Academics and industry specialists discuss nanoscience and technology at first-of-its-kind symposium
The world’s leading experts in nanoscience and technology have visited Preston to take part in a first-of-its-kind event.
More than 130 academics and industry specialists travelled from across the globe to attend the first International Symposium on Functional Nanomaterials in Industrial Applications, held recently at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
Throughout the two-and-a-half day conference the delegates discussed and shared information on how the development of ultra-small particles can be used to help solve global challenges in health, medicine, soil and water contamination and green technology.
"I can tell you that I have attended several conferences worldwide during my professional life but I have never seen such a spontaneous response i.e. each and every speaker came and presented their work in our meeting across the globe."
The research findings unveiled included:
- Pinpoint targeting of anti-cancer drugs using intravenous stents that deliver the drugs right to the site of the tumour.
- New nanoscience options for the cost effective recovery from waste of increasingly precious metals such as lithium for use in batteries – to run the new generation of electric cars.
- The green economy of using less of the world’s resources by making finer particles, that create less waste.
Organiser Dr Tapas Sen, Reader in Nanomaterials Chemistry at UCLan, said: “I am really pleased it went extremely well. I can tell you that I have attended several conferences worldwide during my professional life but I have never seen such a spontaneous response i.e. each and every speaker came and presented their work in our meeting across the globe. This gave me a real satisfaction other than the excellent feedback which I have been receiving from every delegate.”
The event was opened by Professor Robert Walsh, UCLan’s Executive Director of Research, and Councillor Peter Rankin, Leader of Preston City Council. Such was the success of the event that Dr Sen has already started planning a follow up event for 2017 in collaboration with Hosokawa Micron Ltd, a North West based specialist manufacturing company.