Over the past few weeks, there's been a growing buzz about central banks playing a greater role in explicitly serving as funders of government.
The idea that people (journalists and Wall Streeters, mostly) have been talking about is the notion that central banks could buy government debt (as they do in quantitative easing) but then just rip up those bonds, and cancel the debt, with few consequences, except perhaps some inflation (which central banks wants, anyway). Wikimedia Commons
This kind of blatant monetization seems unlikely (especially in countries like the UK and the US, which are borrowing at super-low rates) but the idea of central banks working more closely with their government to stimulate the economy may be on the road to happening.
While the US was distracted by all of the Sandy and election news this week, the Bank of Japan took a shocking step in this direction, according to David Zervos of Jefferies, who notes that the latest easing announcement was a joint production between the Bank of Japan and the Ministry of Finance, amove that never happens:
BoJ policies, by virtually any measure, have been an abject failure. The institution has consistently remained too tight in the face of worsening economic conditions for over 2 decades. And while the economy has had to pay a horrible price for these errors, the tables look like they are about to turn in a nasty way on the institution itself.
Accompanying the depressing standard BoJ statement on 30-Oct was this very curious additional release - http://www.boj.or.jp/en/announcements/release_2012/k121030b.pdf. Here we have the BoJ governor, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy jointly issuing a press release on the BoJ website entitled - "Measures Aimed at Overcoming Deflation". A press release of this kind is completely unprecedented. And it was published in the "Monetary Policy Releases" section of the BoJ website.
So here we have two executive branch government ministers issuing declarations on the monetary policy portion of the BoJ website regarding price stability. Can anyone imagine if Tim Geithner, Ben Bernanke and Hillary Clinton were to issue a joint statement on fighting deflation that was in turn prominently displayed under in the monetary policy section of the Fed's website? It would be mutiny!
The executive branch politicians in Japan have, for the first time ever, infiltrated the mother ship. BoJ independence is now under explicit political attack. This should be a warning to all central bankers with "sound money" religion - if you don't let the inflation dogs out and crank up the printing presses as the economy deteriorates, the politicians will come and shut you down. What we are witnessing is the beginning of the end for independent Japanese monetary policy.
Zervos was far from the only analyst to notice the big news.
Japan’s failure to emerge from its deflationary mire has been both a tragedy and testament to the hazards of asset price booms; but it has also encouraged an entertaining verbal interplay between successive governments (yearning a constant drip of palliative policy easing) and central bank (keen to enforce its own independence.) The interplay, at MOF’s instigation, has ranged from mild insinuation (per the need for more policy easing) to outright threats to the Bank’s independence; but today’s policy decision perhaps shows that the BOJ board’s current incumbents are keen to keep the peace.
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The question that inevitably arises in the wake of today’s asset-purchase top-up therefore is to what extent government pressure, and the presence of economy minister Maehara, influenced the decision? In view of the unwavering emphasis that Shirakawa has placed upon reform (as recently as last week in fact) and upon the impotence of monetary easing in its absence, it is very difficult to believe that politics was not a factor. Yet if keeping the peace was an element in today’s decision, then Maehara and co may be forgiven for looking to leverage this ‘susceptibility’ between here and the as yet undeclared date for the next general election. Indeed, note that when Seiji Maehara emerged from today’s meeting, he said, “We have confirmed that we will make the utmost efforts to achieve the common goal with a strong sense of responsibility.” ‘Will’, ‘common goal’, ‘strong sense of responsibility’? The BOJ’s next meeting on November 19th and its aftermath could well be very interesting.
So it's possible that this presages a change in central bank policy around the world, but it's worth noting the idea that it's pressure from the Ministry of Finance that's pushing the BoJ to act, whereas in the US, the current winds prevail in the opposite direction, towards less easing.
Still, for a country that's been mired in deflation, it will be fascinating to watch whether there's any beneficial impact from this kind joint Ministry Of Finance/BoJ action.
On Saturday, we wrote that more and more people are starting to wonder if central banks like the Bank of England and The Fed can just "rip up" the debt that they've bought via Quantitative Easing, and reduce the national debt of these countries with the stroke of a key.
Asking this question, and thinking about the implications of it, is the equivalent of taking the 'Red Pill' of economics. The Red Pill, of course, is what Neo took in the Matrix, and it exposed his mind to an entirely different view of the world that was far less comfortable than the one he inhabited. If you start thinking about the possibility that the central bank could just rip up a government's debt, with few negative ramifications, then you might start thinking about government finances in a totally new way that makes you uncomfortable.
You might start to realize that this whole construct of a broke government, deeply in hock to the Chinese (and everyone else) is an illusion, that complete distorts the realities of sovereign finance.
But it's too late. More and more people are taking the red pill, and thinking about this question.
Want proof? In her latest note, SocGen economist Michala Marcusen reveals the #1 question that clients are asking.
With each new round of QE coming with diminishing returns, a new question is emerging ... Can central banks just cancel their government debt holdings?
