Kalpakkam • Indian scientists here yesterday met their counterparts from South Africa and Brazil to discuss ways and means of collaborating in the field of nano-technology.

The collaboration in science and technology between these three countries (IBSA) began in April 2005. Indian scientists and experts had visited Brazil in November and South Africa in April last year.

From April 1, a dozen scientists from Brazil and South Africa have been touring India to identify common areas of research interest, strength and mutual weaknesses to be able to decide on specific collaboration projects.

"We are looking not at nano-science but nano-technology," IGCAR director, Baldev Raj, India's coordinator for the tri-nation programme in the field of nano-technology explained. "The emphasis of this collaboration will be to use nano-science for technology delivery."

"Researchers from Indian universities and institutions, both private and government, will be beneficiaries of the tri-nation collaboration," he added.

He said, even scholars doing research in small institutions will be able to work in South African and Brazilian institutions during their project period.

Scholars from partner countries will be coming to work in Indian institutions of science and research.

The areas identified by India for collaborative study are in advanced material studies, health (TB and HIV, malaria) and clean water and industrial water mechanisms, energy, drug delivery systems, agri-sensor and nano-sensor development and education in nano-technology.

Brazil has identified education and energy, including solar and bio-fuel for nano-tech application research. South Africa has identified application of the technology to gold research, gold catalysis studies, and drug delivery.

The three nations met yesterday to finalise the project areas for collaboration. The IGCAR director said, soon there will be a common IBSA website which will facilitate project identification and coordination among researchers and institutions within IBSA.

Each partner country has put in $ one million for a common corpus for the initiative to take off.

"IPR issues will be identified and resolved on a project basis. We are not looking at this yet but we will adopt standard mechanisms," Jose Antonio Brum, leading the Brazilian team, said.

Thembela Hillie, principal research scientist Nanoscience research group, CSIR-Material Science and Manufacturing, is leading the team from South Africa.