Nanotechnology, the science of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules, will be used in this project to make bio-catalysts for producing fine chemicals and protein drugs for use in possible cancer treatments.
According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Encompassing nanoscale science, engineering and technology, nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling and manipulating matter at this scale.
At the nanoscale, the physical, chemical and biological properties of materials differ in fundamental and valuable ways from the properties of individual atoms and molecules or bulk matter. Nanotechnology research and development is directed toward understanding and creating improved materials, devices, and systems that exploit these new properties.
Any molecule of biological origin has to be treated very delicately in order for it not to break.
The method that LNKChemsolutions is developing treats molecules much more gently than current technology allows it, said Gustavo Larsen, the owner of LNKChemsolutions and professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The award brings current nanotechnology R&D expenditures at LNKChemsolutions to about $1 million a year. The company supplements its federally funded R&D with private service contracts with Fortune 500 companies. LNKChemsolutions is the only company in the Lincoln area focused completely on nanotechnology.
The company was founded in 2000 with core competencies in nanoparticle and nanofiber R&D for a variety of applications, such as toxicology, tissue engineering, encapsulation and controlled release. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s nanofiber technology has been licensed to LNKChemsolutions. Food, biomedical and catalysis applications are among the many nanotechnology-based product lines being developed by LNKChemsolutions and its partners.
The company has received contracts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Kraft Foods to develop new nanotech products. They are housed in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities located at the University of Nebraska Technology Park.
“LNKChemsolutions joins Nature Technology Corporation and GeneSeek in receiving competitive federal research funding under the SBIR program during 2006,” said Technology Park President Stephen Frayser. “The three firms have brought approximately $1.8 million in new federal research dollars into the community over the past year.”
The SBIR is a competitive three-phase program that provides federal research funding to eligible small businesses. It is designed to stimulate technological innovation and research that addresses critical national priorities.
The University of Nebraska Technology Park is a cooperative partnership of the University of Nebraska Foundation, University of Nebraska and private sector investors. Founded in 1996, the Technology Park is home to 19 companies and organizations with over 800 employees. The park provides access to university resources, technology transfer assistance, research funding resources, highly competitive lease rates, professional office services, high-speed data services, and on-site expansion and building options.