For what it's worth, Marcusen isn't buying the idea that it can be done so easily:
A speech by FSA Chairman Turner on 11 October appears to have catalysed the recent debate when he noted that “...quantitative easing may be subject to declining marginal impact ‹.....›. So optimal policy needs to include a willingness to employ still more innovative and unconventional policies ‹.....›”. While Lord Turner (a potential candidate to succeed Mervyn King at the BoE when his term expires in June 2013) has publically distanced himself from the notion that central banks could just cancel their government debt holdings, the idea holds temptation for deflation hawks.
The initial argument is seductive; the government and the central bank both belong to the public sector so simple consolidation would net out the debt without any loss to the private sector (the loss would fall on central bank capital). With the Fed holding around 10% of Treasuries and the BoE 25% of Gilts, such a move could have a significant impact on the debt burden and alleviate the need for austerity. Furthermore, it would boost inflation thus reducing the risks of deflation. Both the Fed and the BoE see inflation as easier to fight than deflation.
Already concerned by the medium-term inflation risks of QE, we believe that such a policy move could prove a recipe for disaster. Central banks have long argued that QE is not debt monetisation due to its temporary nature, i.e. at some point in time the bonds will be sold back to the private sector. If the central bank’s government bond holdings are simply cancelled, this would amount to pure and simple debt monetisation (formally prohibited in the case of the ECB), and would in our opinion risk soaring inflation expectations as trust in the monetary system breaks down. In his latest edition of Popular Delusions, Memo to Central Banks, Dylan Grice issues a very clear warning on the dangers of debasing trust.
We're not sure if Marcusen's stance is right, but the point is clear, just based on the fact that this is the top client question right now: more and more people are escaping the prison of their minds!
In 1971 President Nixon closed the window that allowed U.S. dollars to be sold for gold owned by the U.S. Just before that, the price of gold was $35 an ounce. Since then gold has been called a 'barbarous relic', a term used by Keynes, the famous economist. From that time on, the world's currencies stood merely on the confidence their governments engendered and the control they exercised over international financial dealings of all kinds. That confidence lasted until 2007 when the credit crunch brought government financing on both sides of the Atlantic into question. Up until now the performance of the underlying value of currencies has hidden these questions as exchange rates are adequately 'managed' through swap arrangements to stabilize exchange rate movements to the extent that violent moves don't happen. But the real value of currencies in terms of their real solvency is now a matter of open debate. As of now, relative to the amount of gold available to markets, the price of gold is the only measure of value that currencies can be held to. We look at that and look at the conditions that are determining the value of currencies now and in the future.
The Currency Experiment When Nixon closed the 'Gold window' to European governments in 1971 he relied on the oil producers of the world to price oil in U.S. dollars only. This made the USD a necessity. Except for the few oil producers who refine their own oil, every country needs to import oil after using the U.S. dollar to buy it. This gave the U.S. the control they needed over currency markets, to ensure that the dollar became and remained the sole global reserve currency until now. A look at the euro, which -although the world's largest trading bloc- shows that if a currency is measured solely on the performance of its government and Balance of Payments, it remains vulnerable to market forces that react to that measurement. With oil in backup, that vulnerability fades. That is, until profligate printing of that government's currency becomes so obvious that it cannot be ignored. This is where the U.S. dollar is coming to now. The 'currency experiment' has persisted for 41 years, but for the last five, it has faltered and continues to do so. With the focus on the short-term, the real consequences of that experiment have been largely ignored. It's time to take a more distant view of what has happened so that we can get a balanced perspective of its cost.
Value of Paper Money - The Harsh Reality During the 42 years of the currency experiment with no gold or silver standing behind currencies we have seen the gold price multiply from $35 to $1,770. That's over 50 times in 42 years. And there's still much more to come it seems, with the assistance of governments. If one was fortunate to get out at anywhere above $800 back in the eighties and back in at $300 in the next twenty years that number goes up to 64 times $35. That's what solid long-term funds should have done, to maximize profits. (It is far better than trading and far less nerve- racking.) But don't look at that as a profit figure. That's not the point we are making here. Look at it as a statement on the failure of the currency experiment and currencies' ability to measure value. Now translate that into the value of savings over that period - a harsh reality indeed!
