NSEC: Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology

该奖项在莱斯大学建立了一个纳米尺度的生物和环境纳米技术科学与工程中心。该中心将通过一套旨在解决科学、技术、环境、人力资源和商业化问题的综合计划来促进纳米技术的发展。中心的研究计划分为三个主题：(1)集生物学和纳米化学于一体的湿纳米科学；(2)生物工程纳米材料；(3)纳米结构材料的环境应用、起源及影响。关于有机物质如何与生物化学和细胞过程相互作用的基本问题将被研究。该研究还将涉及纳米材料在生物医学和环境问题上的应用。该中心将与工业和政府实验室合作，开发台式和中试规模的概念验证测试平台。将建立一个多用户纳米颗粒制造设施，配备最先进的仪器。研究外展将包括德克萨斯大学健康科学中心和法国国家科学研究中心的地球科学与环境实验室。该中心将通过为高级本科生实施课程模块、出版新教科书和创建交互式网页来促进纳米科学和工程教育。教育推广活动将包括对初中和高中教师进行纳米科学和工程方面的培训。该中心将提供讲座和辅导，研究实验室的经验和一个休假学期，专注于将他们的经验融入到教学中。产业联盟计划是将会员企业的高级科学家派遣到中心进行研究驻留和辅导班。该中心将提供为期一年的团队授课的纳米技术创业研究生课程。

This award establishes a Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology at Rice University. The Center will foster the development of nanotechnology through an integrated set of programs that aim to address the scientific, technological, environmental, human resource, commercialization issues. The Center's research program is organized under three themes: (1) wet nanoscience integrating biology and nanochemistry; (2) nanomaterials in bioengineering; and (3) environmental applications, origin and impacts of nanostructured materials. Fundamental questions concerning how in organic materials interact with biochemical and cellular processes will be investigated. The research will also address the applications of nanomaterials to biomedical and environmental problems. The Center will work in collaboration with industry and government laboratories in developing bench-top and pilot scale proof-of-concept testbeds. A multi-user nanoparticle fabrication facility will be established with state-of-the art instrumentation. The research outreach will include the University of Texas Health Science Center and Geoscience and Environmental Laboratory of CNRS, France. The Center will foster nanoscience and engineering education by implementing course modules for upper level undergraduates, publication of a new textbook, and creating of an interactive web page. The education outreach activities will include training of middle and high school teachers in nanoscience and engineering. The Center will offer lectures and tutoring, experience in research laboratories and a sabbatical semester to focus on integrating their experiences into their teaching. The industrial affiliate program will enable member companies to send their senior scientists to the Center for research residency and tutorial courses. The Center will offer a year-long team taught graduate course on entrepreneurship in nanotechnology.