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| Information provided by the University of North Dakota |
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UND Researchers are Making Their Mark in Nanotechnology
 Nanoparticles will one day perform microsurgery, deliver drugs precisely on target, and coat surfaces to make them practically wear-proof. Researchers at the University of North Dakota (UND) are already making their mark in this futuristic science.
"Nanotechnology is a very exciting emerging field," says Julia (Xiaojun) Zhao, an assistant professor of chemistry. "The whole country realizes that it is something very promising in our daily lives." Zhao focuses on bionanotechnology—the use of nanotech, including nanomaterials, with biomedical and other biotech tools in bioanalysis, such as the detection of bacteria and metal ions. Zhao, with National Science Foundation funding, is synthesizing silica-based, surface-functionalized nanoparticles for trace analysis. A vital factor in shaping this new science is the surface modification and characterization of nanoparticles, she says. This includes nanoparticle composition, size, shape, fluorescent intensity, immobilization of biomolecules onto the nanoparticle surface, and properties of surface biomolecules on the nanoparticles. "At UND, this is a relatively new line of research, with new faculty and also established faculty who have shifted their focus into this area," says Zhao, who has published extensively in the field of bionanotechnology. Zhao's work has been featured in Nature research highlights, and she has several nanotech patents. "We really are catching up with the national level of research in this area." Zhao's nanotech colleague at UND is Juana Moreno, a native of Madrid, Spain, and assistant professor of physics. Moreno studies particles at the atomic and molecular scale. She tests hypotheses with high-speed computer simulations that she herself develops. "We're building a bridge between more traditional theoretical and experimental scientific research methods," Moreno says. She integrates the capabilities of UND's Computational Research Center (CRC) into her work. "High-performance computing clusters enable theorists to extend their studies of physical, chemical, and biological systems," Moreno explains. "Multi-scale, multi-phenomena modeling is enhancing our understanding of such complex systems as strongly correlated materials, biomolecules, and atmospheric phenomena. A high-performance computing cluster that can efficiently run simulation codes in parallel is essential for this type of research." Moreno notes that UND's computing facilities are equal to what she's found elsewhere: "My group also has access to the Galaxy cluster at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials at the Brookhaven and Oak Ridge National Laboratories. The UND cluster compares favorably with these other resources available to our group." Moreno and her collaborators at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Cincinnati are searching for optimal materials from which to construct what are known as "spintronic" devices. These devices, she believes, may allow not only the transfer of electronic charges but also the transport of "spin," a quantum property of the electrons. For more information, please refer to the following resources:
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