Pension Funds A Pension fund is measured on the money flowing in and less the money flowing out. The assets in the middle should be rising to cover the additional costs of paying pensions when the workers retire and the cost of living increases. That's why they depend on Pension Fund Managers and Pensions. If the money leaving is more than that coming in, then the fund is moving to insolvency. As Alan Greenspan pointed out so strongly, this is happening now and with 'baby boomers' retiring now, that is the current situation in most Pension Funds (such as is now reported about the Chicago Teachers). The future of such Pensioners even now as well as the Pensions of those working now looks bleak. If you strip out the causes of higher prices that are due to supply and demand factors (which usually readjust over time) then you are left with monetary inflation. A rate of monetary inflation of 2.5% has been deemed acceptable because it is manageable and gives the impression of growth. Today's quantitative easing in the U.S., Europe, Japan and China has now accelerated to a much faster pace in the hopes of stimulating faster, sustainable growth. QE1 and QE2 may have staved off a depression, but they have not translated into sustainable growth. We are all now waiting to see if QE3 will do so. We've all become aware that money printing lowers the value of a currency; however, the benefits of increased liquidity in the system -it is hoped- will compensate for that. Savers are the victims of such a policy, if they save those currencies even when growth is resuscitated. Some savvy enough may turn to currencies, which they believe will not be devalued in the same way and retain their value, i.e. Yen or Swiss Franc. But for the last year or so, both the Swiss and Japanese governments have interfered in the market place to lower the value of their currencies internationally, so they can retain their international trade competitive levels. The Yen is still being treated as a 'safe-haven' currency even though the Bank of Japan has made it clear that it will engineer a weaker Yen for a long time to come. The same is true of the Swiss Franc, both countries placing their export competitiveness above the value of their currencies. We can therefore state: The concept of a currency as a measure of value has now departed completely. Such currency market changes leave room for gold and silver to act as that measure of value, as currencies fall against them. Look again at the price of gold before 1970 and now. It translates into a 100%+ gain every single year for the last 41 years. (So much for an item you dig up, then put back in the ground.) But this is a measure of decline in currency value over that same period! The culture that precipitated this history is still in control and certainly intends to continue down that road. Some commentators believe that the gold price can triple in the next few years. That would change the rise from $35 until then to 317% per annum since before the 1970's. What will that tell you about the value of currencies the world over? And what does that point to in the future? Julian Philips
U.S. Dollar Collapses - Japan is the third largest economy in the world - Japan is mimicking Bernanke's QE decision last week to attempt to devalue their currencies to boost exports. The Japanese stimulus is massive and will now total nearly 20% of Japan's total economy. The U.S. dollar is falling as these drastic moves were much bigger than the consensus expected.
CALVF management should be encouraged by the LT TEAM shareholders to make a new buy back program of CALVF Au bargain shares
CAL.TO/CALVF has some past early history of delivering increased value for shareholders in the form of stock buybacks. These have helped improve financial metrics and increase each shareholders relative ownership stake in the company, due to fewer shares outstanding and holding the same number of shares.
CALVF to share buybacks is the best investment in the Gold producing industy - well, plenty of cash from the low cost CALVF Gold production is on hand -
CALVF $GOLD LT, the global financial crisis will probably push Gold thousands of dollars higher - In the shorter term - rising commodity prices are Gold's best friend - ex....
GOLD Demand $AuBull GO High agree with Maund - high risk - High REWARD -
in last 1930 depression DJIA dump did happen but GOLD stock kept its demand UP -
history often repeat itself -
GOLD PRICE WILL RISE TO MULTIPLES OF THE CURRENT PRICE - ALLOCATED GOLD SCANDAL HIT -
GOLD WILL BREAK RANKS FROM THE PAPER CLUTCHES -
PHONY PRICE DISCOVERY METHODS -
THE GOLD PRICE WILL EASE PAST THE $5000 PER OUNCE MARK -
TAKE SILVER ON A GREAT UPWARD RIDE -
THE BANKERS WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE GOLD -
BY OPEN MARKET PURCHASES AS RESTITUTION -
The events will continue to occur in a sequence - probably managed much more than we are told - a new sheriff is in town - who stepped off jetplane - few months ago from an Eastern location - suspect the Western castle dwellers are staging - systemic collapse in order to impose - new centralized government - not be pretty, nor permit rights or liberty - be described as a debt slavery serfdom - Western strategy is backfiring - de-centralization is occurring - the exact opposite - primary secure safe haven is Gold - always has been Gold - always will be Gold - The experiment since 1971 when the Gold Standard - was unilaterally broken by the United States - is coming to a conclusion - wreckage is complete and a great tragedy - new system will emerge - LIBOR LAWSUITS - attorneys and aggrieved victims are lined up - perhaps over 900 thousand lawsuits will come - how many adjustable rate mortgages were arranged - from 2005 to 2009, with underwriting banks - serving the complaints - army of US legal beagles is on the job - lost income to the victims is obvious - lawsuits will eventually target the central banks - fraud reaches into the $trillions easily - the derivatives will be factored in - $trillions in volume times percentages skimmed illegally - mainstream press carefully avoids such topics - GOOGLE search of "municipal lawsuits LIBOR" produce >21.1 million hits - story will be gathering momentum - be in the headlines a year from now -
Demand and supply factors remain in gold’s favour.
There is strong demand from store of wealth buyers in Europe, China, the Middle East and the rest of Asia – not to mention strong demand from institutions and central banks.
Mortgage rates continue to test new depths, with the 30-year fixed rate hitting 3.53%, down from 3.63% the week prior, according to Freddie Mac. The fixed-rate 15-year mortgage also hit a new all time low, touching 2.83%, down from 2.86% the week prior.
[Click here to find mortgage rates in your area.]
"With little signs of inflation and the Federal Reserve's 'Operation Twist' keeping U.S. Treasury bond yields in check, fixed mortgage rates are remaining low and helping to stir the housing market," said Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, at Freddie Mac.
As rates continued to fall, mortgage demand increased last week. Mortgage application volume jumped 16.9% from one week earlier, according to data released on Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 13, 2012. The Refinance Index increased 22% from the previous week and is at the highest level since mid-June, after falling 3% the week prior. Mike Fratantoni, MBA's Vice President of Research and Economics, said that jump was largely related to record low mortgage rates.
