[BNC-all] MONDAY MEMO

[Deborah Starewich]

MONDAY MEMO, October 15, 2007
 
 
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1. Announcements
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1.1:  BNC Mandatory User Meetings: Monday, Oct. 15, and Tuesday, Oct. 16
2007; 6:00-7:30PM; MRGN 121.  Attendance at one of these meetings is
required ‹ access to the BNC laboratories and cleanroom will be revoked for
those not in attendance.
 
1.2:  No keys will be checked out this week.  MaryJo Totten will be on
vacation Oct. 15 through Oct. 19.  Part-time staff will be covering for
MaryJo. They will be handling all mail and packages as usual.
 
1.3:  The West Laboratory Wing (1200-series laboratories) will be shut down
on Thursday, 18 October 2007, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM for the repair of a
chemical-exhaust fan.  All hoods, both acid and solvent, will be closed
during the shutdown.  It is critical that all chemicals be covered or
removed from the hoods no later than 8:00 AM Thursday morning.  No
operations may take place in the hoods during that time.
 
 
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2. Seminars
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2.1:  Tuesday, October 16, 4:00PM, Biochemistry Seminar, "Targeting cell
division for cancer therapy," by Xiang S. Ye, Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, WSLR
116
 
2.2:  Tuesday, October 16, 4:30PM, Bioinformatics Seminar, "Mapping and
Modeling the Arabidopsis Ionome,² by Ivan Baxter, Discovery Park, Purdue
University, ME 161
 
2.3:  Tuesday, October 16, 6:00-8:00PM, Network for Computational
Nanotechnology Lecture, ³Crash Course: Putting Your Work Online at
nanoHUB.org," by Michael McLennan, senior research scientist, IT discovery
resources, Purdue University, MRGN 129

2.4:  Wednesday, October 17, 4:00PM, Biology Seminar, Eric Hunter,
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, ³Genetic
bottlenecks and subsequent diversification following heterosexual
transmission of HIV-1 in African couples,² LILY G126
 
2.5:  Wednesday, October 17, 12:30PM, Ecolunch Seminar, "BAC-based physical
mapping and physical characterization of the channel catfish genome," by
Peng Xu, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, LILY G-416
 
2.6:  Wednesday, October 17, 1:30PM, Structural Biology Seminar, "Predicting
protein function from sequence: theory and applications,² by Troy Hawkins,
Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, LILY 1-117
 
2.7:  Wednesday, October 17, 3:30PM, Botany Seminar: "A twisted story:
Epigenetic regulation of TWD1 (TWISTED DWARF 1) expression in Arabidopsis,²
by Burkhard Shulz. Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture,
Purdue University, WSLR 116
 
2.8:  Thursday, October 18, 10:30AM, ³Energy Systems Engineering: Making It
Happen,² by Sandro Macchietto, Professor of Process Systems Engineering,
Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology, Imperial
College, London, MRGN 121.
Abstract:  Providing plentiful and secure future energy supplies for both
developed and developing countries, while addressing the environmental
impact of energy production and use, is one of the key challenges facing our
generation. Many of the solutions lie at the intersection of diverse
technologies to meet multiple needs. The interplay between energy resources,
supply and demand, transformation technologies, economics and policy are
extremely complex and require a multidisciplinary, whole systems approach.
With reference to practical examples, the presentation will consider how the
methods and approach of Process Systems Engineering can help in addressing
energy problems at various levels: from the improvement of energy efficiency
in traditional processes, such as distillation, to the development of novel
energy production devices and processes such as biofuels, fuel cells and
carbon capture processes, to the analysis of whole energy distribution
networks and supply chains.  The talk will also discuss how a large,
research-oriented university can help tackle such a daunting challenge, and
present some of the recent developments at Imperial College in this
direction, in particular the Energy Futures Lab, a college-wide research
initiative involving the faculties of Engineering, Natural Sciences and the
Business School, and a new Masters course in Sustainable Energy Systems.
BIO:  Dr. Macchietto is a Professor of Process Systems Engineering in the
Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London and a Director
of its cross-faculty Energy Futures Lab. His research interests include the
application of mathematical methods to process design, control and
operation, and the development of model-based experiment design techniques
for rapid model development and validation. More recently, he has become
interested in the use of systems methods for the analysis, development and
optimisation of sustainable energy systems, with particular applications in
the biofuels area.  Interested in exploring the relation between people and
research environment to generate sparks, he has promoted the creation of
innovative mechanisms for fast track research, such as a successful Process
Concept Studio, and interfaces between academia and industry. He co-founded
and was a director of the interdisciplinary Centre for Process Systems
Engineering, of Process Systems Enterprise Ltd, one of the first Imperal
College spinouts and has been a driving force behind the formation of the
Energy Futures Lab. Dr. Macchietto is a Member of the Court of Imperial
College (Engineering), a member of the Advisory Board of ENSIACET (Institut
National Politechnique) in Toulouse, France, a Director of the Asia Pacific
Technology Network, and a frequently invited speaker on technology and R&D
policy.  He was made a Cavaliere of the Order of Merit of the Italian
Republic by its President in 2004 and is a winner of the 2007 MacRoberts
Award, the top award for Innovation of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
 
