the United States). This Committee addresses issues related to standards and guidance materials for nanotechnology & nanomaterials, as well as the coordination of existing ASTM standardization related to nanotechnology needs. This coordination includes the apportioning of specific requests for nanotechnology standards through ASTM’s existing committee base, as well as the maintenance of appropriate global liaison relationships with activities (internal and external) related to this subject area.

Of course this announcement raises some questions about previous research that made claims about nanoparticle sizes and tracking. What standards, if any, were being used?

All about the University of Calgary and its microscopy and imaging facility

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A July 24, 2012 news item on Nanowerk features the the equipment and capabilities of …

The Calgary Microscopy and Imaging Facility (MIF) is a world-class university-wide facility housing transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), advanced light microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), including single cell force spectroscopy (SCFS), and advanced image processing for three-dimensional electron and light microscopy, directed by Professor Matthias Amrein.

Single cell force spectroscopy at the MIF has now attracted high profile research with three NanoWizard® AFM systems from JPK [Instruments], one of which is equipped with the CellHesion® module. Describing the work of the Calgary group, Professor Amrein says “While we do some work for the energy sector (to predict behaviour of nanoparticles injected into oil reservoirs) our main focus is medicine. We delve into very fundamental problems such as “how does a malaria red blood cell attach itself to a blood vessel” or “how does binding of a ligand to a cell surface receptor or contact of a crystalline surface with the plasma membrane drive lipid sorting and how will this lead to signalling” but then immediately apply it to a practical problem such as “how does contact of uric acid crystals with dendritic cells cause gout in affected joints and how can we prevent this occurrence?” We want to understand disease processes at a very fundamental level so we know how to intervene in the best possible way. For example, a chronic inflammatory disease such as gout or arteriosclerosis may be triggered by a very specific interaction of a particle (uric acid crystals, cholesterol crystals, amyloid plaque, …. ) and specific cell (dendritic cell, macrophage, T-cell, …). Understanding this interaction will lead to targeted treatment “block the interaction” rather than the non-specific dampening of inflammation such as by corticosteroids with its many well-documented side effects and limited efficacy.”

It’s always nice to get some information about activities in microscopy, etc. in Canada although I’m not sure what occasioned the news item/release.

5,000 year old blood analyzed with an AFM (atomic force microscope)

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They’ve been able to recover blood from the 5000 year old Iceman Mummy and answer a question regarding his (Ötzi’s) death according to the May 8, 2012 news item on Nanowerk,

His DNA has been decoded; samples from his stomach and intestines have allowed us to reconstruct his very last meal. The circumstances of his violent death appear to have been explained. However, what had, at least thus far, eluded the scientists, was identifying any traces of blood in Ötzi, the 5,000 year old glacier mummy. Examination of his aorta had yielded no results. Yet recently, a team of scientists from Italy and Germany, using nanotechnology, succeeded in locating red blood cells in Ötzi’s wounds, thereby discovering the oldest traces of blood to have been found anywhere in the world …

The research paper “Preservation of 5300 year old red blood cells in the Iceman” ([free access] Interface: Journal of the Royal Society) written by Marek Janko, Robert W. Stark, and Albert Zink helps outsiders like me better understand why there is excitement about finding blood, from the Introduction to the paper (footnotes have been edited out),

Examining mummies with sensitive analytic tools enables the reconstruction of their ancestry and genetic relationships, diet, diseases, living conditions, state of preservation and the mummification processes. While many studies provided molecular evidence for the presence of infectious diseases in ancient populations, leading to deep insights into the evolution of such diseases, only a few reports on the recovery of blood from mummified bodies are available. Previous investigations, based on optical or electron microscopy data, postulated that blood remains or fragments could be preserved in mummies as old as 2000 years. [emphases mine] Although molecular verification of blood findings was not performed, detection of blood components was of major interest because it could give new perspectives on the lives and fates of our ancestors. Blood can indicate the general health status of an individual and it can be analysed to detect pathological conditions or to provide valuable information in forensic crime scene investigations.