Record low rates are nothing new, however, as you can see from the chart below. The average 30-year fixed has been below 4.00 percent all but one week in 2012. Last year at this time rates were nearly 1% higher, at 4.52%.
Nothaft and others are taking a somewhat optimistic tone this week after new construction on one-family homes rose in June for the fourth straight month, and at its strongest pace since April 2010 and homebuilder confidence for the next six months rose for the third month in a row in July to its highest reading since March 2007.
Sobering retrospective data about the housing fallout are still rolling out. A report this week by the AARP based on mortgage data from 2007 through 2011 gave a glimpse of how retirees were impacted. More than 1.5 million Americans aged 50 and older lost their homes in the five years from 2007 through 2011, according to the data. The foreclosure rate was 2.9% in 2011 among all homeowners 50 and older, up from 0.3% in 2007.
Have you refinanced or tried to refinance recently? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.
In this episode, Max Keiser and co-host, Stacy Herbert, discuss Libor traders who rigged global interest rate market escaping charges while Iceland sentences bankers to four year prison terms. At the same time, Iceland's central bank is raising interest rates to deal with a growing economy while Western bankster-riddled economies prepare for another round of money printing to deal with all the fraud. In the second half of the show Max talks to Brett Scott about financial activism, a Wikileaks for finance and collaboration with hedge funds.
RT (Russia Today) is a global news network broadcasting from Moscow and Washington studios. RT is the first news channel to break the 500 million YouTube views benchmark.
Forget saving files to flash drives and cloud servers. Now, digital information can be stored in the DNA of living organisms, thanks to a breakthrough discovery by researchers at Stanford University in California.
A trio of scientists successfully demonstrated the ability to flip the direction of DNA molecules in sample E.coli bacteria in two directions, mimicking the “1s” and “0s” of binary code, which is at the root of all modern computer calculations.
“Essentially, if the DNA section points in one direction, it’s a zero. If it points the other way, it’s a one,” said Pakpoom Subsoontorn, a bioengineering graduate student at Stanford involved in the research, in an article on the Stanford School of Medicine website.
As a result, the researchers were able to get bacteria cells to glow either red or green under ultraviolet light, and were even able to arrange the colors to spell out specific messages in petri dishes holding the bacteria. (Photo below)
The maximum total “file size” of the data stored using the method is currently restricted to one bit per cell, but the researchers are confident they can get it up to 8-bits, or one byte, of rewritable storage capacity by increasing the number of recombination enzymes within the data.
Their method, called recombinase addressable data (RAD), works because scientists are able to control the precise amount of enzymes that catalyze chemical reactions, within each of the single E.coli bacteria cells.
Specifically, the team used two types of enzymes, integrase and excisionase, in different amounts in each cell, to control the flipping of the DNA molecules.
It took a lot of hard work, though: Some 750 separate attempts over three years to get the right proportions of the enzymes to be able to flip the DNA “switches” as planned. That’s because the enzymes each tell the cell to do different things, so they are often competing for control. However, the researchers were able to achieve the right balance and produce the light show they sought.
Ultimately, the scientists believe RAD will be “an incredibly powerful tool for studying cancer, aging, organismal development and even the natural environment,” said Drew Endy, an assistant professor in Stanford’s bioengineering department, in the Stanford article.
As Endy, Subsoontorn and Stanford postdoc Jerome Bonnet further explained in a free-to-access paper published Tuesday in the The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: “The DNA inversion RAD module developed here should be translatable to applications requiring stable long-term data storage (for example, replicative aging) or under challenging conditions (for example, clinical or environmental contexts…”
Stanford researchers Pakpoom Subsoontorn (left) and Jerome Bonnet show off their RAD method of storing digital data in DNA cells of living bacteria.
Stanford demonstration of a new method to store data in the DNA of living E.coli bacteria cells. Petri dishes of cells glow red or green depending upon the direction of DNA molecules.
A powerful data-snatching virus targeting computers in Iran, Israel and other Middle Eastern countries has been discovered by Russian experts. The worm has been used for years for what seems to be state-sponsored cyber espionage.
Russian cyber-security company Kaspersky Lab says the malware, codenamed Flame, is the largest and one of the most complex cyber-attacks ever discovered. It reports that the most severely affected computers are in Iran – but Israel, Syria and other countries across the Middle East have also been infected.
Kaspersky’s first recorded instance of Flame dates back to August 2010, although the firm admits the worm could have been stealing data for years before that. The virus may also have been built on behalf of the same nation or nations that commissioned the Stuxnet virus that affected the Iranian nuclear program in 2010.
The Moscow-based company said on Monday that its researchers had yet to determine whether Flame had a specific mission, like Stuxnet or Duqu – another massive cyber-attack that had sought to infiltrate networks and steal data.
Flame’s code appears to be twenty times the size of Stuxnet’s. The malware is able to gather data files, remotely change settings on computers, turn on PC microphones or webcams in order to record conversations and video, take screen shots – and eventually send the data back to the attackers. “Once a system is infected, Flame begins a complex set of operations, including sniffing the network traffic, taking screenshots, recording audio conversations, intercepting the keyboard, and so on,” Kaspersky’s chief malware expert Vitaly Kamlyuk told BBC.
