The 2008 NanoBiotech Conference attracted more than 150 attendees.

Presentation topics ranged from technical topics such as drug delivery vehicles for tumor angiogenesis, to more societal and industry focused topics including “Women in Nanotechnology,” “Understanding the Ethical Implications of Nanotech,” and patent law and business topics including “Making Your Nanotech Intellectual Assets Attractive to Investors” and “Nanobiotechnology Patents in Europe.”

“There’s a lot of money being thrown into nano, but it pales in comparison to other established research fields,” said Raj Bawa. “There’s also a lot of confusion and misinformation out there regarding nanotech, and one of the goals of our annual conference is to fight off and dispel this confusion and misinformation.”

Despite the momentum behind nanotechnology, its diverse applications, and robust global research efforts, conference organizer and Rensselaer Adjunct Associate Professor Raj Bawa said nanotech — and nanobiotech in particular — warrants considerably more attention from lawmakers, funding institutions, and the public.

“There’s a lot of money being thrown into nano, but it pales in comparison to other established research fields,” he said. “There’s also a lot of confusion and misinformation out there regarding nanotech, and one of the goals of our annual conference is to fight off and dispel this confusion and misinformation.”

In his morning keynote presentation, Prof. Robert Linhardt, the Ann and John H. Broadbent Jr. ’59 Senior Constellation Professor of Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering at Rensselaer, shared with the audience the promise of his research into synthetic heparin, and possible applications that his group is exploring for more effective kidney dialysis, blood detoxification, and chemotherapy.

Along with Linhardt and Bawa, other Rensselaer presenters include Assistant Professor Blanca Barquera on the topic of molecular ion pumps, and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies Director of Operations Glenn Monastersky on the topic of nanoparticles biosafety issues.

Additional presentations at the conference included researchers from the University at Albany, Albany Law School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, University of Findlay School of Pharmacy, Australia’s Deakin University’s Institute of Biotechnology, the President’s Council on Bioethics, Montréal-based Early Warning, Inc. as well as several law firms and other organizations.