UA Binational Center and SRP Host Binational Nanotechnology Meeting

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On April 19, 2011, the University of Arizona (UA) Dean Carter Binational Center for Environmental Health Sciences and Superfund Research Program (SRP) hosted a binational nanotechnology meeting. Researchers from the UA were joined by Mexican colleagues from the Advanced Materials Research Center (CIMAV). CIMAV is a research institution with campuses in Chihuahua and Monterrey, Mexico, and is a member institution of CONACYT, the Mexican National Council on Science and Technology. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the applications and implications of nanotechnology, as well as to forge collaborations between the participating institutions.

The meeting was moderated by UA professor Dr. Jim Field, Co-Director of the Binational Center. Overviews of the participating institutions were provided by Dr. A. Jay Gandolfi, Director of the UA SRP and Co-Director of the Binational Center, and Dr. Jesús González Hernández, Director General of CIMAV. UA graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and professors gave presentations on their data relating to various aspects of nanoparticles, from manufacturing and reactivity, to toxicity screening and environmental fate, to effects on animal and human health. Investigators from CIMAV described the infrastructure of their nanotechnology center(s) and their focus on technology transfer and collaborative efforts, as well as studies on the use of nanoparticles as cytotoxic agents and implications for products. Activities also included a tour of UA laboratory facilities and a working lunch to discuss steps for future collaborations.

We expect that collaborations forged between the UA SRP and Binational Center and CIMAV will be of great prospective benefit to both institutions.