Size isn't everything in nanotechnology

Nanobiotechnology is one of the main opportunities for Australia to develop capabilities in nanotechnology, the CEO of Nanotechnology Victoria (Nanovic) Peter Binks said today.

Speaking to attendees at the monthly BioMelbourne BioBreakfast, Binks said that nanotechnology research in Australia, which now involved some 70 research institutions and organisations as well as more than 30 companies, was aligned with Australia's existing strengths, including biotechnology and biomedical research.

And Victoria was rapidly developing into a nanotechnology precinct, with five local universities, plus CSIRO developing capabilities in addition to companies like MiniFAB and Starpharma.

"The thing about nanotechnology is that it is a technology defined by scale. Nanotechnology is not necessarily an industry, it's a source for many existing industries -- it adds new dimensions," Binks said.

But MiniFAB CEO Erol Harvey said that it was important to recognise that size wasn't everything.

"I believe we have made a terrible mistake defining a subject by a length scale," he said. Nanotechnology, he said, was at this point more about designing new materials, while microtechnology -- a step up in size -- focused more on manufacturing processes.

Harvey's company is using microfluidics to create integrated lab-on-a-chip devices for many purposes, including micro-reactor systems, liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, cell arrays, handheld diagnostics and other biological functions.

Another local industry player is Starpharma, which is currently testing its dendrimer-based vaginal microbicide in Phase I clinical trials.

Commercial manager Tim Grogan said the challenges of working in nanobiotechnology included its multidisciplinary nature, the need for a competitively priced and scalable manufacturing process, and rigorous quality assurance.

He recommended that companies focus on saleable products with a relatively straightforward path to market -- the so-called low-hanging fruit.

"There are a lot of very big, very audacious goals floating around in nanotechnology," Grogan said.