
Nanotechnology refers to the capacity for the controllable manipulation of matter at the molecular and atomic levels toward the synthesis of unique materials, and for the creation of myriad useful devices and other products that exhibit extraordinary attributes with superior functionality. Nanotechnology is also fundamentally enabling; thus it will have strong potential to initiate significantly positive paradigm shifts across virtually every sector of society. The above said, we must be mindful as with any potentially very powerful technology, that stringent safeguards, testing standards, and comprehensive assessments of the physiological, biological, and environmental fates of the nanomaterials and processes involved, must be designed and implemented toward its development.
There are currently over 1,600 nanotechnology based consumer products already on the market. These range from the integration of nanoparticles into cosmetics and sunscreens (to enhance their appearance or performance) to spray on superhydrophobic treatments (which combine microscopic and nanometric bumps) based on the Lotus Effect whereby water droplets and any dirt always sit above the surface, meaning that the surface never actually gets wet. A clear illustration of this is provided the company NeverWet by who makes a spray on superhydrophobic treatment for textiles and other surfaces. Other nanotechnological applications are applied to the enhancement and texture of foods and the taste of beverages through the use of nanoscale colloids and emulsions.
One of the most significant and important facets of nanotechnology will likely be its application to medicine, or what is called nanomedicine. Progressively rapid and exciting advances within this discipline are occurring globally, which hold great promise for the initiation of positive paradigm shifts across multiple medical domains. There is a powerful and quickly increasing trend toward the emergence of more compact, minimally invasive, smarter, more precise, and efficacious medical technologies. Nanomedical diagnostics and therapeutics operate at the cellular, organellar, and molecular levels; precisely where many disease processes have their genesis, and from which they emanate. Hence, nanomedicine has strong potential for the accurate preemptive diagnoses and treatment of many diseases, prior to their having the opportunity to proliferate.
News
Lipid nanoparticles carry gene-editing cancer drugs past tumor defenses
As they grow, solid tumors surround themselves with a thick, hard-to-penetrate wall of molecular defenses. Getting drugs past that barricade is notoriously difficult. Now, scientists at UT Southwestern have developed nanoparticles that can break [...]
Graphene Nanosensor Detects Biomarkers Through Tears
In an article recently published in the journal Talanta, researchers demonstrated a new approach to enable the specific detection of biomarkers in human tear by employing an aptamer-based graphene affinity nanosensor. The ability to detect [...]
How Nanotechnology Can Make a Splash in Aquaculture
Selenium (Se) is an essential element found in aquatic feeds that promotes the proper development, wellbeing, and fitness of marine animals. Selenium can be transformed into nanomaterials that are more easily accessible, absorbed, and consumed by [...]
Super-Resolution Imaging Method For Multiple Fluorescence Microscopy Applications
In an article recently published in the journal Nanotechnology, researchers employed a single particle imaging method for fluorescence excitation with moderate intensity to achieve spatial resolution. Here, the semiconductor nanocrystals were accessed, whose emission lifetimes [...]
Trials to begin on new SA COVID-19 vaccine
A new COVID-19 vaccine developed in South Australia and administered with a needle-free device is to begin human trials. Designed by University of Adelaide researchers the DNA vaccine also targets the Omicron variant of [...]
Towards Carbon Clean Manufacturing with Eco-Friendly Nano-Lubricants
Grinding is an essential manufacturing process, yet the heat due to friction associated with the process causes damage to the part being processed. Lubrication is used to reduce friction; however, traditional petroleum-based lubricants can [...]
Researchers develop hybrid sensor that could help diagnose cancer
A team of researchers from HSE University, Skoltech, MPGU, and MISIS have developed a nanophotonic-microfluidic sensor whose potential applications include cancer detection, monitoring and treatment response assessment. Today, the device can identify gases and [...]
Scientists Develop ‘Nanomachines’ That Can Penetrate And Kill Cancer Cells
Researchers have made a scientific breakthrough with the development of ‘nanomachines’ that can kill cancerous cells. The research team headed by Dr Youngdo Jeong from the Center for Advanced Biomolecular Recognition at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has engineered [...]
Green Method to Make Nanoparticles and Ultrafine Powder
A novel freeze-dissolving approach has been devised that offers greater efficiency and sustainability compared to the classic freeze-drying process to make superfine powder or nanoparticles. In the research published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, sphere-shaped [...]
Participants wanted for study on the regulation of what future AI-driven nanomedicines should look like
Would you like to help in some research on the regulation of what future AI-driven nanomedicines should look like? If so, researchers at the University of Bristol are looking for volunteers to discuss ethical [...]
Could gold nanoparticles help treat cancer?
Gold nanoparticles are minuscule particles made of gold. From drug and gene delivery to photothermal and photodynamic therapies to screening and diagnostic tests to radiation therapy, X-ray imaging and CT scans, these small particles [...]