The complexity of the virus and the targets that have been hit led Kaspersky Lab to believe that this a government is behind the cyber attacks. At the same time, the experts are not sure of its exact origins and have yet to determine whether Flame had a specific mission, like Stuxnet, whose attack Iran blamed on the United States and Israel.
US: ‘No comment’
Many experts believe Iran’s suspicions toward the US and Israel are not without merit. In January 2011, The New York Times came out with a report stating that both attacks originated from a joint program in 2004 aimed at undermining Iran’s alleged efforts to build a nuclear bomb. The article said the program was authorized by US President George W. Bush, and later accelerated by his successor, Barack Obama.
A spokesman for the US Department of Defense, David Oten, declined to comment on Flame on Monday, Reuters reports. The CIA, State Department, National Security Agency, and US Cyber Command declined to comment as well.
Kaspersky Lab said it discovered Flame after a UN telecommunications body asked it to analyze data on malicious software across the Middle East in search of the data-wiping virus reported by Iran.
A powerful data-snatching virus targeting computers in Iran, Israel and other Middle Eastern countries has been discovered by Russian experts. The worm has been used for years for what seems to be state-sponsored cyber espionage.
The Reality Matrix is a video documentary series covering the nature of reality and all of life on Earth as we know it.
"The Funny Money" uncovers the fraudulent nature of the banking system that incorporates the Federal Reserve, the World Bank, IMF, Rothschild family, and many other elite banking families.
Everyday, we hear some pretty grim predictions about the markets and the economy. But this is one of the more comprehensive and most gloomy outlooks we've ever seen.
Raoul Pal expects a series of sovereign defaults, the "biggest banking crisis in world history", and asserts that we don't have many options to stop it. Pal previously co-managed the GLG Global Macro Fund. He is also a Goldman Sachs alum. He currently writes for The Global Macro Investor, a research publication for large and institutional investors.
A note on the presentation; the last slide is not meant to suggest that we're going back to the economic activity of 3000 years ago. It refers to the 3000 year old trade links between the nations along the Indian Ocean, which Mr. Pal believes will be the center of world's opportunities. Just like the West 50 years ago, they have "...low debts, high savings and a young population". Thanks to Raoul Pal for giving us permission to share his presentation Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/raoul-pal-the-end-game-2012-6#ixzz1webfBQHo
395 Pine Tree Road, Suite 310 Ithaca, NY 14850 P: 607-254-4698 F: 607-254-5454 E: cctecconnect@cornell.edu www.cctec.cornell.edu Inventors: Michael King Xiaoyan Yin Kuldeepsinh Rana Varun Ponmudi Andrew Hughes Patents: Filed Contact: Jeff Fearn, PhD Sr. TCLO Office: 607-254-4502 E-mail: jcf55@cornell.edu Cornell Ref: D-4920/D-4968/D-4973
Link to Origanal PDF Functionalized Liposomes for Targeting and Treatment of Diseases CCTEC D-4920/D-4968/D-4973 Invention Summary Several technologies in combination create a novel method to target and/or treat cells, such as metastasized cancer cells.
This invention involves the use of functionalized liposomes. These liposomes may be functionalized with an adhesion molecule such as selectin alone or in combination with other entities. These liposomes may also have incorporated within it molecules such as siRNA or drugs.
Cornell researchers have shown proof of principle by functionalizing the surface of the liposome with selectin, which can interact with certain cancer cells. These liposomes can also have incorporated on their surface or into them:
1. FUT3 siRNA – functions by decreasing protein expression of fucosyltransferase 3 of cancer cells, thus inhibiting metastasis.
2. Doxorubicin – a cancer-killing agent that directly destroys cancer cells.
3. TRAIL– interacts with the Death Receptor on cancer cells, initiating their death.
Cornell inventors have also used functionalized halloysite nanotubes that project from the surface of the microtube they coat, increasing the available surface area and thus significantly enhancing the capture of circulating tumor cells and binding them. There is no effect on the viability of these cells, enabling their use for in vitro studies on the characteristics of the cancer and experimental drug therapies. Background Information Most cancer-related deaths are associated with the formation of metastatic tumors. One problem with targeted drug delivery to cancer cells is that the cancer cells have similarities with some normal cells, and are thus compromised during the course of treatment. A more targeted approach is needed to preserve the integrity of normal, healthy human cells while inducing apoptosis in cancer cells that have metastasized.
Technical Merits: • Liposomes may be adapted to different cancers by functionalizing with the appropriate binding molecule, or to other sites, such as areas of inflammation. • Functionalized liposomes can be used alone or in conjunction with other therapies.
• Potential to use these novel therapies in vivo. Potential Commercial Applications: • Treatment of metastasized cancer using FUT3 siRNA. • Treatment of other cancers, inflammation and other targets.
• Screening tool for drug therapies.
• Research tool. Potential Advantages: • Metastasized CTCs are specifically targeted without harm to normal cells. • Can functionalize liposomes to specifically target cell of interest.
