Sample records for nanotechnology biotechnology information

  1. Biotechnology, nanotechnology, and pharmacogenomics and pharmaceutical compounding, Part 1.

    PubMed

    Allen, Loyd V

    2015-01-01

    The world of pharmaceuticals is changing rapidly as biotechnology continues to grow and nanotechnology appears on the horizon. Biotechnology is gaining in importance in extemporaneous pharmaceutical compounding, and nanotechnology and pharmacogenomics could drastically change the practice of pharmacy. This article discusses biotechnology and the factors to consider when compounding biotechnology drugs.

  2. Dwarfing the Social? Nanotechnology Lessons from the Biotechnology Front

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Einsiedel, Edna F.; Goldenberg, Linda

    2004-01-01

    Biotechnology and nanotechnology are both strategic technologies, and the former provides several lessons that could contribute to more successful embedding and integration processes for the latter. This article identifies some of the key questions emerging from the biotechnology experience and summarizes several lessons learned in the context of…

  3. BIOTECHNOLOGY, NANOTECHNOLOGY, AND PHARMACOGENOMICS AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOUNDING, PART 2.

    PubMed

    Allen, Loyd V

    2015-01-01

    This article, which represents part 2 of a two part article, completes the discussion on the rapidly changing world of pharmaceuticals as biotechnology continues to grow and nanotechnology appears on the horizon.

  4. An emerging interface between life science and nanotechnology: present status and prospects of reproductive healthcare aided by nano-biotechnology

    PubMed Central

    Jha, Rakhi K.; Jha, Pradeep K.; Chaudhury, Koel; Rana, Suresh V.S.; Guha, Sujoy K.

    2014-01-01

    Among the various applications of nano-biotechnology, healthcare is considered one of the most significant domains. For that possibility to synthesize various kind of nanoparticles (NPs) and the ever-increasing ability to control their size as well as structure, to improve surface characteristics and binding NPs with other desired curing agents has played an important role. In this paper, a brief sketch of various kinds of nanomaterials and their biomedical applications is given. Despite claims of bio-nanotechnology about to touch all areas of medical science, information pertaining to the role of nanotechnology for the betterment of reproductive healthcare is indeed limited. Therefore, the various achievements of nano-biotechnology for healthcare in general have been illustrated while giving special insight into the role of nano-biotechnology for the future of reproductive healthcare betterment as well as current achievements of nanoscience and nanotechnology in this arena. PMID:24600516

  5. An emerging interface between life science and nanotechnology: present status and prospects of reproductive healthcare aided by nano-biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Jha, Rakhi K; Jha, Pradeep K; Chaudhury, Koel; Rana, Suresh V S; Guha, Sujoy K

    2014-01-01

    Among the various applications of nano-biotechnology, healthcare is considered one of the most significant domains. For that possibility to synthesize various kind of nanoparticles (NPs) and the ever-increasing ability to control their size as well as structure, to improve surface characteristics and binding NPs with other desired curing agents has played an important role. In this paper, a brief sketch of various kinds of nanomaterials and their biomedical applications is given. Despite claims of bio-nanotechnology about to touch all areas of medical science, information pertaining to the role of nanotechnology for the betterment of reproductive healthcare is indeed limited. Therefore, the various achievements of nano-biotechnology for healthcare in general have been illustrated while giving special insight into the role of nano-biotechnology for the future of reproductive healthcare betterment as well as current achievements of nanoscience and nanotechnology in this arena.

  6. A Regulatory Framework for Nanotechnology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    informed by a map of the regulatory landscape of nanotechnology and a review of the regulatory frameworks for the aviation and biotechnology industries...aviation and biotechnology and maps the regulatory landscape in the United States by examining stakeholders, regulatory entities, and applicable legislation...state of nanotechnology if the limitations of technical expertise are addressed. This expertise can be provided by advisory committees of technical

  7. DNA materials: bridging nanotechnology and biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Yang, Dayong; Hartman, Mark R; Derrien, Thomas L; Hamada, Shogo; An, Duo; Yancey, Kenneth G; Cheng, Ru; Ma, Minglin; Luo, Dan

    2014-06-17

    CONSPECTUS: In recent decades, DNA has taken on an assortment of diverse roles, not only as the central genetic molecule in biological systems but also as a generic material for nanoscale engineering. DNA possesses many exceptional properties, including its biological function, biocompatibility, molecular recognition ability, and nanoscale controllability. Taking advantage of these unique attributes, a variety of DNA materials have been created with properties derived both from the biological functions and from the structural characteristics of DNA molecules. These novel DNA materials provide a natural bridge between nanotechnology and biotechnology, leading to far-ranging real-world applications. In this Account, we describe our work on the design and construction of DNA materials. Based on the role of DNA in the construction, we categorize DNA materials into two classes: substrate and linker. As a substrate, DNA interfaces with enzymes in biochemical reactions, making use of molecular biology's "enzymatic toolkit". For example, employing DNA as a substrate, we utilized enzymatic ligation to prepare the first bulk hydrogel made entirely of DNA. Using this DNA hydrogel as a structural scaffold, we created a protein-producing DNA hydrogel via linking plasmid DNA onto the hydrogel matrix through enzymatic ligation. Furthermore, to fully make use of the advantages of both DNA materials and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we prepared thermostable branched DNA that could remain intact even under denaturing conditions, allowing for their use as modular primers for PCR. Moreover, via enzymatic polymerization, we have recently constructed a physical DNA hydrogel with unique internal structure and mechanical properties. As a linker, we have used DNA to interface with other functional moieties, including gold nanoparticles, clay minerals, proteins, and lipids, allowing for hybrid materials with unique properties for desired applications. For example, we recently designed a

  8. Systems architecture: a new model for sustainability and the built environment using nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science with living technology.

    PubMed

    Armstrong, Rachel

    2010-01-01

    This report details a workshop held at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, to initiate interdisciplinary collaborations for the practice of systems architecture, which is a new model for the generation of sustainable architecture that combines the discipline of the study of the built environment with the scientific study of complexity, or systems science, and adopts the perspective of systems theory. Systems architecture offers new perspectives on the organization of the built environment that enable architects to consider architecture as a series of interconnected networks with embedded links into natural systems. The public workshop brought together architects and scientists working with the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science and with living technology to investigate the possibility of a new generation of smart materials that are implied by this approach.

  9. Nanotechnology and dentistry

    PubMed Central

    Ozak, Sule Tugba; Ozkan, Pelin

    2013-01-01

    Nanotechnology deals with the physical, chemical, and biological properties of structures and their components at nanoscale dimensions. Nanotechnology is based on the concept of creating functional structures by controlling atoms and molecules on a one-by-one basis. The use of this technology will allow many developments in the health sciences as well as in materials science, bio-technology, electronic and computer technology, aviation, and space exploration. With developments in materials science and biotechnology, nanotechnology is especially anticipated to provide advances in dentistry and innovations in oral health-related diagnostic and therapeutic methods. PMID:23408486

  10. Nanotechnology Based Materials and Devices for Health Care

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Srivastava, Deepaka; Cho, K.; Brenner, Don; Menon, Madhu; Andriotis, Antonis; Sagman, Uri; Biegel, Bryan A. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation provides information on trends in NASA nanotechnology research and development, and future biotechnological applications for that nanotechnology. The presentation covers nanoelectronics, nanosensors, and nanomaterials, biomimetics, devices and materials for health care, carbon nanotubes, biosensors for astrobiology, solid-state nanopores for DNA sequencing, and protein nanotubes.

