Understanding Nanosystems

The Cluster of Excellence „Nanosystems Initiative Munich - NIM“ combines the expertise of about 200 scientists from ten institutions in the Munich area and in Augsburg. The field of Nano Sciences is very broad, within NIM it reaches from information technology to life sciences. NIM places its main focus on nano systems. While many individual nanoscale building blocks and components have already been devised in recent years, little is known about their integration into functional systems. The overarching vision of NIM is therefore to design, fabricate and achieve control of multi-functional nanosystems, and to unlock their potential for applications in fields as diverse as future information technologies, the life sciences, or combinations of both. The attempt has already been fruitful: NIM scientists discovered, how the blood clotting is being initiated. This knowledge may lead to new therapies for widespread diseases. Other researchers are able to produce artificial spider silk. With capsules made of this material, medical drugs may be transported directly to their target location in the body. Also the basics of quantum computers, artificial and natural molecular machines and a good deal more is being studied within the ten research areas of NIM.