June 2008 - BNC-all - ecn.purdue.edu

Weekly memo
by Deborah S. Starewich 30 Jun '08

30 Jun '08

WEEKLY MEMO, June 23, 2008 ****************** 1. ANNOUNCEMENTS ****************** 1.1: Ron Reger has replaced Jennifer Monahan as the Process and Equipment Manager for the Birck Nanotechnology Center. Ron has a Masters in Physics from Purdue, and comes to us with almost thirty years experience in industry. Coincidentally, he lived in the Married Student Housing building just outside the BNC entrance when he was a student here. Please welcome Ron to the BNC. His office is BRK 2289; e-mail is rreger(a)purdue.edu; and office telephone is 46667. 1.2: Please join the Business Office in welcoming Mary Jones. Mary will be handling the credit cards, bi-weekly payroll as well as purchasing activities through SRM. You can reach her via email at jones69(a)purdue.edu or phone at 68253. 1.3: *BNC Recycling*: The recycling bins currently located in the BNC Break Room (BRK 1072) have increasingly contained trash instead of recycling. These containers are ONLY for aluminum cans, plastic bottles (#1 & #2), and news paper. All other items contaminate the recycling stream. If trash is placed in these containers, the ENTIRE contents will be disposed of as trash rather than being processed for recycling. ***If this problem continues the facility will loose its recycling privileges!!!*** Please do your part to assist the recycling effort at Birck. 1.4: Business Office travel reminders: to speed the reimbursement process, provide COST COMPARISONS. The spirit of the travel policy is as follows: Travelers seeking reimbursement should incur the lowest reasonable travel expense necessary to accomplish the business mission. Cost comparison documentation can be either a written statement from a travel agency or a printout from an online vendor, such as Expedia.com or Orbitz.com. A cost comparison is a comparison of 'all' available flights on 'all' airlines. Therefore when obtaining a cost comparison from an online vendor, the printout should be the first page of search results for dates and times necessary to complete the business mission. In the event a traveler has not provided a comparison obtained 'prior' to the trip, the comparison will be established by the Central Travel Office. When we need to find a comparison to meet the 'Drive Vs Fly' requirement, we will find the airfare quote, then add $65.65 for mileage to airport plus parking for number of business days times $8.50 and $70 for shuttle. Please review the Cost Comparison policy: http://www.purdue.edu/travel/Transportation/costcomparisonrequirements.html <http://www.purdue.edu/travel/Transportation/costcomparisonrequirements.html > <http://www.purdue.edu/travel/Transportation/costcomparisonrequirements.html <http://www.purdue.edu/travel/Transportation/costcomparisonrequirements.html > > When you request that the Business Office pre-pay your airfare, please remember that an approved Form 17 is required. Please keep in mind that if you are traveling internationally then there are extra approvals required. The Business Office staff will do everything in their power to obtain the necessary signatures as quickly as possible ******************** 2. TOURS/VISITORS ******************** 2.1: week of 06.30.08: Biology Outreach/³Go with the flow² summer science camp; group will tour Birck on Tuesday, 07.01.08 **************** 3. OPPORTUNITIES **************** 3.1: Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (ONES) (R01); http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-08-003.html <http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-08-003.html> . Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): October 1, 2008; Application Due Date(s): October 31, 2008. An essential element of the mission of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is the support and career promotion of the future generation of exceptionally talented and creative new scientists who will further the understanding of the impact of environmental exposures on human health. The NIEHS supports a number of training and fellowship programs for pre and postdoctoral training, and mentored career development awards for faculty in the early stages of their career development. However, even with these career development mechanisms in place, to fulfill its mission of assuring a cadre of productive environmental health science investigators for the future, NIEHS needs to initiate further imaginative programs to identify the best new biomedical investigators and facilitate their establishing vibrant, independent research programs in the environmental health sciences. 3.2: Postdoctoral Positions in Optical Spectroscopy of Nanoscale Materials: The Softmatter Nanotechnology and Advanced Spectroscopy Team (http://quantumdot.lanl.gov/ <http://quantumdot.lanl.gov/> <http://quantumdot.lanl.gov/ <http://quantumdot.lanl.gov/> >) of the Chemistry Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking outstanding candidates to join our projects on the spectroscopic characterization of nanoscale semiconductor and metal structures. For inquiries and to apply, contact Victor Klimov at klimov(a)lanl.gov. Candidates may be considered for a Director's Fellowship and outstanding candidates may be considered for the prestigious J. Robert Oppenheimer, Richard P. Feynman or Frederick Reines Fellowships. Please see Special Postdoctoral Fellowships (http://www.lanl.gov/science/postdocs/appointments.shtml <http://www.lanl.gov/science/postdocs/appointments.shtml> <http://www.lanl.gov/science/postdocs/appointments.shtml <http://www.lanl.gov/science/postdocs/appointments.shtml> >) for further details. For general information refer to the Postdoctoral Program (http://www.lanl.gov/science/postdocs/ <http://www.lanl.gov/science/postdocs/> <http://www.lanl.gov/science/postdocs/ <http://www.lanl.gov/science/postdocs/> >) page. 3.3: MEMS Laboratory; Postdoctoral Researchers; University of Washington, Seattle. Prof. Karl Böhringer¹s MEMS laboratory is inviting applications for postdoctoral researchpositions beginning in Summer/Autumn 2008 in the area of microfabrication and microfluidics. The first position aims at developing novel sample holders for transmission electron microscopy. This project is a close collaboration with a local business, Hummingbird Scientific. Exceptional opportunities exist to participate in break-through molecular-scale imaging and to play a crucial role at a successful start-up company. Additional positions may be available in the areas of biosensors, single cell monitoring, microfluidics, self-assembly, and related areas. Please check in again soon. Appointments will be for one year with the possibility of reappointment on an annual basis in accordance with performance and applicable personnel policies. Salary is dependent on qualifications. Applicants must have earned a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related engineering disciplines in 2005 or later. Expertise in microfabrication, knowledge of microfluidics, experience with Solid Works or other CAD systems, strong communication skills, good problem solving skills, independent thinking, and willingness to travel are required. Experience with thin films, TEM and SEM operation, FEA mechanical and thermal modeling, and LabView programming are also strongly desired. Responsibilities: design, build and test various microfluidic devices for use in next-generation transmission electron microscopes for nano or Angstrom scale imaging of chemical or biochemical processes. Analytical modeling of microfluidic systems. Writing of scientific publications and grant proposals. Mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students. Interested individuals should send their CV, one representative publication, and a list of three references (with e-mail addresses and phone numbers) to Prof. Karl Böhringer, karl(a)ee.washington.edu.

