Hysitron - a company based in a western suburb of Minneapolis has been a strong proponent of the Dakota County Technical College NanoScience Program since its inception. Hysitron builds one of the powerful tools that is used to investigate the nanoscale -- a nano mechanical indenter. With this machine, measurements of hardness, elasticity, phase, adhesion and strength can be made -- at the nanoscale. Measurements have been performed on fruit flies, ants, red blood cells, contact lenses, electric circuits and hundreds of other materials. They have donated equipment and provide student training each fall to a new class of nano program students. Hysitron has offered internships and hired program graduates. They are a company involved with nanotechnology and with the programs that teach it.

Imagine being able to "write" at the nanoscale -- to make patterns and designs that you cannot see with your eyes. This is exactly what NanoInk does! Using a technology called dip pen lithography their tools can print thousands of chemical or biological sensors, diffraction gratings for controlling light or fluid channels the size of capillaries. NanoInk is a company that is also focused on education -- in a big way. They have created the NanoProfessor Syste. The NanoProfessor System consists of 3 pieces of equipment, a complete 280 page introductory nanotechnology textbook and a set of 9 labs. The pilot program at DCTC started in January of 2010 -- and the results are amazing. Students are quoted as saying "The NanoProfessor labs rock!"

Medtronic
Implantable Devices

Boston Scientific
Medical Codings

3M
Material Science at the Nano Scale

Upshare-Smith
Drug Discovery Company