So finding blood in the 5000 year old Iceman Mummy means this sample is more than double the age of previous samples. It also answers a question about his death, from the May 8, 2012 news item on Nanowerk,

Whilst examining the wound at the point where the arrow entered the body, the team of scientists also identified fibrin, a protein involved in the clotting of blood. “Because fibrin is present in fresh wounds and then degrades, the theory that Ötzi died some days after he had been injured by the arrow, as had once been mooted, can no longer be upheld,” explains Albert Zink.

They used an atomic force microscope for part of this project,

The team of scientists used an atomic force microscope to investigate thin tissue sections from the wound where the arrow entered Ötzi’s back and from the laceration on his right hand. This nanotechnology instrument scans the surface of the tissue sections using a very fine probe. As the probe moves over the surface, sensors measure every tiny deflection of the probe, line by line and point by point, building up a three-dimensional image of the surface. What emerged was an image of red blood cells with the classic “doughnut shape”, exactly as we find them in healthy people today.

Here’s an image of the blood,

5,000 year old red blood cells discovered. Oldest blood known to modern science. Credit: EURAC

This finding, as exciting as it is from an historical perspective, also hints at possible future applications for modern forensic science, from the May 8, 2012 news item on Nanowerk,

“Up to now there had been uncertainty about how long blood could survive – let alone what human blood cells from the Chalcolithic period, the Copper Stone Age, might look like.” This is how Albert Zink, Head of the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman at the European Academy, Bozen-Bolzano (EURAC) explains the starting point for the investigations which he undertook with Marek Janko and Robert Stark, materials scientists at the Center of Smart Interfaces at Darmstadt Technical University.

Even in modern forensic medicine it has so far been almost impossible to determine how long a trace of blood had been present at a crime scene. Scientists Zink, Janko and Stark are convinced that the nanotechnological methods which they tested out on Ötzi’s blood to analyse the microstructure of blood cells and minute blood clots might possibly lead to a break-through in this area.

EURAC’s Institute for Mummies and the Iceman is rather interesting, from the Institute for Mummies and the Iceman webpage,

The EURAC-Institute for Mummies and the Iceman gathers and coordinates all currently available scientific data on the Iceman and various other mummies.
Founded in 2007, it also supplies new impulses for anthropological, palaeopathological, genetic and medical research. In addition, it promotes innovative techniques for mummy conservation.

The EURAC-Institute for Mummies and the Iceman strongly supports and promotes the use of non-and minimal invasive investigation methods, such as computer tomography, nanotechnology, molecular and biological approaches, as well as ancient DNA research.  It collaborates with several renowned universities and museums worldwide.

The creation of a mummy research centre in Bolzano was generally welcomed, in particular by those who were more or less directly involved with studies on the Iceman, not least because the EURAC-Institute for Mummies and the Iceman assures optimal conservation conditions for the mummy.

One of the EURAC-Institute for Mummies and the Iceman’s tasks is gathering all available scientific data on the Iceman. This includes archaeological site material, as well as papers, notes, documentation material from research groups from all over the world.

The Iceman was found in 1991 in the Alps and is the oldest wet mummy ever discovered (dated 3.300-3.150 BC). He spent seven years in Innsbruck (A) thereafter, where he was extensively studied at the Research Institute for Alpine Prehistory. Meanwhile, the South Tyrolean Museum of Archaeology was established in Bolzano and a specially designed refrigerating chamber was created in order to preserve this unique mummy. In 1998, once the mummy had been moved to Bolzano, the Research Institute for Alpine Prehistory in Innsbruck was closed and all studies concerning the Iceman were carried out at different Universities.

That excerpt from the Institute’s webpage was a bit off tangent but I do find the “specially designed refrigerating chamber” a rather intriguing detail.