Vereniging voor Biofysica en Biomedische Technologie

E-mail Newsletter September 8, 2004

BrainDays: Assessing, Localising and Modulating Brain Function, Utrecht Oct. 1 & 2, 2004
Annual ALW/FOM/VvBF&BT meeting on Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, Lunteren, 27 & 28 sept.
Themadag Mikrocentrum en de Nederlandse Vereniging van Precisie Technologie 16/9/4
The International Congress of Nanotechnology and Nano World Expo November 7-11, 2004 Oakland, USA.
In memoriam Prof. Dr. J.W. Kuiper

1. Announcement for BrainDays: Assessing, Localising and Modulating Brain Function October 1 and 2, 2004

The pink lecture hall of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, Netherlands.

The symposium is divided into two different days, of which the second is most interesting for researchers:

Saturday October 2: Access to the living brain – neurophysiological advances in recording and modification of human brain function.

This day will be dedicated to new ways of reading and influencing brain function, that open up vistas of treating brain damaged patients and is intended for all those interested in clinical and cognitive neuroscience, brain neurophysiology, psychiatry, neurology and rehabilitation medicine. Leading investigators will show the latest advances in:

reading functional neocortical networks from EEG and electro-corticography
influencing networks through electro-stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation
using input from EEG and electro-corticography to develop treatment strategies
implementing these input-modulated strategies in devices to the benefit of brain damaged patients
direct interfacing of electronic devices to neurons

Speakers include:

Nathan Crone, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Bart Nuttin, University of Leuven, Belgium
Tomas Paus, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Eberhart Zrenner, University of Tuebingen, Germany
Gerhard Friehs, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
Niels Birbaumer, University of Tübingen, Germany
Gerwin Schalk, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY, USA

Friday October 1: Access to the living brain – Function localisation in brain surgery

The first day will provide an overview of the current techniques and possibilities of pre- and intra-operative localisation of function and is intended for neurosurgeons, clinical neurophysiologists, neurologists (especially neuro-oncologists), radiologists, and residents in these fields. We also welcome clinical psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists and (PhD) students with an interest in clinical applications of functional imaging.

Speakers include:

Frans Leijten, Utrecht, NL
Alexander van Huffelen, Utrecht, NL
Hugues Duffau, Paris, F
Pauly Ossenblok, Heeze, NL
Oliver Ganslandt, Erlangen, D
Nick Ramsey, Utrecht, NL
Erik Achten, Gent, B
Kuan Hua Kho, Utrecht, NL
Geert-Jan Huiskamp, Utrecht, NL
Guillen Fernandez, Nijmegen, NL

Program and registration forms can be found at www.fmri.nl.

Contact:

Mrs. Cora Dirckx
dept. of Clinical Neurophysiology (F.02.230)
University Medical Centre Utrecht
Heidelberglaan 100
3584 CX Utrecht
The Netherlands

Phone: +31 30 2506856/Fax: +31 30 2505494
E-mail: j.dirckx@neuro.azu.nl
Website: http://www.fmri.nl

2. The registration deadline for the annual ALW/FOM/VvBF&BT meeting on
Molecular and Cellular Biophysics is coming up soon.
Due to technical difficulties (our site was moved to a new server), the registration form was not functional for a few days. It is fully operational now. If you registered and received a confirmation email with sender lunteren 2004, you do not need to worry. Also if you registered by email to Petra van Luling or biophysics@fom.nl, your registration will be processed. In all other cases, please register as soon as possible, and no later than Sunday 5 September 2004, using this form: http://www.fom.nl/cgi-bin/lunteren2004/form.cgi [dead link]

The meeting will be held on Monday 27 & Tuesday 28 September 2004 at the conference center De Werelt in Lunteren

Sessions will be organised on the following topics:

Molecular Biophysics,
Transport and Biomembranes,
Cellular Biophysics,
Electrophysiology and Vital Cell Imaging.

This meeting is meant to bring together all groups that work on cellular and molecular biophysics in the Netherlands. There will be ample time for participants to present their results, either orally or by a poster, and discuss with colleagues. (Inter)national speakers are invited to contribute with review- and introductory presentations.

