Purdue University is developing a networked system that provides researchers with highly sophisticated simulation and teaching tools from a single computer. The project has received a new grant from the National Science Foundation.
 
Collaboration key to successful nanotechnology researchAdvancing research requires collaboration. Purdue University understands this. Since 2002, it has been developing the Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN) with several other universities, a networked system that allows the community of scientists from several countries to combine theory, practice and simulation to advance nanotechnology research. And this new way of looking at research is getting a lot of support. The National Science Foundation (NSF), which provided funding for the project when it was first launched, is repeating its initiative, awarding the project $18 million. "Purdue's NCN has become one of the largest open-source knowledge organizations in the world, with a special focus on nano-scale understanding, education and simulation," says Mihail Roco, NSF's senior manager for nanotechnology.

A collaborative platform to advance research

 
"Purdue has partnered with other universities to develop experimental tools that have become gold standard research tools for researchers engaged in nano- and bio-technology research," he adds. Indeed, the system is behind the nanoHUB, a freely accessible Internet platform that offers simulations, tutorials, seminars, but also podcasts and discussion forums. It is used every month by more than three thousand researchers and teachers from different countries. The simulations it offers are extremely accurate and represent real advances in the design of devices and sensors intended for integration into a wide range of industrial, medical or environmental applications.

 
The nanoHUB combines sophistication and simplicity

 
Proof of the effectiveness of this collaborative work platform: over the last twelve months, nearly 6,000 users have carried out more than 220,000 simulations using the fifty or so tools available. The site is also proving to be very useful for education, providing students and teachers with numerous theoretical and practical resources. Especially since it stands out for its simplicity of use.