If a human DNA strand measures 2.5 nanometers, what can possibly occur at the molecular and atomic level? Quite a lot, according to the University’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. The $1.8 billion of funding planned for nanotechnology in 2013 by the federal government only hints at engineered particles’ growing influence on human life. 

This influence can be seen through the products commercially available today. Approximately 1,000 products today utilize nanotechnology, ranging from clothing to computer hardware, according to Irfan Ahmad, executive director of CNST.

To spread awareness of this technology, CNST will host the 11th annual Nanotechnology Workshop at the University on Thursday and Friday. Thursday’s workshop will be held at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications building on Clark St. in Urbana from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday’s events will take place inside the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory on Wright St. in Urbana. 

Ahmad said the two-day event will bring together a diverse background of researchers and industry professionals on campus and from around the world.

Ahmad added that the workshop has acted as a “nanotech ecosystem” for research, education and training in the diverse field of nanotechnology.

“Even on campus, the communication between different departments can be difficult to navigate between different schedules, independent research and varied interests,” Ahmad said. “The CNST workshop acts as a springboard for novel ideas to develop and forge useful partnerships in nanotechnology and related sciences, both locally and internationally.”

The communication divide may exist because nanotechnology encompasses so many fields, Ahmad said. He listed medicine, agricultural research and materials science as just a few areas that nanotechnology engages with.

Several labs that will collaborate for the workshop include the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and facilities within the Beckman Institute that will introduce local and state priorities in addition to international interests. 

Multiple agencies will participate in the event as well, Ahmad said, highlighting the National Nanotechnology Initiative, which has helped raise $80 billion toward nanotechnology research and development since the year 2000.

CNST’s workshop will primarily feature presentations and panel discussions from undergraduate and graduate students on Thursday and Friday. Student backgrounds range from electrical engineering to community health, signifying the diverse reach of nanotechnology across many career and research fields.

Heather Huntsman, graduate student in Kinesiology, will present the effect of substrate stiffness on the apparent stress cells experience during cyclic strain. Although Huntsman’s background is in biology, she said her project is engineering-based since it focuses on how cells respond to mechanical signals.

“(My research) has been a challenge because a lot of it is outside my expertise, but I’ve enjoyed the experience and it’s certainly been interesting,” Huntsman said. “I’ve had to translate what I’ve done to an engineering community, and they’ve gone through the same process to translate their research to me.”

Huntsman said she looks forward to other students’ presentations and other programs at the workshop. She admitted that graduate students sometimes have “blinders on” that narrow their interests only to their research. She said the exposure to other projects should be interesting and informative.

Student presentations will also include a poster contest on nanotechnology research, judged by a board of faculty members. The posters will include research in curing HIV and malaria, and developing gene-delivery systems for the modification of soybeans.

Ahmad said he believes these topics will capture attention on campus, mentioning that nanotechnology also includes developing both water purification systems and solar panels.

Ahmad said he encourages all students to attend either day of the CNST workshop, even if it is only for a moment between studying for finals.

“We want to provide a global outlook for nanotechnology research and development, and a significant element of that is through public awareness,” Ahmad said. “CNST also works with the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, among other efforts, since it is pivotal for the public to understand new technologies.”

Ahmad said he hopes interested students will develop greater enthusiasm from the workshop.

“There are always new careers in growing fields,” he said. “And we are happy to give students that new perspective to consider a new future career.” 

Adlai can be reached at [email protected].