  11. Societal response to nanotechnology: converging technologies-converging societal response research?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ronteltap, Amber; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; Tobi, Hilde

    2011-10-01

    Nanotechnology is an emerging technology particularly vulnerable to societal unrest, which may hinder its further development. With the increasing convergence of several technological domains in the field of nanotechnology, so too could convergence of social science methods help to anticipate societal response. This paper systematically reviews the current state of convergence in societal response research by first sketching the predominant approaches to previous new technologies, followed by an analysis of current research into societal response to nanotechnology. A set of 107 papers on previous new technologies shows that rational actor models have played an important role in the study of societal response to technology, in particular in the field of information technology and the geographic region of Asia. Biotechnology and nuclear power have, in contrast, more often been investigated through risk perception and other affective determinants, particularly in Europe and the USA. A set of 42 papers on societal response to nanotechnology shows similarities to research in biotechnology, as it also builds on affective variables such as risk perception. Although there is a tendency to extend the rational models with affective variables, convergence in social science approaches to response to new technologies still has a long way to go. The challenge for researchers of societal response to technologies is to converge to some shared principles by taking up the best parts from the rational actor models dominant in information technology, whilst integrating non-rational constructs from biotechnology research. The introduction of nanotechnology gives a unique opportunity to do so.

  12. APPLICATIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN DEVELOPMENT OF BIOMATERIALS: NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOFILMS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brigmon, R.; Berry, T.; Narayan, R.

    2010-11-29

    Biotechnology is the application of biological techniques to develop new tools and products for medicine and industry. Due to various properties including chemical stability, biocompatibility, and specific activity, e.g. antimicrobial properties, many new and novel materials are being investigated for use in biosensing, drug delivery, hemodialysis, and other medical applications. Many of these materials are less than 100 nanometers in size. Nanotechnology is the engineering discipline encompassing designing, producing, testing, and using structures and devices less than 100 nanometers. One of the challenges associated with biomaterials is microbial contamination that can lead to infections. In recent work we have examinedmore » the functionalization of nanoporous biomaterials and antimicrobial activities of nanocrystalline diamond materials. In vitro testing has revealed little antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria and associated biofilm formation that enhances recalcitrance to antimicrobial agents including disinfectants and antibiotics. Laser scanning confocal microscopy studies further demonstrated properties and characteristics of the material with regard to biofilm formation.« less

  13. Advances in Silver Nanotechnology: An Update on Biomedical Applications and Future Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Aziz, Shiva Gholizadeh-Ghaleh; Aziz, Sara Gholizadeh-Ghaleh; Akbarzadeh, Abolfazl

    2017-04-01

    Nanotechnology is one of the most promising fields for producing new applications in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and medicine. However, only a few products have been used for nanotechnology, biotechnology, and medical purposes. Nanoparticles have been among the most usually applied nanomaterial in our health care system for hundreds of years. The most prominent nano product is nano silver which generally present at 1-100 nm in size in at least one dimension. Silver nanoparticles reveal remarkably unusual chemical, physical and biological properties and have been used for many different applications which detailed in this review. This review is focusing on the different form of silver nanoparticles and its nanotechnological, biotechnological and medical applications. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  14. Image of Synthetic Biology and Nanotechnology: A Survey among University Students

    PubMed Central

    Ineichen, Christian; Biller-Andorno, Nikola; Deplazes-Zemp, Anna

    2017-01-01

    This study explores the image of synthetic biology and nanotechnology in comparison to agricultural biotechnology and communication technology by examining spontaneous associations with, and deliberate evaluations of, these technologies by university students. Data were collected through a self-completion online questionnaire by students from two universities in Switzerland. The survey aimed to capture implicit associations, explicit harm-benefit evaluations and views on regulation. The data suggest overall positive associations with emerging technologies. While positive associations were most pronounced for nanotechnology, agricultural biotechnology was attributed with the least favorable associations. In contrast to its positive result in the association task, respondents attributed a high harm potential for nanotechnology. Associations attributed to synthetic biology were demonstrated to be more positive than for agricultural biotechnology, however, not as favorable as for nanotechnology. Contrary to the evaluations of nanotechnology, the benefit-examples of synthetic biology were evaluated particularly positively. Accordingly, the investigated technologies enjoy different esteem, with synthetic biology and nanotechnology both showing a more “exciting” image. Even though, the image of nanotechnology was demonstrated to be more pronounced it was also more heterogeneous across tasks while agricultural biotechnology remains contested. For all technologies, the predominant spontaneous concerns pertain to risks rather than an immoral nature inherent to these technologies. Our data suggest that harm-benefit analyses reveal only one aspect of the attitude toward emerging technologies. Survey questions addressing spontaneous associations with these technologies are a valuable addition for our picture of the image of emerging technologies. PMID:28979291

  15. Organisation of biotechnological information into knowledge.

    PubMed

    Boh, B

    1996-09-01

    The success of biotechnological research, development and marketing depends to a large extent on the international transfer of information and on the ability to organise biotechnology information into knowledge. To increase the efficiency of information-based approaches, an information strategy has been developed and consists of the following stages: definition of the problem, its structure and sub-problems; acquisition of data by targeted processing of computer-supported bibliographic, numeric, textual and graphic databases; analysis of data and building of specialized in-house information systems; information processing for structuring data into systems, recognition of trends and patterns of knowledge, particularly by information synthesis using the concept of information density; design of research hypotheses; testing hypotheses in the laboratory and/or pilot plant; repeated evaluation and optimization of hypotheses by information methods and testing them by further laboratory work. The information approaches are illustrated by examples from the university-industry joint projects in biotechnology, biochemistry and agriculture.

  16. Nanotechnology: emerging tool for diagnostics and therapeutics.

    PubMed

    Chakraborty, Mainak; Jain, Surangna; Rani, Vibha

    2011-11-01

    Nanotechnology is an emerging technology which is an amalgamation of different aspects of science and technology that includes disciplines such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, biology, physics, chemistry, and material science. It has potential in the fields of information and communication technology, biotechnology, and medicinal technology. It involves manipulating the dimensions of nanoparticles at an atomic scale to make use of its physical and chemical properties. All these properties are responsible for the wide application of nanoparticles in the field of human health care. Promising new technologies based on nanotechnology are being utilized to improve diverse aspects of medical treatments like diagnostics, imaging, and gene and drug delivery. This review summarizes the most promising nanomaterials and their application in human health.

  17. Biotechnology Education. Engaging the Learner: Embedding Information Literacy Skills into a Biotechnology Degree

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Helena; Hockey, Julie

    2007-01-01

    One of the challenges of the Biotechnology industry is keeping up to date with the rapid pace of change and that much of the information, which students learn in their undergraduate studies, will be out of date in a few years. It is therefore crucial that Biotechnology students have the skills to access the relevant information for their studies…

  18. Neuroscience and nanotechnologies in Japan--beyond the hope and hype of converging technologies.

    PubMed

    Mushiaki, Shigeru

    2011-01-01

    Nanotechnologies are often said to be "converging" with other technologies like biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science. And so-called "NBIC convergence" is thought to enable "enhancement" of human performance. First, I classify various kinds of enhancement. Second, I focus on the "cybernetic enhancement," to which nanotechnologies are supposed to contribute, and analyze the connection and integration of humans with machines, which could lead to the cyborgization of human beings. Third, I examine the portrayal of robot/cyborg technology in Japanese popular media, point out the tendency to empathy or ensoulment concerning robots/cyborgs, and raise the question of "ethical issues of ethical enhancement." Fourth, I compare nanotechnologies with neurotechnology and criticize the hype of "converging technologies."

  19. The changing information environment for nanotechnology: online audiences and content

    PubMed Central

    Brossard, Dominique; Scheufele, Dietram A.

    2010-01-01

    The shift toward online communication in all realms, from print newspapers to broadcast television, has implications for how the general public consumes information about nanotechnology. The goal of this study is threefold: to investigate who is using online sources for information and news about science and nanotechnology, to examine what the general public is searching for online with regards to nanotechnology, and to analyze what they find in online content of nanotechnology. Using survey data, we find those who report the Internet as their primary source of science and technology news are diverse in age, more knowledgeable about science and nanotechnology, highly educated, male, and more diverse racially than users of other media. In a comparison of demographic data on actual visits by online users to general news and science Web sites, science sites attracted more male, non-white users from the Western region of the United States than news sites did. News sites, on the other hand, attracted those with a slightly higher level of education. Our analysis of published estimates of keyword searches on nanotechnology reveals people are turning to the Internet to search for keyword searches related to the future, health, and applications of nanotechnology. A content analysis of online content reveals health content dominates overall. Comparisons of content in different types of sites—blogs, government, and general sites—are conducted. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11051-010-9860-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:21170132

  20. 78 FR 60319 - Request for Information: NNI Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology Signature...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-01

    ... participating agencies for accelerating the advancement of nanoscale science and technology to address needs and... OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY COORDINATION OFFICE Request for... of request for information. SUMMARY: The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to enhance...

