Jul 7 2010
The first multi-purpose nanofabrication centre in Australia has been officially opened by Victorian Premier John Brumby this morning.
The $57 million dollar purpose-built facility known as the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN) is located adjacent to Monash University's Clayton campus, next door to the Australian Synchrotron.
The MCN is the Victorian node of the national network, Australian National Fabrication Facility, which aims to boost Australia's presence in the rapidly growing nano and bio-nanotechnological markets.
The MCN is a collaborative initiative between the Victorian and Federal Government, CSIRO, Monash University, Deakin University, La Trobe University, Swinburne University, the University of Melbourne and RMIT. Monash is the lead agency for the project.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish said the MCN would enhance the research and innovation precinct, located close to the Clayton campus.
"The effectiveness of the collaboration is a testament to the commitment and capabilities of all the parties involved and provides us with a fantastic opportunity to enhance our already strong capability in nanofabrication," Professor Cornish said.
"It will cement Victoria's position as a centre of excellence in nanotechnology."
The centre is unique in that it offers a wide range of services for the development and manufacture of prototypes and products from a broad discipline base. These include: New bio-compatible materials for smarter medical implants; New water-recycling technologies to improve the re-use of urban water; Rapid and disposable diagnostics tests to improve the detection of, and response to, infectious disease outbreaks; and new energy storage and generation technologies to enable breakthroughs such as the use of roof tiles as cheap solar cells.
MCN Director and internationally renowned nanofabrication facility expert, Professor Ian Boyd said the centre will be open to national and international researchers and industry users who will be able to collaborate with other scientific disciplines and institutions including Monash.
"The goal is to maximise cross-disciplinary interaction on a national basis. Nanotechnology and research is at an incredibly exciting juncture and through this cutting edge facility we can leverage every opportunity for collaboration. For example, we can combine research in soft sciences like biomedicine with the hard science of engineering," Professor Boyd said.
The facility will also act as a training ground for the next generation of researchers wanting to study advanced micro and nano manufacturing.
"This facility will be used by internationally renowned researchers, PhD and postgraduate students alike and will also provide an access point for undergraduate research for students throughout Melbourne. Combine this research potential with industry partnerships and we have a facility, to take us well into the future."