The speaker for the keynote lecture on Monday evening is Kazuhiko Kinosita from the Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience in Japan. Two plenary sessions with 3 invited speakers each will be organised. The speakers will include Peter Friedl (University of Würzburg), René Bindels (KUN), Jacques Prost (the Curie Institute), Andrew Turberfield (Oxford) and Ronald Plasterk
(NIOB). In addition, 8 parallel sessions will be organised, each with three 15 minute presentations.

Participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Participation to the conference will be free of charge. However, if you fail to show up and do not cancel your reservation in advance by contacting the secretary of the conference (Ms. P. (Petra) van Luling, +31 (0)30 600 12 73), you will be charged for the costs (up to 140.- for two-day participation, staying in a single room).

Submission of an abstract does NOT imply registration for the conference!

The programme committee for this meeting is chaired by Dr. P. Willems (KUN), and consists furthermore of Ms. Dr.ir. C.L.A. Hooijer (FOM), Prof.dr. A. Driessen (RuG), Dr. M.B. Rook (UU), Dr. M. Kamermans (IOI), Prof.dr. T. Schmidt (LEI), Dr. W.J.J.M. Scheenen (KUN) and Prof.dr. C. Dekker (TUD).

The practical organisation is in the hands of Ms. Dr.ir.C.L.A. (Christa) Hooijer and Ms. P.(Petra) van Luling (+31 (0)30 600 12 73) at the FOM-bureau in Utrecht.

Dr.ir. C.L.A. Hooijer, Programme officer
Research Policy Department
phone: + 31 (0)30 6001 273
Stichting FOM fax: + 31 (0)30 6014 406
PO Box 3021
3502 GA Utrecht
The Netherlands
info: www.fom.nl

3. Het Mikrocentrum en de Nederlandse Vereniging van Precisie Technologie (NVPT) hebben zich tot doel gesteld om, door middel van een themadag, de precisietechnologische, de medisch-technische en de medische sector met elkaar in contact te brengen. De themadag richt zich op de medische instrumenten of apparaten waarbij de technologieën fysica, mechanica, mechatronica en micro systeem technologie een rol spelen.

Deze themadag vindt plaats op 16 september met bijdragen van TNO TPD, AMC, Medtronic, IOP en KIVI

Het volledige programma treft u op:
http://www.mikrocentrum.nl/themadagen/040916/index.html

Karin Mous
Manager Themadagen
Mikrocentrum
T: +31 (0)40 296 99 11
F: +31 (0)40 296 99 10
www.mikrocentrum.nl
www.hightechplatform.nl

4. The International Congress of Nanotechnology and Nano World Expo will be held on November 7-11, 2004 in Oakland, San Francisco, USA.
zie: http://www.nanotechcongress.com/

Key Notes:

Prof. Steven Chu, Nobel Prize Laureate, Department of Physics, Stanford University, Director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California, USA
Prof. Peter Fromherz, Director, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, GERMANY
Dr. Michael Roco, Chair, US National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology, Advisor National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA, USA

Invited Lectures:

Dr. Kevin D. Ausman, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
Prof. Antonio Avila, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, BRAZIL
Dr. Hans J. Coufal, Almaden Research Center, IBM Research Division, San Jose, CA, USA
Prof. Adam Curtis, Center for Cell Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK
Dr. Keith Firman, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
Prof. Kurt Geckeler, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, KOREA
Prof. Jerzy Kapelewski, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, POLAND
Dr. Terry Michalske, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Prof. Fabio Pichierri, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Sendai, JAPAN
Dr. James B. Roberto, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
Dr. Sadasivan Shankar, Technology Manufacturing Group, INTEL Santa Clara, California, USA

(The above is a partial list as of July 15, additional Invited Lecturers will be announced later)

