The NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures (www.nano.rpi.edu) was founded in September 2001 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.  Our NSEC research efforts address the fundamental scientific issues underlying the design and synthesis of nanostructured materials, assemblies and devices for many industrial and biomedical applications.  Directed assembly is the fundamental gateway to the eventual success of nanotechnology.  Therefore, our NSEC strives to discover and develop the means to assemble nanoscale building blocks with unique properties into functional structures under well-controlled, intentionally directed conditions.

On a broader front, our NSEC integrates research, education, and technology dissemination to serve as a leading national and international resource for fundamental knowledge and applications in nanoscale science and technology.  One of the primary missions of our Center is to raise public science literacy through informal and formal education, and to reach a diverse audience worldwide to broaden the impact and reach of our NSEC.  Molecules to the MAX! is the second production of the Center’s Molecularuim® Project, whose goal is to promote science literacy and awareness to audiences of all ages using engaging stories, fun characters, memorable songs and immersive experiences.