Great, Inexpensive Nanotech Conference at Renssellaer

For a mere $150 (less if you’re an alumnus), you can attend a great Nanotechnology 2006 conference at Renssellaer Polytechnic University in Troy, NY, September 25 and 26. This annual conference is organized by Raj Bawa of Bawa Biotechnology Consulting LLC.

This conference has it all. Ivar Giaever, a Nobel prize winner and founder of Applied Biophysics, gives the initial “Nobel Lecture.” There are four keynote speakers: Neil Gordon, President of the Candian NanoBusiness Alliance; David Flynn, Partner at Phillips Lytle LLP; Joseph Bronzino, President of the Biomedical Engineering Alliance and Consortium, and professor at Trinity College; and Clinton Ballinger, President and CEO of Evident Technologies.

The international cast of speakers includes representatives of the National Cancer Institute, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Harvard Medical School, GE Global Research, IBM, The US Patent Office, Foley and Larnder, IBM Global Business Services, Lux Research, Johns Hopkins, and many individuals from Renssellear itself, one of the finest engineering schools in the country. Plus, I’ll be there, giving a talk on nanotech biosensors and diagnostics on the 25th.

It’s a beautiful time of the year in upstate New York. I plan to blog my impressions for those unable to attend.


ERNI Back in the Black

The Edwards Real Nanotech Index was sporting a modest profit since its inception in February, after the market managed to put together a modest winning streak last week.

A standout was NVE Corp., which jumped about 40%. The company’s press releases don’t reveal any specific news, but a TwinCities Business reported that the company’s technology is used in a new hearing aid. Nice to know, but it doesn’t seem like the sort of volume product that could really amp revenues for NVE.

Veeco tacked on a 10% gain, and FEI and Abraxis about 5% in the feel-good market.

On August 17th, Nanophase announced its first sale of a nanoparticle for a textile application to be introduced “to the industry on a global basis.” Name of the customer and details of the application remain confidential. More stain-resistant pants?

(Click to enlarge image)

ERNI Rebounds

(Click to enlarge image)

I’ve been remiss in updating this blog in recent weeks, so I’ll try to make up for it. First, the Edwards Real Nanotech Index (ERNI) bounced back somewhat last week, improving by over 5%. Abraxis BioScience, NVE Corp. and Luna Innovations were responsible for most of the improvement, each up more than 20%.

ERNI component Altair Nanotechnologies nearly doubled its revenues from year ago levels, breaking the $1 million dollar mark for the second quarter.. Batteries, battery packs and battery systems were given credit for the increase. However, the company is still operating at a loss, losing 6 cents a share in the quarter.

FEI Company also reported record bookings and revenue for a second quarter, but the latter was up just 5% from year ago levels. Revenues came in at $113.1 million, but the backlog was over $243 million. Earnings were $4.1 million or 11 cents per diluted share. The company’s Titan electron microscope, which has sub-atomic resolution, is responsible for much of the backlog.

Not to be outdone, Nanophase Technologies also posted record second quarter revenue, at 2.4 million, 15% above last years levels. Their quarterly loss stayed the same at $1.1 million or 6 cents per share. During the second half of 2006, Nanophase anticipates introducing new nanomaterials targeted for antimicrobial, catalyst, and architectural and industrial coating applications.

Harris & Harris, a venture capital firm, announced that it has invested $18 million in “tiny technology” to date in 2006 vs. $16 million in all of 2005. Its net asset value was $5.68 per share vs. a stock price currently of $9.70. The net asset value is up about $1.00 from a year ago. Jack Uldritch of Motley Fool, recently recommended H & H as a play on intellectual property, citing specifically its holdings in Nanosys, Nantero, Nanomix, and Molecular Imprints.