2.9:  Friday, October 19, 1:30-2:30PM, ³Developing Viral Vectors for
Clinical Gene Therapy,² by Kenneth Cornetta, MD.
ABSTRACT:  Vector based on murine leukemia viruses were the first viral
vectors used in clinical gene therapy. Efficacy and safety concerns have led
to the exploration of vectors based on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus as
an alternative. This seminar will discuss the experience of the Indiana
University Vector Production Facility, which has certified over 30 clinical
grade retroviral products and produced the first lentiviral product used to
treat genetic disease. The evolution and ongoing challenges for human gene
therapy, including the bioengineering challenges required to generate a safe
and effective product, will be discussed.
BIO:  Kenneth Cornetta, M.D. is the Joe C. Christian Professor and Chair,
Dept. of Medical and Molecular Genetics, IU School of Medicine. Prior to
assuming the chair position, Dr. Cornetta served as the director of Adult
Bone Marrow Transplantation at IU. He directs the IU Vector Production
Facility, which has certified retroviral and lentiviral vectors for Phase
I/II clinical trials for a variety of NIH funded programs. The laboratory
continues to explore optimal vector constructs and production methods.
 
2.10:  Friday, October 19, 3:30 refreshments; 3:45 seminar, ³Engineering at
the nanometer scale:  Is it a new material or a new device?² by Gerhard
Klimeck, MSEE B012.
ABSTRACT: At the nanometer scale the concepts of device and material meet
and a new device is really a new material and vice versa. While atomistic
device representation is novel to device physicists who typically deal in
effective mass models, the concept of finite devices that are not infinitely
periodic is novel in the semiconductor materials modeling community. NEMO
3-D bridges the gap and enables electronic structure simulations of quantum
dots, quantum wells, nanowires, and impurities. Electronic structure
simulations of systems 52 million atoms have been demonstrated.  To truly
have impact on the research, experimental and educational efforts of the
community, relevant tools must be put into the hands of experimentalists and
educators.  NEMO 3-D can engage both educators and advanced researchers,
utilizing a single open source code. An educational version has been
released on nanoHUB.org.  Over 646 users ran over 4,800 simulations in the
quantum dot lab in the past 12 months.  nanoHUB.org is operated by the
Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN). 26,100 users gained
information on the nanoHUB in the 12 months leading to Sept. 2007.  Over
5,900 users have launched over 226,000 simulations.  This seminar will
overview NEMO 3D simulation capabilities and its deployment on the nanoHUB
as well as an overview of the nanoHUB impact on the community.
SHORT BIO: Gerhard Klimeck is the Technical Director of the Network for
Computational Nanotechnology at Purdue University and a Professor of
Electrical and Computer Engineering since Dec. 2003.  He was the Technical
Group Supervisor of the High Performance Computing Group and continues to
hold his Principal member position at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on
a part time faculty basis.  His research interest is in the modeling of
nanoelectronic devices, parallel cluster computing, and genetic algorithms.
Gerhard led the development of the Nanoelectronic Modeling tool (NEMO 3-D)
for multimillion atom simulations which has demonstrated parallel scaling to
8,192 CPUs.  Previously he was a member of technical staff at the Central
Research Lab of Texas Instruments where he served as manager and principal
architect of the Nanoelectronic Modeling (NEMO 1-D) program, which has
demonstrated to scale to 23,000 CPUs.  Dr. Klimeck received his Ph.D. in
1994 from Purdue University and his German electrical engineering degree
(summa cum laude) in 1990 from Ruhr-University Bochum.  Dr. Klimeck's work
is documented in over 170 peer-reviewed publications and over 290 conference
presentations.  He is a senior member of IEEE and member of APS, HKN and
TBP.
 
