EU backs nanoscience research hub

The set-up and management of the ETSF will be modelled on European synchrotron laboratories. It will act as a hub for researchers across Europe, who will be able to draw on the knowledge and expertise of the scientists based there. The main objective of the ETSF will be to bring a deeper theoretical understanding of the science that underlies nanotechnologies to the wider scientific community.

Martin Stankovski, a doctoral student at the University of York, which coordinates the Nanoquanta research community behind the project, said: "Nanotechnology has enormous potential for industry, but deeper theoretical knowledge of the science involved is often missing in the broader research communities, especially in the private sector."​

In the pharmaceutical arena, interest in nanotechnology has focused on a number of areas across the drug development and production spectrum. For example, nanoscale 'quantum dots' are emerging as marker molecules in drug discovery, various nanostructure materials are already being tested for their ability to deliver drugs more effectively, and nanocoatings are being developed for packaging that would enhance the barrier properties and add security features.

The ETSF was first proposed by the Nanoquanta network, which has members from the UK, Germany, Belgium, Italy, France, Sweden and Spain, and willl receive funding from the EU under its Sixth Framework programme (FP6), as well as additional contributions from national research funding organisations.

The project builds on fifteen years of successful collaboration between leading condensed matter theory groups in Europe, whose work focuses on the properties of electronic excited states in matter, particularly nanostructures, as well as nanoelectronics and the energetics of atomic motion on the nanometre scale.

Until now, said Nanoquanta​, support for such work by the EU and national organisations has concentrated on self-contained, fixed-term research projects and networks with no permanent opportunity for other researchers to benefit from the new theoretical and computational developments.

"With the ETSF we have the opportunity to get the experience and knowledge of our research out where it will be of direct use,"​ said Stankovski.

Many of the theoretical approaches and computational solutions which are commonly used in calculations of electronic excitations from first principles have been developed in this network. The ETSF will create a knowledge centre with a core of research groups, some specialising in theory development, others in the development of software.

The ETSF also aims to build a broad community of research groups working on similar topics. Users of the facility will be a much larger and varied group, composed of researchers from the public or private sector wishing to benefit from developments in the field of electronic excitations.