  1. Nanotechnology in dentistry: Present and future

    PubMed Central

    Bhardwaj, Archana; Bhardwaj, Abhishek; Misuriya, Abhinav; Maroli, Sohani; Manjula, S; Singh, Arvind Kumar

    2014-01-01

    Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on the molecular and atomic levels. It has the potential to bring enormous changes into the fields of medicine and dentistry. A day may soon come when nanodentistry will succeed in maintaining near-perfect oral health through the aid of nanorobotics, nanomaterials and biotechnology. However, as with all developments, it may also pose a risk for misuse. Time, economical and technical resources, and human needs will determine the direction this revolutionizing development may take. This article reviews the current status and the potential clinical applications of nanotechnology, nanaomedicine and nanodentistry. How to cite the article: Bhardwaj A, Bhardwaj A, Misuriya A, Maroli S, Manjula S, Singh AK. Nanotechnology in dentistry: Present and future. J Int Oral Health 2013;6(1):121-6. PMID:24653616

  2. Engaging the learner: Embedding information literacy skills into a biotechnology degree.

    PubMed

    Ward, Helena; Hockey, Julie

    2007-09-01

    One of the challenges of the Biotechnology industry is keeping up to date with the rapid pace of change and that much of the information, which students learn in their undergraduate studies, will be out of date in a few years. It is therefore crucial that Biotechnology students have the skills to access the relevant information for their studies and critically evaluate the vast volume of information and its sources. By developing information literacy skills, which are part of lifelong learning, Biotechnology graduates are better prepared for their careers. Students also need to understand the issues related to the use of information such as social, political, ethical, and legal implications. This paper will outline the embedding of information literacy skills within the Biotechnology degree at the University of South Australia. Examples of specific activities and their link to assessment will be discussed. Copyright © 2007 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  3. NANOTR9: 9th Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Conference

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2014-11-01

    The conference series NanoTR is the major conference on nanoscience and nanotechnology in Turkey. It brings together leading scientists and engineers in nanotechnology to exchange information on their latest research progress. An exhibition of the companies working in the related field is also organized as a part of the event. With intensive international participation, NanoTR conference series has spread outside the national border and has become an international event in this field. Among international contributions, a wide interest from the countries around Turkey should be emphasized. 9th in the series was organized by Atatürk University in Erzurum-Turkey on June 24-28, 2013 with more than 900 scientists, researchers, private sector representatives from around the world. Conference program included 6 plenary speakers, 35 invited speakers (18 of them were from outside the country), 116 oral presentations, and 340 poster presentations. In addition to 6 plenary sessions, 17 oral and 4 poster sessions created very lively discussion forums covering a vast range of current and emerging sciences from nano-materials, nanoscience, nanofabrication, nano-engineering, nano-electronics, nano-biotechnology, to ethical and social issues of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Also, panel discussions about industrial applications, tutorial sessions have been organized for students, new-comers and company employees.

  4. The integrated web service and genome database for agricultural plants with biotechnology information.

    PubMed

    Kim, Changkug; Park, Dongsuk; Seol, Youngjoo; Hahn, Jangho

    2011-01-01

    The National Agricultural Biotechnology Information Center (NABIC) constructed an agricultural biology-based infrastructure and developed a Web based relational database for agricultural plants with biotechnology information. The NABIC has concentrated on functional genomics of major agricultural plants, building an integrated biotechnology database for agro-biotech information that focuses on genomics of major agricultural resources. This genome database provides annotated genome information from 1,039,823 records mapped to rice, Arabidopsis, and Chinese cabbage.

  5. The integrated web service and genome database for agricultural plants with biotechnology information

    PubMed Central

    Kim, ChangKug; Park, DongSuk; Seol, YoungJoo; Hahn, JangHo

    2011-01-01

    The National Agricultural Biotechnology Information Center (NABIC) constructed an agricultural biology-based infrastructure and developed a Web based relational database for agricultural plants with biotechnology information. The NABIC has concentrated on functional genomics of major agricultural plants, building an integrated biotechnology database for agro-biotech information that focuses on genomics of major agricultural resources. This genome database provides annotated genome information from 1,039,823 records mapped to rice, Arabidopsis, and Chinese cabbage. PMID:21887015

  6. When nano meets stem: the impact of nanotechnology in stem cell biology.

    PubMed

    Kaur, Savneet; Singhal, Barkha

    2012-01-01

    Nanotechnology and biomedical treatments using stem cells are among the latest conduits of biotechnological research. Even more recently, scientists have begun finding ways to mate these two specialties of science. The advent of nanotechnology has paved the way for an explicit understanding of stem cell therapy in vivo and by recapitulation of such in vivo environments in the culture, this technology seems to accommodate a great potential in providing new vistas to stem cell research. Nanotechnology carries in its wake, the development of highly stable, efficient and specific gene delivery systems for both in vitro and in vivo genetic engineering of stem cells, use of nanoscale systems (such as microarrays) for investigation of gene expression in stem cells, creation of dynamic three-dimensional nano-environments for in vitro and in vivo maintenance and differentiation of stem cells and development of extremely sensitive in vivo detection systems to gain insights into the mechanisms of stem cell differentiation and apoptosis in different disease models. The present review presents an overview of the current applications and future prospects for the use of nanotechnology in stem cell biology. Copyright © 2011 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Biotechnology awareness study, Part 1: Where scientists get their information.

    PubMed Central

    Grefsheim, S; Franklin, J; Cunningham, D

    1991-01-01

    A model study, funded by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and conducted by the Southeastern/Atlantic Regional Medical Library (RML) and the University of Maryland Health Sciences Library, attempted to assess the information needs of researchers in the developing field of biotechnology and to determine the resources available to meet those needs in major academic health sciences centers. Nine medical schools in RML Region 2 were selected to participate in a biotechnology awareness study. A survey was conducted of the nine medical school libraries to assess their support of biotechnology research. To identify the information needs of scientists engaged in biotechnology-related research at the schools, a written survey was sent to the deans of the nine institutions and selected scientists they had identified. This was followed by individual, in-depth interviews with both the deans and scientists surveyed. In general, scientists obtained information from three major sources: their own experiments, personal communication with other scientists, and textual material (print or electronic). For textual information, most study participants relied on personal journal subscriptions. Tangential journals were scanned in the department's library. Only a few of these scientists came to the health sciences library on a regular basis. Further, the study found that personal computers have had a major impact on how biotechnologists get and use information. Implications of these findings for libraries and librarians are discussed. PMID:1998818

  8. 76 FR 12361 - Request for Information: Update of NIOSH Nanotechnology Strategic Plan for Research and Guidance

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-07

    ... NIOSH 134-A] Request for Information: Update of NIOSH Nanotechnology Strategic Plan for Research and... management research that should be considered for updating the NIOSH 2009 nanotechnology strategic plan... identifying and prioritizing nanotechnology research. In 2009 this strategic plan [http:// www.cdc.gov/niosh...

  9. State FFA Officers' Confidence and Trustworthiness of Biotechnology Information Sources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wingenbach, Gary J.; Rutherford, Tracy A.

