Nanobiotechnology and its Applications
What is it? Click on picture
What is Nanobiotechnology? Biotechnology is the application of technological innovation as it pertains to biological and life sciences. Nanobiotechnology incorporates biotechnology on the nano-scale. Nano means one-billionth of a meter 10^-9
Introduction Size Ranges of Biological Material Cells: 100um – 10um (um = micron = one millionth of a meter or 10^-6) Cell organelles (nucleus, mitochondrion): 10um – 1um Viruses: 100nm- 50nm Cell material (proteins, lipids, DNA, RNA): 10nm – 0.1nm
Introduction Nanobiotechnology is an emerging field cells discovered 1665 electron microscope 1950s Watson and Crick discover DNA double helix 1953 Mapping of Human Genome 2003 Where is nanobiotechnology going? Applications? Cell structure and physiology Virus Detection Radiation/Chemotherapy Drug delivery Biomedical engineering research
The Ethics of Nanotechnology Should nanoparticles be used without knowing their long term effects on the human body? Should manufactures be required to identify nanoparticles and their possible effects on labels? A few examples: SunscreenMedical diagnostics FoodNanoweaponry Medicine delivery Embryonic stem cell research Nanosurgery Nanobots