The welcome and opening remarks of the symposium were provided by Jeffrey Brancato, the Acting Director of the Columbia Nanotechnology Initiative, and by Gilbert Drouin, President, of Valorisation-Recherche Québec.

Following the opening remarks, Michael Crow, Executive Vice Provost of Columbia University spoke on behalf of the Columbia Nanotechnology Initiative. He began by providing a brief history of Columbia University, its mission as a research and education institution and its goals for the future in the face of dramatic social, economic and technological change. He also outlined the university's research enterprise, which entails roughly $400 million USD in expenditures annually. Next, he highlighted the Columbia Nanotechnology Initiative and its major goals, which are to:

• Cultivate and promote multidisciplinary research teams;
• Establish leadership in understanding the societal implications of nanotechnology;
• Foster external collaborations with other research universities;
• Build awareness of nanotechnology and develop industry links; and
• Provide tools and environment for successful collaboration.

The foundation of the initiative, Crow noted, includes three NSF-funded research centers, which he described briefly. They are the Center for Electronic Transport in Molecular Nanostructures, the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and the Environmental Molecular Science Institute. Each has a significant industrial collaboration activity as an integral part of its mission.

Crow also predicted that the greatest benefits from nanoscience and engineering will likely come from discoveries that bridge the life sciences and the physical sciences. Creating an intellectual infrastructure that facilitates these kinds of activities is a priority of the Columbia Nanotechnology Initiative.

He concluded his comments with a brief outline of Columbia Innovation Enterprises (CIEs) and its work to transfer knowledge and technologies created at Columbia into society for human and economic benefit. The key elements of CIEs are technology licensing, creation of start-up companies, dissemination using digital media and technologies, international and domestic commercialization partnerships, and regional technology-based economic development. All of these activities have a role to play in exploiting the opportunities created by nanotechnology.

Alain Caillé, Vice-Rector for Research at the Université de Montréal, presented an overview of the NanoQuébec Initiative. First, he briefly outlined the new research opportunities emerging in Québec and Canada, which include:

• 30% faculty turnover in Canada in the next 5 years;
• Over $10 billion CAD will be spent on research infrastructure;
• Significant increases in research and development spending (VRQ is injecting $170 million CAD over the next 5 years); and
• Expansion of the Research Chair Program and expected increases to funding of research councils.

Next, Caillé listed the six founding institutions, which comprise NanoQuébec and their respective research budgets. The member institutions are:

• McGill University ($200 million CAD);
• Université Laval ($156 million CAD);
• Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique ($32 million CAD);
• École Polytechnique de Montréal ($30 million CAD);
• Université de Sherbrooke ($65 million CAD); and
• Université de Montréal ($200 million CAD).

Caillé continued with a discusion of NanoQuébec's mission, which is to make Québec a leader in the research and development of nanosciences and nanotechnologies on both the national and international scene. He envisions that this mission would be achieved through a number of key activities:

• Support for innovative research which addresses the critical intellectual challenges of nanotechnology and its application;
• Education and training of highly qualified personnel;
• Increasing the visibility and public and industrial awareness of nanotechnology;
• Growth of the research community and the physical research infrastructure;
• Enhancing networking and linkages among researchers and institutions;
• Building partnerships and alliances;
• Promotion of technology transfer;
• Consolidation and coordination of currently scattered research activities in nano-scale materials, devices and systems.

Caillé continued with an overview of NanoQuébec's strategic plan, which is aimed at addressing the challenges listed above over the next five years. The major components of this strategy are:

• The decision to join the forces of the six institutions to establish critical mass in the nanoscience and nanotechnology fields. NanoQuébec's strategic plan emphasizes the commitments of the founding institutions and the integration of their own research planning activities - faculty positions, chairs, research networks, research groupings, major infrastructure developments, etc.
• A concerted effort to increase the number of qualified faculty and research chairs. NanoQuébec hopes to double the number of researchers over the next four years and increase the number of research chairs to 25. This calls for minimum annual funding in 2005-2006 of $20 million CAD.
• The development of a strong infrastructure, with an emphasis on linkages among the institutions. To that goal, approximately $110 million CAD in infrastructure investments has been made since 1999. Additionally, NanoQuébec will provide financial support (roughly $5.4 million CAD) for operations and ensure accessibility to the Nano-community in the following areas of research:
• Micro-nanofabrication;
• Materials synthesis;
• Materials characterization/properties;
• Modeling/Simulations; and
• Development of new tools.
• The strengthening of existing research programs and the development of an integrated scientific plan articulated around selected themes. NanoQuébec will support 30 projects over the next two years ($3.6 million CAD). Research themes, will be focused in the areas of:
• Nanomaterials;
• Synthesis of nanomaterials;
• Properties and applications of nanomaterials;
• New tools and techniques for nanomaterial characterization;
• Self-assembly and patterning;
• Nanobiotechnology and nanopharmaceuticals; and
• Nanoelectronics and nanophotonics.
• Active encouragement and facilitation of networking, promotion, awareness and training in nanotechnology and nanoscience is a key element of NanoQuébec's program. This will be done through:
• Development of a coherent research community and a concerted effort;
• Fostering exchanges between researchers through conferences and workshops;
• Visibility through publications, conferences, etc.;
• Public and industrial awareness;
• Establishment of national and international links; and
• Development of education and training programs.