Partial List of Speakers

Topics

Prof. Dinesh C. Agrawal & Sudip Dasgupta, Materials Science Program, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, INDIA Use of Alkoxide Sol-Gel Process for Linear Assembly of Oxide Particles
Dr. A.S. Amiryan, H.A. Sarkisyan, Armenian State Engineering University, Yerevan, ARMENIA Direct optical absorption in cylindrical quantum dot with rectangular infinitely high confinement potential
Prof. Antonio Avila & Almir S. Neto Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, BRAZIL Exfoliation in NanoComposites: The Alterative Use of Acetone
Dr. Kevin D. Ausman, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA Health and Environmental Implications of Engineered Nanoparticles
Mr. Matthew R.G. Bell, Shell Technology Ventures, Houston, TX, USA A Case for Nanomaterials in the Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Business
Prof. Rosalyn W. Berne, Dept. of Science, Technology & Society, University of Virginia, VA, USA The three orders of Nanotechnology Ethics
Dr. D. A. Brevnov, T.S. Olson, M.J. Barela, T.M.. Bauer, G. P. López, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials, University of New Mexico, and Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, USA Anodized aluminum oxide as a template for fabrication of nano-structures: metal/ metal oxide/ pores.
Prof. Steven Chu, Nobel Prize Laureate, Department of Physics, Stanford University, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California, USA (Keynote lecture to be announced)
Dr. Hans J. Coufal Almaden Research Center, KLPA/D2 IBM Research Division, San Jose, CA, USA Nanoscience for Information Technology
Prof. Adam Curtis, Center for Cell Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK Reactions of mammalian cells to nanofeatures
Drs. Y. T. Didenko and K. S. Suslick, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA Chemical Aerosol flow Synthesis of Semiconductor Quantum Dots
Dr. Keith Firman, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK Molecular magnetic switch
Prof. Peter Fromherz, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, GERMANY Neuroelectronics: Semiconductor Chips with Brain Cells
Prof. Kurt Geckeler, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, KOREA Supramolecular Nanomaterials: Novel Design and Unorthodox Approaches.
Dr. Vyvyan Howard, Developmental Toxico-Pathology Group, Department of Human
Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Liverpool, UK Nano toxicology
Prof. Woonbong Hwang & Dukhyun Choi, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, KOREA; Euisung Yoon, Tribology Laboratory of Korean Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, KOREA On the calibration of frictional forces in atomic force microscopy.
Dr. Stephan Irle, G.Zheng, M. Elstner, K. Morokuma, Cherry L. Emerson Center for Scientific Computation, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA From Small Carbon Fragments to Self-Assembled Fullerenes in Quantum Chemical Molecular Dynamics Simulations.
Drs. George Khushf & Robert Best, Center for Bioethics, University of South Carolina, SOUTH CAROLINA, USA Three conditions for realizing the promise of Nanomedicine
Dr. C.Z. Li & J.H.T. Luong, Nanobiotechnology/Biosensor Group, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, CANADA Electrodeposition of Gold Nanoparticles on Electrodes toward Improvement of Impedance Sensing of Interfacial DNA-Drug Interactions.
Prof. Jerzy Kapelewski & B. Lila, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, POLAND A Controllable Near Surface 2D Arrays of Altered Phase.
Dr. Javed Mazher & S.J. Mazher, Jaypee University of Information Technology (JUIT), Bhopal, INDIA Optical, structural & morphological investigations of Strained ZnSe nanostructures
Ms.Sonia E. Miller, Esq. of S.E. Miller Law Firm, New York, USA Nano Convergence: Real Time Legal Risks & Opportunities
Dr. Terry Michalske, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque, NM , USA Nanotechnology for National Security
Prof. Antonio Nanci, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Montreal, CANADA Nanostructured biomaterials, nanotextured implants
Dr. Chunming Niu, Nanosys, Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA Novel nanomaterials synthesis and characteristics.
Prof. Fabio Pichierri, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials,
Tohoku University, Sendai, JAPAN Quantum effects in signal transduction biology: perspectives for 21st Century Nanoelectronics.
Prof. S.V. Blat, S.S.Rao, G.Venkataiah, Venu G. Reddy, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Hyderabad, INDIA Electron Magnetic Resonance studies of Nanomanganite Nd 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO3.
Dr. Mihail C. Roco, US National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA, USA Key note lecture (to be determined)
Prof. Federico Rosei, INRS-EMT, University of Quebec, CANADA Semiconductor Nanostructures
Prof. Anushree Roy, S. Ray, P. Pramanik, Dept. of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, INDIA Optical Spectroscopic Studies On Nanocrystalline Y2O3:Eu3+
Dr. James B. Roberto, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA Plenary lecture (to be determined)
Dr. Ankur Saxena & R. Ariel Budiman, Dept. Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, CANADA Studies of heteroepitaxial growth of thin films using multi-particle Kinetic Monte Carlo in (2+1)-dimensions.
Dr. Sadasivan Shankar, C. Michael garner, Technology Manufacturing Group, INTEL, Santa Clara, CA, USA Challenges and Opportunities for Materials in Nanotechnology
Prof. Katya Simeonova and Ganka Milanova, Institute of Mechanics, Bulgaria Academy of Science, BULGARIA Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Carbon Nanotubes (a Review)
Dr. L. T. Sun, J.L. Gong, Z.Y. Zhu, S.X.He, Z.X. Wang, Shanghai Institue of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, CHINA Diamond Chain-like Nanowires
Dr. S. Velumani & J.A. Ascencio, Programa de Investigacion y Desarrollo de Ductos, Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, D.F. MEXICO Formation of ZnS nanorod and nanoclusters by simple vacuum evaporation for solar cell applications.
Andy R. Watson, Quantum Dot Corporation, Hayward, California, USA Qdot technology- a revolution in biological detection
Prof. Jongheop Yi, Younghun Kim, Inhee Choi, Sung Koo Kang, Wooyoung Kim, Jeongjin Lee, Misun Han, School of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, KOREA Nanofabrication of Molecular Level Detector via AFM Lithography: Application to Copper Ion Detection
Dr. F. Yu & W. Knoll, Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, GERMANY Surface-plasmon related ultra sensitive analytical methods and their bio- & nano- applications
Dr. Nor Yuliana Yuhana and F. Tan, Dept. Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS MALAYSIA Effect of Nanoscale Particles (Montmorillonite) on Mechanical Properties of High Density Polyethylene.

