Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Saturday, April 23, 2005

Next big thing is really little

By David Krotz / Winona Daily News

Nanotechnology is still not on the average person's radar, but there are researchers, venture capitalists, and universities acutely tracking its progress as "the next big thing."

More than 100 of those scientists, students, entrepreneurs and true believers attended a nano event Wednesday in Winona and heard University of Wisconsin engineering and physics department associate professor Wendy C. Crone say, "It could be the next industrial revolution we will see in our society."

A recent Merrill Lynch report said, "We believe nanotechnology is the next logical step in miniaturization. Nanotechnology is not a separate industry, but an approach applied to multiple disciplines. Nanotech is real — the questions generally are when, not if."

Merrill Lynch announced it is creating a "Nanotech Index" where it and investors will track the stock prices of 25 nanotechnology companies.

"We believe nanotechnology could be the next growth innovation," said Steven Milunovich, Merrill Lynch's global technology strategist.

Co-sponsor of Crone's lecture, along with Winona State University, the Rushford Institute of nanotechnology recently received a $600,000 authorization in the Minnesota Legislature's bonding bill approved by the governor.

The Rushford project is building a broad base of political, financial and educational supporters for its plans to develop a state-of-the-art research and development laboratory in Rushford that will permit scientists and entrepreneurs to create products and processes at the nano level—-10 hydrogen atoms equal one nanometer.

Before her lecture, Crone said she likes the Rushford venture's prospects for success.

"I think it looks really interesting, taking advantage of unique characteristics in the area, connecting universities in the area to start-up companies. A facility like that will attract companies," she said.

She cited the Merrill Lynch report as a significant step for an industry "that will really take off. We're already seeing products at this point."

According to Merrill Lynch's projections, the impacts of nanotechnology and its manipulation on materials on the cellular level will enter a sustained growth mode around 2020. The National Science Foundation sees a potential market of $1 trillion in the next 10 to 12 years.

"We are just beginning to get to the point where we can work in the nanometer range," Crone said. "Instrumentation is allowing us to see at the atomic level—-to see how atoms are arranged, and beginning to be able to manipulate them."

She passed out packets of materials and guided the audience through hands-on experiments using memory metal, light emitting diodes and exercises in "seeing" atoms.

Crone directed anyone interested in nanotechnology to visit her Web site at www.mrsec.wisc.edu/nano where a video presentation similar to her Winona lecture is available.

Contact reporter David Krotz at dkrotz@winonadailynews.com or call (507) 453-3524.