Naming the Nanomaterial-based Devices Laboratory (Priority 1)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Nanomaterials are characterized by their very small size. When “nano” is used as a prefix for any unit such as a second or a meter, it represents a billionth of that unit.

Materials on this scale do not behave as merely miniaturized versions of existing substances; they have different physical and mechanical properties that promise an enormous range of potential biomedical, electronic and other industrial applications.

The emergence of nanotechnology allows scientists to build materials atom by atom and molecule by molecule. The new territory of “molecular manufacturing” produces a host of new physical phenomena, such as entirely new complex chemical structures.

The Technion is playing a key role in this development. Work underway in the Nanomaterial-based Devices Laboratory, directed by Assoc. Prof. Hossam Haick, is leading to new applications for the field.

The laboratory will focus its research on the Nanoscale Artificial Nose (NA-NOSE), a device developed by Prof. Haick and his team that uses nano-array technology to detect volatile biomarkers in the gas phase. It was developed for diagnostic breath testing, but can also be adapted to other applications in medicine, safety and security, and environmental monitoring.

Researchers seek to design artificial olfactory systems, or “electronic noses,” that are more sensitive, more controlled and more tailored to identify subtle differences in mixtures of low concentrations of vapors.

To achieve these goals, researchers will develop and study sensor arrays (sensors used to gather information) made of nanomaterials, as well as an “e-nose on chip,” a single computer chip containing both the sensors and the processing components of an electronic nose, among other research topics.

Funding and Donor Recognition

A generous gift of $750,000 will name the Nanomaterial-based Devices Laboratory.

The donor’s generous gift will be recognized as follows:

The Technion will name the Nanomaterial-based Devices Laboratory in honor of the donor.

The Technion will mount a plaque in the donor’s name in a prominent location in the Nanomaterial-based Devices Laboratory.

In a major on-campus ceremony, and in the presence of dignitaries from the worlds of science, technology and education, Technion officials will preside over the dedication of the Nanomaterial-based Devices Laboratory.

The Technion will send the donor annual reports on the research being conducted in the Nanomaterial-based Devices Laboratory.

The Technion will list the Nanomaterial-based Devices Laboratory in the “President’s Report,” the university’s official annual report.