(Additional speakers/presenters will be added shortly. (*) denotes confirmed speakers with topics and abstracts available as of July 15)

5. Ter herinnering aan Prof.Dr. J.W.Kuiper

20 augustus j.l. overleed Jan Willem Kuiper, vele jaren prominent vertegenwoordiger van de Biofysica, in Groningen zowel als in Nederland. Geboren op 31 augustus 1924 moest hij zijn HBS–tijd afbreken vanwege de 2e wereldoorlog; in 1944 behaalde hij het staatsexamen. Na zijn studie biologie in Utrecht, van 1945 tot 1951, werd hij door de (kern)fysicus Prof. Hl. de Vries aangetrokken bij de jonge afdeling Biofysica van het Natuurkundig laboratorium in Groningen, waar hij promoveerde op mechanische en elektrische metingen aan de drukreceptoren van vissen. In 1958 kreeg hij een beurs aangeboden door de School of Advanced Studies van het MIT om te werken bij de groep ‘Communication biophysics’, die als een van de eerste geavanceerde computers inzette bij biofysisch onderzoek.

Na het overlijden van De Vries, in 1958, werd Kuiper teruggeroepen naar Nederland om de biofysicagroep te leiden en verder uit te bouwen. Kuiper verzamelde een aanzienlijke groep studenten om zich heen, die onderzoek deden aan de werking van zintuigen en informatieverwerkingsprocessen. Al spoedig slaagde Kuiper er in om krachtige computerfaciliteiten te verwerven, volgens hem noodzakelijk voor essentiële vernieuwingen in het onderzoek.

Kuiper had een belangrijke rol in de coördinatie van biofysisch/fysiologisch onderzoek binnen de Groningse universiteit, maar ook landelijk was hij actief. Bij de Stichting voor Biofysica functioneerde hij onder andere als coördinator van de werkgemeenschap Visueel Systeem en als voorzitter van het Bestuur. Ook binnen de Koninklijke Academie van Wetenschappen, waarvan hij als lid werd benoemd in 1977, bekleedde hij verschillende bestuursfuncties.

Jan Kuiper nam als hoogleraar afscheid in 1989. Hij coördineerde in die periode de oprichting van de Onderzoekschool BCN (Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences), waarbij zijn uitstekende relaties bij zowel de biologie als de geneeskunde een essentiële rol speelden. Daarna hield hij nog geruime tijd contact met wetenschappers werkzaam op de vele terreinen die hem interesseerden.

Groningen, 1 september 2004 H. Duifhuis, D.G. Stavenga

In the previous issue, dated July 9, 2004.

Website of the Society: http://www.vvb-bmt.nl

For e-mail newsletter contributions (submit 21 days before publication date):

Dr. Peter Kerkhof (secretary)
Afd. Fysica & Medische Technologie
VU medisch centrum
Postbus 7057
1007 MB Amsterdam
Tel. 020-4444714
E-mail secretariaat@vvb-bmt.nl