Category Archives: Nanotechnology

Newswise — Troy, N.Y. – A new study led by nanotechnology and biotechnology experts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is providing important details on how proteins in our bodies interact with nanomaterials. In their new study, published in the Feb. 2 online edition of the journal Nano Letters, the researchers developed a new tool to determine the orientation of proteins on different nanostructures. The discovery is a key step in the effort to control the orientation, structure, and function of proteins in the body using nanomaterials.

“To date, very little is known about how proteins interact with a surface at the nanoscale,” said Jonathan Dordick, director of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer (CBIS), the Howard P. Isermann ’42 Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and co-corresponding author of the study. “With a better understanding of how a protein interacts with a surface, we can develop custom nanoscale surfaces and design proteins that can do a variety of amazing tasks in the human body.”

Researchers seek to use nanotechnology in a variety of biological and medical applications, ranging from biosensors that can detect cancer in the body to scaffolds that help grow new tissues and organs, according to the researchers. Such technologies involve the interaction between biological cells and non-biological nanoscale materials. These interactions are controlled in part by proteins at the interface between the two materials. At such a minuscule level, the tiniest change in the structure of a material can vastly change the proteins involved and thus alter how the cells of the human body respond to the nanomaterial. In fact, proteins are among the most complex (and fickle) molecules in our bodies, rapidly changing their orientation or structure and thus their ability to interact with other molecules. Controlling their orientation and structure through their interactions with nanomaterials is essential to their reliable and safe use in new biotechnologies, according to Dordick.

“We have learned over the past decade to create nanomaterials with a wide variety of controlled structures, and we have discovered and begun to learn how these structures can positively impact cellular activity,” said Richard Siegel, the Robert W. Hunt Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer, director of the Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center, and co-corresponding author on the study. “By learning more about the role of the nanostructure-protein interactions that cause this impact, we will be able in the future to harness this knowledge to benefit society through improved healthcare. In addition to improved healthcare, this work will also help enable the manufacture of a wide range of new hierarchical composite materials -- based upon synthetic polymers, biomolecules, and nanostructures -- that will revolutionize our ability to solve many critical problems facing society worldwide.”

What the researchers found in this and their previous studies was that the size and curvature of the nanosurface greatly changed the way proteins oriented themselves on the surfaces and changed their structure, and this influenced protein stability. They found that nanostructures with smaller and more curved surfaces favored protein orientations that resulted in more stable proteins than structures with larger more flat surfaces.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers investigated several well-studied proteins, including cytochrome c, RNase A, and lysozyme and monitored their adsorption on different size silica nanoparticles. In this latest work, they chemically modified the adsorbed proteins to form chemical “tags” that provided the researchers with important information on how the proteins adsorbed on different silica surfaces. When the nanomaterials and proteins were studied using mass spectrometry, the tags provided valuable new information about the surface orientation of the proteins. Mass spectrometry analyzes the mass distribution of a material to determine its elemental composition and structural characteristics, and was very sensitive to the chemical tags added on the proteins.

Dordick and Siegel were joined in the research by Siddhartha Shrivastava and Joseph Nuffer of Rensselaer. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation. The paper is titled “Position-specific chemical modification and quantitative proteomics disclose protein orientation absorbed on silica nanoparticles.”

More information on Dordick’s research can be found at http://enzymes.che.rpi.edu/. Additional information on Siegel’s research can be found at http://www.rpi.edu/dept/nsec/.

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Controlling Protein Function with Nanotechnology

About a year-and-a-half ago, I came across a treasure trove of nanotechnology-related videos  posted by an organization called NISE (Nanoscale Informal Science Education) Network. And while visiting Andrew Maynard’s 2020 Science blog today, I saw a new video produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota for NISE Network. The video (see below) is designed to resemble a circa-1950s educational movie and purports to be an “aid in the discussion of the societal and ethical implication of nanotechnology.”

There is no doubt that the premise of the video is clever, but I can’t help but think that it actually muddies the discussion of nanotechnology rather than furthering it.

Recently it is has become quite popular with political groups to produce videos that make heavy use of satire to get their point across. But in these instances, the facts of the matter become obscured in the attempt to win a political argument.