2.11:  Monday, October 22, 10:30 coffee; 10:40 Seminar, ³A Merging of
Materials & Device Perspectives through Fabrication & Assembly: GaN
Microdisks & Bio-Templated Photovoltaic Materials,² by Elaine Harberer,
Postdoctoral Fellow, California NanoSystems Institute, University of
California, Santa Barbara; MRGN 121
 
ABSTRACT: Today, two strategies exist for electronic and optoelectronic
device fabrication: a top-down approach and a bottom-up approach. The
top-down paradigm is based on conventional microfabrication techniques
developed over decades by the Si-based integrated circuits industry. These
well-established, precision processes create devices by alternately building
up and carving away material. Conversely, the bottom-up paradigm typically
uses nanoscale building blocks which self-assemble, usually hierarchically,
into larger scale structures, mimicking assembly in the natural world.
Together these two approaches have the capability to realize specific
material properties and device requirements at the both the nano- and micro-
meter scale. These methods are most effective when leveraging an expertise
in both materials properties and device design. As examples, the development
of a GaN-based microdisk laser and low-cost bio-templated photovoltaic
materials will be discussed. The microdisk is a simple, circular optical
cavity which is ideal for studying lasing phenomena in a material system
such as GaN in which high quality in-plane and vertical epitaxial mirror
formation is frustrated by hetero-epitaxial growth and lattice mismatch
induced strain. However, the undercut geometry necessary to create the
mushroom-shaped cavity typical of microdisks is non-trivial in the
III-nitride material system because of its generally chemically inert nature
and polarization. In order to fabricate the device using bandgap-selective
photoelectrochemical etching, a complete understanding of material growth
limitations, internal polarization fields, and band structure was required.
>From the device perspective, practical photovoltaic materials must both
efficiently absorb the solar spectrum and effectively separate and collect
the photogenerated carriers. This is a challenging task for even
well-studied conventional semiconductor materials. However, if the
additional constraint of economical or low-cost manufacturing is applied,
very few material choices currently exist. In order to address these device
requirements, a two-component bio-templated nanoscale system was designed to
modify macroscopic materials properties. Two types of M13 clones, each with
a specific function, are used to form photovoltaic films with CdSe serving
as the photo-active material and Au acting to enhance film conductivity.  As
shown through these examples, when combined with insights from both device
and materials perspectives, top-down and bottom-up paradigms jointly provide
potentially limitless opportunities for novel, multifunctional materials and
devices.
BIO: Elaine Haberer is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the California
NanoSystems Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She
received both her B.S. and M.S. degrees in materials science from MIT, and
her Ph.D. degree, also in materials science, from the University of
California, Santa Barbara. Haberer¹s current research interests include
novel microfabrication and bio-templating techniques for the development of
multifunctional materials and devices.
 
2.12:  2007 Discovery Lecture Series:  Global Business Development in Life
Sciences, Thursday, November 8, 9:00AM, Ross-Ade Pavilion.
9:00 Session I ‹ Kauffman Campuses Initiative, Best Practices Workshop:
³Skills for Business Development,² by Ted Ashburn, Senior Director of
Corporate Development, Genzyme Corporation; ³Skills for Successful
Entrepreneurs,² by Michael Kurek, Partner, Biotechnology Business
Consultants, LLC
11:30 Luncheon ‹ BioCrossroads Keynote, Starting Regionally, Thinking
Globally, Business Development, and the Life Sciences: ³Welcome and
Opening,² by Alan Rebar, Sr. Assoc. Vice President for Research, Executive
Director, Discovery Park, Purdue University; ³Keynote: Biotech 2007: A
Global Transformation,² by G. Steven Burrill, CEO, Burrill and Company,
moderated by William Miller, Provost Emeritus, Stanford University;
³Technology Commercialization and Purdue University,² by France A. Córdova
2:30 Panel Session ‹ Translating Indiana Ideas into Global Successes,
moderated by David Johnson, President and CEO, BioCrossroads: ³Importance of
Intellectual Property,² by Ted Ashburn; and ³Considering Global Competition
When Developing IP in a Startup Environment,² by Roger Newton, Co-Founder,
Esperion Therapeutics, a Division of Pfizer Global Research & Development
This event is free and supported by the generosity of the Lilly Endowment
and the Kauffman Foundation. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come,
first-serve basis.  Questions may be directed to:  Lori LeRoy, Public
Relations and Marketing Director, Biocrossroads, at
lleroy at biocrossroads.com; or Candiss B. Vibbert, Associate Director for
Discovery Park Engagement, at vibbert at purdue.edu
Please register today: www.purdue.edu/dp/dls/register.html
 