    2007-01-01

    Are state FFA officers' awareness levels of agricultural topics reported in mass media superior to those who do not serve in leadership roles? The purpose of this study was to determine elected state FFA officers' awareness of biotechnology, and their confidence and trust of biotechnology information sources. Descriptive survey methods were used…

  10. Molecular biomimetics: nanotechnology through biology.

    PubMed

    Sarikaya, Mehmet; Tamerler, Candan; Jen, Alex K-Y; Schulten, Klaus; Baneyx, François

    2003-09-01

    Proteins, through their unique and specific interactions with other macromolecules and inorganics, control structures and functions of all biological hard and soft tissues in organisms. Molecular biomimetics is an emerging field in which hybrid technologies are developed by using the tools of molecular biology and nanotechnology. Taking lessons from biology, polypeptides can now be genetically engineered to specifically bind to selected inorganic compounds for applications in nano- and biotechnology. This review discusses combinatorial biological protocols, that is, bacterial cell surface and phage-display technologies, in the selection of short sequences that have affinity to (noble) metals, semiconducting oxides and other technological compounds. These genetically engineered proteins for inorganics (GEPIs) can be used in the assembly of functional nanostructures. Based on the three fundamental principles of molecular recognition, self-assembly and DNA manipulation, we highlight successful uses of GEPI in nanotechnology.

  11. Selective perception of novel science: how definitions affect information processing about nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jiyoun; Akin, Heather; Brossard, Dominique; Xenos, Michael; Scheufele, Dietram A.

    2017-05-01

    This study examines how familiarity with an issue—nanotechnology—moderates the effect of exposure to science information on how people process mediated messages about a complex issue. In an online experiment, we provide a nationally representative sample three definitions of nanotechnology (technical, technical applications, and technical risk/benefit definitions). We then ask them to read an article about the topic. We find significant interactions between perceived nano-familiarity and the definition received in terms of how respondents perceive favorable information conveyed in the stimulus. People less familiar with nanotechnology were more significantly affected by the type of definition they received.

  12. Nanotechnology, nanotoxicology, and neuroscience

    PubMed Central

    Suh, Won Hyuk; Suslick, Kenneth S.; Stucky, Galen D.; Suh, Yoo-Hun

    2009-01-01

    Nanotechnology, which deals with features as small as a 1 billionth of a meter, began to enter into mainstream physical sciences and engineering some 20 years ago. Recent applications of nanoscience include the use of nanoscale materials in electronics, catalysis, and biomedical research. Among these applications, strong interest has been shown to biological processes such as blood coagulation control and multimodal bioimaging, which has brought about a new and exciting research field called nanobiotechnology. Biotechnology, which itself also dates back ∼30 years, involves the manipulation of macroscopic biological systems such as cells and mice in order to understand why and how molecular level mechanisms affect specific biological functions, e.g., the role of APP (amyloid precursor protein) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This review aims (1) to introduce key concepts and materials from nanotechnology to a non-physical sciences community; (2) to introduce several state-of-the-art examples of current nanotechnology that were either constructed for use in biological systems or that can, in time, be utilized for biomedical research; (3) to provide recent excerpts in nanotoxicology and multifunctional nanoparticle systems (MFNPSs); and (4) to propose areas in neuroscience that may benefit from research at the interface of neurobiologically important systems and nanostructured materials. PMID:18926873

  13. Microelectronics and nanotechnology, and the fractal-like structure of information, knowledge, and science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nutu, Catalin Silviu; Axinte, Tiberiu

    2016-12-01

    The article is centralizing and is concentrating the information from a considerable amount of papers related to the field of microelectronics and nanotechnology and also provides an approach to science and to the future evolution of science, based on the theory of the fractals. The new science of microelectronics and nanotechnology is one of the best examples of how the science of future will look like, namely at the confluence of increasingly more other sciences, where increasingly more sciences are to be added in the structure of the new science and the role of the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary is becoming more and more important. Although not giving explicit details (e.g. specific formulas) the theory of fractals is used in the paper to explain the way of generation of new science for the specific case of microelectronics and nanotechnology, but is also used in the paper to outline a different way to approach new science and eventually to approach new sciences to come. There are mainly two motivations for the present article, namely: on the one hand, the position of the microelectronics and nanotechnologies in the fractal-like structure of science, and, on the other hand, that much of the communication, information, knowledge and science transfer, dissemination and advancement in sciences are taking place using the new technologies related to microelectronics and nanotechnologies.

  14. Prospects of nanoparticle-DNA binding and its implications in medical biotechnology.

    PubMed

    An, Hongjie; Jin, Bo

    2012-01-01

    Bio-nanotechnology is a new interdisciplinary R&D area that integrates engineering and physical science with biology through the development of multifunctional devices and systems, focusing biology inspired processes or their applications, in particular in medical biotechnology. DNA based nanotechnology, in many ways, has been one of the most intensively studied fields in recent years that involves the use and the creation of bio-inspired materials and their technologies for highly selective biosensing, nanoarchitecture engineering and nanoelectronics. Increasing researches have been offered to a fundamental understanding how the interactions between the nanoparticles and DNA molecules could alter DNA molecular structure and its biochemical activities. This minor review describes the mechanisms of the nanoparticle-DNA binding and molecular interactions. We present recent discoveries and research progresses how the nanoparticle-DNA binding could vary DNA molecular structure, DNA detection, and gene therapy. We report a few case studies associated with the application of the nanoparticle-DNA binding devices in medical detection and biotechnology. The potential impacts of the nanoparticles via DNA binding on toxicity of the microorganisms are briefly discussed. The nanoparticle-DNA interactions and their impact on molecular and microbial functionalities have only drown attention in recent a few years. The information presented in this review can provide useful references for further studies on biomedical science and technology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Green biotechnology, nanotechnology and bio-fortification: perspectives on novel environment-friendly crop improvement strategies.

    PubMed

    Yashveer, Shikha; Singh, Vikram; Kaswan, Vineet; Kaushik, Amit; Tokas, Jayanti

    2014-10-01

    Food insecurity and malnutrition are prominent issues for this century. As the world's population continues to increase, ensuring that the earth has enough food that is nutritious too will be a difficult task. Today one billion people of the world are undernourished and more than a third are malnourished. Moreover, the looming threat of climate change is exasperating the situation even further. At the same time, the total acreage of arable land that could support agricultural use is already near its limits, and may even decrease over the next few years due to salination and desertification patterns resulting from climate change. Clearly, changing the way we think about crop production must take place on multiple levels. New varieties of crops must be developed which can produce higher crop yields with less water and fewer agricultural inputs. Besides this, the crops themselves must have improved nutritional qualities or become biofortified in order to reduce the chances of 'hidden hunger' resulting from malnourishment. It is difficult to envision the optimum way to increase crop production using a single uniform strategy. Instead, a variety of approaches must be employed and tailored for any particular agricultural setting. New high-impact technologies such as green biotechnology, biofortification, and nanotechnology offer opportunities for boosting agricultural productivity and enhancing food quality and nutritional value with eco-friendly manner. These agricultural technologies currently under development will renovate our world to one that can comfortably address the new directions, our planet will take as a result of climate change.

  16. [Biotechnological potential of methylotrophic bacteria: a review of current status and future prospects].

    PubMed

    Trotsenko, Iu A; Doronina, N V; Khmelenina, V N

    2005-01-01

    Major results of the authors' findings on the implementation of biotechnological potential of aerobic methylobacteria and methanotrophs for obtaining forage proteins, biopolymers (polybutyrate and polysaccharides), enzymes (oxidoreductases), and bioprotectors (ectoin), as well as for degrading toxic C1 and Cn compounds have been reviewed. Unique features of the structural and functional organization of the metabolism of extremophilic (tolerant) methylotrophs are discussed, with a view for their prospective use in various fields of modern biotechnology, including biocatalysis and nanotechnology.

