University of Arkansas has officially opened the high-tech Nanoscale Material Science and Engineering Building on the university campus in Dickson Street.
Chancellor G. David Gearhart stated that this advanced facility and the interdisciplinary research of the University of Arkansas will reinforce the university’s leadership position in nanoscale engineering and science.
As researches at the atomic level are taking place in the building, the new building’s rooms were constructed with required criteria to conduct nanoscale research. Rooms have vibration isolation to eliminate interference with their sensitive instruments and have electromagnetic wave isolation to eliminate the penetration of devices such as mobile phones. The rooms are also equipped with ultra-sensitive temperature controllers. The building also features a Class 100 cleanroom.
The building features three different rooms. In the discovery room with writable walls, multidisciplinary students will discuss about innovative ideas. This room is equipped with design and computation tools at the nanoscale as well as communication improvements such as teleconferencing capabilities, electronic whiteboards and wireless connectivity to huge-screen computer displays.
Once students conceptualize and idea, the same is transferred to the launch room by a small team. This room is designed for extensive strategic brain-storming as the students design a technology-cum-business plan to produce a novel nanoscale structure or material that fulfill s the requirements of a specific Arkansas small business or industry. The innovative design of the rooms makes its look like the research and development wing of a company not like a classroom.
Scientists of the Nanoscale Material Science and Engineering Building will conduct research on various features of nanotechnology such as studying the effect of defects on nanoscale material properties, improving properties of nanomaterials, producing novel nanomaterials, fabricating biosensing devices, utilizing nanoscale scaffolding for stents, bone implants, neuron regeneration, drug release and stem-cell growth as well as designing nanoparticle-based therapies and diagnostics.