• With halloysite nanotubes, the viability of CTCs is preserved, enabling the cells to be cultured
The development of individualized treatments for cancer can be facilitated by more efficient methods for separating cancer cells from patient blood in such a way that they remain viable for live cell assays. We have previously shown that immobilized P-selectin protein can be used on the inner surface of a microscale flow system to induce leukemic cells and leukocytes to roll at different velocities and relative fluxes, thereby creating a means for rapid cell fractionation without inflicting cellular damage. In this study, we explore a method to more efficiently capture leukemic and epithelial cancer cells from flow by altering the nanoscale topography of the inner surface of P-selectin-coated microtubes. This functionalized topography is achieved by attaching naturally occurring halloysite nanotubes to the microtube surface via a monolayer of poly-l-lysine), followed by functionalization with recombinant human selectin protein. We have found that halloysite nanotube coatings promote increased capture of leukemic cells and have determined the key parameters for controlling cell capture under flow: halloysite content and selectin density. Ultimately, selectin-functionalized nanotube coatings should provide a means for enhanced cancer cell isolation from whole blood and other mixtures of cells.
Additional Information (publications, web sites, and patent links)
"This is not to say that nanotechnology is a far-off, fuzzy, futuristic technology. It is not. It has already established a beachhead in the economy. The clothing industry is starting to feel the effects of nanotech. Eddie Bauer, for example, is currently using embedded nanoparticles to create stain-repellent khakis. This seemingly simple innovation will impact not only khaki-wearers, but dry cleaners, who will find their business declining; detergent makers, who will find less of their product moving off the shelf; and stain-removal makers, who will experience a sharp decrease in customers. This modest, fairly low-tech application of nanotechnology is just the small tip of a vast iceberg--an iceberg that threatens to sink even the "unsinkable" companies."
View the list created by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, called A Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory. It contains over 803 current (as of December 2008) products.
Some examples of how nanotechnology impacts our lives now
A plastic nanocomposite is being used for "step assists" in the GM Safari and Astro Vans. It is scratch-resistant, light-weight, and rust-proof, and generates improvements in strength and reductions in weight, which lead to fuel savings and increased longevity. And in 2001, Toyota started using nanocomposites in a bumper that makes it 60% lighter and twice as resistant to denting and scratching. Impact: Will likely be used on other GM and Toyota models soon, and in other areas of their vehicles, as well as the other auto manufactures, lowering weight, increasing milage, and creating longer-lasting autos. Likely to impact repair shops (fewer repairs needed) and auto insurance companies (fewer claims). Will also likely soon be seen everywhere weight, weather-proofing, durability, and strength are important factors. Expect NASA, the ESA, and other space-faring organizations to take a serious look, soon, which will eventually result in lower lift costs, which will result in more material being lifted into space.
Electron micrograph of typical silicon nanocomposite cross section showing uniform distribution of conductive carbon nanotube network. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force. See Electrically Conductive Polymer Nanocomposite Materials for details.
Click image for larger version
Strong and light sounds like the perfect recipe for a golf club, of course, which is why so many golf club manufacturers are now devoting big bucks to nano R&D. Thus far, the only company among the big boys to convert research into tangible products is Wilson, which offers three drivers, a fairway wood, four balls and even a golf bag made using nano-materials.
The Chicago-based firm began looking into the potential of nanotechnology six years ago, but didn't come out with a product - the NCODE series of tennis rackets - until 2004. Later in the year, it started shipping drivers and fairway woods, the Pd5, Dd5, Td5 (MSRP - $300) and FwC (MSRP - $200), whose crowns are constructed with nano carbon which, Wilson claims, creates a low-density, high-strength clubhead. Angus Moir, global business director, says use of nano materials sets Wilson apart from the competition. "They make our products more user friendly," he says. link
Nanocrystals
Examples:
Click image for larger version
<><><><><><><><><>"Metal nanocrystals might be incorporated into car bumpers, making the parts stronger, or into aluminum, making it more wear resistant. Metal nanocrystals might be used to produce bearings that last longer than their conventional counterparts, new types of sensors and components for computers and electronic hardware.
Nanocrystals of various metals have been shown to be 100 percent, 200 percent and even as much as 300 percent harder than the same materials in bulk form. Because wear resistance often is dictated by the hardness of a metal, parts made from nanocrystals might last significantly longer than conventional parts." http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/020816.Chandrasekar.nano.html >
Nanocrystals absorb then re-emit the light in a different color -- the size of the nanocrystal (in the Angstrom scale) determines the color.
Six different quantum dot solutions are shown, excited with a long-wave UV lamp.
Quantum dots are molecular-scale optical beacons. Qdot™ nanocrystals behave like molecular LEDs (light emitting diodes) by "lighting up" biological binding events with a broad palette of applied colors.
Smith & Nephew markets an antimicrobial dressing covered with nanocrystalline silver (A patented Technology of NUCRYST Pharmaceuticals). The nanocrystalline coating of silver rapidly kills a broad spectrum of bacteria in as little as 30 minutes.