  17. Nanotechnology: Principles and Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Logothetidis, S.

    Nanotechnology is one of the leading scientific fields today since it combines knowledge from the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine, Informatics, and Engineering. It is an emerging technological field with great potential to lead in great breakthroughs that can be applied in real life. Novel nano- and biomaterials, and nanodevices are fabricated and controlled by nanotechnology tools and techniques, which investigate and tune the properties, responses, and functions of living and non-living matter, at sizes below 100 nm. The application and use of nanomaterials in electronic and mechanical devices, in optical and magnetic components, quantum computing, tissue engineering, and other biotechnologies, with smallest features, widths well below 100 nm, are the economically most important parts of the nanotechnology nowadays and presumably in the near future. The number of nanoproducts is rapidly growing since more and more nanoengineered materials are reaching the global market The continuous revolution in nanotechnology will result in the fabrication of nanomaterials with properties and functionalities which are going to have positive changes in the lives of our citizens, be it in health, environment, electronics or any other field. In the energy generation challenge where the conventional fuel resources cannot remain the dominant energy source, taking into account the increasing consumption demand and the CO2 emissions alternative renewable energy sources based on new technologies have to be promoted. Innovative solar cell technologies that utilize nanostructured materials and composite systems such as organic photovoltaics offer great technological potential due to their attractive properties such as the potential of large-scale and low-cost roll-to-roll manufacturing processes The advances in nanomaterials necessitate parallel progress of the nanometrology tools and techniques to characterize and manipulate nanostructures. Revolutionary new approaches

  18. Monitoring nanotechnology using patent classifications: an overview and comparison of nanotechnology classification schemes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jürgens, Björn; Herrero-Solana, Victor

    2017-04-01

    Patents are an essential information source used to monitor, track, and analyze nanotechnology. When it comes to search nanotechnology-related patents, a keyword search is often incomplete and struggles to cover such an interdisciplinary discipline. Patent classification schemes can reveal far better results since they are assigned by experts who classify the patent documents according to their technology. In this paper, we present the most important classifications to search nanotechnology patents and analyze how nanotechnology is covered in the main patent classification systems used in search systems nowadays: the International Patent Classification (IPC), the United States Patent Classification (USPC), and the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC). We conclude that nanotechnology has a significantly better patent coverage in the CPC since considerable more nanotechnology documents were retrieved than by using other classifications, and thus, recommend its use for all professionals involved in nanotechnology patent searches.

  19. The Future of Bio-technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trent, Jonathan

    2005-01-01

    Hosts of technologies, most notably in electronics, have been on the path of miniaturization for decades and in 2005 they have crossed the threshold of the nano-scale. Crossing the nano-scale threshold is a milestone in miniaturization, setting impressive new standards for component-packing densities. It also brings technology to a scale at which quantum effects and fault tolerance play significant roles and approaches the feasible physical limit form many conventional "top-down" manufacturing methods. I will suggest that the most formidable manufacturing problems in nanotechnology will be overcome and major breakthroughs will occur in a host of technologies, when nanotechnology converges with bio-technology; i.e. I will argue that the future of bio-technology is in nanotechnology. In 2005, methods in molecular biology, microscopy, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and genetic engineering have focused considerable attention on the nano-scale. On this scale, biology is a kind of recursive chemistry in which molecular recognition, self-assembly, self-organization and self-referencing context-control lead to the emergence of the complexity of structures and processes that are fundamental to all life forms. While we are still far from understanding this complexity, we are on the threshold of being able to use at least some of these biological properties for .technology. I will discuss the use of biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins as "tools" for the bio-technologist of the future. More specifically, I will present in some detail an example of how we are using a genetically engineered 60-kDa protein (HSP60) from an organism living in near boiling sulfuric acid to build nano-scale templates for arranging metallic nanoparticles. These "extremophile" HSP60s self-assemble into robust double-ring structures called "chaperonins," which further assemble into filaments and arrays with nanometer accuracy. I will discuss our efforts to use chaperonins to organize quantum

  20. Atomic Layer Deposition in Bio-Nanotechnology: A Brief Overview.

    PubMed

    Bishal, Arghya K; Butt, Arman; Selvaraj, Sathees K; Joshi, Bela; Patel, Sweetu B; Huang, Su; Yang, Bin; Shukohfar, Tolou; Sukotjo, Cortino; Takoudis, Christos G

    2015-01-01

    Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a technique increasingly used in nanotechnology and ultrathin film deposition; it is ideal for films in the nanometer and Angstrom length scales. ALD can effectively be used to modify the surface chemistry and functionalization of engineering-related and biologically important surfaces. It can also be used to alter the mechanical, electrical, chemical, and other properties of materials that are increasingly used in biomedical engineering and biological sciences. ALD is a relatively new technique for optimizing materials for use in bio-nanotechnology. Here, after a brief review of the more widely used modes of ALD and a few of its applications in biotechnology, selected results that show the potential of ALD in bio-nanotechnology are presented. ALD seems to be a promising means for tuning the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity characteristics of biomedical surfaces, forming conformal ultrathin coatings with desirable properties on biomedical substrates with a high aspect ratio, tuning the antibacterial properties of substrate surfaces of interest, and yielding multifunctional biomaterials for medical implants and other devices.

  1. Navigating the patent landscapes for nanotechnology: English gardens or tangled grounds?

    PubMed

    Sylvester, Douglas J; Bowman, Diana M

    2011-01-01

    The patent landscape, like a garden, can tell you much about its designers and users: their motivations, biases, and general interests. While both patent landscapes and gardens may appear to the casual observer as refined and ordered, an in-depth exploration of the terrain is likely to reveal unforeseen challenges including, for example, alien species, thickets, and trolls. As this chapter illustrates, patent landscapes are dynamic and have been forced to continually evolve in response to technological innovation. While emerging technologies such as biotechnology and information communication technology have challenged the traditional patent landscape, the overarching framework and design have largely remained intact. But will this always be the case? The aim of this chapter is to highlight how nanotechnology is challenging the existing structures and underlying foundation of the patent landscape and the implications thereof for the technology, industry, and public more generally. The chapter concludes by asking the question whether the current patent landscape will be able to withstand the ubiquitous nature of the technology, or whether nanotechnology will be a catalyst for governments and policy makers for overhauling the current landscape design.

  2. Nanotechnology for sustainability: what does nanotechnology offer to address complex sustainability problems?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wiek, Arnim; Foley, Rider W.; Guston, David H.

    2012-09-01

    Nanotechnology is widely associated with the promise of positively contributing to sustainability. However, this view often focuses on end-of-pipe applications, for instance, for water purification or energy efficiency, and relies on a narrow concept of sustainability. Approaching sustainability problems and solution options from a comprehensive and systemic perspective instead may yield quite different conclusions about the contribution of nanotechnology to sustainability. This study conceptualizes sustainability problems as complex constellations with several potential intervention points and amenable to different solution options. The study presents results from interdisciplinary workshops and literature reviews that appraise the contribution of the selected nanotechnologies to mitigate such problems. The study focuses exemplarily on the urban context to make the appraisals tangible and relevant. The solution potential of nanotechnology is explored not only for well-known urban sustainability problems such as water contamination and energy use but also for less obvious ones such as childhood obesity. Results indicate not only potentials but also limitations of nanotechnology's contribution to sustainability and can inform anticipatory governance of nanotechnology in general, and in the urban context in particular.

  3. Information resources at the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

    PubMed Central

    Woodsmall, R M; Benson, D A

    1993-01-01

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), part of the National Library of Medicine, was established in 1988 to perform basic research in the field of computational molecular biology as well as build and distribute molecular biology databases. The basic research has led to new algorithms and analysis tools for interpreting genomic data and has been instrumental in the discovery of human disease genes for neurofibromatosis and Kallmann syndrome. The principal database responsibility is the National Institutes of Health (NIH) genetic sequence database, GenBank. NCBI, in collaboration with international partners, builds, distributes, and provides online and CD-ROM access to over 112,000 DNA sequences. Another major program is the integration of multiple sequences databases and related bibliographic information and the development of network-based retrieval systems for Internet access. PMID:8374583

  4. DNA nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seeman, Nadrian C.; Sleiman, Hanadi F.

    2018-01-01

    DNA is the molecule that stores and transmits genetic information in biological systems. The field of DNA nanotechnology takes this molecule out of its biological context and uses its information to assemble structural motifs and then to connect them together. This field has had a remarkable impact on nanoscience and nanotechnology, and has been revolutionary in our ability to control molecular self-assembly. In this Review, we summarize the approaches used to assemble DNA nanostructures and examine their emerging applications in areas such as biophysics, diagnostics, nanoparticle and protein assembly, biomolecule structure determination, drug delivery and synthetic biology. The introduction of orthogonal interactions into DNA nanostructures is discussed, and finally, a perspective on the future directions of this field is presented.