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Weekly Memo: 062308
by Deborah S. Starewich 23 Jun '08

23 Jun '08

WEEKLY MEMO, June 23, 2008 ****************** 1. ANNOUNCEMENTS ****************** 1.1: Friday, 06.27.08, 10:00AM, Jennifer Monahan Farewell Reception, Birck Atrium: As many of you are already aware, Jennifer Monahan, the Process and Equipment Manager for Birck Nanotechnology Center, is leaving us. She has accepted a faculty position at Saint Louis University, and Friday, 27 June 2008, will be her last day. To celebrate Jennifer¹s new position and to say goodbye, we are having a reception in her honor in the BNC Atrium at 10:00 AM next Friday. Please join us in wishing Jennifer well in this new phase of her career. 1.2: June 30th - July 8th: Mary Jo Totten will be out of the building. Mail, shipping and receiving will be running as usual. Training, checking out keys, and card access issues will be addressed when Mary Jo returns. Please plan ahead if you are needing any students or visitors with those needs. Contact Mark Voorhis, 43036 or mvoorhis(a)purdue.edu with questions or concerns. ******************** 2. TOURS/VISITORS ******************** 2.1: Tuesday, 06.24.08, 4:00PM: NCN Site Team **************** 3. WORKSHOPS **************** 3.1: 4th Annual Symposium of the American Academy of Nanomedicine (AANM), September 4-7, 2008, Bolger Center in Potomac, Maryland (<http://bolgercenter.dolce.com/property/prop_overview.php>). **************** 4. OPPORTUNITIES **************** 4.1: Attention SPM Group: Student Coordinator for the Purdue SPM Users group is being sought. This position will be one of the keys in bringing the SPM community at Purdue together. Send John Blendell your nominations before July 15. Each nomination should include a short statement of why you feel that you are qualified for the position and a short resume should be included. Please direct your questions to John or Prof. Arvind Raman. 4.2: A new funding opportunity, coordinated by the Indiana State Department of Health, has just been released. Entitled the Indiana Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Fund Research Grant Program, ³the overall objective of this program is to foster and encourage research for the prevention, treatment, and cure of spinal cord and brain injuries, including acute management, medical complications, rehabilitative techniques, and neuronal recovery. Collaborations are encouraged with Indiana-based researchers as well as researchers located outside the state of Indiana, including researchers in other countries.² The DEADLINE for submission of proposals is AUGUST 15. The solicitation may be found at http://www.purdue.edu/Research/vpr/funding/seedgrants.shtml <http://www.purdue.edu/Research/vpr/funding/seedgrants.shtml> . One clarification: Purdue will not charge F&A (as stated in the RFA) for awards made to its researchers under this program; rather, each proposal may be for up to $60,000 in direct costs. If you have questions, please contact Cris King (46706; hcking(a)purdue.edu)

