英国论坛
布里斯托大学将耗姿760万英镑，建造一所纳米科学与量子信息中心。中心将建有世界上“最安静”的实验室，其振动噪音和声噪音的音量水平会极其低，对温度和空气流动亦有严格的控制。
中心的一个突出特点在于多学科性，中心将集生物学家、化学家、计算机科学家、工程师、数学家和物理学家等于一堂。
除了解决这一基础科学中的深奥问题以外， 中心还将对未来计算的发展、通信与卫生技术以及先进材料（比如航空工业用材）等领域开展研究，
学校财务人员Mike Phipps先生说：“中心大厦的设计建设工作将极具挑战，但是中心建好后,会为在那里工作的科学家提供真正世界级的实验场所。”
Noah Linden教授是纳米科学与量子信息中心建设工程负责人，他补充说：“新的研究中心将成为全世界纳米科学领域设施最为良好的机构之一，布里斯托大学也会因此于数十年内在该研究领域处于领先地位。中心的环境经由专门设计，对这里的研究团体将是不小的鼓励。团队由来自世界各地的理工及医药领域的科研人员组成，是一个多学科和跨学科的研究团体。通过促进性相互作用和思想交流，这个科研团队会越来越兴盛。”
Setting the standards in Nanoscience
A ￡7.6 million contract has been awarded to build a Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information in Bristol. The building will contain some of the ‘quietest’ labs in the world, with extremely low levels of vibrational and acoustic noise, and stringent controls on temperature and air movement.
The development, awarded by the University of Bristol to Willmott Dixon Construction, will have to meet the most detailed constraints, due to the nature of working at the nano-scale.
A distinctive characteristic of the Centre will be its interdisciplinarity, bringing together biologists, chemists, computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians and physicists, amongst others.
As well as addressing deep questions in fundamental science, the research to be carried out in the building will offer opportunities for the development of future computing, communications and health technologies, as well as advanced materials, for example for the aerospace industry.
Mike Phipps, the University’s Bursar, commented: “The design development of this building has been extremely challenging, but the result will be a truly world class experimental space for our scientists to work in. Sitting on solid rock, the location provides us with a unique site to build on. The design of the foundation will allow us to dampen out even the minutest of vibrations from the surrounding environment.”
He continued: “The specification for the background vibration is right on the limit of current measuring technologies worldwide, which gives you an idea of the complexity of this project.”
Professor Noah Linden, leader of the project to build the new Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information added: “This new building will be one of the finest nanoscience facilities in the world, designed to keep Bristol at the forefront of research for decades. Its purpose-designed environment will foster a multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research community drawn from science, engineering, and medicine across the world, which will thrive through stimulating interactions and the exchange of ideas.”
The four-storey concrete-framed structure will be located on Tyndall Avenue, at the heart of the University’s precinct, and will link through to the existing HH Wills Physics Laboratory. Contained within the new structure will be a variety of highly specialised laboratories, together with seminar rooms, offices, clean rooms and, most importantly, interaction spaces.
Brian Drysdale, Managing Director of Willmott Dixon, added: “We are very excited to be involved in the development of such an important scientific facility in Bristol. Equally, we are proud to share the University’s vision to provide a unique, state-of-the art, facility that will attract key professorial talent and leading thinking in this field. The University has an outstanding reputation in terms of scientific advances and this new building will enable them to remain at the cutting edge.”
