9814142 Zborowski A conference on "Scientific and Clinical Applications of Magnetic Carriers" is being convened by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation on May 28-30, 1998. The overall objective of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for investigators involved in the development and applications of magnetic microcarriers to discuss the current and future directions of the field. The conference is the second of what is expected to be a series of meetings that were initiated in Rostock, Germany in 1995. The National Science Foundation is providing funding for partial support of conference expenses for 15 U.S. academic researchers. Magnetic microcarriers are finding important applications in medicine such as nanoparticle contrast agents in diagnostic MRI procedures, drug delivery, automation of clinical chemistry, blood flow visualization, and magnetic fluid hyperthermia. Ways are being investigated to introduce such materials into viruses that seek out particular types of cells, with the potential these could be used as probes in non-invasive diagnostic techniques, particularly magnetic resonance imaging. Such microcarriers represent important developments in nanotechnology, which is an area of research with special interest to the Foundation. The meeting addresses an important and emerging field of research and application, is well organized, and contributes to research program planning as well as the assessment of new technologies. ***
