Merck and Nano Terra form nanotech alliance

Nano Terra LLC, a nanotechnology co-development company will help Merck create new physical properties for its specialty chemicals.

Nanoscale, molecular fabrication methods pioneered by Nano Terra and its co-founder, Professor George Whitesides of Harvard University will be applied to Merck's materials enabling them to be used with greater precision and control, producing new and more economic applications.

The development work will be carried out primarily at Nano Terra's lab facilities in Cambridge, with close cooperation of a Merck scientific team. Local support for the alliance will be provided by EMD Chemicals, Merck's North American affiliate.

The two companies anticipate that first new solutions will be presented to Merck customers by early 2008. The partners will share commercialisation rights on a global basis. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Merck is a world leader in research-driven pharmaceutical and chemical products, and the goal of this alliance is to work with them to develop innovative nanotechnology solutions that dramatically expand the addressable markets for their materials," said Dr Carmichael Roberts, vice chairman of Nano Terra.

Thomas Geelhaar, vice president Liquid Crystals R&D and Business Development Chemicals of Merck KGaA, said: 'We have long been fascinated by the sciences originally developed by Professor George Whitesides of Harvard and, through his association with Nano Terra, we look forward to being amongst the first to commercialise these innovations with them."