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Jennifer Monahan
by Weaver, John R 20 Jun '08

20 Jun '08

As many of you are already aware, Jennifer Monahan, the Process and Equipment Manager for Birck Nanotechnology Center, is leaving us. She has accepted a faculty position at Saint Louis University, and Friday, 27 June 2008, will be her last day. To celebrate Jennifer's new position and to say goodbye, we are having a reception in her honor in the BNC Atrium at 10:00 AM next Friday. Please join us in wishing Jennifer well in this new phase of her career. Jennifer Monahan Farewell Reception Birck Nanotechnology Center Atrium 10:00 AM Friday, 27 June 2008

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Weekly Memo -- Monday, 06.16.08
by Deborah S. Starewich 16 Jun '08

16 Jun '08

WEEKLY MEMO, June 16, 2008 ****************** 1. ANNOUNCEMENTS ****************** 1.1: UHP Oxygen Shut Down: Tuesday, June 17: Safety equipment will be installed beginning at 8:00. The shut down will last approximately 3 hours. ******************** 2. TOURS/VISITORS ******************** 2.1: Monday, 06.16.08, 3:00PM: Purdue Elderhostel. 2.2: Wednesday, 06.18.08, 9:00AM: MEP 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Summer Engineering Workshop. 2.3: Wednesday, 06.18.08, 9:15AM: Dr. and Mrs. CNR Rao. 2.4: Wednesday, 06.19.08, 9:00AM: MEP 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Summer Engineering Workshop. ******************** 3. SEMINARS ******************** 3.1: Wednesday, 06.18.08, 3:30PM, Lawson 1142: ³The United States and India: Two Giant Democracies. Science, Policy, and Funding Opportunities.² Discovery Lecture Series. Introductory Remarks: Victor Lechtenberg; ³Today¹s Scientific Scenario and Tomorrow¹s Challenges: The Case for India,² Dr. C.N.R. Rao; ³Rising Above the Gathering Storm,² Dr. Gail Cassell; ³Funding Opportunities for Bilateral Activities between USA and India,² Dr. Arabinda Mitra. http://www.purdue.edu/dp/dls/US-India/ **************** 4. OPPORTUNITIES **************** 4.1: Below is the URL for a Request for Proposals that may be of. Please contact Chris King, hcking(a)purdue.edu; 46706, for assistance in responding to this RFP: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08566/nsf08566.htm?govDel=USNSF_25 <http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08566/nsf08566.htm?govDel=USNSF_25> . Synopsis of Program: The Instrument Development for Biological Research (IDBR) Program supports the development of novel instrumentation or instrumentation that has been significantly improved by at least an order of magnitude or more in fundamental aspects. Supported instruments are expected to have a significant impact on the study of biological systems at any level. The development of new instrumentation must be firmly based in biological research need. The IDBR Program supports the development or major improvement of software for the operation of instruments only as associated with the development of the instrument. Data analysis and acquisition software are only supported to the extent that the availability of the software, in connection with new instrumentation, will clearly advance biological research. Proposals are encouraged that focus on proof-of-concept development for entirely novel instrumentation. Proposals must target instrument developments that meet a broad need in the biological community in areas supported by NSF Biology programs. Proposals are encouraged for instrumentation that does not currently exist in the form of a working prototype. In the selection of projects for funding, the program does not support the development of biological instrumentation that would be used for clinical or biomedical applications. *************** 5. PURDUE NEWS *************** 5.1: Wednesdays, 06.18.08, 06.25.08, and 07.02.08; 10:00-12:00, Mann 203: ³Power of Understanding,² by Branna Smith, Worklife Specialist. This is a six-hour class and once complete you may earn a Purple Apple (cfr. http://www.purdue.edu/hr/WorkLife/) Please e-mail Barbara Doremire, bjd(a)purdue.edu, to RSVP; class size is limited to 35.