 
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3.  Funding Opportunities
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3.1:  Showalter Trust Grant Competition:  Details are available at
http://www.purdue.edu/research/vpr/funding/showalter.shtml. Pre-proposals
and rankings must be SENT TO Tim Sands by Friday, October 19, 2007. [please
note change in directions here.]
 
3.2:  A new NSF initiative, Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI),
may be of interest/relevance to your and/or your colleagues research. (CDI)
is planned as a five-year initiative. Chuck Bouldin (cbouldin at nsf.gov,
703-292-4920) is the DMR coordinator for this activity.
(http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/cdi <http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/cdi> )
 
3.3: Graduate Fellowship OPPORTUNITY:  The Department of Energy
Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) Program provides
outstanding benefits and opportunities to students pursuing a PhD in
scientific or engineering disciplines with an emphasis in high-performance
computing. Fellows also participate in research at a DOE laboratory.
Benefits include $32,400 yearly stipend; payment of all tuition and fees;
workstation purchase assistance; yearly conferences; $1,000 yearly academic
allowance; and fellowship is renewable up to four years.  For application
materials and more information on the DOE CSGF Program, visit
www.krellinst.org/csgf. Application materials may be downloaded from the
Krell Institute website at https://krellinst.org/csgf/application.
Applications must be received by January 16, 2008.
 
 
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4. Birck Visitors
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4.1:  Thursday, October 18, 10:15AM: Lafayette Adult Resource Academy, 40
people
 
4.2:  Friday, October 19, 10:05AM:  Andrea Zoller
 
4.3:  Friday, October 19, 1:30PM:  Technical Assistance Program Advisory
Council
 
4.4:  Friday, October 19, 2:50PM:  PU Student Leaders
 
4.5:  Friday, October 19, 3:00 ­ 5:00PM:  Fall Preview Days, self-guided
tours of perspective undergraduate students and their parents
 
 
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5. Discovery Park
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5.1:  Homecoming 2007!  Discovery Park Engagement is proud to represent
Discovery Park at Homecoming 2007 for the Family Friendly Celebration on the
Mall, but we need your help to make it a success!  Our goal this year is to
represent Discovery Park as a whole with interactive games, activities,
videos, and glow in the dark footballs for giveaways.  Purdue will be
playing against Northwestern on Saturday, October 27th, with kickoff
scheduled at 12pm at Ross-Ade Stadium.  We will need to represent our tent
on the Purdue Mall from 9:00 a.m. ­ 11:00 a.m.
We are inviting everyone, including Ambassadors and students, from Discovery
Park to stop by our tent and volunteer your time for a quick 20 minutes to
talk with Alumni, friends, and family about the cool things Discovery Park
is doing to transform their world! We will have Boiler Bucks available for
you to grab a snack, and will make sure you are off to the game in plenty of
time to cheer on our Boilers!!
I am also requesting a few volunteers to help setup and teardown.  If you
are interested in participating, please send an email to Valerie Lawless at
lawlessv at purdue.edu, or call her at 4-3662, and indicate what time frame you
would like to represent Discovery Park.
If you do not wish to be a volunteer, but would like to stop by our tent and
say hello, I have attached the link where you may find all the information
for Purdue¹s Homecoming 2007 and where our tent will be located.
http://www.purdue.edu/events/homecoming/
<http://www.purdue.edu/events/homecoming/>
Boiler Up! for a great Purdue Homecoming 2007!
 
 
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6. Life on the Outside
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6.1: Good news from Placidus Amama ‹ a baby girl joined their family on
Tuesday, October 9 at 8:01AM; both mother and baby are healthy. The little
girl shares two similarities with Bepeh, Placidus¹ son: both kids came three
weeks early and both weighed 3.01kg at birth.


Deborah S. Starewich
Administrative Assistant to Timothy D. Sands, Director
Birck Nanotechnology Center
Purdue University

765-494-3509
dstarewi at ecn.purdue.edu

http://www.nano.purdue.edu/



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