Caillé also summarized the proposed management structure of NanoQuébec. This consists of a seven-member Board of Directors, including three members from academia and four outside the university community, including the chairperson. In addition, a scientific committee composed of members of the research community will execute research planning activities. It will be supported by an international scientific committee that will provide final pre-funding review.

Finally, Caillé stated that his vision for NanoQuébec's success is ambitious, and that he believes that by 2005, the initiative would yield:

• 25 new researchers with CRC (Canadian Research Council);
• 2 strong research themes;
• $20 million CAD per year in research operating grants;
• An additional $35 million CAD in infrastructure;
• 2 major international agreements.

James Murday, Superintendent of the Chemistry Division at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Executive Secretary of the Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology of the U.S. National Science and Technology Council delivered the keynote address. He provided an overview of the federal government's perspective on the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative and the role of international partnerships and opportunities.

First, he briefly outlined the historical approaches to research in the physical sciences and engineering. Here, he emphasized the traditional research approach geared towards interface/interphase phenomena, size effects phenomena and quantum confinement phenomena.

Next, Murday summarized the goals of the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative. The goals of the program are to:

• Promote fundamental research in nanotechnology;
• Setup centers and networks to conduct nanotechnology research;
• Expand and create a stronger nanotechnology research infrastructure;
• Tackle the grand challenges facing nanoscience; and
• Deal with the ethical and societal implications of nanotechnology.

In order to achieve these, various federal research and development agencies have taken responsibility of different research areas relevant to nanotechnology. The research bodies involved in the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative and their respective responsibilities are:

• National Science Foundation - Nanostructures and materials by design, manufacturing science;
• Department of Defense - CBRE protection/detection, nanoelectronics and optoelectronics;
• Department of Health and Human Services / National Institutes of Health - Advance healthcare therapeutics;
• Environmental Protection Agency - Environmental improvement;
• Department of Energy - Energy conversion and storage;
• Department of Transportation - Transportation;
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Microcraft and robotics; and
• Department of Commerce / National Institute of Standards and Technlogy - Instrumentation and metrology.

Furthermore, Murday highlighted the tremendous opportunities for technological advancement offered by nanotechnology and nanoscience. He emphasized the economic advantages and impact of nanotechnology over the next 15-20 years. In 2002 alone, the nanotechnology industry is projected to yield over $600 million USD, which represents an increase of over $180 million USD over 2001. However, this still lags behind Japan, the US's major competitor in nanotechnology, which is projected to produce over $900 million USD in nanotechnology goods in 2002. In spite of this, Murday stressed that the outlook for nanotechnology in the U.S. is still highly favorable, with an estimated potential of $1 trillion USD to be gained in area of nanotechnology over the next 20 years. He broke down this estimate as follows:

• Materials: $340 billion USD;
• Electronics: $300 billion USD;
• Pharmaceuticals: $180 billion USD;
• Chemical Manufacturing: $100 billion USD;
• Aerospace: $70 billion USD;
• Tools: $20 billion USD;
• Improved Healthcare: $30 billion USD; and
• Other Areas: $45 billion USD.

Tony Heinz gave a brief overview of the scope of nanoscience research activities at Columbia, which built upon Michael Crow's earlier welcoming remarks. In addition, he stressed the strong ties that Columbia has developed through the years with local industrial laboratories (especially Bell Labs and IBM), federal laboratories (Brookhaven National Laboratory) and other universities (CUNY, Rowan, and MIT).