  5. Regulating small things: genes, gametes and nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Bennett, Belinda

    2007-08-01

    Biotechnology and nanotechnology both intersect with other technologies in ways that open new possibilities for further technological progress. The potential for increased convergence between technological fields highlights the need for regulatory frameworks to be integrated, flexible and responsive. Within a federal legal system such as Australia's, there is a need to ensure that we adopt a coordinated national approach to the crafting of regulatory solutions. In addition, there is a need for global cooperation in the development of international standards and regulatory harmonisation. Finally, this article considers the role that law plays in negotiating risk in relation to new technologies.

  6. Post-genomics nanotechnology is gaining momentum: nanoproteomics and applications in life sciences.

    PubMed

    Kobeissy, Firas H; Gulbakan, Basri; Alawieh, Ali; Karam, Pierre; Zhang, Zhiqun; Guingab-Cagmat, Joy D; Mondello, Stefania; Tan, Weihong; Anagli, John; Wang, Kevin

    2014-02-01

    The post-genomics era has brought about new Omics biotechnologies, such as proteomics and metabolomics, as well as their novel applications to personal genomics and the quantified self. These advances are now also catalyzing other and newer post-genomics innovations, leading to convergences between Omics and nanotechnology. In this work, we systematically contextualize and exemplify an emerging strand of post-genomics life sciences, namely, nanoproteomics and its applications in health and integrative biological systems. Nanotechnology has been utilized as a complementary component to revolutionize proteomics through different kinds of nanotechnology applications, including nanoporous structures, functionalized nanoparticles, quantum dots, and polymeric nanostructures. Those applications, though still in their infancy, have led to several highly sensitive diagnostics and new methods of drug delivery and targeted therapy for clinical use. The present article differs from previous analyses of nanoproteomics in that it offers an in-depth and comparative evaluation of the attendant biotechnology portfolio and their applications as seen through the lens of post-genomics life sciences and biomedicine. These include: (1) immunosensors for inflammatory, pathogenic, and autoimmune markers for infectious and autoimmune diseases, (2) amplified immunoassays for detection of cancer biomarkers, and (3) methods for targeted therapy and automatically adjusted drug delivery such as in experimental stroke and brain injury studies. As nanoproteomics becomes available both to the clinician at the bedside and the citizens who are increasingly interested in access to novel post-genomics diagnostics through initiatives such as the quantified self, we anticipate further breakthroughs in personalized and targeted medicine.

  7. Post-Genomics Nanotechnology Is Gaining Momentum: Nanoproteomics and Applications in Life Sciences

    PubMed Central

    Kobeissy, Firas H.; Gulbakan, Basri; Alawieh, Ali; Karam, Pierre; Zhang, Zhiqun; Guingab-Cagmat, Joy D.; Mondello, Stefania; Tan, Weihong; Anagli, John

    2014-01-01

    Abstract The post-genomics era has brought about new Omics biotechnologies, such as proteomics and metabolomics, as well as their novel applications to personal genomics and the quantified self. These advances are now also catalyzing other and newer post-genomics innovations, leading to convergences between Omics and nanotechnology. In this work, we systematically contextualize and exemplify an emerging strand of post-genomics life sciences, namely, nanoproteomics and its applications in health and integrative biological systems. Nanotechnology has been utilized as a complementary component to revolutionize proteomics through different kinds of nanotechnology applications, including nanoporous structures, functionalized nanoparticles, quantum dots, and polymeric nanostructures. Those applications, though still in their infancy, have led to several highly sensitive diagnostics and new methods of drug delivery and targeted therapy for clinical use. The present article differs from previous analyses of nanoproteomics in that it offers an in-depth and comparative evaluation of the attendant biotechnology portfolio and their applications as seen through the lens of post-genomics life sciences and biomedicine. These include: (1) immunosensors for inflammatory, pathogenic, and autoimmune markers for infectious and autoimmune diseases, (2) amplified immunoassays for detection of cancer biomarkers, and (3) methods for targeted therapy and automatically adjusted drug delivery such as in experimental stroke and brain injury studies. As nanoproteomics becomes available both to the clinician at the bedside and the citizens who are increasingly interested in access to novel post-genomics diagnostics through initiatives such as the quantified self, we anticipate further breakthroughs in personalized and targeted medicine. PMID:24410486

  8. Effect of Religious Belief on Informal Reasoning about Biotechnology Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pope, Timothy; Dawson, Vaille; Koul, Rekha

    2017-01-01

    The advances of modern biotechnology provide teachers with a number of opportunities to explore socioscientific issues, and in doing so to enhance students' reasoning skills. Although some attempt has been made to understand cultural differences in students' informal reasoning across international and regional boundaries, there is limited research…

  9. Nanotechnology Applications

    EPA Science Inventory

    This book chapter discusses various nanotechnologies for water sustainability. Detailed information on catalysis as an advanced oxidation process, nanofiltration, adsorption, water disinfection, and groundwater remediation is provided for water treatment. These nanomaterials effe...

  10. Food nanotechnology – an overview

    PubMed Central

    Sekhon, Bhupinder S

    2010-01-01

    Food nanotechnology is an area of emerging interest and opens up a whole universe of new possibilities for the food industry. The basic categories of nanotechnology applications and functionalities currently in the development of food packaging include: the improvement of plastic materials barriers, the incorporation of active components that can deliver functional attributes beyond those of conventional active packaging, and the sensing and signaling of relevant information. Nano food packaging materials may extend food life, improve food safety, alert consumers that food is contaminated or spoiled, repair tears in packaging, and even release preservatives to extend the life of the food in the package. Nanotechnology applications in the food industry can be utilized to detect bacteria in packaging, or produce stronger flavors and color quality, and safety by increasing the barrier properties. Nanotechnology holds great promise to provide benefits not just within food products but also around food products. In fact, nanotechnology introduces new chances for innovation in the food industry at immense speed, but uncertainty and health concerns are also emerging. EU/WE/global legislation for the regulation of nanotechnology in food are meager. Moreover, current legislation appears unsuitable to nanotechnology specificity. PMID:24198465

  11. New Directions in Biotechnology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    The macromolecule crystallization program within NASA is undergoing considerable pressure, particularly budgetary pressure. While it has shown some successes, they have not lived up to the expectations of others, and technological advances may rapidly overtake the natural advantages offered by crystallization in microgravity. Concomitant with the microgravity effort has been a research program to study the macromolecule crystallization process. It was believed that a better understanding of the process would lead to growth of improved crystals for X-ray diffraction studies. The results of the various research efforts have been impressive in improving our understanding of macromolecule crystallization, but have not led to any improved structures. Macromolecule crystallization for structure determination is "one of", the job being unique for every protein and finished once a structure is obtained. However, the knowledge gained is not lost, but instead lays the foundation for developments in new areas of biotechnology and nanotechnology. In this it is highly analogous to studies into small molecule crystallization, the results of which have led to our present day microelectronics-based society. We are conducting preliminary experiments into areas such as designed macromolecule crystals, macromolecule-inorganic hybrid structures, and macromolecule-based nanotechnology. In addition, our protein crystallization studies are now being directed more towards industrial and new approaches to membrane protein crystallization.

