ERNI Slips into the Red

Last week, the Edwards Real Nanotech Index (ERNI) slipped into the red since its inception in February, ending Friday at about 2% below its starting point. The decline wasn’t universal among the components: Oxonica, Raymor, and JMAR managed to buck the trend.

JMAR had some good news. The company has been selected by the U.S. Army to receive an SBIR II Grant to develop a laser-based system to detect hazardous material at a distance; in particular, improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The double-pulsed laser system should be capable of real-time spectrophotomic analysis in the field. In a previous Phase I grant, JMAR was able to provide proof-of-content. The aim of follow-on grant, worth $750,000, is to build two working prototypes.

ERNI component Arrowhead Research announced that its NanoPolaris unit had acquired the assets of Unidym, which develops carbon nanotube electronics. Along with the company, they acquired Unidym’s founder, UCLA professor Charles Gruener, who will become Chief Technical Officer of NanoPolaris. The first product envisioned is a transparent, conductive nanotube network that could enable touch screen displays, solar cells, and light-emitting diodes.

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