Next, Heinz presented in technical detail information on a number of the nanoscience-related research activities at Columbia. These activities include research on:

• Nanoparticles and nanoparticle materials:
• Generalized synthesis and self-assembly;
• Semiconductors: CdSe, PbSe (Brus, Murray, Bawendi);
• Metals: Co, PtFe (Brus, Chan, Herman, O'Brien);
• Nanoscale Ferroelectric Oxides: TiO₂, BaTiO₃, Fe, Fe₂O₃ (Brus, Chinag, Grancharov, Herman, Murray, O'Brien, Redl, Robinson, Spanier and Yin).
• Controlling thin film structure: Using hexane and chloroform (Brus).
• Nanopatterning:
• Using edge transfer lithography to pattern CdSe and TiO₂ (Adams);
• STM nanopatterning. (Heinz).
• New molecular systems for 2D charge transfer (Nuckolls, Kloc from Bell Labs).
• Ultra-thin graphite crystal produced by AFM shearing technique (Kim).
• Odd-Even effect on self-assembled monolayers (Flynn).
• Carbon nanotubes (Brus, Kim, Avouris and Martel).
• Supra-molecular assemblies (directed assembly and self assembly):
• Single molecule Field Effect Transistor (FET) (Nuckolls);
• Single molecule bridge (Nuckolls).
• Molecular beam epitaxy (Stormer and Bell Labs).

Professor Heinz concluded his talk by stressing the need for a collaborative research program. He pointed out that there is great interest in nanostructure fabrication (including nanoparticles, one-dimensional systems and two-dimensional systems) at Columbia. In addition, he emphasized the diversity of approaches to fabrication of these nanostructures, which range from full self-assembly to hybrid approaches and directed self-assembly techniques.

James Wuest started his talk by giving a concise definition of a tecton. A tecton is a molecule whose interactions are dominated by particular associative forces that induce self-assembly of an organized network, with specific architectural or functional features.

He then highlighted some specific weaknesses and strengths of Tectonic Networks and Zeolites:

• Provide porous ordered frameworks;
• Zeolites are more robust, but are harder to assemble;
• Zeolites are more deformable.

1. Tools Used to Characterize Materials

Louis Brus's research at the MRSEC at Columbia University involves the development of tools for characterizing semiconductor CdSe nanocrystals and carbon nanotubes.

CdSe nanocrystals are organic molecules which "cap" the outer surface of core semiconductors. They prevent aggregation, oxidation, and they stabilize nanoparticles in the solution. Most significantly, nanocrystals isolate the particles and passivate the surface states. Brus's group reports observation of size effects in the excited electronic properties of small, crystalline CdS particles. They also have theoretically modeled the leading small size correlation terms applicable to the photochemical redox potentials and lowest excitation energy. Furthermore, Brus's research group has developed a two step organometallic synthesis of CdSe single crystallites. Characterization of these crystals is then performed using Transition Electron Microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray, powder Se Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Se,Cd Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy (EXAFS). Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Electron Force Microscopy (EFM) are also being investigated as characterization tools for nanocrystals.

Carbon nanotubes are pi electron systems which are well described by Huckel theory. Electron quantum confinement in nanotubes is continuous along the tube's length, but discrete around its circumference.

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are large aromatic molecules with pi bonds. Metallic SWNT represent the best example in nature of a 1-dimensional metallic wire. They have amazing properties, including resistance to oxidation and electromigration, high conductivity and great strength.

Brus's research group has been using Scanning Tunnel Microscopy and Confocal Raman Spectroscopy to investigate and understand the properties of SWNT. Moreover, in collaboration with Avouris and Martel of IBM, Brus has been working on using semiconducting tubes as nanotube transistors.

Tools for Nanoscience and Technology - Peter Grütter (Department of Physics, McGill University)

Grutter presented an overview of three characterization tools developed by NanoQuébec researchers:

