Workshop on Nanotechnology in Food at INL

Workshop on Nanotechnology in Food at INL

The International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) hosted an International Workshop on Nanotechnology Applications in Food – Challenges and Opportunities, last September 3rd and 4th, in Braga. This two-day workshop aimed to present the impact of nanotechnology in the food sector. The potential applications of Nanotechnology in subjects such as food safety, traceability, packaging performance and processing, among others, are expected to significantly improve the quality of food products in the near future. With the development of Nanotechnology, new nanoscale science, materials and structures, and nano-enabled devices and systems can be very beneficial and important in the food industry. The meeting enabled attendants to hear opinions from experts on nanotechnology applied to the food sector. For more information, please contact isabel.machado(at)inl.int

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Ministers of Science of Portugal and People’s Republic of China visited the INL

Ministers of Science of Portugal and People’s Republic of China visited the INL

The Portuguese Minister of Education and Science of Portugal, Nuno Crato, and the Minister of Science and Technology, of the People’s Republic of China, Wan Gang, visited the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory. After a short meeting with the aim of presenting to the Chinese delegation the INL project, a state-of-the-art facility, fully dedicated to nanotechnology and nanosciences, the two ministers visited the laboratories dedicated to nanomaterial’s, energy storage and conversion, nanochemistry and nanoparticle synthesis , spintronics and magnetometry. In the last two laboratories the Chinese Minister of Science had the chance to meet two Chinese researchers who are developing their work at INESC-MN, in collaboration with INL. The tour through the facilities, guided by INL’s the director-general, José Rivas, and deputy director general, Paulo Freitas included also the high accuracy laboratories where the Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang took a closer look at the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the scanning electron microscopy (STEM), as well as the focus ion beam (FIB). Nanotechnology is one of the areas included in the memorandum of understanding signed between the government of People’s Republic of China and Portugal to promote collaborative research.

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Chad S. Korach delivered talk on the Mechanics of Dental Enamel and Mineralized Bio-Nanocomposites at INL

«Mechanics of Dental Enamel and Mineralized Bio-Nanocomposites» is the title of the talk delivered by Dr Chad S. Korach, June 28th, at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), in Braga. Dr Chad S. Korach is Assistant Professor and the Director of the Laboratory for Nanotribology and Wear Mechanics in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University. Abstract Enamel, the hardest substance in the human body, takes the form of a protective crown on teeth and is a human’s only exposed hard tissue. Though enamel is a robust biological composite with high hardness and rigidity, it is susceptible to significant localized wear in the form of cervical lesions. The aetiology of the lesions is attributed to high mechanical stresses in the cervical region and the abrasion of the surface combined with erosive. The unique hierarchical microstructure of enamel plays an important role in the wear process. Here, the mechanics of enamel is studied by instrumented micro scratching and atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) to observe the effects of erosive application on surface damage formation. Relationships between applied stress and enamel erosion are developed. In addition, quantitative AFAM is used to measure the nanomechanical properties of enamel associated with microstructural […]

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Nobel Laureate Harold Kroto gave lecture at INL

Nobel Laureate Harold Kroto gave lecture at INL

Sir Harold Kroto, one of the co-recipients of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry delivered (June 1st) at INL, in Braga (Portugal) a lecture entitled «Carbon in Nano and Outer Space». The Nobel laureate stressed the importance of improving the general level of scientific understanding and awareness worldwide. «Acceptance of the truth» should go hand in hand with «understanding the truth». Harold Kroto invited the young scientists in the audience to address present challenges and to think out of the box, to focus their creativity and commitment in the subject they feel genuinely passionate about. Referring to the importance of the discovery of penicillin and anaesthetics and its impact on the improvement of human well-being, Kroto directed the attention to a present challenge: the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics. Prof. Kroto began his lecture telling the story of his and his colleagues’ odyssey towards the discovery of C60. In 1970 his research group conducted laboratory began spectroscopic studies on long linear carbon chain molecules with colleague David Walton. This research led to radio astronomy searches with Takeshi Oka and Canadian astronomers (Lorne Avery, Norman Broten and John McLeod) at the National Research Council in Canada which made the surprising discovery that […]

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The Princes of Asturias visited INL

The Princes of Asturias visited INL

Their Royal Highnesses the Princes of Asturias, Felipe de Borbón y Grécia, and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano visited the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory on the 31st of May. The visit was part of the official tour of the Royal Couple to the Republic of Portugal, from May 30th to June 1st, 2012.

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More than 160 students applied for the 2012 INL Summer Scholarships

More than 160 students applied for the 2012 INL Summer Scholarships

More than 160 students applied for an opportunity to work closely with INL researchers. Starting late June, the second edition of INL summer courses will offer 20 students from Portugal and Spain hands-on training in advanced research projects with INL scientists for two months. Scholars will have the opportunity of sharing the initial research steps of an international and multidisciplinary community working on nanotechnology projects, formed by scientists and engineers from all over the world. All candidates will be informed before the end of May about the outcome of their scholarship application.

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