Collaborative Nano Research:

Key Issues & Challenges

Dr. J. W. Weener

MESA+ Research Institute

University Twente
The Netherlands

GNN Workshop
May 26, Saarbrucken, DE
Nanotechnology Research & Networking
Regional

National

European

? Global
What do these initiatives have in common?

z Orientation on a restricted number of strategic

research goals

z Optimal exploitation of knowledge and facilities

(sharing of equipment)

z Science-2-Industry strategy / plan

z Joint Educational programmes

 MESA+ Fact Sheet:

DELTAMASK
MESA+ AQUAMARIJN
NANOMI
• 450 people C2V
• 18 full professors TSST
• 34 M Euro turnover (55% external) MICROFLOW
• 5 Strategic Research Orientations (SRO’s): LIONIX
DANNALAB
•Bionanotechnology MICRONIT
•Nanofabrication MEDSPRAY
•Molecular Photonics PHOENIX
•Nanoelectronics SMARTTIP
•Nanofluidics MASER ENGINERING
SPRENKELS CONSULTING
MESA+TECHPARK 3T, TMF
TSSE
• Centre of Innovation IBIS TECHNOLOGY
• 1200 M2 clean room IMMUNICOM
• Central Materials Analysis Lab on-site WIWEB
• Office space for businesses on-site ………
• > 25 spin-off companies on-site
 NanoNed Fact Sheet:

• Dutch network in nanotechnology

• Coordinator MESA+
• 8 top-level R&D Institutes in the Netherlands
Groningen/BioMade • National Board
• 140 M Euro in Research Projects
• 90 M Euro in Nanolab (NL)
Twente/ • Companies: Philips, Unilever, DSM, ASML, ASMI
Amsterdam MESA+
/UvA
Flagships:
Wageningen/ • Advanced NanoProbing
BioNano
Delft/DIMES
• NanoFluidics
Nijmegen/NSR • Chemistry & Physics of Individual Molecules
and -RIM
TNO/TPD • Bio Nano Systems
Eindhoven/TUe • NanoSpintronics
and Philips • NanoPhotonics
Electronics • NanoInstrumentation
• NanoElectronic Materials
• Quantum Computing
• Bottom-up Nanoelectronics
• NanoFabrication
 Frontiers Fact Sheet:

• 12 partners

• EC grant 5 M€
Research Clusters:
• Start Date: 1st August 2004
1. Nanofabrication
• Period: 4 years 2. Nano-Bio Interfacing
3. Bionanotechnology
• 192 researchers & staff Applications
• Focus: Life Sciences related Nanotechnology

• Coordinating Party: MESA+ Research Institute

• Industry: Unilever, Roche, C2V, BioConnect AG, others….

 MANCEF

Global community foundation focussed on bridging research and

commercial activity.

Global exposure of μn-research by bringing together:

Micro-Nano Roadmap
z Industrials
z Government representatives
z Leading Practitioners in the field
z Policy makers
z Stakeholders
z End users
z Equipment Suppliers
z Financial experts
z Customers
z Education
13 April, 2005, Munich, DE

Information: www.mancef-coms2005.org
 Studying Global Nano-micro Centers
Turkey; 1
Italy; 1
United Kingdom; 1

France; 1
Switzerland; 1
Sweden; 1

9 Starting point for a global Japan; 1

Netherlands; 2
picture of national initiatives Taiwan; 2

and ambitions European Union; 2

China; 4
USA; 31

9 Centers are focal points of

technological excellence
Korea; 8

9 Identifying different types of

centres and initiatives Germany; 11

First results will be published at: 21-25 August 2005

Contact: Matthias.Kautt@nanomikro.fzk.de
 Network of Excellence

Purpose:
Integrating the critical mass of expertise
needed to provide European leadership.

Main deliverable:
Durable structuring of how research is carried
out in Europe and spreading of excellence.