• Sub-ps x-ray streak camera. Jean-Claude Kieffer, from INRS, developed the sub-pico second, x-ray streak camera. It is comprised of a photocathode, a prefocussing lens, a quadrapolar lens, a focussing lens, deflection plates and a phosphor screen. It is capable of 0.35ps resolution.
• X-ray correlation spectroscopy. This device was developed by M. Sutton of McGill University. X-ray correlation spectroscopy is achieved through the use of an x-ray microprobe (zone plate) plus a coherent beam. Coherent x-rays allow the measurement of speckles from diffuse scatterers. Scatterers fluctuate in time even in equilibrium, and thus this provides direct access to thermodynamic fluctuations.
• Scanning Probe Techniques. Research in this area was conducted by Grütter from McGill University. Scanning probe techniques were developed for characterizing:
• Molecular electronics - UHV Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) / Scanning Tunnel Microscopy (STM) / Field Ion Microscopy (FIM). [Low-Temperature UHV AFM/STM/FIM-140K, 10-11mbar, quick change]. However, several important issues need to be dealt with, including contacts, structure-function relationship between transport process and molecular structure, dissipation, crosstalk (interconnects), architecture, I-O with a trillion processors, fault tolerance and manufacturing costs.
• Magnetic particles - Magnetic Force Microscope (MFM) with in-situ field. MFM characteristics include operability at 4K and 8T, thermally-limited sensitivity, and in-situ thermometry, flux gate magnetometer.
• Quantum dots - 4K, 8T cryogenic AFM.
• Interfaces to living neurons - DI Bioscope + patch clamp + single photon fluorescence.

1. Nanobiotechnology

Michael Sheetz spoke about his research, which involves harnessing cells as nanomachines. Cells are biological systems that have been perfected over billions of years. Chemical and physical principles have allowed cells to be selected for utility. Several important lessons can be learned from the design and engineering of cells, including how to make machines and functions efficient and robust, make sensory and control systems reactive (but not over-reactive), provide for adaptability, and improve machines by repeated selection. Some nanoscale biological machines proposed by Sheetz, include:

• Energy transducers (motors) - AAA ATPases act as motors.
• Structural self-assembly-disassembly - Force applied to avb3 activates RPTPa to cause assembly and c-Src activation in early focal complex formation (Force-dependent assembly and contact disassembly).
• Replication and transcription.
• Force Sensors:
• A formed organism is able to sense and apply forces at specific places and times. Rapid neuronal sensing of force is achieved through ion channels. Turgor in tissues and long-term forces are sensed by cytoskeletal-based mechanisms.
• Laser trap can be used to measure the dorsal traction forces of cells.
• Synthetic Machinery.
• Degradation and Quality Control:
• Stable cell behavior occurs in the presence of small numbers of molecules and rapid turnover.
• Variations in numbers of molecules have little effect on function. This ensures redundancy and robustness.
• Sorting and Packaging:
• Creating new functions -Shotgun approach: Create large numbers of variants and test for those that function. Repeat the process. Then, use combinatorial chemistry and phage library screening.

Furthermore, Sheetz presented the results of his research groups' investigation of pilus retraction velocity and force using immobilized bacteria. From these investigations his research team discovered that pili displacements are intermittent. In addition, Sheetz presented a video showing a single collagen cell deforming a collagen fiber.

Françoise Winnik's research at the Université de Montreal is centered on the use of amphiphilic polymers as drug delivery vehicles. Amphiphilic polymers (which are on the order 10's of nm) can be employed as drug delivery vehicles for three key reasons:

• They can act as a flexible polymer brush, having the characteristics of biocompatibility and steric stabilization.
• They have a segregated core:
• Hydrophobic interaction;
• Metal complexation; and
• Electrostatic interactions.
• The have a reactive group targeting moiety.

These amphiphilic polymers can be designed to associate and form Chain-modified polymers or End-capped polymers. The association can be controlled by factors such as polymer structure, ionic strength, additives and by other chemical means. In Phosphorylcholine-bearing amphiphilic polymers, hydrophobic group induce association of the polymer in water, while the Phosphorylcholine (PC) group acts a component of the biomembrane, thus ensuring high biocompatibility. Moreover, Phosphorylcholine-bearing amphiphilic polymers can be assembled in water via ion pair interactions between phosphorylcholine groups and by the formation of hydrophobic microdomains, which develop between octadecyl groups. However, when associated in oil Phosphorylcholine aggregation occurs and this results in motional restrictions.

Winnick discussed several possible applications of amphiphilic polymers, including:

• Surface patterning (M. Wertheimer, A. Badia) - Spatially differentiated surfaces can be created by plasma "polymer" deposition onto a masked substrate.
• Gene therapy (J. Fernandes).
• Drug Delivery (J. C. Leroux) - Polymeric and unimolecular polymeric micelles can be used for hydrophobic drug delivery.
• Nanoelectrodes and Nanosensors - Peptide nanostructures can be used as "transducing" elements. There is also the possibility of preparing microarrays, which could have application in MEMS and Nanopatterning.

Marc Ferland, Assitant Deputy Minister ministère de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie, gave a presentation on the state of Québec science and technology.

