With almost everything in today's gadget-crazy world getting miniaturized, even a third-world country like the Philippines cannot resist the temptation of going into nanotechnology-the science "focused on controlling and exploiting the structure of matter on a scale below 100 nanometers."

For good reason. This is because nanotechnology is perhaps the most diverse and lucrative scientific field of study with its numerous disciplines and applications.

Thus, despite always being short on cash for research and development (R&D) efforts, the government recently took the initiative to craft a roadmap for the development of an R&D strategy on nanotechnology.

Under the auspices of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the country's top minds in this highly diverse field gathered recently at the Ateneo de Manila University in an attempt to draw an action plan aimed at exploiting the opportunities presented by nanotechnology.

Among those who participated in the roundtable discussion were Dr. Erwin Enriquez of Ateneo de Manila University's Department of Chemistry; Dr. Arnel Salvador of the National Institute of Physics at UP Diliman; and Dr. Eduardo Mendoza, of the Department of Physics of Ludwig-Maximilliens University in Germany.

Nanotechnology actually cuts across many disciplines, including colloidal science, chemistry, applied physics, biology, and other scientific fields. This is the reason why the forum organizers invited a number of experts who are now undertaking nanotech work in their respective fields.

Ateneo's Enriquez, for example, discussed an overview of the different approaches and applications of chemistry for nanotechnology. It is only recently, he noted, that various approaches to nanochemistry is leading to "new observed phenomena that it turn promise exciting applications in various fields."

For his part, UP's Salvador gave an update of the investment of his university in a semiconductor epitaxial growth technique called molecular beam epitaxy or MBE. It is one of the very few Asian universities that have this facility. MBE is a technique of layering and growing thin films of compounds in a one-atom thickness on top of each other to develop semiconductor materials.

After having realized the potentials of optical transmission, UP has also invested in femtosecond laser spectroscopy, a laser system capable of monitoring chemical reactions in real time which occur on a femtosecond (10 raised to the power of negative 15). Currently, UP is doing research collaborations with microchip giant Intel Philippines using these facilities.

Dr. Mendoza, on the other hand, presented the opportunities in nano-biotechnology and nanomedicine research. For example, he said, there's a huge opportunities for the country in imaging for nanoparticles.

"I strongly recommend increased investment in imaging instruments and infrastructure (possibility of a shared service facility). In addition, research and education in the computational tools needed should be substantially strengthened," he said.

Mendoza said he also "strongly recommend" the evaluation of doing applied microfluid research in the Philippines and that the work of various groups in computational life sciences and computational engineering "be supported and coordinated."

According to the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD), the DOST agency involved in nanotechnology initiatives, other institutions which have current research interests with nanotechnology applications are De LASalle University, University of Sto. Tomas, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, and DOST's Metals Industry Research and Development Center, and Industrial Technology Development Institute.

In Conclusion, Dr. Fabian Dayrit, dean of Ateneo's School of Science and Engineering, said nanotechnology offers bright promise for the country and it has only itself to blame if it chooses to ignore this important technology wave.