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BNC back to normal operation
by Weaver, John R 11 Jun '08

11 Jun '08

The steam valve replacement was successfully completed by Physical Facilities, and the Birck Nanotechnology Center has now stabilized. We are now back to normal building operational parameters. Thank you for your cooperation, patience, and understanding during this utility interruption. John Weaver

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Laboratory Temperatures during steam outage
by Weaver, John R 09 Jun '08

09 Jun '08

BNC Laboratory users - The steam outage is in full swing, and it has had a more dramatic effect on the laboratories than expected. The temperatures are now approaching 60 degrees and going down. Humidity is still going up. During high humidity periods, please do not operate high-voltage equipment that could cause safety issues or damaging effects if arcing occurs. This is an issue for most high-energy RF systems, such as the Epigress. Please review the vulnerabilities of any high-voltage equipment to humidity before using it. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. John Weaver

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Weekly Memo: 06.09.08
by Deborah S. Starewich 09 Jun '08

09 Jun '08

WEEKLY MEMO, June 9, 2008 ****************** 1. ANNOUNCEMENTS ****************** 1.1: On Monday and Tuesday, June 9 and 10, 2008, Physical Facilities will be working on the high-pressure steam system for this portion of campus. As a result, the Birck Nanotechnology Center will lose temperature and humidity control during that period. It is likely that we will see a 2°-3°F drop in temperature and a 5% increase in humidity in the offices, laboratories, and cleanroom. Laboratories with fume hoods will feel more impact than those without hoods. Hot water will NOT be available in the bathrooms during this period. Please note that it will take 6-8 hours for the building to stabilize after steam is turned off on Monday and about the same amount of time for it to stabilize when the steam is turned back on late Tuesday afternoon. Please arrange your schedule to avoid temperature-critical and humidity-critical (such as positive photolithography) during this period. Additionally, the pump-down time for vacuum systems is likely to increase due to the added humidity in the cleanroom and laboratories. Our apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause, but it is a campus shutdown that is out of our control. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. 1.2: Bloodborne Pathogen Training: Friday, June 13 11:00AM-Noon, BRK 1099. Class size is limited to 10 people. Contact Lisa Reece (lreece(a)purdue.edu) for additional information. 1.3: Support Survey: still possible to respond; please assist the Center in assessing the services provided by business office personnel, secretarial staff, and facilities¹ staff members. Go to: https://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/Nanotechnology/facilities/manuals/suppo rtsurvey.php <file://localhost/discoverypark/Nanotechnology/facilities/manuals/supportsur vey.php> ; Login with Purdue Career Account information; Estimated completion time is 10-15 minutes. Thanks for your help! 1.4: ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY TO ENERGY-RELATED CHALLENGES? IF SO, WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN AN INFORMAL LITERATURE REVIEW MEETING GROUP. Every day this summer, a group will meet to discuss literature related to the convergence of nanotechnology and energy. Participants will give SHORT, 10-MINUTE presentations of relevant papers. Materials related to this meeting will be posted at http://groups.google.com/group/purdue-nano-energy-lit. We also have set up a Google Calendar that shows the meeting times and locations at https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=nkik8svvem7mj8tva7ae057atg%40group .calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York&pvttk=83f2429cbd8cf5d1635cf2820f7f eabb <https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=nkik8svvem7mj8tva7ae057atg%40grou p.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York&pvttk=83f2429cbd8cf5d1635 cf2820f7feabb> Those interested in joining the Google Group and gaining editorial access to the calendar (to schedule presentations) should contact Prof. Fisher (tsfisher AT purdue.edu <http://purdue.edu>). Times/Dates/Location: 0900-0930 MWF, 1030-1100 TuTh, all in BRK 2001. ******************** 2. TOURS/VISITORS ******************** 2.1: Monday, 06.09.08, 1:00-3:00: National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering. 2.2: Monday, 06.09.08, 6:15-6:45: Big Ten Internal Auditor¹s Conference. ******************** 3. SEMINARS *see abstracts/bios below ******************** 3.1: Wednesday, 06.18.08, 11:20AM, Morgan 121: ³Some Important Aspects of the Chemistry of Nanomaterials,² by C.N.R. Rao, Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research; seminar is part of the Launch Symposium for the Centeer for Analytical Instrumentation Development (CAID); REGISTER TO ATTEND AT http://www.purdue.edu/dp/caid/ <http://www.purdue.edu/dp/caid/> 3.2: Wednesday, 06.18.08, 3:30PM, Lawson 1142: ³The United States and India: Two Giant Democracies. Science, Policy, and Funding Opportunities.² Discovery Lecture Series. Introductory Remarks: Victor Lechtenberg; ³Today¹s Scientific Scenario and Tomorrow¹s Challenges: The Case for India,² Dr. C.N.R. Rao; ³Rising Above the Gathering Storm,² Dr. Gail Cassell; ³Funding Opportunities for Bilateral Activities between USA and India,² Dr. Arabinda Mitra. http://www.purdue.edu/dp/dls/US-India/ ********************************** 4. 