The ICN2 is currently implementing a project to develop a set of "Controlled Environment Nanotechnology Fabrication and Testing Facilities". The goal of CENanoTech is to transform two areas of the ICN2 building into controlled-atmosphere laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment.
The new Nanofabrication Laboratory, complete with Raman microscope, and ICP-RIE and UV photolithography systems, will allow ICN2 researchers to include non-conventional materials like organic materials and flexible substrates into the process line. Meanwhile the new Bio Laboratory will be used for advanced cell culture and biological testing, enabling the manipulation of biological samples and the study of how they interact with nanostructured materials like nanoparticles and biomedical "nanodevices".
Being able to precisely manufacture devices at the nanoscale and study the interactions between living cells and the latest nanomaterials is fundamental to a research institute like the ICN2. Crucially, these new laboratories will allow the institute to carry out advanced experimentation and further develop innovative applications and devices in-house. Not only will this strengthen the institute's global position within the field of nanotechnology and catalyse the development of marketable technologies, but it also makes the institute more attractive as a place of learning, allowing it to train its young scientists in state-of-the-art techniques.
The CENanoTech project (ref.: 2015 FEDER/S-16) is funded through the call for the development of R&D infrastructures launched by the Regional Ministry of Economy and Knowledge, of the Generalitat de Catalunya, with funding received from the European Regional Development Fund. The project has also been co-funded by the Severo Ochoa Programme granted by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.