  12. Biotechnology: from university to industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kenney, M.F.

    1984-01-01

    This study examines the birth of the biotechnology industry in the US. It is argued that biotechnology may have important implications for the future of American capitalism. The study is contextualized theoretically through the use of the idea of the capitalism experiences waves of innovations at certain historical periods. Finally, the idea of a new regime of accumulation based on information technologies is explored and biotechnology's potential position in the information society is explored. The first section of the study examines the role of the university in biotechnology. The various objectives of administrators and professors are explored as is themore » role of corporate gift giving in transforming the university into an institution more useful for capitalist accumulation. The second section examines the corporate role in biotechnology: both from the viewpoint of the small venture capital-financed biotechnology firms and the large multinational oil, chemical, and pharmaceutical companies that have made a number of important investments in biotechnology. The last chapter describes the unique effects that biotechnology will have upon the US agricultural sector.« less

  13. Biotechnology in Turkey: an overview.

    PubMed

    Ozdamar, Tunçer H

    2009-07-01

    The term biotechnology first appeared in the programs of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) in 1982. The State Planning Organization (SPO) in 1988 defined biotechnology and the scientific fields. Moreover, it put forward an institutional framework and suggested priority areas for research and development. Turkey has been researching and investing in biotechnology for almost four decades. This review covers the development of science and technology policy with its history, consensus and consequences, bio-industries in Turkey, and research activities in biotechnology at Turkish Universities. Details are provided by the research groups in response to a common request for information on their activities and major publications in the field. The information provided has been grouped under thematic topics within the broad theme of biotechnology, and summarized within these topics. Although many aspects of biotechnological research are being pursued in Turkey, it appears that the most common research activities of the field are in fermentation processes, environmental biotechnology, and biomedical engineering.

  14. NANOTECHNOLOGY RISK ASSESSMENT CASE STUDY WORKSHOPS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Nanotechnology is expected to present both benefits and risks to human health and the environment. The assessment of risks related to nanotechnology requires information on the potential for exposure to, and adverse effects of, nanomaterials and their by-products. To help ensure...

  15. Nanotechnology Risk Communication Past and Prologue

    PubMed Central

    Bostrom, Ann; Löfstedt, Ragnar E.

    2013-01-01

    Nanotechnologies operate at atomic, molecular, and macromolecular scales, at scales where matter behaves differently than at larger scales and quantum effects can dominate. Nanotechnologies have captured the imagination of science fiction writers as science, engineering, and industry have leapt to the challenge of harnessing them. Applications are proliferating. In contrast, despite recent progress the regulatory landscape is not yet coherent, and public awareness of nanotechnology remains low. This has led risk researchers and critics of current nanotechnology risk communication efforts to call for proactive strategies that do more than address facts, that include and go beyond the public participation stipulated by some government acts. A redoubling of nanotechnology risk communication efforts could enable consumer choice and informed public discourse about regulation and public investments in science and safety. PMID:21039707

  16. Predicting attitudes toward nanotechnology: The influence of cultural and predispositional values

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shih, Tsung-Jen

    Past experience in dealing with biotechnology has suggested that public opinion plays an important role in determining the prosperity of emerging technologies. A great amount of money and energy, therefore, were invested to understand nanotechnology's impact on the society and the public, in addition to the technical advancement of the technology. However, most studies examining public opinion have focused on personal level factors and have ignored the potential influence of cultural factors. This study addresses this gap by analyzing public opinion in 21 countries, including the US and 20 European countries. Specifically, this study examines the impact of predispositional and cultural values on public support for nanotechnology, with the mediating roles of moral judgment and risk perception accounted for. This study also looks into the dynamics between cultural values and predispositional values; that is, how cultural values may moderate the effects of predispositional values in affecting attitudes toward nanotechnology. The results indicate that people rely on "information shortcuts," such as confidence and religious belief, for decision making. Individual-level factors still play an important role in shaping public attitudes even after country-level factors are controlled. Furthermore, aggregate cultural values provide people with important "mental programs" to interpret nanotechnology. They explain why people in different cultures have different moral and risk perceptions. However, most of the cultural values do not affect public support directly, suggesting that public support is contingent greatly on the core characteristics of nanotechnology, such as its usefulness, risk, and moral acceptability, which, in turn, is influenced by personal beliefs and cultural givens. The results also suggest that people in different cultures respond to survey questions in different manners. People living in cultures emphasizing uncertainty avoidance and individualism are more

  17. Preparation of Magnetic Carbon Nanotubes (Mag-CNTs) for Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications

    PubMed Central

    Masotti, Andrea; Caporali, Andrea

    2013-01-01

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely studied for their potential applications in many fields from nanotechnology to biomedicine. The preparation of magnetic CNTs (Mag-CNTs) opens new avenues in nanobiotechnology and biomedical applications as a consequence of their multiple properties embedded within the same moiety. Several preparation techniques have been developed during the last few years to obtain magnetic CNTs: grafting or filling nanotubes with magnetic ferrofluids or attachment of magnetic nanoparticles to CNTs or their polymeric coating. These strategies allow the generation of novel versatile systems that can be employed in many biotechnological or biomedical fields. Here, we review and discuss the most recent papers dealing with the preparation of magnetic CNTs and their application in biomedical and biotechnological fields. PMID:24351838

  18. Preparation of magnetic carbon nanotubes (Mag-CNTs) for biomedical and biotechnological applications.

    PubMed

    Masotti, Andrea; Caporali, Andrea

    2013-12-18

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely studied for their potential applications in many fields from nanotechnology to biomedicine. The preparation of magnetic CNTs (Mag-CNTs) opens new avenues in nanobiotechnology and biomedical applications as a consequence of their multiple properties embedded within the same moiety. Several preparation techniques have been developed during the last few years to obtain magnetic CNTs: grafting or filling nanotubes with magnetic ferrofluids or attachment of magnetic nanoparticles to CNTs or their polymeric coating. These strategies allow the generation of novel versatile systems that can be employed in many biotechnological or biomedical fields. Here, we review and discuss the most recent papers dealing with the preparation of magnetic CNTs and their application in biomedical and biotechnological fields.

  19. Path to bio-nano-information fusion.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jia Ming; Ho, Chih-Ming

    2006-12-01

    This article will discuss the challenges in a new convergent discipline created by the fusion of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and information technology. To illustrate the research challenges, we will begin with an introduction to the nanometer-scale environment in which biology resides, and point out the many important behaviors of matters at that scale. Then we will describe an ideal model system, the cell, for bio-nano-information fusion. Our efforts in advancing this field at the Institute of Cell Mimetic Space Exploration (CMISE) will be introduced here as an example to move toward achieving this goal.

  20. Comparative analysis of nanotechnology awareness in consumers and experts in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Yu-Ri; Lee, Eun Jeong; Park, Sung Ha; Kwon, Hyo Jin; An, Seong Soo A; Son, Sang Wook; Seo, Young Rok; Pie, Jae-Eun; Yoon, Myoung; Kim, Ja Hei; Kim, Meyoung-Kon

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the need for public communication about nanotechnologies and nanoparticles by providing a comparative analysis of the differences in risk awareness of nanotechnologies and nanoparticles between consumers and experts. A total of 1,007 consumers and 150 experts participated in this study. A questionnaire was prepared examining their awareness of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials and their view of the necessity for information and education about the latest nanotechnologies and nanomaterials. Our results indicated that the expert group recognized that they knew more than consumers about nanotechnology and that there was a need for relevant education in nanotechnology and nanomaterials among consumers. We found that the consumer group had a more positive attitude toward nanotechnology, even though they did not know much about it. Moreover, the consumer group was inconclusive about the type of information on nanotechnology deemed necessary for the public, as well as the suitable party to be responsible for education and for delivering the information. An education and promotion program targeting consumers should be established to overcome the differences between consumers and experts in their awareness of nanotechnology. Specifically, the establishment of concepts for nanomaterials or nanoproducts is required immediately. With clear standards on nanomaterials, consumers can make informed decisions in selecting nanoproducts in the market.

