MNC News

The Nano Center is a hub of innovation. Stay up to date with the Center's latest updates and events.

GQL Announces Rolling Admissions for Project Based Exchanges

The Global Quantum Leap Program, an international exchange program affiliated with the MNC, has announced that it will now be taking applications for project based exchange funding on a rolling basis. The project based exchange program is aimed at graduate students and postdocs who have an idea for a collaboration between two groups within the GQL network.  If you have a potential international collaboration being held up by lack of funding the GQL can offer up to $8,000 to cover costs of housing, travel, and living expenses! 

 

For more information and to find out if your institution is part of the GQL please follow the link below or email [email protected]!

MNC Research Update: DNA Scission

The public discourse on nanotechnology often centers around its applications to semiconductor production and computing. It’s important to remember, however, that there is always activity on the nanoscale and the work done at the Nano Center touches upon a wide variety of fields. 

 

This week at the Nanocenter we are covering a thesis in the field of DNA sequencing. Researching and sequencing DNA often requires scission (or cutting) of the DNA strands. Due to the extremely small scale of this work direct observations of this process are quite rare, which can cause difficulties in evaluating different methods of scission. A recent study at the Nano Center used fluorescence microscopy to directly image broken DNA strands and evaluate different methods of scission!

TLI, MNC Announce $100,000 Grant for Semiconductor Manufacturing

The University of Minnesota’s Technological Leadership Institute and the Minnesota Nano Center recently announced a new $100,000 grant for the Minnesota Semiconductor Manufacturing Consortium (MNCEO). The additional funding comes from partnerships with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), consortium members, and the University of Minnesota’s Office of Distributed Learning. The grant will facilitate the creation of seven additional learning modules focusing on microdevice fabrication. Topics covered will include microelectromechanical systems, finite element analysis, electroplating, and trends in emerging devices. 

 

“This financial commitment reflects the strong partnership between industrial, academic and government institutions that has fueled MNCEO’s extraordinary progress over a very short period of time,” said Dr. Allison Hubel, Director of TLI. “By coordinating our efforts we’re rapidly building new training and upskilling modules which are critical to the future of this industry in Minnesota.”

 

“The Minnesota Nano Center has been pleased to support this expansion of technology training opportunities,” said Dr. James Marti, senior scientist and outreach coordinator for the Nano Center. “We see improved training for microelectronics workers as essential to maintaining our region, and our nation, as centers of technology innovation.”

 

This partnership was made possible in part through a DEED funded consortium grant, with signatories Honeywell, Seagate, and Medtronic. Most notably, Seagate and Medtronic are new consortium members who are joining past consortium members Raytheon’s Collins Aerospace, Honeywell, and Polar Semiconductor. The new content will be designed to augment an initial delivery of 10 training modules developed in late 2023. That initial content was delivered to over 60 employees from across Minnesota's semiconductor technology cluster, with the first students completing the content in April of 2024. 

 

 

“I’m  very excited that we are able to continue providing this short course for our industry partners,” said Dr. Seth Nifonyim-Hara of the Mayo Clinic’s Biomechanical Development Unit and guest instructor for the University’s program. “In addition to the modules created last year, we are building additional modules in response to the specific technologies used by our new and continuing industry partners.” 

 

“As an engineer in the healthcare industry, I'm particularly excited to be creating an introductory module covering MEMS for medical devices. The semiconductor and MEMS industry is constantly evolving, growing, and developing,” he added.

 

In addition to the asynchronous content, the University of Minnesota's Nano Center plays an integral role in building complementary hands-on laboratory sessions. These sessions are tailored to align with the asynchronous modules: once students complete the remote content, they are able to directly experience the technology in-person at the Nano Center through lab sessions. The combination of remote asynchronous coursework, combined with practical experience, maximizes the impact education has on Minnesota's microfabrication workforce. 

 

For more information about the The Minnesota Semiconductor Consortium and its industrial partnership program, contact TLI at [email protected].