The NISENet (Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network) Mini-Grants are for US-based institutions only,

→ There’s Still Time to Submit Your Application for a 2015 NISE Network Mini-Grant
Since 2011, NISE Network partners have completed over 170 mini-grant projects! Mini-grants are awards of up to $3000 that support initiatives by partners to engage their local audiences in nano topics. Not quite sure what project your institution could or should embark upon? The NISE Net has a comprehensive list of past projects that can inspire you as you brainstorm project ideas. Search past projects and learn more about mini-grant resources, eligibility, and the application process.

Applications for the 2015 Mini-Grant Program are due October 1, 2014 [apply now]. If you have program questions or would like to discuss project ideas, please contact your Regional Hub Leader.

NISENet (Nanoscale Informal Science Network) will be celebrating its 10th anniversary,

→ 2014 ASTC Annual Conference
If you or your colleagues are making your final arrangements for your trip to Raleigh, NC [North Carolina] next month for the ASTC [Association of Science and Technology Centers] Conference, keep in mind the NISE Net events, workshops, and sessions [see full list of conference activities]. We particularly hope you’ll join us at the Museum of Life and Science for the NISE Network reception special event from 4-7pm on Friday (10/17) night to celebrate 10 years of the NISE Net! The reception is free to attend and transportation will be provided. RSVP here.

There are opportunities to link up ‘nano’ activities with the US National Chemistry Week coming in Oct. 2014,

→ National Chemistry Week
Looking for ideas on how to incorporate your NanoDays activities into more year-round programming? National Chemistry Week takes place October 19-25, themed “The Sweet Side of Chemistry – Candy,” and is a great opportunity for NISE Network partners to collaborate with American Chemical Society members and organize a National Chemistry Week event. Visit http://nisenet.org/events/other/national-chemistry-week-2014 for more information and join the October Online Brown-Bag Conversation How to Host a National Chemistry Week Event.

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How to Host a National Chemistry Week Event
Wednesday, October 1, 2014: 3pm – 4pm ET
During this online brown-bag conversation, presenters will discuss ways in which partners can connect with American Chemistry Society members in your community and will share NISE Net activities that have a candy connection (sweet!) and explain the chemistry behind these activities. [Sign up now]

For the final excerpt from the newsletter, here’s some information about the international discussion regarding the use of nano silver as a curative in Nigeria for the ebola outbreak, which is affecting several West African countries,

→ Is Using Nano Silver to Treat Ebola Misguided?
With the continued Ebola outbreaks in Africa, nanosilver is once again back under the spotlight as a possible treatment for infectious diseases. Ever heard the expression that someone was “born with a silver spoon in their mouth?” That spoon isn’t silver to be fancy! Silver has been used for cups, bowls, and utensils for thousands of years because its microbial properties help to prevent food and drink-borne infection.

Doctors and researchers struggling to contain the outbreak and treat the virus are looking for new treatments. The World Health Organization recently sanctioned the use of unlicensed Ebola drugs in West Africa on medical and ethical grounds. One researcher recently submitted an open letter to the president of Nigeria supporting the use of colloidal nano silver (nano silver suspended in water) to deal effectively with the Ebola virus. There is research that supports the effectiveness of silver nanoparticles in rendering Ebola-like viruses ineffective but research was conducted using cell cultures, which still leaves the questions: would these same results occur in an infected patient, what is the appropriate dose someone would need to take, what is the best delivery method of the nanosilver particles, and would it cause unforeseen medical complications?

Read the University of Michigan Risk Science Center’s full article that provides a more in-depth look at this issue. There may be future treatments for infectious diseases that use nanosilver and other engineered materials, the medical field is already using gold nanoparticles to fight cancer, but what exactly that role will be remains unclear.

Related NISE Network activities and resources:

• Nanomedicine in Healthcare – this NISE Net forum explores nanotechnology-enabled medical technologies and their potential to transform health care, while considering the societal, ethical, environmental and economic impacts of this technology.
• Silver and Bandages – this high school curriculum K-12 lesson plan is a linked product designed so that students develop their own experiment to test the antimicrobial properties of nanosilver particles.
• Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard? – this linked product is a public presentation that introduces audiences to silver nanoparticles in consumer products.
• The Effects of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles on Brine Shrimp: A Toxicology Study (High School Curriculum Lesson) – this lab is a linked product designed to help students understand the interdisciplinary fields of science, and the practical applications of chemistry.

The article is by Dr. Andrew Maynard, the director of the University of Michigan’s Risk Science Center and a longtime figure in the field of nanotechnology. In his Aug. 15, 2014 article, Andrew provides an overview of nanosilver as a biocide and as a curative that is well worth reading in its entirety. For those who are unfamiliar with the situation regarding the ebola outbreak or might like to refresh their memories, I have an Aug. 15, 2014 posting which covers the situation briefly including the plan to use nanosilver in Nigeria (since shelved) along with some current research into ebola vaccines.

Here’s a link for anyone who would like to read the Sept. 2014 issue of the Nano Bite in its entirety.