Nanostructural analysis network organisation: a new Australian major national research facility

Full text: The Commonwealth of Australia recently announced that it would establish a new Major National Research Facility (MNRF) in nanostructural analysis. This initiative, to be managed through AusIndustry is an important national development for the microscopy and microanalysis community. The Nanostructural Analysis Network Organisation (NANO) will deliver new capabilities in atomic and molecular level imaging, analysis and manipulation to support and enable nanotechnology and biotechnology research. Specifically these capabilities include provision of an advanced atom probe, focused ion beam and secondary ion mass spectroscopy platforms for the characterisation and prototyping of nanomaterials, devices and conventional engineering materials. Provision of a state-of-the art platform for structural biology using transmission electron cryomicroscopy so as to characterise the structure, assembly, dynamics and interaction of macromolecules with substrates is also planned. The foundation partners of NANO include five Universities from four states, four state governments and three companies, NANO will be the peak-Australian facility for the characterisation of physical and biological materials. The aim of NANO is to establish new collaborative linkages through a network organisation for resource-sharing between a national grid of existing instrumentation in microscopy and microanalysis. The development of high quality telepresence capabilities in conjunction with the major national high speed computing network initiatives is a key component of NANO. In this paper, the operational structure and key processes of NANO will be explained. The opportunities for and mechanisms of collaboration with NANO will be discussed as will the plans to expand and diversity the network. Copyright (2002) Australian Society for Electron Microscopy Inc