BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, December 20, 2010 -- Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) is part of an initiative to create two new research centers in Singapore to develop nanomaterials for more energy-efficient applications and water management technologies.
BGU will be partnering with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (NTU) and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ).
The project's goal is to develop precisely tailored nano-structures and processes to achieve performance increases in energy and water applications, as well as ensure they are economically scalable. The group also has plans to explore materials development and water management technologies and commercialize the processes, products and intellectual property.
Representing the BGU research team is Prof. Robert Marks, of the Department of Biotechnology Engineering at BGU. "The idea is to advance basic research on applied orientation to create licensing start-ups," says Marks. "We'll be trying to create and commercialize new tools to help clean and monitor the water better, and to harvest better energy and conserve it."
Marks is a member of the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev and the Isle Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology. He has founded four biology nanotech companies and has garnered more than $3 million from competitive national and international funding agencies.
"Like Israel, Singapore is a small country with a small population and virtually no [natural] resources," Marks points out. Accordingly, Singapore invests major funds in technology, education and research.
About American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision, creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. With some 20,000 students on campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sede Boqer and Eilat in Israel's southern desert, BGU is a university with a conscience, where the highest academic standards are integrated with community involvement, committed to sustainable development of the Negev. AABGU is headquartered in Manhattan and has nine regional offices throughout the U.S. For more information, visit www.aabgu.org.