Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced that Dr. Arturo Keller has received an Agilent Thought Leader Award in support of his research on the use of nanoparticles in agriculture and the environmental consequences.
Dr. Keller, who directs the Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has earned international recognition for his research into the uptake, accumulation and biotransformation of nanoparticles in natural waters and soil. By collaborating with Dr. Keller, Agilent intends to catalyze the development of new analytical methods to better understand both the efficacy and environmental impact of emerging nanoparticle delivery methods for fertilizers, nutrients, pesticides and herbicides.
The award includes the latest instruments from Agilent. The company's LC/ICP/MS and LC/MS/MS systems and related analytical methods provide the potential to accelerate Dr. Keller's research in several areas.
"We are proud to grant the Agilent Thought Leader Award to Dr. Arturo Keller and honored to collaborate with such a world-renowned scientist in the area of nanoparticle research," said Sue Strong, Agilent vice president and executive sponsor of this award. "Through our partnership with Dr. Keller, we will be able to support important research that will improve crop yields and quality through the use of nanoparticle delivery systems for essential nutrients, pesticides and herbicides. The results of this research will help ensure a clean environment for future generations."
"The Agilent Thought Leader award will provide my research team with leading-edge analytical instrumentation to better understand the potential benefits and implications of nanotechnology in agricultural systems, particularly the interaction between nanoparticles and a wide range of natural or novel organic chemicals," said Dr. Keller. "I expect our research team will be able to make significant contributions to the safe and sustainable introduction of nanotechnology in this vital application."
The Agilent Thought Leader Award promotes fundamental scientific advances by contributing financial support, products and expertise to the research of influential thought leaders in the life sciences, diagnostics and chemical analysis space. Information about previous award recipients is available at Agilent's Thought Leader website.