2008 NCN@PURDUE SUMMER SCHOOL ********************************** "Electronics from the Bottom Up": July 14-25, 2008; open to Purdue faculty and students at no charge; you must register online no later than June 30, at: https://www.ncn.purdue.edu/Workshops/2008summerschool/internalregistration <file://localhost/Workshops/2008summerschool/internalregistration> . For questions or concerns, please contact Alicia Goodman (goodman(a)purdue.edu) The field of semiconductor microelectronics is undergoing a transformation to nanoelectronics. This transformation has been largely driven by a ³top-down² approach that extends concepts and techniques originally developed for bulk semiconductors and large device to the new field of nanoscale device technology. But to exploit the opportunities that nanoscience presents, engineers will need to learn how to think about materials, devices, circuits, and systems in a new way to complement traditional, top-down understanding with new, ³bottom-up² perspectives. Electronics from the Bottom Up is designed to promote the bottom-up perspective by beginning at the nanoscale, and working up to the micro and macroscale of devices and systems. For electronic devices, this means first understanding the smallest electronic device a single molecule with two contacts. For carrier transport, it means beginning at the nanoscale where ballistic transport, atomistic effects, and stochastic effects dominate. For MOSFETs, it means beginning with the ³ultimate² MOSFET. Electronics from the Bottom Up does not mean ab initio numerical simulations it means beginning with concepts and approaches that are both simple and sound at the nanoscale rather than extrapolated from the microscale. **************** 5. OPPORTUNITIES **************** 5.1: The Device Sciences area of the Semiconductor Research Corporation Global Research Collaboration is soliciting white papers in Modeling & Simulation of Nanoelectronic Materials, Processes, and Devices. Two page white papers addressing needs in a new research needs document are due Monday, JUNE 16, 2008 at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT. A limited number of full proposals will be accepted based on the white paper submissions and a subset of these proposals will be selected for anticipated three-year contracts beginning January 1, 2009. Interested researchers should note the proposal and review schedule, needs document, and instructions for web-based white paper submissions on the SRC GRC Web site at: http://grc.src.org/fr/S200803_Call.asp 5.2: ****NNI INFO***** In May, the House Science and Technology Committee approved legislation to reauthorize the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), which was established in 2003. H.R. 5940, the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act, would establish nanotechnology education partnerships to recruit and prepare students to pursue postsecondary education in nanotechnology. Included here are a couple of elements that are of particular interest to Purdue: 1) the bill would create a new NNI advisory panel. Currently, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) serves as the advisory panel, but the Committee believes an advisory panel focused exclusively on nanotechnology would be more effective. This appears to be a prime opportunity for Purdue; 2) the Committee struck a proposal to dedicate 10% of the nanotechnology funding for research on potential environmental, health and safety problems of the new technology and charged the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy with responsibility for championing research on environmental, health and safety. It was expected that the House would pass the bill before the Memorial Day recess. The Senate has not yet acted on the legislation, but we understand from Senate committee staff that this bill is a 2008 priority for them as well. We will let you know when we know anything. *************** 6. CAMPUS NEWS *************** 6.1: Joe Pekny will assume the role of Interim Head of Industrial Engineering from July 1, 2008 to January 4, 2009, while the search for a permanent head continues. He will continue in his role as Director of the e-Enterprise Center in Discovery Park. The Interim Head role is natural for Joe given his efforts in the Regenstrief Center, Cancer Care Engineering, Homeland Security, other Discovery Park systems-oriented projects, and his own research. https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/People/ptProfile?id=12436 ***************************** 7. *ABSTRACTS/BIOS for seminars ***************************** 7.1: Wednesday, 06.18.08, 11:20AM, Morgan 121: ³Some Important Aspects of the Chemistry of Nanomaterials,² by C.N.R. Rao, Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research; seminar is part of the Launch Symposium for the Centeer for Analytical Instrumentation Development (CAID); REGISTER TO ATTEND AT http://www.purdue.edu/dp/caid/ <http://www.purdue.edu/dp/caid/> Nanocrystals, nanowires, nanotubes and nanofilms are some of the important classes of nanomaterials. Chemistry has played a major role in the synthesis and modification of these nanomaterials. In particular, the synthesis of a large variety of nanocrystals and nanowires would have been impossible without using chemical techniques such as solvothermal synthesis. The use of templates and ionic liquids have been found useful for the synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials. The liquid-liquid interface enables the generation of ultra-thin films of materials, often in single crystalline form. After a brief survey of some of the important synthetic strategies, solubulization, functionalization and assembly of nanostructures, as well as a few of the novel chemical approaches employed by us in the last few months will be presented. These will include the use of fluorous chemistry wherein nanocrystals, carbon nanotubes and other nanostructures are extracted or solubulized in the most nonpolar medium possible, and the use of click reaction and other methods employed for assembling nanostructures. Results obtained recently on chemical investigations of graphene will be discussed.