Stain-repellent Eddie Bauer Nano-CareTM khakis, with surface fibers of 10 to 100 nanometers, uses a process that coats each fiber of fabric with "nano-whiskers." Developed by Nano-Tex, a Burlington Industries subsidiary. Dockers also makes khakis, a dress shirt and even a tie treated with what they call "Stain Defender", another example of the same nanoscale cloth treatment. Impact: Dry cleaners, detergent and stain-removal makers, carpet and furniture makers, window covering makers .... See Nano-Tex products
BASF's annual sales of aqueous polymer dispersion products amount to around $1.65 billion. All of them contain polymer particles ranging from ten to several hundred nanometers in size. Polymer dispersions are found in exterior paints, coatings and adhesives, or are used in the finishing of paper, textiles and leather. Nanotechnology also has applications in the food sector. Many vitamins and their precursors, such as carotinoids, are insoluble in water. However, when skillfully produced and formulated as nanoparticles, these substances can easily be mixed with cold water, and their bioavailability in the human body also increases. Many lemonades and fruit juices contain these specially formulated additives, which often also provide an attractive color. In the cosmetics sector, BASF has for several years been among the leading suppliers of UV absorbers based on nanoparticulate zinc oxide. Incorporated in sun creams, the small particles filter the high-energy radiation out of sunlight. Because of their tiny size, they remain invisible to the naked eye and so the cream is transparent on the skin. From Nanotechnology at BASF
Sunscreens are utilizing nanoparticles that are extremely effective at absorbing light, especially in the ultra-violet (UV) range. Due to the particle size, they spread more easily, cover better, and save money since you use less. And they are transparent, unlike traditional screens which are white. These sunscreens are so successful that by 2001 they had captured 60% of the Australian sunscreen market. Impact: Makers of sunscreen have to convert to using nanoparticles. And other product manufactures, like packaging makers, will find ways to incorporate them into packages to reduces UV exposure and subsequent spoilage. The $480B packaging and $300B plastics industries will be directly effected. See Big Opportunities for Small Particles
Using aluminum nanoparticles, Argonide has created rocket propellants that burn at double the rate. They also produce copper nanoparticles that are incorporated into automotive lubricant to reduce engine wear.
AngstroMedica has produced a nanoparticulate-based synthetic bone. "Human bone is made of a calcium and phosphate composite called Hydroxyapatite. By manipulation calcium and phosphate at the molecular level, we have created a patented material that is identical in structure and composition to natural bone. This novel synthetic bone can be used in areas where natural bone is damaged or removed, such as in the in the treatment of fractures and soft tissue injuries."
See this Kemco International page for a list of applications for nanoparticles.
Nanostructured Materials
Example:
Nanodyne makes a tungsten-carbide-cobalt composite powder (grain size less than 15nm) that is used to make a sintered alloy as hard as diamond, which is in turn used to make cutting tools, drill bits, armor plate, and jet engine parts. Impact: Every industry that makes parts or components whose properties must include hardness and durability. See Nanostructed Materials Get Tough A PDF document
Kodak is producing OLED color screens (made of nanostructured polymer films) for use in car stereos and cell phones. OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes) may enable thinner, lighter, more flexible, less power consuming displays, and other consumer products such as cameras, PDAs, laptops, televisions, and other as yet undreamt of applications. Impact: all current makers of CRTs, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and other display types. See OLEDs get ready to light up the market for flexible screens and KODAK OLED technical details [a PDF]
Used in packaging, like beer bottles, as a barrier, allowing for thinner material, with a subsequently lighter weight, and greater shelf-life. Impact: $480B packaging and $300B plastics industries. Reduced weight means transportation costs decline. Changing from glass and aluminum - think beer and soda bottles - to plastic reduces production costs. Nanoclays help to hold the pressure and carbonation inside the bottle, increasing shelf life. It is estimated that beer in these containers will gain an extra 60 days (from 120 to 180) of shelf life, reducing spoilage, and decreasing overall costs to the end user. Nanocor is one company producing nanoclays and nanocomposites, for a variety of uses, including flame retardants, barrier film (as in juice containers), and bottle barrier (as shown above). "They are not only used to improve existing products, but also are extending their reach into areas formerly dominated by metal, glass and wood." See Nanocor
Nanocomposite Coatings
Example:
Wilson Double Core tennis balls have a nanocomposite coating that keeps it bouncing twice as long as an old-style ball. Made by InMat LLC, this nanocomposite is a mix of butyl rubber, intermingled with nanoclay particles, giving the ball substantially longer shelf life. Impact: Tires are the next logical extension of this technology: it would make them lighter (better millage) and last longer (better cost performance). See Nanocomposites in tennis balls lock in air, build better bounce
Nanotubes
Examples:
Nanoledge makes carbon nanotubes for commercial uses, of which one mundane (marketing tactic) use is in a tennis racket, made by Babolat. The yoke of the racket bends less during ball impact, improving the player's performance. Impact: Once companies like Nanoledge can scale-up their production from grams, to pounds, to tons, and can do so while controlling the type of nanotube they produce, the world becomes their oyster: everywhere strength and weight are a factor - such as in the aerospace, automobile, and airplane industries - they will make a major (disruptive) impact. SeeFrench firm hopes to get PR bounce out of nanotubes in tennis rackets
Applied Nanotech recently demonstrated a 14" monochrome display based on electron emission from carbon nanotubes. Impact: Once the process is perfected, costs will go down, and the high-end market will start being filled. Shortly thereafter, and hand-in-hand with the predictable drop in price of CNTs, production economies-of-scale will enable the costs to drop further still, at which time we will see nanotube-based screens in use everywhere CRTs and view screens are used today. SeeApplied Nanotech demonstrates carbon nanotube TV
And Samsung is expected to demonstrate a CNT-based 32" display by the end of 2003.