Carbon Dots Target Nucleolus and Monitor in Real-Time
In an article recently published in the journal Applied Surface Science, the researchers synthesized green fluorescent carbon dots (G-CDs) from 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid and citric acid. The as-prepared G-CDs were used to target the nucleolus and [...]
Green Nanoformulation for Anti-Cancer and Antibacterial Functions
Doxorubicin (DOX) is a powerful anti-cancer medication, and efforts have been made to design nanostructures for delivering it to cancerous cells. The nanostructures increase the cytotoxic effects of DOX on cancerous cells, while reducing the negative effects [...]
New drug delivery system releases therapeutic cargo only when bacteria are present
A team of Brown University researchers has developed a new responsive material that is able to release encapsulated cargo only when pathogenic bacteria are present. The material could be used to make wound dressings [...]
Hairy Cell Leukemia Complicated by Severe COVID-19: A Case Study
Novel three-drug regimen used to manage life-threatening developments. In April 2021, a 42-year-old man reached out to Brian Hill, MD, PhD, for a second opinion after being diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia following a bone [...]
We’re now in the ‘age of pandemics’. Can we stop the next one?
When the virus hunters landed in the remote African village of Yambuku in 1976, the nuns warned them to stay back. The sisters had cordoned off the area where they were caring for people [...]
Nanosensor detects pesticides on fruit in minutes
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a tiny sensor for detecting pesticides on fruit in just a few minutes. The technique, described as a proof-of-concept in a paper in the journal Advanced Science ("SERS [...]
The effect of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine on human semen
Scientists from Italy have recently analyzed the effect of the mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine on the semen quality of adult men. No significant difference in sperm quality and seminal plasma parameters (oxidative [...]
Significant Insights on Optimizing Antimicrobial Ability of Silver
Silver-based nanoparticle presence in everyday items has surged over the past decade. Silver is an efficient antibacterial agent but can harm the environment. A study published in the journal iScience aims to discern the relationship between [...]
Nanostructured fibers can impersonate human muscles
Mimicking the human body, specifically the actuators that control muscle movement, is of immense interest around the globe. In recent years, it has led to many innovations to improve robotics, prosthetic limbs and more, [...]
‘Masked’ cancer drug stealthily trains immune system to kill tumors while sparing healthy tissues
Many cancer treatments are notoriously savage on the body. Drugs often attack both healthy cells and tumor cells, causing a plethora of side effects. Immunotherapies that help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells are [...]
Bio-Graphene Nano-Drug Delivery System Targets Cervical Cancer
Scientists have been continually working on creating novel drug delivery systems with increased efficacy and safety. Recently, a new nano-drug delivery system (NDDS) was established based on bio-graphene nanocomposite to treat cervical cancer. This [...]
Augmented reality, superhuman abilities and the future of medicine
Written by Louis Rosenberg, PhD , CEO and chief scientist of Unanimous AI: Earlier this month, I participated as a panelist at the Digital Orthopedics Conference in San Francisco (DOCSF 2022) where a major theme [...]
Nanotechnology and AI Partner to Create Smart Anticounterfeiting Tags
In a study published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, a mix of chemistry, nanomaterials, and artificial intelligence (AI) was used to produce a straightforward yet cryptographic anticounterfeiting measure. The Need for Effective [...]
Harnessing Magnetic Nanoparticles for Sustainable Environmental Clean Up
The latest study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production focuses on the effective utilization of magnetic nanoparticles for the primary purpose of water treatment to remove toxic wastes such as organic substances, hazardous metal ions, [...]
Previous COVID-19 infection does not protect kids from omicron, study finds
Research drawing on the national Overcoming COVID-19 study, led by Boston Children's Hospital, and the hospital's own Taking On COVID-19 Together Group provides evidence that children who previously had COVID-19 (or the inflammatory condition [...]
A nanoparticle and inhibitor trigger the immune system, outsmarting brain cancer
Scientists at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center were optimistic when they identified a small molecule that blocked a key pathway in brain tumors. But there was a problem: How to get the [...]
Novel Nanoparticle Vaccine Induces Immune Response Against SARS-CoV-2
According to scientists at Georgia State University’s Institute for Biomedical Sciences, a nanoparticle vaccine that incorporates two proteins that stimulate immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that prompted the [...]
Study explores if prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 increased sensitivity to a mitochondrial toxin known to induce parkinsonism
Post-viral infection sequelae have included neurological syndromes. Among these is the association of parkinsonian manifestations with a prior history of viral infection, as far back as the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, when encephalitis [...]
How are doctors unravelling the mystery of long COVID?
They call them long-haulers – people still suffering symptoms long after a bout of COVID. But what is the condition, exactly? Doctors expect the answer will change [...]