In this case, the satire seems misplaced and incongruous, especially when the aim is to lay down a level foundation for discussing nanotechnology. On one hand, there does appear to have been some attempt made to strike some balance between the good and the bad that nanotechnology may represent. But on the other hand, can it really be considered even-handed when it links nanotechnology with “modern day wonders” such as nuclear power, lead paint and asbestos?

I suppose the attempt at balance in that particular gag is the mention of items—computers, Whiteout and the TV remote—that, to the filmmakers, must represent positive (or at least innocuous) uses of technology. But it might be worth noting that even those items contain all sorts of chemicals that are dangerous to human health. Where is the satirical piece lampooning the introduction of these items into the consumer market?

The video also seems to be advocating the labeling of products that contain nanoparticles rather than merely introducing it as an idea and presenting alternatives.

This video is 5 months old now. But you can’t help but wonder whether, if it was produced today, its creators would note irony in the fact that a group that had urged manufacturer labeling created a list of so-called “nano-free” sunscreens that included products containing nanoparticles. 

Of course, some things are so outlandish that they simply defy satire.

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With the “Wonders and Worries” of Nanotechnology, the Worries Seem to Be Accentuated

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/316a03/advanced_materials) has announced the addition of the "Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology" report to their offering.

Series: Materials Science Forum, Volume 700

Selected, peer reviewed papers from the 5th Biennial Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (AMN-5), February 7-11, 2011, Wellington, New Zealand

The highly successful AMN conference series is the flagship of the New Zealand MacDiarmid Institute; a virtual centre of research excellence named after New Zealand's 3rd Nobel Laureate, Professor Alan MacDiarmid. The conference offers a broad interdisciplinary overview of advanced materials and nanotechnology, and provides an exciting forum within which to discuss new and exciting advances in the field. The 55 peer-reviewed papers cover topics that are related to nanotechnology, advanced materials, nanoelectronics, superconductors, spintronics, nanoparticles, microfluidics, advanced sensors, photovoltaics and nanobiology. The result is an excellent and timely guide to these specialized topics.

Review from Book News Inc.: This collection of 55 peer reviewed papers presented at the 5th Biennial Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology held in February 2011 in Wellington, New Zealand showcases the research of an international roster of scientists and students. A sampling of paper topics includes thin-film deposition of mixed-conducting ceramic membranes, pinning force anisotropy for HTS wires, formation of nanoparticles in Zr and Dy Doped YBCO MOD superconducting films, turnable Bragg gratings in polymer thin films, and evaluation of polyaniline for packaging applications. The articles are indexed by both keyword and author.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/316a03/advanced_materials

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Research and Markets: Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology

LONDON (Reuters) - Dutch scientists have found a way of turning plant matter into the building blocks of common plastics using a nanotechnology process that offers an alternative to oil-based production.

The team from Utrecht University and Dow Chemical Co produced ethylene and propylene - precursors of materials found in everything from CDs to carrier bags and carpets - after developing a new kind of iron catalyst made of nanoparticles.

Existing bioplastics, which are made from crops such as corn and sugar, have only limited use as they are not exact substitutes for oil-based products.

The new system, by contrast, produces chemicals that are the same as those made in petrochemical works, allowing them to be used in a wide range of industries.

This also means they will not be biodegradable, although they will be made from renewable resources.

Researcher Krijn De Jong and his colleagues envisage using non-food sources of biomass for the new process, such as fast-growing trees or grasses, rather than traditional crops, in order to reduce competition for resources between food and fuel.

Plastics made from biomass could, however, be vulnerable to the same criticism that has beset biofuel production.

Critics say the production of some biofuels can occupy land that would otherwise be used for agricultural purposes, thus limiting food and water resources for a rapidly rising world population.

Some biofuel production could also increase carbon emissions, especially if rainforests are cut down to facilitate production.

The research by De Jong and his colleagues, which was published Thursday in the journal Science, is still at an early stage. It now requires larger-scale testing and pilot projects, so it will not reach the market for several years.

RISING DEMAND

Diminishing reserves of fossil fuels and rising greenhouse gas emissions suggest there should be increased demand for bioplastics. But that argument could be disrupted by recent vast finds of shale gas, which now provide a cheap alternative feedstock for ethylene in the United States.

