World leaders in nanobionics meet for inaugural Asia-Pacific Symposium

19 Jun 2008 | Nick Hartgerink

The world’s leading researchers in the emerging field of nanobionics will gather at the University of Wollongong’s newly-established Innovation Campus from Sunday 22 June to Wednesday 25 June.

They will participate in the inaugural Asia-Pacific Symposium on Nanobionics to be hosted by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science. The centre has its headquarters at the University of Wollongong with Victorian nodes at Monash University, St Vincent’s Hospital and the Bionic Ear Institute.

Speakers from Ireland, France, Italy, UK, US, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand will explore the latest developments in nanobionics. The field of nanobionics is the merging of biology and electronics using the most recent advances in nanotechnology.

“The field of nanobionics promises to revolutionise the field of medical bionics. The potential implications for health and medical research and the increased quality of life for patients are highly significant.

“To achieve such goals there is a need to bring together clinicians, scientists, engineers and mathematicians in a collaborative environment -- the purpose of this symposium is to provide that forum,” according to the Executive Research Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science and Director of the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, Professor Gordon Wallace.

The opening address at the symposium on Sunday 22 June will be delivered by the CEO of the Australian Research Council, Professor Margaret Sheil followed by the Public Plenary Lecture on the topic “Interfacing the World to Human Consciousness” to be given by the inventor of the cochlear ear implant, Professor Graeme Clark. This invention is a prime example of one successful application of nanobionics research. The device uses an electrode array inside the cochlea to electrically stimulate nerve endings to transmit the appropriate signals to the brain.

Conducting, intelligent polymers have contributed greatly to the field of nanobioncs. These conductors are often biocompatible, and are therefore ideal for bridging interfaces between biology and electronics. Spinal cord prostheses, in development under the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science program, aims to use intelligent polymers to promote nerve growth in spinal cord repair.

The symposium is being supported by the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Research Council, the ARC Nanotechnology Network and the University of Wollongong.

Selected highlights

Professor Graeme Clark, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), inventor of the Cochlear Bionic Ear, will present a public lecture on Sunday 22 June. A most appropriate inaugural address for the University of Wollongong’s new Innovation Campus. Professor Clark currently leads the Bionics program with ACES. The major focus of the current work is the development of advanced electrodes for the Cochlear Implant and of novel conduits to enable spinal cord repair. [Media availability: Available on the phone from Melbourne on Friday 20 or Saturday 21. Available prior to public lecture on 22 June]. /2

Professor Adam Heller (The University of Texas at Austin, USA) will discuss better diabetes management by continuous monitoring of glucose with FreeStyle Navigator of Abbott Diabetes Care. FreeStyle Navigator^® Continuous Glucose Monitoring System of Abbott Diabetes Care received the approval of the US Food and Drug Administration in March 2008. It tells the diabetic person the state of his/her glucose level and warns of low, high, as well as impending low and impending high levels. The information provided allows the avoidance of most fluctuations. Fluctuations in the glucose level are believed to underlie the complications of diabetes. Even the most conscientiously trying diabetic person had until now for part of the day excessively high or too low glucose levels. These affected his/her health. Most of these can now be avoided. It is hoped that a future version would include the sensor implanted in the skin as a power source, which in combination with a miniature amplifier-transmitter chip would make it contactless, i.e. the implanted sensor would autonomously transmit the glucose concentration to a first, small, receiver-transmitter adhered near it on the skin. This would re-transmit the information, as now done, for processing, alarms, display etc to a receiver located within two and three quarter metres.

Professor Mario Romero-Ortega (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA) will describe the latest findings using guided nerve regeneration and carbon nanotubes to enhance the neuro-electrode interfaces with a view to control of robotic prosthetics.[Media availability: Available throughout the meeting]

Professor David Carroll (Wake Forest University, USA) has recently developed carbon nanotube based tumour treatment (seek and destroy) protocols. He will describe his team’s most recent work in this area. [Media availability: Available at any time]

Professor Keiichi Kaneto (Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan) is a pioneer in the development of artificial muscle technology. He has developed materials and systems capable of extra-ordinary performance. Recently Professor Kaneto has established links with researchers at the University of Wollongong’s Intelligent Polymer Research Institute led by Professor Geoff Spinks. This exciting new collaboration is expected to lead to further significant advances in artificial muscle technology.[Media Availability: Preferably on Monday 23 June but also available the other days]

Professor Keiichi Torimitsu (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Japan) has established novel electrochemical stimulation platforms that enable more efficient electrical communication with nerve cells. He will present his most recent findings.[Media availability: Available throughout the symposium]

Professor Mark Cook (St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne) will describe the most recent exciting advances in implantable devices for epilepsy treatment and control.[Media availability: Available anytime]

Associate Professor Gregg Suaning (University of New South Wales) will discuss the most recent advances in materials development and engineering aspects in the pursuit of the bionic eye.[Media availability: Available both before and after the presentation or anytime via email]

Professor Robert Kapsa (St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne) will discuss the area of muscle regeneration using new materials that should lead to the development of new bionic implants.[Media Availability: Available anytime]

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Professor Dermot Diamond (Dublin City University, Ireland) and Professor Danilo De Rossi (University of Pisa, Italy) Bionics is not all about implantables. Professor Diamond and Professor De Rossi will describe the most recent advances in wearable electronics and how this is being used to monitor and enhance human health and performance.[Media availability for Professor Diamond: Note limited availability – available from Tuesday afternoon onwards]. [Media availability for Professor De Rossi: Available anytime during the symposium]

Professor Gordon Wallace (University of Wollongong) who has helped establish Wollongong as an internationally recognised Centre of Nanobionics will review the state-of-the-art including the Intelligent Polymer Research Centre and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science’s most recent developments. He will outline the challenges ahead and the strategies being adopted to confront these.[Media availability: Available anytime]

MEDIA PLEASE NOTE

For further information visit the following website www.electromaterials.edu.au or to contact any of the speakers attending the symposium contact Professor Gordon Wallace on (02) 4221 3127 or 0448 729 436 (m).

Conference venue: Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong, Squires Way, Fairy Meadow