Tag Archives: NanoSeptic

Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission supports nanomaterial development with a $2M grant

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Tobacco growing is not as lucrative as it once was. Worldwide anti-smoking legislation and health campaigns against smoking have had an effect on the industry and the farmers who grow tobacco. With that in mind, the June 10, 2015 news item on Azonano suggests that the industry and the farmers might be trying to find other uses for tobacco,

The Tobacco Commission [aka Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission] voted unanimously to award the Center for Advanced Engineering & Research a $2 million research and development grant, 100% of which will directly support NanoTouch Materials’ continued development of their NanoSeptic surfaces. This funding will be used to research new materials and advanced manufacturing processes, and build a dedicated fabrication facility in Bedford County [state of Virginia].

A June 9, 2015 NanoTouch news release on prnewswire.com, which originated the news item, describes the deal in more detail but offers no indication as to how tobacco might factor into the research (Note: A link has been removed),

“What makes research and development of NanoSeptic products complex and expensive is the multiple areas of scientific expertise required,” says NanoTouch co-founder Mark Sisson. “This funding will allow us to continue working with some of the best scientific minds in material science, nanotechnology, polymers and biotechnology.”

The research component of this grant will be focused on the development of the 5th generation of the NanoSeptic surface. Initial lab testing on early prototypes of the technology resulted in a surface that was 1,000 times more effective than the previous generation, achieving almost a six-log reduction.

Effectiveness of the current NanoSeptic surface has been extensively studied both by an independent FDA compliant lab and university research centers worldwide, including Saudi Arabia and South Korea. These studies utilize internationally recognized standard testing protocols against a variety of pathogens including E. coli, MRSA, Staph, Norovirus and the human Coronavirus, a strain of which is causing MERS outbreaks in the Middle East and Korea.

“NanoSeptic products present a great growth opportunity for this region,” says Bob Bailey, executive director of CAER. “The Center for Advanced Engineering and Research [this appears to be a wholly NanoTouch-owned research group] is excited to be part of this project and we believe that our strong research partnerships with multiple Virginia universities will prove to be a significant asset.”

As part of this three-year initiative, NanoTouch Materials is expected to grow their workforce in Bedford County, VA to a total of 14 employees, and an estimated 37 employees in five years. NanoTouch is also expected to invest $1 million in facilities and advanced manufacturing equipment.

“Virtually every firm or project with which the Tobacco Commission partners has a common characteristic: a tremendous potential to grow.  NanoSeptic is an ideal example of this.  It’s easy to see how big the potential is in healthcare, public and commercial transportation, and the hospitality industry,” says Delegate Kathy Byron, Chair of the Research & Development Committee. “That potential is emblematic of our entire region, and the reestablishment of our manufacturing community.  Once again, companies in Central and Southside Virginia are making products that are being used worldwide.”

While an entire line of NanoSeptic products have been developed and are being distributed to 29 countries, the company also plans to spend significant funding to conduct market research in the healthcare, education, facility management, commercial janitorial and food service industries. This market research will guide future product development and uncover specific ways that self-cleaning surfaces can be used to improve healthcare outcomes, reduce employee and student absenteeism, and broadly improve community health.

“While the vetting process for the grant was exhaustive, we’re grateful for the support of the Tobacco Commission and the Economic Development Authority of Bedford County in our mission of providing cleaner, healthier places in which to live, work and play,” says NanoTouch co-founder Dennis Hackemeyer. “And our investors couldn’t be happier with the company receiving funding that will accelerate growth without diluting their investment.”

The news release goes on to describe the funding agency,

The Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission is a 31-member body whose mission is to promote economic growth and development in tobacco-dependent communities using proceeds of the national tobacco settlement.  The Commission has awarded 1,831 grants totaling more than $1,072,922,288 across the tobacco region of the Commonwealth. http://www.tic.virginia.gov

I have mentioned NanoTouch before in an April 24, 2013 posting where I also expressed some interest in getting more technical information about the company’s products. In 2013, the company was introducing its product, NanoSeptic, into schools in the Bellmore-Merrick School District of New York.

Self-cleaning schools

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I’m all for self-cleaning, which is why this Apr. 19, 2013 news item on Azonano caught my attention,

“We’re always trying to create a cleaner environment for students and teachers in an effort to reduce absenteeism and the associated costs,” says Dr. Henry Kiernan, Superintendent with the Bellmore-Merrick School District in New York. “The NanoTouch® products provide an additional benefit of communicating our commitment, which plays an important role in our relationship with parents.”