Challenge:
Overcome organizational, human and cultural
barriers.
 Frontiers’ Aim

Peripheral Core
Peripheral
Core
Core Core
Partner 5
Partner 1 Partner 5
Partner 1
Peripheral
Core
Core Core Core
Partner 2 Peripheral

Partner 4 Partner 4
Core Partner 2
Peripheral Core
Partner 3
Partner 3

From Isolated Centers to a Coherent Network

 Frontiers’ partners:
1 Mesa+ Research Institute, NL
2 University of Aarhus, DK
3 University of Cambridge, IRC in
Nanotechnology, GB
4 Technical University Delft, dep.
NanoScience, NL
5 Interuniversitair Micro-Elektronica Centrum,
BE
6 Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, DE
7 CeNTech GmbH, DE
8 Chalmers University of Technology, SE
9 National Centre of Competence for Nano
Science, CH
10 Max Planck Institute for Solid State
Research, DE
11 Nano Science Group CEMES/CNRS, FR
12 Westfalian Wilhelms University Münster, DE
 Key Elements Frontiers:
a 4-legged strategy

WP1 Virtual European Nano-sciences Laboratory

WP2 Coordination of Research

WP3 European Joint Curriculum

WP4 Spreading of Excellence

 TOP-DOWN APPROACH
Research Collaborations (I)

Enschede, NL, August 22-24, 2004

Three research clusters were defined:

1. Nanofabrication of Single Molecules and Individual

Nanoclusters

2. Nanobio Interfacing

3. Life-sciences and Nano Applications

 Cluster I
Nanofabrication of Single Molecules / Nano-clusters

General: * Top / down Lithographic Techniques and Bottom-up Self-assembly

* Cluster I creates the technology Platform for Clusters II and III

Competencies Identifiable:

• Measurement Tools to Probe Single Molecule Interactions

• Self-assembly / Self-organization
• Functionalization of Surfaces and / or Probes
• Surface Structuring at Nano-scale
• Manipulation Techniques: Nanoneedles, Probes, Optical Tweezers
• Detection: Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Near Field Optical Microscopy,
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
• Fine structuring and / or deposition with: Nanostenciling Techniques, Ultra High
Resolution Inkjet printing and Focused Ion Beam Tools
• Other…..
 Cluster II
Nano-Bio Interfacing

General: * Formation of Bio-Nano Hybrid Structures

* Utilize High Sensitivity and High Selectivity
of Biological Material

4 Sub-clusters have been defined:

1. Support Structures for Bio-Molecules

Immobilization of Biomolecules at well defined Surfaces: Biocompatible,
Semi Conducting, other…..
2. Manipulation of Single Bio-Molecules
Positioning of Bio-Molecules through: Surface Morphology, Mechanical
Movement,…
3. Addressing Bio-Molecular structures
Development of Techniques to address Bio-Molecules Individually and
Selectively: Grid-like Addressing, other…
4. Advanced Probe Microscopy Techniques
Investigation of Biological Nanostructures
Manipulation of Surfaces (at nm-scale)
Bio/Nano Hybrid sensors
 Cluster III
Life Sciences and Nano Applications

General: Focus on Bio-Nanotechnology Applications

Lab-on-Chip systems, Nanomedicine, other..

4 Sub-clusters have been defined:

1. Drug-Delivery Nanoparticles
Obstacles to deal with: Half-life of the Drug, Cell Recognition, Efficient Intracellular
Delivery, Other…
2. Biocompatibility
Focus at Bio-Integration of Artificial Materials (Implants):
Chemical Properties of Implant
Topographical Properties of Implant
Critical Molecular Interactions at Bio-Interface
3. Cell Control
Gain Control over Tissue Development through Cell Control
4. Biosensing
Development of Ultra-sensitive Nano-Biotechnological Molecular Recognition Devices
 BOTTOM-UP APPROACH
Research Collaborations (II)