The Dutch-designed catalysts consist of tiny nanoparticles separated from each other on carbon nanofibers. In laboratory tests, the catalysts proved highly effective at converting biomass-derived synthesis gas - a mix for hydrogen and carbon monoxide - in ethylene and propylene.

Importantly, the process worked without producing large amounts of methane, an unwanted byproduct of another catalytic process using large iron particles.

The team now plan to increase catalyst production by linking with experts from Johnson Matthey, the world's largest supplier of catalytic converters for vehicles.

Nanotechnology, which involves designing and manufacturing materials on the scale of one-billionth of a meter, is a rapidly expanding area of materials science with applications in medicine, electronics and coatings.

(Editing by Sophie Hares)

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Nanotechnology turns plants into common plastic

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e57396/nanotechnology_for) has announced the addition of the "Nanotechnology for Drug Delivery - Global Market for Nanocarriers" report to their offering.

Nanocarriers set to be 40% of NDD market by 2021

Cientifica sees a 60/40 market split between nanocrystals and nanocarriers

Nanocarriers will account for 40% of a $136 billion nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery market by 2021 according to new research published by Cientifica in its report, Nanotechnology for Drug Delivery: Global Market for Nanocarriers.

The author forecasts that the total market size in 2021 to be US$136 billion, with a 60/40 split between nanocrystals and nanocarriers respectively, although developing new targeted delivery mechanisms may allow more value to be created for companies and entrepreneurs, said Tim Harper, CEO of Cientifica Ltd.

Of the 10 nanocarrier technologies studied, liposomes and gold nanocarriers account for 45% of the total addressable market. Liposomes will offer the largest addressable market ($15 billion) in 2021 while gold nanocarriers will see the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR)53.8%in the next decade.

It's the equivalent of using a nuclear bomb to eliminate just a handful of enemies, said Harper. In theory, as long as the nanocarrier is designed specifically enough, it should be possible to deliver all of the drug to the target site whilst leaving healthy cells unaffected. This greatly reduces treatment time, costs and unwanted side effects.

The healthcare market is changing. We are seeing a paradigm shift away from blockbusters and a one-size fits all' approach to a more personalised medicine based on an individual's unique genome and immune response. The more scientists learn about the molecular causes for disease the more targeted and effective nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery therapies will become, said Harper.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e57396/nanotechnology_for

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Research and Markets: Nanotechnology for Drug Delivery - Nanocarriers Will Account For 40% of a $136 Billion ...

Nanotechnology could revolutionise the manufacture of new types of materials. Niklas Lindahl has studied carbon nanotubes and graphene, which are tubes and flat sheets consisting of a thin layer of carbon atoms. Their unique properties make them interesting to use in everything from composite materials in bicycles, to electronic computer components.

In his thesis, Niklas Lindahl demonstrates how carbon nanotubes can be made, and their mechanical properties. Under the right conditions, he used a carbonaceous gas to get carbon nanotubes to grow like forests, atom by atom. The "forests" consist of millions of carbon nanotubes that, despite being just a few nanometres in diameter, hold each other upright like stalks in a field of corn. The tubes, which are lighter than aluminium and stronger than steel when stretched, could be bent like spring-coils.

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Nanotechnology may lead to more energy-efficient electronics. Credit: Photo: University of Gothenburg

Niklas Lindahl also demonstrates how membranes of graphene can be bent. Despite the fact that the membranes were made up of just a couple of layers of atoms, their bending rigidity could be determined using the same equations as those used to calculate deformations in large steel spheres. Graphene membranes have many uses, including variable frequency generators in mobile phones, and mass sensors with the ability to measure individual atoms.

The thesis also demonstrates how similar graphene membranes can provide more energy-efficient electronics in the future. For example, suspended graphene electrodes can change the current more effectively through carbon nanotube transistors by combining both mechanical and electrical control of the current.

More information: The thesis "Nanoelectromechanical systems from carbon nanotubes and graphene" was successfully defended on 27 January at the University of Gothenburg.

Provided by University of Gothenburg (news : web)

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Nanotechnology may lead to more energy-efficient electronics