Nanocatalysts
Examples:
China's largest coal company (Shenhua Group) has licensed technology from Hydrocarbon Technologies that will enable it to liquify coal and turn it into gas. The process uses a gel-based nanoscale catalyst, which improves the efficiency and reduces the cost. Impact: "If the technology lives up to its promise and can economically transform coal into diesel fuel and gasoline, coal-rich countries such as the U.S., China and Germany could depend far less on imported oil. At the same time, acid-rain pollution would be reduced because the liquefaction strips coal of harmful sulfur." See Very Small Business
One of the characteristic properties of all nanoparticles has been used from the outset in the manufacture of automotive catalytic converters: The surface area of the particles increases dramatically as the particle size decreases and the weight remains the same. A variety of chemical reactions take place on the surface of the catalyst, and the larger the surface area, the more active the catalyst. Nanoscale catalysts thus open the way for numerous process innovations to make many chemical processes more efficient and resource-saving – in other words more competitive. From Nanotechnology at BASF
Nanofilters
Examples:
Argonide Nanomaterials, an Orlando based manufacturer of nanoparticles and nanofiltration products, makes a filter that is capable of filtering the smallest of particles. The performance is due to it’s nano size alumina fiber, which attracts and retains sub-micron and nanosize particles. This disposable filter retains 99.9999+% of viruses at water flow rates several hundred times greater than virus-rated ultra porous membranes. It is useful for sterilization of biological, pharmaceutical and medical serums, protein separation, collector/concentrator for biological warfare detectors, and several other applications. Impact: In the future, for one application, sterilizing drinking water, this product may have an impact on so-called Third World peoples, who only have access to dubious sources of water.
For more current applications, see Reality is the concept that governs the new nanobusiness world
These are just a few of the many ways in which nanotechnology is working itself into our everyday lives. At present, there are no nanobots, no molecular-scale machines, and no assemblers - these are still in the basic research stages, and may not be seen for decades (although many would argue that a concerted effort would bring them to fruition in just a few years).
"What we are seeing is the beginning of a revolution, caused by our ability to work on the same scale as nature. Nanotechnology will affect every aspect of our lives, from the medicines we use, to the power of our computers, the energy supplies we require, the food we eat, the cars we drive, the buildings we live in, and the clothes we wear. And it will happen sooner than most people think. By 2010 you won't be able to count the number of businesses affected by nanotechnology." iTim Harper, Founder and Chief Executive Director of the European NanoBusiness Association, and CEO CMP Cientificahttp://www.nanotech-now.com/current-uses.htm
NaturalNano holds and/or licenses 20 patents and applications relating to Halloysite, as well as proprietary know-how for its extraction and separation processes, compositions, and derivatives.www.naturalnano.com
Applications of Halloysite Nanotubes in Polymer Composites - SpecialChem Learning on Demand
Uploaded by Omnexus This video covers, Pleximer nanocomposite masterbatch, Nylon-6 Pleximer, Polypropylene Pleximer,Additional thermoplastics - PE, TPO,..., Use of HNT in coatings
expanding global market for nanotechnology based products are projected to grow at a cumulative rate of ~19% worldwide during the period 2011-2013 according to a recent report from the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology. The global market for nanotechnology based manufactured goods will be of worth US$ 2.4 Trillion by 2015, largely driven by massive investment in nanotechnology R&D and commercialization by both governments and corporations worldwide.
*Cosmetic Applications and Licensing* NNAN Fiabila Sally Hensen 60,000 retail locations domestically. NNAN HNT's product Via Fiabia supply to Sally Henssen Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1790135 {Follow link down to Ingredients listed at bottom of page} sold at major retail outlets
NaturalNano's Acting CEO& President James Wemett said, "These recent orders from Fiabila reflect their successful commercial results from their product line which incorporates HNT technology. Fiabila's current nail polish products containing HNT are currently being sold at the largest retailers in the USA, including Target, Wal-Mart, CVS and Walgreen's, and their market expansion of those lines into European Markets.
*BIOMEDICAL*
Dr. King, an associate professor of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University, states, "The isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples can be targeted more effectively by incorporation of halloysite nanotubes (HNT) onto the surface of flow devices used to capture CTCs in blood." King continued, "We present a new lab protocol that utilizes off-the-shelf materials and standard equipment, so clinical and research labs will be able to utilize the method without difficulty."
The abstract can be viewed at the following link: http://www.clinchem.org/content/early/2012/02/16/clinchem.2011.176669.abstract or contact Dr. King for further details.
James Wemett, NaturalNano CEO, said, "We are pleased to have Dr. King's work with our HNT materials published. Wemett continued,"Dr. King's work with HNT continues to build on our understanding of the potential role that HNT may play in life science applications."
*AUTO and MILITARY*
licensing agreement with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) covering the commercialization of products based on five (5) patents for extended release technologies.
a range of products and applications that combine their respective patented technologies to create a new class of highperformance additives. These will significantly improve the mechanical properties of Sparta's Vehicle and Body Armor materials