First, Ferland introduced Québec as a suitable partner for collaboration with New York based on its strong economic performance over the past decade. He cited Québec's annual growth rate of 2.1% between 1980 and 1999, and its growth rate of 4.1% last year, as major factors that make Québec an attractive ally and partner for New York. In addition, he highlighted Québec's $142 billion CAD GDP and its strong international-export, oriented economy. Last year over 61% of Québec's exports were international.

Next, Ferland summarized Québec's exports as a percentage of GDP, comparing the year 1988 to the year 2000. Here he highlighted the dramatic change in total exports and international exports over the past 12 years. Next, he pointed out that Québec ranks as the 7^th most significant exporter to the United States, and the 5^th most important importer of goods from the United States.

Furthermore, Ferland went on to point out that the annual average growth rate in real research and development spending in Québec over the period 1986-1999, has been 6.9% which exceeded the rest of Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, the United States and Japan. In addition, he underscored that for the year 1999, R&D spending (as a percentage of GDP) for Québec was 2.3%, which exceeded the performance of both Canada and the OECD.

Paul Rowntree (Université de Sherbrooke) and James Yardley (Columbia University) co-chaired this workshop.

• Nanobiotechnology
• Tools
• Electronics
• Thin film electron transport

• Nanoparticles - (hairy nanoparticles)
• Mechanism and Dynamics of Self assembly- 1 Dim. and 2 Dim.
• Polymeric self assembly
• Liquid Crystal
• Polymer Nanocomposites
• Imorganic Nanocomposites
• Theory

• Need for funding - around $100,000 per project per year
• Profound need to develop expertise in organic and physical chemistry in the area of self assembly

Patrick Desjardins (Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal) and Irving Herman (Columbia University) co-chaired this workshop.

• Finding problems that need characterization tools
• Making nanostructures
• Finding nanostructures
• Characterizing nanostructures
• Properties that need to be measured (using specific tools)
• Instrument development

• Properties that need to be measured (using specific tools):
• MFM (Magnetic Force Microscope)
• Time resolved X-ray
• Computation
• Raman Spectroscopy
• Instrument Development:
• 3D atomic resolution
• Dynamic properties (Ultra-fast)
• In situ measurements of biological samples
• Structure of surfaces in small particles

• Possible research collaboration was created between Tony Heinz (Columbia University) and Mohamed Chaker (INRS), in the area of Ultra-fast Dynamics.
• Peter Grutter (McGill University) and Stephen O'Brien (Columbia University) formed a possible collaboration based on the MFM (Magnetic Force Microscope).
• Calorimetry/Phase Diagrams was identified as an area of overlap and possible collaboration.
• Several Québec researchers were interested in following up with Philip Kim (Columbia University). His research is focused on the measurement of thermal transport in nanostructures.

Jeffrey Koberstein (Columbia University) and Normand Voyeur (Université Laval) co-chaired this workshop.

• Cellular Mechanisms
• Biomaterials
• Medical Devices
• Sensors
• Genomics/Gene Theory
• Drug Delivery
• Diagnostics

• Quantum or nanoparticle dot diagnostics/imaging, specifically tunable quantum dots (materials issues are key) and biocompatability (focus on conjugation, site specific covalent tethering)
• Self assembly
• Tissue-material interactions
• Molecular recognition
• Structure-function
• Characterization techniques/tools

• More time is needed to discuss Nanobiotechnology in order to discover areas of overlap and mutual interest.
• Emails were shared between researchers.
• There was a call for more events, similar in nature to the nanotechnology symposium, where a diverse group of researchers can meet.
• It was observed that there was a profound absence of Columbia faculty at the Nanobiotechnology workshop, possibly due to a lack of interest on the part of Columbia researchers.
• There is a need for characterization tools for nanobiotechnology applications. Tools needed include:
• Tools for sub-cellular measurement of pH, force, etc.
• Tools capable of measuring real-time/in situ cellular and sub-cellular processes (of the order of milliseconds).

• There is a need for active post-symposium follow-up.
• A narrower, smaller, more focused meeting of researchers with common interests should be facilitated in the near future.
• Money/Funding mechanisms need to be investigated. Funding for possible cross-fertilization of postdocs and graduate students should also be looked into.
• The minutes of the symposium workshops need to be written up and put into a printed format.
• An overview of the entire symposium should be put in writing.
• Suitable research programs/initiatives should be identified for funding
• A proposal should be drawn up to outline the next set of steps to take to further the Québec-Columbia relationship.
• A mechanism should be defined for follow-ups in a given time frame.