It has been more than a year since the incorporation of NanoConsulting and this is the first issue of our newsletter.We hope you will find it useful.
Custom News Service
NanoConsulting has launched a new service to provide custom daily/weekly updates of news related to nanotech and its applications directly to your inbox or through a secure website.Contact us for additional information and rates.
Singapore Nanotech News
Over the past few months, we have been providing you with the latest news on Singapore nanotechnology and commercialization activities at http://www.nanoconsulting.com.sg/whatWeDo/singnanonews.php. You can also RSS it via Twitter from www.twitter.com/nanoconsulting.  So if are any relevant news related to nanotechnology and entrepreneurship from Singapore, send it to us and it will be available on our web page within 24 hours.
NanoSafety News
Together with MOM and EDB NanoConsulting has been conducting a survey of Singapore nanotech community to assess awareness of nanosafety and identifying gaps in deploying safe nanomaterial handling guidelines. A report of the results of this survey will be out in a few weeks. To supplement this effort,  we have been providing you with the latest nanosafety news at http://www.nanoconsulting.com.sg/whatWeDo/nanosafety.php.

NanoHoldings LLC develops and commercializes breakthrough nano-energy discoveries in partnership with world class universities and their leading scientists as equity partners to generate exceptional returns for our investors. Formed in 2003, NanoHoldings has established a network of world-class nanotechnologists and related Universities as partners. The focus of our investments is on developing solutions to significantly improve the efficiency of the global energy market at any point in the supply chain from generation to transmission, storage and conservation. The sweet spot of investment for NanoHoldings is the “Innovation Funding Gap” that exists between scientific discoveries and proof-of-commercial viability which is usually funded by traditional institutional investors.
Established in September 2009, NanoHoldings Asia Pte. Ltd. – a wholly owned subsidiary of NanoHoldings LLC - is actively looking for corporate partners for our portfolio companies from the US and UK to Asia. NanoHoldings Asia is also looking to invest and nurture new technology from around Asia to address world energy inefficiency. For more information visit www.nanoholdings.com

BIAKTOR develops next generation bio fuels production technologies that provide green, economical and robust biomass conversion, and form the basis for a paradigm shift in the production and use of bio fuels, providing for a high-impact bio fuels solution. We have developed a highly efficient flow-mode reactor technology with the following main features:

• very small footprint and no moving reactor parts
• efficient, robust and simple process
• no need for extensive pre- or after treatment
• compatible for fully integrated no-waste approach
• operates at low temperature and pressure
• transportable
• economical

NanoDerma is an Israel-based company engaged in the development and application of advanced topical, intra and transdermal, as well as intranasal formulation solutions. ND's proprietary microemulsion (ME, nano-sized droplets, Ø = 10-50nm) comprises of a versatile, bio-compatible, isotropic, thermodynamically stable drug delivery system (DDS) made of pharmaceutical grade ingredients. ND's microemulsion systems have shown to be effective and advantageous transdermal and intranasal vehicle for administration of small molecules (almost any lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds or their mixtures) and protein drugs (e.g. insulin). ND's DDS represents a potent alternative to parenteral and oral routes, and is believed to be in the cutting edge of advanced drug delivery platforms for both transdermal and intranasal drug delivery. It is now readily available to be implemented on elected drugs such as insulin, protein drugs and levodopa. NanoDerma is looking for investment and co-development opportunities in intranasal insulin delivery.

Woven Texture of TiO2 membrane developed at NTU

Robust Free-Standing TiO2 Nanofibre Membrane
With the rapid industrialization over the past two decades, the demand for drinking water as a precious resource has increased tremendously in terms of quantity and quality. The scarcity of such a precious resource in the world has led the water reclamation for the conservation and recovery of drinking water. However, the presence of contaminants such as natural organic matters (NOMs) and trace organics accumulate in raw water creates a major problem. Existing chemical methods to remove the contaminants lead to carcinogenic byproducts and existing micro/ultra filtration membranes are susceptibe to fouling and leakage of contaminants through the membrane pores.