Aarhus, DK, November 22-23, 2004

31 research focus areas were defined by participants

- Drug delivery nanocarriers - Nanopores and molecular

- Biocompatibility of implant materials
- Nano-channels
- Lab-on-a-chip and microfabrication
- Surface patterning
- (polymer-based, bilayers)
- Self assembly (synthetic and
biomolecules, nanowires
- 3D fabrication and assembly
recognition
- Nanoparticles as sensors
- Molecular machines and motors
- Single molecule fluorescence
imaging and spectroscopy
- Single molecule manipulation
techniques (SPM, OT, MT, magnetic
beads
- Mass spectroscopy on single cells
- X-ray microscopy
 Research Collaborations (III)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

MESA+ X X X X X X X X X X

Aarhus X X X X

IMEC X

NCCR X

Muenster X X X

Chalmers X X X X

Cambridge X

TU Delft X

CEMES X X

Max Planck X X X X

Karlsruhe X
 Merging top-down & bottom-up

2. Nanopore as functional platform

Cluster 1 (MESA+) 5. Single cell mass spectroscopy

Nanofabrication of single molecules 11. Patterning light guides on the surface
and individual nanoclusters
12. Nanofabrication

3. Coupled plasmon affinity biosensor

Cluster 2 (Karlsruhe) 4. Cadherins interacting with cells
Nano-bio interfacing
6. Cantilevers

1. Trafficking and disassembly of dd systems

7. Optical detection and nanochannels

Cluster 3 (Aarhus) 8. Wetting of nanochannels
Life sciences and nano applications
9. Nanotechnology based targeted dd

10. 3D nanopore scaffolds for drug delivery

 Coordination of Research

Network Concept Map

Cluster Concept Map Cluster Concept Map Cluster Concept Map

I
Entity Concept Map II III

Entity Concept Map

Entity Concept Map

Entity Concept Map

Entity Concept Map

Entity Concept Map

Research Projects
 Frontiers’
Frontiers Meeting Schedule

Months

0 3 6 9 12 15 18

Project start, Kick-off

X
Meeting
Strategic Research
X X X
Cluster Meetings
Frontiers’ Management
X X X
Committee Meetings
Governance Board
X
Meetings
 Management Involvement
Aar- Cam- TU Karls- CeN- Chalm Max Tou- Mün-
Mesa+ IMEC NCCR
hus bridge Delft ruhe Tech ers Planck louse ster

Virtual
Lead
laboratory

Coord.
Lead
Research

Cluster 1 Lead

Cluster 2 Lead

Cluster 3 Lead

Joint
Lead
Curriculum

Science-to-
Lead
industry

Org. & Mgt. Lead

External
Communi- Lead
cation

Gender
Lead
Issues

Ethics Lead
 Collaborative Nano Research: do’s and don’ts
Partners

• find the optimum number of partners that are willing to integrate & commit
themselves to the research program

• identify each others core competencies and peripheral activities at an early stage

• every partner needs to see the added value of integration

• spread the tasks evenly over the partners

• valuable research collaborations are only possible once the partners have in depth
knowledge of each others research activities
 Collaborative Nano Research: do’s and don’ts
Management

• keep the focus on a limited number of ‘flagships’ in research

• try and keep the balance between science and administration for
researchers

• set-up a management structure that can effectively follow up on

research collaborations

• top-down approach does not work in setting up research

collaborations

• management should be: strict and flexible at the same time

 Collaborative Nano Research: do’s and don’ts
Meetings

• organize research meetings on a regular basis, but not too often!

• try and alternate meetings between partners / locations

• meet preferably face-to-face

• make sure all partners are actively involved in research meetings

The process of collaborative nano-research
A bottom-up self-assembly process:
Once you’ve put the right information in the molecules
the self-assembly process is spontaneous because it
is energetically favored

Integration
1) Reactants (partners)
2) Stir (Regular meetings)
3) Solvent (Facilitating management)
4) Reaction time (Patience)
5) Product Yield (Solid Network)