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IMPORTANT: Steam outage 9Jun08
by Weaver, John R 06 Jun '08

06 Jun '08

Please ignore previous messages regarding the steam outage - this is the correct information. My apologies for the confusion. John Weaver

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REMINDER: High-pressure steam system work
by Deborah S. Starewich 06 Jun '08

06 Jun '08

On Monday and Tuesday, June 9 and 10, 2008, Physical Facilities will be working on the high-pressure steam system for this portion of campus. As a result, the Birck Nanotechnology Center will lose temperature and humidity control during that period. It is likely that we will see a 2⁰-3⁰F drop in temperature and a 5% increase in humidity in the offices, laboratories, and cleanroom. Laboratories with fume hoods will feel more impact than those without hoods. There will continue to be hot water in the bathrooms during this period. Please note that it will take 6-8 hours for the building to stabilize after steam is turned off on Monday and about the same amount of time for it to stabilize when the steam is turned back on late Tuesday afternoon. Please arrange your schedule to avoid temperature-critical and humidity-critical (such as positive photolithography) during this period. Our apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause, but it is a campus shutdown that is out of our control. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. John Weaver (jrweaver(a)purdue.edu) and Mark Voorhis (mvoorhis(a)purdue.edu) .

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Weekly memo: June 2, 2008
by Deborah S. Starewich 02 Jun '08

