 |
Construction begins on Molecular Foundry,
center for nanoscale research
 |
Artist’s
rendering shows Lawrence Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry,
which will sit on the hillside above campus and house six
labs focusing on inorganic nanostructures, nanofabrication,
organic polymer/biopolymer synthesis, biological nanostructures,
imaging and manipulation, and theory.
DRAWING COURTESY THE SMITHGROUP OF SAN FRANCISCO |
Ground was broken early this year
on the new Molecular Foundry, a centerpiece for Lawrence Berkeley
National Lab’s Nanoscale Research Program, one of five such
programs planned nationwide by the U.S. Department of Energy for
research in nanoscale materials.
"Understanding the properties of materials on the tiniest
scale will have an impact on everything from medicine to manufacturing,"
said Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank. Nanoengineering involves
researching both organic and inorganic compounds on a scale of
billionths of a meter, or about 75,000 times smaller than the
width of a human hair. Working with materials on the molecular
scale yields novel properties that can be harnessed into new applications.
The six-story, $85-million, 94,500-square-foot research building
will provide labs dedicated to the research, design, and synthesis
of both 'soft' (biological and polymer) and 'hard' (inorganic
and microfabricated) nanostructures and integrating them into
complex systems. The facility and its program are designed to
enable scientists from a wide range of disciplines worldwide to
submit proposals and engage in research there. When completed
in 2006, it will house more than 200 scientists and engineers
from Berkeley and around the world.
Nanotechnology is expected to enable such techniques as detecting
and treating disease on a cellular level, potentially alleviating
harmful side effects; creating carbon nanotubes to improve transmission
of electric power; and manufacturing smaller and more efficient
materials for such devices as electronics and solar cells.
|
|
FOREFRONT takes you into the
labs, classrooms, and lives of professors, students, and alumni
for an intimate look at the innovative research, teaching, and
campus life that define the College of Engineering at the University
of California, Berkeley.
Published three times a year by the Engineering Public Affairs
Office. Have a comment about Forefront? E-mail
your letter to the editor. Click here
to learn more about the magazine. |
|
