VCU to Host International Symposium on Clusters and Nanostructures

By Sathya Achia Abraham

Virginia Commonwealth University will host the 2011 International Symposium on Clusters and Nanostructures, bringing together physicists, chemists, material scientists and engineers from around the globe to discuss the role of clusters and nanostructures in solving three of the most important issues facing science and society - energy, environment and health.

The conference will be from Nov. 7 to 10, and will be held at the historic Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va. It will include plenary talks, scientific presentations, poster sessions, and group discussions. Topics will focus on clean and sustainable energy, the environment, health and cross-cutting problems. This year, nearly 160 scientists from 26 countries will participate in the Richmond symposium.

“We hope to see how fundamental research on nanomaterials can help us meet the challenges posed by limited supply of fossil fuels and its adverse effect on the environment, and how nanotechnology can be used for developing better drugs and procedures to treat a multitude of diseases such as cancer and heart disease,” said conference chair and organizer Puru Jena, Ph.D., distinguished professor with the VCU Department of Physics.

“Finding clean, affordable and renewable energies is important to maintain and grow world economies without harming the environment,” he said.

The kick-off for the event takes place Nov. 7 at 9 a.m., and includes opening remarks by VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D.

Experts, including several members of the National Academies, and leading researchers from around the world have been invited to discuss how to reduce costs and increase efficiency in all renewable technologies, understanding atmospheric reactions and air and water purification, learning about bio-materials, diagnostics, therapies and health hazards of nanoparticles in medicine.

The symposium, founded by Jena in 1982, is held every four years in Richmond and is hosted by VCU. It brings together world scholars to address cutting-edge issues in clusters and nanoscience. Five of the past scientists invited to speak at the event have gone on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry.

The 2011 International Symposium on Clusters and Nanostructures is supported by VCU, the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and Afton Chemical Corporation, and endorsed by the American Physical Society, the Material Research Society, the American Vacuum Society, and the International Society for Optics and Photonics.

Registration is required. For more information, visit http://www.iscan.vcu.edu/index.htm.