Should cows get stock options?
NanoMagnetics is one of a number of new start-ups trying to improve electronics through biology.
"We've got little rust particles that are carried by a protein ball. We can take out the rust and put in platinum alloys or other metallic materials," which can then be used to represent data, explained Mayes, founder and chief executive. "Each particle is uniform in size."
Mayes came up with the idea for the company while working on a doctorate, at the University of Bristol, on the interaction between biological agents and inorganic molecules. Bricks and seashells are structurally quite dissimilar, he pointed out, but made of the same material. By exploiting naturally occurring biological phenomenon, NanoMagnetics hopes to reduce the cost of manufacturing storage devices.
True to its roots, the company still obtains its carrier protein, ferritin, the old-fashioned way.
"We get it from animal sources," he said. Humans produce ferritin. But instead of getting it from employees, NanoMagnetics buys its ferritin from collagen manufacturers who get it from cows. The company is currently looking at ways to produce it in the lab "because my wife is a vegetarian," Mayes joked.
In terms of size, ferritin is relatively small. A single sphere measures 12 nanometres in diameter, while the inner cavity measures 8 nanometre. By contrast, an AIDS virus measures around 50 nanometres across. NanoMagnetics is also looking at DNA protection system (DPS) proteins, which are even smaller, as carriers.
Seagate, IBM and others have performed similar experiments by coating magnetic particles in a substance similar to olive oil. Proteins, however, can withstand higher temperatures and therefore maintain their shape and relative position in an array better during high manufacturing temperatures, he said.
While the company has tinkered with different business models, it is now aiming at working with established manufacturers to incorporate the technology into finished products. Agreements may be announced toward the end of the year that could lead to products by the end of 2006. A large Asian manufacturer is currently testing it.
Conceivably, the material could be used to create multiple-gigabyte chips that would allow cell phones to store movies and sitcoms, Mayes said.
Like other companies in this space, however, the uphill challenge is in persuading manufacturers to adopt it. NanoMagnetics' active particles are applied with an inkjet sprayer. Hard-drive makers now use chemical sputterers to apply coatings. Although ink jet spraying will be cheaper, convincing producers to spend money on new methods isn't easy.
"Everyone is a step away from the dustbin," he joked. Most probably, NanoMagnetics will have its first commercial success in water purification, he said. The same particles can be used in the reverse-osmosis process.