02 Jun '08

WEEKLY MEMO, June 2, 2008 ****************** 1. ANNOUNCEMENTS ****************** 1.1: Monday and Tuesday, June 9 and 10: Physical Facilities will be working on the high-pressure steam system for this portion of campus. As a result, the Birck Nanotechnology Center will lose temperature and humidity control during that period. It is likely that we will see a 2⁰-3⁰F drop in temperature and a 5% increase in humidity in the offices, laboratories, and cleanroom. Laboratories with fume hoods will feel more impact than those without hoods. There will continue to be hot water in the bathrooms during this period. Please note that it will take 6-8 hours for the building to stabilize after steam is turned off on Monday and about the same amount of time for it to stabilize when the steam is turned back on late Tuesday afternoon. Please arrange your schedule to avoid temperature-critical and humidity-critical (such as positive photolithography) during this period. Our apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause, but it is a campus shutdown that is out of our control. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. For questions, contact John Weaver (jrweaver(a)purdue.edu) or Mark Voorhis (mvoorhis(a)purdue.edu) ******************** 2. SEMINARS *see abstracts/bios below ******************** 2.1: MARK YOU CALENDARS NOW: Friday, September 12, 2008, 3:30PM, Fowler Hall: “The Roles of Short RNAs in Cancer and Biology,” by Dr. Phillip A. Sharp. **************** 3. OPPORTUNITIES **************** 3.1: The Interconnect & Packaging Sciences area of the SRC Global Research Collaboration is soliciting white papers in BEP & Packaging for work to begin February 1, 2009. Three-page white papers addressing needs in a new research needs document are due Thursday, June 26, 2008 by 3:00 p.m. ET. This call for research, issued to universities worldwide, may be addressed by individual investigators or by research teams. Successful white paper authors will be invited to submit a full proposal. Contracts resulting from this solicitation are anticipated to be three years in duration. Interested researchers should note the proposal and review schedule, needs document and instructions for web-based white paper submissions on the SRC GRC Web site at: http://grc.src.org/fr/S200807_IPS_Call.asp. 3.2: POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS IN CHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL MICROSENSOR RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY. Postdoctoral Associateships will be available through several programs in 2008 (and 2009) to qualified persons interested in doing research as part of an interdisciplinary team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Maryland. These positions at NIST are awarded following competitive evaluations of applicants under programs administered by the National Research Council (NRC). Research is done in an area of common interest to the candidate and NIST advisor, but the Associate is largely responsible for defining the specific problem to be studied. Activities within the Chemical Microsensor Program at NIST offer interested applicants a variety of advanced research opportunities relating to project areas that include: Study of surface/interfacial chemical and electronic effects, in gases and liquids, relevant to chemical and biochemical sensing (including functionalization and nanoscale contacts); Nanoengineering of materials (oxides, metals, polymers, organics, nanotubes, nanowires) for solid state microsensors and microanalytical chemical and biochemical systems; Design/fabrication of micromachined (MEMS/NEMS) devices as microscale research tools and as microanalysis platforms; Application of microscale devices, including microhotplate arrays, to investigate materials processing/properties, transient phenomena and the kinetics of (bio)chemical processes; Development of new sensing schemes for biochemical processes and medical diagnostics; Study of new signal processing protocols (including bio-inspired methods) for the rapid analysis of dense data streams. Available research capabilities permit multi-technique surface analytical characterization (XPS, UPS, TDS, AFM, etc.) as well as measurements of electronic behavior and electrical transport properties. Ultrahigh vacuum-based reactive sputter deposition hardware is also housed within the Group, as are MEMS design software, microfabrication equipment, a CVD system, SEM, and Sensor Testing Facility. Experience in areas such as surface science, electrochemistry, materials science, biochemistry, semiconductor electronics, micromachining, thin film science, or response modeling is particularly suited to our projects, but is not mandatory. Most positions are open only to U.S. citizens (although a joint NIH-NIST program does not require US citizenship). Applications include a brief research proposal. The programs provide successful applicants with a stimulating research opportunity at a major government laboratory located 30 miles from Washington, DC. In addition, stipends (base salary ~ $60,000) and benefits are quite generous. For more information about our projects, equipment capabilities or application procedures, please contact: Dr. Steve Semancik Tel: 301-975-2606; NIST Fax: 301-975-2643; 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8362; steves(a)nist.gov; Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8362. **************** 4. Call for Papers **************** 4.1: TMS 2009: 138th Annual Meeting & Exhibition. “Linking Science and Technology for Global Solutions,” February 15-19, 2009, Moscone West Convention Center, San Francisco, CA. To be a part of this global, interdisciplinary conference, submit your abstract online at CMS-Plus, http://cmsplus.tms.org, by July 15. For more information about abstract submission, contact Christina Raabe Eck, Technical Programming and Publications Manager, raabe(a)tms.org; 724-776-9000, ext 212; 800-759-4TMS. Information about the TMS 2009 meeting: www.tms.org.annualmeeting.html <http://www.tms.org.annualmeeting.html> . **************************** 5. *ABSTRACTS/BIOS for seminars **************************** 5.1: MARK YOU CALENDARS NOW: Friday, September 12, 2008, 3:30PM, Fowler Hall: “The Roles of Short RNAs in Cancer and Biology,” by Dr. Phillip A. Sharp. Phillip A. Sharp is Institute Professor at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research (formerly the Center for Cancer Research) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1993 for his landmark work on the molecular biology of gene expression relevant to cancer and the mechanisms of RNA splicing. His lab has now turned its attention to understanding how RNA molecules act as switches to turn genes on and off (RNA interference). These newly discovered processes have revolutionized cell biology and could potentially generate a new class of therapeutics. Dr. Sharp’s work has earned him numerous cancer research awards and presidential and national scientific board appointments. He is elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. He is also the recipient of the National Medal of Science. Dr. Sharp earned a B.A. degree from Union College, KY, and a PhD in chemistry from the University of Illinois. He is the cofounder of Biogen (now Biogen Idec) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and serves on the boards of both companies.

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