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Rent a Nanotechnology Lab

Posted by samzenpus on from the I-only-need-it-for-a-nanosecond dept.

SeanAhern writes "If you're an aspiring young nanotechnologist with an idea for a new product, you'll be happy to hear that the DOE has created five facilities called Nanoscale Science Research Centers, that you can rent. These Research Centers are located in National Labs scattered around the country: Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois; Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York State; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California; Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico."

12 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. Who want want to work in a lab like that.. by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who want want to work in a lab like that, they would never get in the door.
    If you are going to rent out labs, they should be at least, 3 times bigger.

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
  2. not a bad idea really by v1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    when you consider the cost of the equipment you'd have to have in the lab, and the lab itself really, there's a huge overhead. We've seen so many things recently where non-intuitive applications of nanotech are suggesting huge benefits, now everyone can afford a shot in the lab to play with an idea and see if it's worth investing in.

    --
    I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    1. Re:not a bad idea really by The+Great+Pretender · · Score: 3, Funny

      Now the residents of /. can finally develop tiny sharks with tiny lasers on their heads.

      --
      A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
  3. Sweet, Where's Kurzweil. by PlusFiveTroll · · Score: 4, Funny

    Awesome, now I can finally create the fabled Grey Goo!

  4. Red tape waiting to happen by Cryophallion · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Brilliant idea... except for the red tape.

    Let's be honest, a good number of people will want access to the lab (poorer university students, nanotech hobbyists, etc), and there will be a number of people who think they have a brilliant idea for nanotech that they want to try out. I'm sure there is a certain minimum amount of time each project would take anyway.

    So, someone needs to decide who gets access to the space. Since it is government funded, will there be public review of who gets access? Will there need to be proposals? Is there a certain minimum amount of time devoted to "open-nanotech" research (for the good of the world at large)? Or will larger universities hog all the time?

    I love the idea, and hope it would scale to other technology fields, I just worry about the gatekeepers.

    1. Re:Red tape waiting to happen by v1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Universities can afford their own lab. I see this as a way for medium size companies to get to peek their heads inside the world of nanotech and see if there's an angle they can follow up for real benefits.

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    2. Re:Red tape waiting to happen by WindowlessView · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Since it is government funded, will there be public review of who gets access?

      I am guessing your "Real ID" will barely get you through the front gate.

      --
      Leave the gun, take the cannolis.
    3. Re:Red tape waiting to happen by Colonel+Korn · · Score: 5, Informative

      When I applied for beam time at one of these facilities (Argonne in Illinois through the standard review process, not in these new nanotech-for-hire labs) about six months ago, I competed with fifty-nine other proposals. Three of the proposals were given beam time for that beam cycle, and there are only three cycles per year.

      When a new beamline opened up at Berkeley National Labs recently it was first-come-first-serve for the first few months, when it was sort of a secret. After a couple months of running sort of in secret, without any public announcement of the new equipment, there was a sudden explosion of awareness (probably someone blabbed about it) and within a very short period it was booked for the rest of the year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

      In summary, first-come-first-serve wouldn't work unless there were five hundred of these facilities. University research groups alone could take up all the time available even if the price were $10k/week, and there would be two universities willing to pay but unable to get time for every one that did.

      --
      "I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
  5. Re:At Last! by CRCulver · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't forget to stand there in your wide lab coat and cackle, "Fools, I'll destroy them all!"

  6. Asbestos lawsuits redux? by beanless · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One thing I remember reading on /. was the potential carcinogenic effects of these substances, similar to asbestos. Where are these materials stored? Where/how are they disposed of? Surely the people creating these things make lots of proto-efforts; is there a plan for disposing/handling any of this?

  7. Re:At Last! by wsanders · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, you can perfect your superduper bioweapon but since it's a DOE facility you'll just get arrested and the US Government will end up selling your invention to terrorists ... ... oh wait that never happens!

    --
    Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and he'll say "WHERE'S MY FISH, YOU IDIOT?"
  8. Re:At Last! by Walt+Dismal · · Score: 3, Funny
    Dear DOE;

    We wish to rent your lab for a short time. Money is no object.

    Sincerely

    Tom Cruise

    P.S. We have nothing bad in mind.