Bellmore-Merrick has installed facility touch points, including door push pads and handle wraps, on all bathroom doors in an initial 5 high schools. Other schools have brought the portable NanoSeptic surfaces into the classroom in the form of snack mats and desk mats.

“The pre-school students were fascinated by the snack mats and what they did. The children focused intently on keeping their snacks on the mat,” says Bonny Phillips , teacher at Liberty Christian Academy’s Early Learning Center. “It also provided an additional opportunity for learning about cleanliness and food handling.”

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“Schools will continue to use one-time kill products like disinfectants, but NanoTouch enhances their cleaning efforts by working to eliminate even hard-to-kill microbes such as C. Diff, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says Mark Sisson , co-founder of NanoTouch. “And because alcohol based hand sanitizers pose a risk of fire around kids, NanoTouch products help to fill that void in schools.”

In today’s world of shrinking budgets, it’s sometimes difficult for schools to find funding for advanced technologies like NanoTouch, even when these products are inexpensive. However, some innovative thinking by a community bank has led to several classrooms being equipped with NanoSeptic snack mats. SelectBank, headquartered in Forest, Virginia, donates snack mats to area pre-schools and day cares as a way to give back to their community.

“When we can help area schools and children, and get some positive recognition from parents, that’s good for our community and for our business,” says Sherri Sackett , Marketing Manager at SelectBank.

And the parents at these schools are enthusiastically embracing the use of this new nanotechnology.

“We were very excited to hear that our son’s school has started using this new product,” says Robert Thomas, parent of a student at the Blue Ridge Montessori School. “Not only is this creating a cleaner classroom environment for our child, but it’s doing so in a healthier way, without poisons or heavy metals. And it’s such a unique product line that the school is considering selling the travel kits as a fundraiser.”

“NanoTouch is out to make the world a better and healthier place to live, work, and play. This is particularly important for sensitive populations, such as our youth,” says NanoTouch co-founder, Dennis Hackemeyer. “And, what can’t be understated is the communications ability of NanoTouch products to educate and change behavior.'”

It’s unusual these days to see a company market a ‘nanotechnology’ product by incorporating nano into  product names (e.g., NanoSeptic) and the company name (NanoTouch).

The NanoTouch website does not offer information about its management team (I was not able to find either co-founder although it is possible to find a listing for the company’s advisory board) nor is there much information about the technology. Here’s the best technology description I could find on the website, from the NanoTouch NanoSeptic versus other antimicrobials page,

NanoTouch products utilize several complex components which all work together. Our specialized fabrication process not only provides products that are durable enough to withstand routine cleaning, but also helps to accentuate the effectiveness of the antimicrobial ingredients and maximize the surface’s self-cleaning action. Our products contain widely used, harmless, “green” chemistry, which does not include diluted poisons or heavy metals. The antimicrobial technology we deploy, molecularly bonded on a nano-scale, provides a non-leaching, self-cleaning surface that constantly traps and kills bacteria, viruses and fungi through a catalytic oxidation process using available light.

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All of these solutions approach the problem of bacteria, viruses and fungus by cleaning surfaces…which is absolutely necessary. NanoTouch is not meant to replace these methods, but instead, it is a perfect complement and another step in the reduction of germ transfer. While the these approaches clean a touchpoint or a person’s hand, contamination happens with the next contact or from airborne microbes. NanoTouch self-cleans…constantly killing bacteria, viruses and fungi.

I did find some details about the company co-founders on their respective  LinkedIn pages, Dennis Hackemeyer and Mark Sisson. Both men are associated with another company, KiteString, from the Our Approach page,

KiteString uses innovative technological solutions in the service of creative to achieve Marketing Relevance. Yes, we deliver traditional creative services like design, Web development, and direct mail, but we also provide technology-based marketing solutions and client service processes and systems that deliver measurably better operational efficiency, enhanced brand management, improved collaboration and greater marketing response rates.

I’m not sure what the KiteString description of their approach means but it looks like KiteString’s main activity is marketing. Anyway, that’s not so important given that my main interest is NanoTouch. For that matter, it would have been nice to have found more technical information. For example, How precisely is this product nanotechnology-enabled? Are there scientists working for or associated in some fashion with NanoTouch? What kind of testing has the product undergone? These are a few of the questions that leap to mind.