Small Times presented its highly respected Best of Small Tech awards at its NanoCon International conference and exhibition at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA on November 14, 2007.

This is the sixth annual Small Times awards program, which spotlights the top companies, leaders and the biggest successes in nanotechnology, MEMS and microsystems during the past year. “Each year it gets more and more difficult to judge the best and brightest as the micro and nanotechnology market continues to mature and new products come to market,” said Christine Shaw, Senior Vice President and Group Publisher of Small Times. “It is an honor to recognize the leading companies, and business and research executives who are driving integration of nanotechnology into the commercial pipeline.” Each award submission is evaluated by the Small Times’ staff and the winners are chosen by a distinguished panel of industry experts.

In the area of Innovator, the Best of Small Tech Award goes to Louisiana Tech University’s Institute for Micromanufacturing professor, Dr. Yuri Lvov, Tolbert C. Pipes Endowed Chair of Micro and Nanosystems. Dr. Lvov has worked during the past year to pioneer drug reformulation through polyelectrolyte nano-encapsulation, which has allowed stable nano and micro colloids of important cancer drugs. He extended the same approach for improvement of cellulose microfibers from recycled paper through polyelectrolyte nanocoating, thereby allowing increase of recycled fiber usage in paper. His results have been widely published in peer reviewed journals and also patented in the US and internationally, including patents on Layered Nanoparticles for Sustained Release of Small Molecules, and on Lithography-Based Patterning of Layer-by-Layer Nanoassembled Thin Films.

“This is a well deserved award, recognizing Dr. Lvov’s extensive scientific and technological contributions,” said Dr. Kody Varahramyan, Director of the Institute for Micromanufacturing. “He is nationally and internationally known for his pioneering work in the area of nanotechnology, particularly as it relates to the layer-by-layer nanoassembly technique and its applications. His area of specialization is nanotechnology, including nanoassembly of ultrathin organized films, bio/nanocomposites, nanoparticle ensembles, nano/construction of ordered shells on microtemplates, nanocapsules for drug and enzyme delivery and controlled release. He has published two books and more than 160 peer reviewed papers on these topics.”

Dr. Lvov has received major research sponsorship from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Energy, NASA, and other national agencies. His grants and industrial contracts have exceeded $5 million in the last five years. His research has found industrial applications in nanocapsules for drug delivery, biocompatible nanocoating, and new methods for cellulose microfiber processing for better paper.

He has taken the lead in this field, envisioning nanoassembly on tiny templates such as drug nanocapsules for controlled release, cellulose microfibers nanocoating for better paper, and clay nanotubules for sustained release, the central topic of Dr. Lvov’s research. In collaboration with industry, there is work in progress on the scaling up of the resulting products, with emphasis on realizing kilograms to tons of the given products.

Some of his industry achievements include: “Nanoengineered Protein Drug Incapsulation,” with the Baxter Corporation; “Eye Lens Nanocoating for Specific Hormone Adsorption,” with Novartis Corporation; and “Nanoassembly for Pulp and Paper Processing,” with SAPPI Fine Paper Corporation.