The power of small things
by Michèle Nardelli
Some
of the greatest wonders of the 21st century will probably occur on a small scale
– in fact a tiny scale – smaller than a human blood cell, right down there at
the level of atoms and molecules.
And UniSA‘s Ian Wark Research Institute is set to spearhead some of these tiny breakthroughs, having an enormous impact on improving the water we drink, the medicines we use, the food we eat and the materials we use to build everything from cars to computers.
In October UniSA officially opened the Nano and Bio Materials Centre back to back with the new South Australian Node of Future Materials. The centre is a research concentration set to spur on international engagement with some of the most important research into nanotechnology in the world today. Future Materials will allow Australian companies access to materials characterisation and evaluation, help with problem solving through the investigation of contaminants and materials failures, studies and testing of new coatings, films and surface modifications, collaborative research to assist the development of new products and processes and expert independent advice on intellectual property matters.
Director of the Ian Wark Research Institute, Professor John Ralston, says million dollar funding under the Federal Government‘s Backing Australia‘s Ability Initiative will support continuing engagement with international partners to work on projects at the vanguard of nanotechnology and biomaterials innovation.
The new centre involves leading Australian partners including Sola International, Schefenacker Vision Systems Australia, Research Laboratories Australia, Newmont Australia, AMIRA International, South Australia Research and Development Institute and Monash and Sydney Universities. The partnership also includes nine leading European laboratories across the UK, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.
From 2005, The Wark™ will offer a brand new honours program and scholarships in the emerging fields of nano and bio materials, as well as continuing to provide a variety of scholarships for PhD and summer vacation programs.
Professor Ralston said the foundation of the SA Node of Future Materials would have practical impacts in SA. Founding partners in the network are the Australian National University, the University of NSW, UniSA‘s Ian Wark Research Institute, Monash University, the University of Queensland, and the Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Centre at the Central TAFE in WA.
The charter of the SA Node of Future Materials includes a strong interface with industry and a directive to encourage and enhance technology transfer and diffusion.