Dr Darren Sun and his team from NTU have developed an inexpensive,  robust and free standing TiO2 nanofiber membrane to overcome these disadvantages. The membrane is non-toxic and acts as both filtration membrane and photocatalyst in water technologies. This material can also be used in solar condition. These unique properties give rise to various applications particularly in producing cost effective commercial filtration membrane that could dramatically reduce the cost of water production and could provide new source of hydrogen and fuel cell. For more information, contact Dr. Darren Sun at ddsun@ntu.edu.sg

High Performance, Energy Saving Nanofiltration (NF) Membranes for Water Purification
Nanofiltration is an emerging an energy-efficient separation process with the potential applications in many industries ranging from water, chemical, food, pharmaceuticals, petrochemical and environmental (pollution prevention) industries. Reduced operation cost, avenues for integrated processing, clean and environmental friendly processing are the main drivers for the nanofiltration operation. However, the limited choices of commercially available nanofiltration membranes, low fluxes, high cost of the nanofiltration membranes, membrane fouling and membrane stabilities during operation (chemical, thermal and structural stabilities) remained as the major concerns for the processors.

Prof. Seeram Ramakrishna and his team at NUS have developed  nanofiltration membranes made of extremely thin film of polyamide layer, highly permeable fibrous support and engineered nonwoven backing layer. The polyamide layer is acting as a salt barrier layer. The pores in the barrier layer are efficient enough to reject the divalent salts and small size molecules (undesirable compounds) from the feed water, while allowing the water to pass through the membrane at extremely high flow rate. Engineered surface of these membranes offers unique advantage to control fouling tendency and to enhance membrane lifetime and to reduce the membrane replacement cost. Key advantages of the membrane include:

• Energy saving (highly permeable) salt barrier membrane
• Suitable for achieving high flux, throughput and separation performance
• Engineered surface to control fouling phenomena
• Structurally durable and pressure tolerant architecture
• Adequate mechanical strength for assembling cartridges

Economic Strategies Committee Report, Singapore budget 2010 and their Impact on Singapore Nanotech Ecosystem
February saw a flurry of reports released by the Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) established in May 2009 to identify new opportunities of growth for Singapore (See http://www.esc.gov.sg/). Here we summarize how its recommendations will impact the Singapore nanotechnology eco system. One of the key recommendations made by the committee was for the government to take steps to grow productivity by 2-3% per year instead of the current 1%. While this recommendation may not have significant impact on most of the nanotech companies in Singapore which are quite small, we expect that it will drive existing manufacturing companies to look for ways to innovate and provide opportunities for nanotechnology adoption by these companies. 

As part of its strategy to build a vibrant and diverse corporate ecosystem, the ESC recommended steps to attract mid-size companies to Singapore and this is good news for global nanotech companies that want to establish a base in Singapore as most of them are small to mid-sized companies. The ESC also recommended the government to strive to derive commercial value from R&D to provide incentives for the companies to work closely for test bedding and commercialization.  These incentives will build on the impetus provided to the manufacturing sector by the productivity initiative above to further invest and work closely with the smaller nanotech companies in Singapore.

The ESC also recommends adoption of policies to increase energy efficiency and energy security of the country. Nanotechnology has been a key enabling technology in creating new avenues to produce and store energy and increase the energy efficiencies of existing systems. Hence we expect this recommendation also to help expand the nanotech eco system in Singapore.

The budget announced on Feburary 22 responded to these recommendations by introducing an all-embracing broad-based tax concession scheme called the Productivity and Innovation Credit which provides tax deductions for 250% of the qualified expenditure incurred subject to a cap of S$300K each for R&D, acquisition of IP, registration of IP, automation and training of employees. This will definitely help accelerate the growth of nanotech eco system in Singapore.