Business Facilities - November 2007 - (Page 16)

The Spallation Neutron Source, a $1.4 billion research facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has established a new record as the world’s most powerful accelerator-based source of neutrons for scientific research. is doing groundbreaking work to help scientists improve yields of a wide range of crops, including those grown to provide biomass for alternative fuel production. Phenotype Screening Corp., founded in 2004, is located in Seymour, TN, where commercial rent is lower than in Knoxville, says Ronald Michaels, the firm’s technical director. Phenotype, which works with researchers at UT, uses a non-destructive system of studying plant roots that enables scientists to develop stronger, more pest- and drought-resistant crops. The company’s work can also help to improve production of switchgrass, willows, poplars, and other plants used as feedstock in biofuels. “The understanding of the genetic basis of plant root architecture is important in that roots play a critical role in plant growth. However, compared to the above-ground portions of the plant, there is a profound lack of knowledge,” Michaels says. Phenotype’s method of study is based on the use of low-density growth soil, 16 NOVEMBER 2007 special plant containers, and lowenergy digital X-ray radiography. “Our method is greenhouse stage and nondestructive,” Michaels says, “so a single plant can be followed, and, if it is interesting, it can be planted out in soil and grown to maturity.” Among the myriad innovations in East Tennessee are recent developments in the field of neutron science— an example of a technological edge lost and regained. Neutron scattering was developed in Oak Ridge in the wake of the Manhattan Project. But in the following decades, larger and more powerful neutron sources were built in Europe and Asia, often forcing researchers to go abroad to perform their experiments. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), a $1.4-billion research facility at the ORNL, has reestablished U.S. leadership in neutron scattering. Now, many of the world’s top researchers are or will be coming to Tennessee. ORNL Director Thom Mason says the SNS “will provide scientists with an unprecedented ability to analyze and understand the molecular structures and behaviors responsible for the properties of advanced materials.” In August, the SNS set a record as the world’s most powerful accelerator-based source of neutrons for scientific research. “As we learn how to make materials stronger, lighter, or cheaper, we can help American industry develop an unlimited variety of new products,” Mason says. For example, new materials might make it possible to design lighter airplanes that fly with less fuel or bridges that are more resistant to stress and fracture. Tennessee is also positioning itself to become the destination of choice in the coming nanotechnology era, according to the East Tennessee Economic Development Agency, which notes that $2 billion of research facilities will soon be available to companies for work on nanoscale materials. Also, UT is working with ORNL to align its curriculum and training programs to prepare a nanotechenabled workforce. Many companies are being drawn to the Innovation Valley by the state, local, and utility incentives offered to new and expanding businesses, economic development officials note. The newly formed East Tennessee Nano Initiative will help companies by offering technology transfer services, capital formation, and incubation and technical business assistance, and will serve as an outreach and public education forum on nanotechnology. Additionally, a public-private partnership called Technology 2020 has established a Center for Entrepreneurial Growth at ORNL to aid startups with advice, mentorship, and other services. Another place where nanotechnology, known as “the science of PHOTO CREDIT: ORNL

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Business Facilities - November 2007 Contents First Words Snapshots Metro Spotlight: Indianapolis Region, Indiana Georgia's Pursuit of Industry Extreme Technology Sites A Tennessee Trifecta A Watershed Moment for Philly Metro Spotlight: Mexico-Texas Border Region High Tech and Aerospace Heat up in Arizona Meeting the Information Technology Challenge IEDC Announces 2007 Winners Corporate Moves: Alabama Northeast Arkansas Scores Major Investments Corporate Moves: Virginia Metro Spotlight: Martinsville-Henry County, VA Renewable Michigan Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - November 2007

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