May 23 2013
New Jersey, located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States, covers a total area of 22,608 km2 and has a population of 8,864,590 as of 2012.
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New Jersey’s 2011 GSP as estimated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis was $487 billion. The local economy relies mostly on food processing, the pharmaceutical industry, chemical development, the financial industry, tourism, telecommunications, printing and publishing. The scientific and shipping industries also play a significant role in the state’s economy.
For businesses in New jersey, or those looking to relocate to New Jersey, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority has a range of financing and incentive to attract both manufacturers and businesses in areas such as technology and life sciences as well as clean energy. They are committed to attracting and nurturing businesses in these areas to ensure they remain an innovation leader, and these areas have been identified as key to growing the state's economy.
Nanotechnology Organizations
Brief introductions to the key nanotechnology-related organizations in New Jersey are given below:
New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium (NJNC) - The NJNC along with its parent company Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc. work for the Bell Labs nanofabrication center by providing cost-effective and quick access to nanotechnology development services and research.
New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology - Focuses on developing and commercializing the booming field of nanotechnology in New Jersey. The commission recently invested in the nanotechnology facility called NJ NANO @ RU which is located at Rutgers University.
Hosokawa Nanoparticle Technology Center - Concentrates on the development and commercialization of composite materials and nanoparticles. The center’s Mechano Chemical Bonding Technology enables customers to improve the quality of their products by adding nanoparticles into the material structure.
Nanotechnology Companies
The major nanotechnology-related companies in New Jersey are listed below along with a brief introduction to each of them:
Salvona - Salvona L.L.C. is a privately held holding company registered in the state of New Jersey and founded in 1998. Salvona has always focused, and continues to focus, on developing new and advanced encapsulation and delivery systems to bridge technology gaps as well as to develop innovative tools required to create new products that perform better, are cost effective and are environmentally friendly.
Salvona has established an umbrella of intellectual property covering its broad technology platforms that provides the company with freedom to operate and apply these technologies to the following markets: consumer care and cosmetics, food and nutraceuticals, health care and oral hygiene, fabric care and household, and most recently, agriculture for the next 20 years at the very least.
Salvona’s patent portfolio covers both the compositions and applications of its technology platforms. Since its founding in 1998, the company has applied for close to 100 patents. Salvona’s proprietary technology platforms include nano-spheres, sub-micron spheres, micro spheres, invisible soluble patches, and biodegradable devices.
Inmat - InMat®, Inc., headquartered in Hillsborough, New Jersey, U.S.A. is a leading company in the field of nanocomposite coatings that dramatically improve the barrier properties of polymers and elastomers.
Founded in 1999, and selling commercially since 2001, InMat develops, markets and manufactures nanocomposite coatings.
These coatings use InMat’s proprietary and patented Nanolok™ technology platform, and have been marketed under the brand name Air D-Fense™ and Nanolok™. These products will enable significant advancements in industries including flexible and rigid packaging, automotive, medical, protective apparel and sports equipment.
mPhase Technologies - mPhase Technologies is a publicly traded company on the OTCBB under ticker symbol XDSL. They are the undisputed global leader in the development of the battery of the future…today.
At the forefront of mPhase’s movement is AlwaysReady, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of mPhase Technologies, Inc. Chief developers within AlwaysReady, Inc. have completely revamped the conventional idea of the battery with their Smart Battery by means of over ten patents involving battery technology. Before these developments, battery technology had changed very little over the last 150 years. Thanks to recent breakthroughs, however, the AlwaysReady Smart Battery provides a product with several distinct advantages over current conventional batteries
mPhase Technology is proud about its leading position in battery technology and is excited for the future of this exciting industry.
Universal Display Corporation - Universal Display Corporation is a world leader in the development of innovative OLED technology for use in flat panel displays, lighting, and organic electronics. Universal Display has one of the largest patent portfolios in the OLED field with licensing rights to over 1000 issued and pending patents worldwide in a broad array of OLED technologies, materials and processes.
PARS Environmental - PARS Environmental, Inc. (PARS) is a full service environmental consulting firm that offers creative solutions to a broad range of engineering, health & safety, and environmental issues. Their product includes a variety of nanoparticle-based solutions for environmental remediation, such as Nano-Ox™ oxygen releasing particles and NanoFe™ zero-valent iron.
A&A Company - A&A Company, Inc., for over 60 years, has been at the forefront of the Thermal Spray Coating industry. We are a unique Plant devoted exclusively to the application of Metal, Ceramic, Cermet, and Hardfaced Coatings. Combining this Coating specialization with our complete grinding, lapping and machining capabilities provides you a service unmatched elsewhere.
NEI Corporation - NEI Corporation is an application-driven company that utilizes nanotechnology to develop and produce advanced materials. The company’s core competencies are in synthesizing nanoscale materials and prototyping products that incorporate the advanced materials. Founded in 1997, we manufacture and sell advanced materials products, provide materials development services, and perform contract-based R&D for public and private entities. NEI has built a strong manufacturing and R&D infrastructure that enables the rapid transition of concepts to products.
NanoMedica - NanoMedica is a development-stage company with core competencies in biomedical applications of nanotechnology and molecular biology. Their mission is to enable better medicine through nanotechnology by helping our biopharmaceutical partners and customers "discover more with less™."
