Isolation Techniques
The first two articles of this series discussed the definition of grounding, why grounding is required, and the role of the electromagnetic field. All signals and all power are transported by these fields. It is important to control the electromagnetic fields associated with interference. For example, currents that flow as a result of power line filters should flow in short defined paths. Twisting power conductors can limit external magnetic fields. Placing power conductors in trays or in conduit can help confine external electric fields. Placing signal leads inside a conduit or in a shield will reduce coupling to external fields.

Nanotech Facility Designed to Integrate Science, Tools, and Researchers
A new nanoscale science research center, the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT), is being jointly developed and operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The new facility will consist of a centralized, three-wing Core Facility, currently under construction in Albuquerque, N.M., and gateway facilities located at both Sandia and Los Alamos. The $75-million partnership, funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Science, will emphasize nanoscience integration research in order to enable nano-scale technology to be used in real world applications.

Who's Looking After the Equipment on Your Research Project?
A proactive plan for coordinating fixed and moveable lab equipment is an anomaly on most research construction projects. Unlike the healthcare industry, where equipment planners play a significant role, research projects usually retain "lab planners" on a limited basis to coordinate only the casework and fixed elements. But who coordinates the moveable equipment and who provides the critical utility and size information to the architect?

Agnes Scott College
The new Science Center at Agnes Scott College has quickly become the "heart" of the campus at this women's liberal arts college that already has a legacy of leadership in science. Boasting more students in advanced science and math courses than its co-ed counterparts, Agnes Scott College graduated one quarter of its students with a science degree in 2002.

New Building Facilitates Collaboration and Renovation
What began as the construction of a new biomolecular research center at the University of North Carolina turned into a unique opportunity to renovate outdated facilities and promote scientific collaboration.

New Facility Fosters Interdisciplinary Collaboration
One of the most innovative aspects of Purdue University's Birck Nanotechnology Center (BNC), slated for completion in 2005, is the facility mission itself: bringing scholars from two dozen campus schools and departments together in a variety of specialty technical spaces under one roof.