Through in-depth discussions with collaborators, partners, and customers, NanoMedica has learned that among the most pressing current challenges in drug discovery are cost, labor, and time. To address these challenges, they have assembled a talented interdisciplinary team of physicists, engineers, chemists and biologists who share the common goal of accelerating the discovery of drugs and diagnostic reagents through programmable chemical synthesis, screening, selection and identification of novel ligands.
EDAX - EDAX is the global leader in Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis, Electron Backscatter Diffraction, and Micro X-ray Fluorescence systems. EDAX manufactures, markets, and services high-quality products and systems for leading companies in semiconductors, metals, and geological, biological, material and ceramics markets.
Since its founding in 1962, EDAX has utilized its knowledge and expertise to develop ultra-sensitive silicon radiation sensors, digital electronics, and specialized application software that facilitate solutions to research, development, and industrial requirements.
MicroDysis - MicroDysis is an instrumentation company, providing innovative products and services in microfluidics, liquid delivery, lab automation, and equipment for life sciences, biotechnology, medical device, and R&D.
Based on its patented micro- and nano-fabrication technology to enhance test sensitivity and reaction capability, MicroDysis develops and manufactures a wide variety of nano-engineered solid material, fluidic devices, and equipment for biomedical, pharmaceutical, and environmental applications. The Company is also providing R&D and prototype services for liquid handling, automation, and instrumentation.
Rudolph Technologies - Rudolph Technologies, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture, and support of defect inspection, advanced packaging lithography, process control metrology, and data analysis systems and software used by microelectronic device manufacturers worldwide.
Rudolph provides a full-fab solution through its families of proprietary products that provide critical yield-enhancing information, enabling microelectronic device manufacturers to drive down the costs and time to market of their products. The company’s expanding portfolio of equipment and software solutions is used in both the wafer processing and final manufacturing of ICs, and in adjacent markets such as flat panel display, LED and solar.
Nanotechnology Research and Education
Some of the leading academic institutes in New Jersey offering courses and research programs in nanoscience and nanotechnology are listed below:
Princeton University - The NanoStructures Laboratory conducts nanotechnology research on the following topics:
- Nanofabrication
- Nanoelectronics
- Nano-optoelectronics
- Nanobiology
- Nanomagnetics
Rutgers University - The Institute for Advanced Materials, Devices, and Nanotechnology concentrates on the study of technology and science-driven by the atomic scale and nanoscale manipulation of materials. This institute supports research in the following fields:
- Nanobiology
- Energy and Environment
- Electronics, Photonics, and Sensors
Stevens Institute of Technology - Promotes the study and research on nanotechnology through the following research centers and programs.
- Active Nanomaterials & Devices Laboratory - Promotes research on the fabrication, design, applications, and characterization of different active nanostructures that include nanotrees, nanofibers, nanojunctions, and nanotubes.
The graduate courses include:
- ME573 Introduction to Micro/Nanoelectromechanical Systems
- ME652 Design and Fabrication of Micro and Nanoelectromechanical Systems
The undergraduate courses include:
- E-126 Mechanics of solids
- ME225 Dynamics
- Senior Designs
- Nanotechnology Graduate Program (NGP) - Offers Masters of Engineering, Masters of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy concentrating mostly on the field of nanotechnology.
Some of the nanotechnology courses offered by NGP include:
- Techniques of Surface and Nanostructure Characterization
- Nanoscale Science and Technology
- Techniques of Surface and Nanostructure Characterization
- Nanocatalysis
- Nanomedicine
- Nanobiotechnology
- Nano and Microfluidics Lab - Deals with research on the topic ‘Large-Area 3-D Nano-Patterning and Nanostructure Fabrication’.
- Nanoelectronics and Nanomechatronics Laboratory - Conducts research activities on the following topics:
- Nanoactuators and MEMS
- CNT’s on graphene for energy storage
- Graphene photodetectors and solar cells
- Turnable wetting on smart polymers
- Nanomechanics and Nanomaterials Group - Studies the behavior of advanced material systems at the nanoscale. The group’s current research focuses on piezoelectric approaches for energy harvesting applications, micro/nanomechanics, and processing-structure-properties of polymer nanocomposites.
- Nanotechnology & Multiscale Systems Research - Focuses on the establishment of appropriate knowledge that can be used for the development and implementation of nanotechnology-enabled solutions in science and engineering domains.
Recent Developments
Researchers from Princeton University recently developed a medical test that uses nanotechnology. This new test can be used for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and other disorders. The researchers developed a biological test called immunoassay which imitates the activities of the immune system in order to detect the presence of biomarkers, which are responsible for causing the disease. A fluorescent glow is produced during the immunoassay test if the sample contains biomarkers. A faint fluorescent light is produced when very few biomarkers are present in the sample. The researchers thus aimed at improving the detection limit through their research on the immunoassay test.
More recently other researchers from Princeton created a bionic ear that uses silver nanoparticles as part of the antenna.
Celgene Corp., a biotech player has developed a delivery vehicle to treat pancreatic tumors and other types of cancer. It involves encapsulating and binding a drug called Abraxane in albumin nanoparticles which differentiates itself from other therapies. This vehicle can be transported to interstitial spaces in tumours, concentrating drugs in the desired regions, and targetting the treatment.
There are numerous nano-related research projects currently underway in New Jersey and this state appears quite active in the field. There is a concentrated effort in the medical/pharmaceutical sector and there appears to be good progress on technologies aimed at treating cancer. With the amount of research being carried out in this field, it is likely key developments will take place in New Jersey and this state is certainly worth watching into the future.
Sources and Further Reading