  1. Comparative analysis of nanotechnology awareness in consumers and experts in South Korea

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Yu-Ri; Lee, Eun Jeong; Park, Sung Ha; Kwon, Hyo Jin; An, Seong Soo A; Son, Sang Wook; Seo, Young Rok; Pie, Jae-Eun; Yoon, Myoung; Kim, Ja Hei; Kim, Meyoung-Kon

    2014-01-01

    Purpose This study examined the need for public communication about nanotechnologies and nanoparticles by providing a comparative analysis of the differences in risk awareness of nanotechnologies and nanoparticles between consumers and experts. Methods A total of 1,007 consumers and 150 experts participated in this study. A questionnaire was prepared examining their awareness of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials and their view of the necessity for information and education about the latest nanotechnologies and nanomaterials. Results Our results indicated that the expert group recognized that they knew more than consumers about nanotechnology and that there was a need for relevant education in nanotechnology and nanomaterials among consumers. We found that the consumer group had a more positive attitude toward nanotechnology, even though they did not know much about it. Moreover, the consumer group was inconclusive about the type of information on nanotechnology deemed necessary for the public, as well as the suitable party to be responsible for education and for delivering the information. Conclusion An education and promotion program targeting consumers should be established to overcome the differences between consumers and experts in their awareness of nanotechnology. Specifically, the establishment of concepts for nanomaterials or nanoproducts is required immediately. With clear standards on nanomaterials, consumers can make informed decisions in selecting nanoproducts in the market. PMID:25565823

  2. Nanotechnology Innovations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Malroy, Eric

    2010-01-01

    Nanotechnology is rapidly affecting all engineering disciplines as new products and applications are being found and brought to market. This session will present an overview of nanotechnology and let you learn about the advances in the field and how it could impact you. Some of the areas touched upon will be nanomaterials with their multifunctional capabilities, nanotechnology impact on energy systems, nanobiotechnology including nanomedicine, and nanotechnology relevant to space systems with a focus on ECLSS. Also, some important advances related to thermal systems will be presented as well as future predictions on nanotechnology.

  3. Artificial intelligence in nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Sacha, G M; Varona, P

    2013-11-15

    During the last decade there has been increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in nanotechnology research. In this paper we review some of these efforts in the context of interpreting scanning probe microscopy, the study of biological nanosystems, the classification of material properties at the nanoscale, theoretical approaches and simulations in nanoscience, and generally in the design of nanodevices. Current trends and future perspectives in the development of nanocomputing hardware that can boost artificial-intelligence-based applications are also discussed. Convergence between artificial intelligence and nanotechnology can shape the path for many technological developments in the field of information sciences that will rely on new computer architectures and data representations, hybrid technologies that use biological entities and nanotechnological devices, bioengineering, neuroscience and a large variety of related disciplines.

  4. Artificial intelligence in nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sacha, G. M.; Varona, P.

    2013-11-01

    During the last decade there has been increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in nanotechnology research. In this paper we review some of these efforts in the context of interpreting scanning probe microscopy, the study of biological nanosystems, the classification of material properties at the nanoscale, theoretical approaches and simulations in nanoscience, and generally in the design of nanodevices. Current trends and future perspectives in the development of nanocomputing hardware that can boost artificial-intelligence-based applications are also discussed. Convergence between artificial intelligence and nanotechnology can shape the path for many technological developments in the field of information sciences that will rely on new computer architectures and data representations, hybrid technologies that use biological entities and nanotechnological devices, bioengineering, neuroscience and a large variety of related disciplines.

  5. The effect of nanotechnology on education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viriyavejakul, Chantana

    2008-04-01

    The research objective was to study 1) the situation and readiness of the Thai education for the integration of nanotechnology and 2) to propose the plans, the strategies and guidelines for educational reform to adapt nanotechnology to the system. The data collection was done by 4 methods: 1) documentary study, 2) observation, 3) informal interviews, and 4) group discussion. The findings revealed that: 1. William Wresch's Theory (1997) was used in this research to study of the situation and readiness of the Thai education for the integration of nanotechnology. 1) Getting connected to nanotechnology by search engine websites, libraries, magazines, books, and discussions with experts. 2) Curriculum integration: nanotechnology should be integrated in many branches of engineering, such as industrial, computer, civil, chemical, electrical, mechanical, etc. 3) Resources for educators: nanotechnology knowledge should be spread in academic circles by publications and the Internet websites. 4) Training and professional resources for teachers: Teachers should be trained by experts in nanotechnology and researchers from the National Nanotechnology Center. This will help trainees get correct knowledge, comprehension, and awareness in order to apply to their professions and businesses in the future. 2. As for the plans, the strategies, and guidelines for educational reform to adapt nanotechnology to the present system, I analyzed the world nanotechnology situation that might have an effect on Thai society. The study is based on the National Plan to Develop Nanotechnology. The goal of this plan is to develop nanotechnology to be the national strategy within 10 years (2004-2013) and have it integrated into the Thai system. There are 4 parts in this plan: 1) nanomaterials, 2) nanoelectronics, 3) nanobiotechnology, and 4) human resources development. Data for human resource development should be worked with the present technology and use the country's resources to produce many

  6. Biotechnology for Solar System Exploration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steele, A.; Maule, J.; Toporski, J.; Parro-Garcia, V.; Briones, C.; Schweitzer, M.; McKay, D.

    With the advent of a new era of astrobiology missions in the exploration of the solar system and the search for evidence of life elsewhere, we present a new approach to this goal, the integration of biotechnology. We have reviewed the current list of biotechnology techniques, which are applicable to miniaturization, automatization and integration into a combined flight platform. Amongst the techniques reviewed are- The uses of antibodies- Fluorescent detection strategies- Protein and DNA chip technology- Surface plasmon resonance and its relation to other techniques- Micro electronic machining (MEMS where applicable to biologicalsystems)- nanotechnology (e.g. molecular motors)- Lab-on-a-chip technology (including PCR)- Mass spectrometry (i.e. MALDI-TOF)- Fluid handling and extraction technologies- Chemical Force Microscopy (CFM)- Raman Spectroscopy We have begun to integrate this knowledge into a single flight instrument approach for the sole purpose of combining several mutually confirming tests for life, organic and/or microbial contamination, as well as prebiotic and abiotic organic chemicals. We will present several innovative designs for new instrumentation including pro- engineering design drawings of a protein chip reader for space flight and fluid handling strategies. We will also review the use of suitable extraction methodologies for use on different solar system bodies.

  7. Responsible nanotechnology development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Forloni, Gianluigi

    2012-08-01

    Nanotechnologies have an increasing relevance in our life, numerous products already on the market are associated with this new technology. Although the chemical constituents of nanomaterials are often well known, the properties at the nano level are completely different from the bulk materials. Independently from the specific application the knowledge in this field involves different type of scientific competence. The accountability of the nanomaterial research imply the parallel development of innovative methodological approaches to assess and manage the risks associated to the exposure for humans and environmental to the nanomaterials for their entire life-cycle: production, application, use and waste discharge. The vast numbers of applications and the enormous amount of variables influencing the characteristics of the nanomaterials make particularly difficult the elaboration of appropriate nanotoxicological protocols. According to the official declarations exist an awareness of the public institutions in charge of the regulatory system, about the environmental, health and safety implications of nanotechnology, but the scientific information is insufficient to support appropriate mandatory rules. Public research programmers must play an important role in providing greater incentives and encouragement for nanotechnologies that support sustainable development to avoid endangering humanity's well being in the long-term. The existing imbalance in funds allocated to nanotech research needs to be corrected so that impact assessment and minimization and not only application come high in the agenda. Research funding should consider as a priority the elimination of knowledge gaps instead of promoting technological application only. With the creation of a public register collecting nanomaterials and new applications it is possible, starting from the information available, initiate a sustainable route, allowing the gradual development of a rational and informed approach to

  8. Nanotechnology and patents in agriculture, food technology, nutrition and medicine - advantages and risks: worldwide patented nano- and absorber particles in food nutrition and agriculture.

    PubMed

    Benckiser, Gero

    2012-12-01

    The keywords nanotechnology, super absorber, agriculture, nutrition, and food technology exhibited 28,149 positive matches under more than 68 million patents worldwide. A closer look at the first 500 nanotechnology, agriculture, nutrition and biotechnology related patents, published during 2011-2012, unveiled that 64% are parts of machines and control devices while about 36% comprise metal oxides, fertilizers, pesticides and drugs, which are compounds and often applied in combination with inorganic or organic super absorbing polymeric structures. The latter compounds are in the focus of this special issue.

  9. Carbon Based Nanotechnology: Review

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Srivastava, Deepak; Saini, Subhash (Technical Monitor)

    1999-01-01

    This presentation reviews publicly available information related to carbon based nanotechnology. Topics covered include nanomechanics, carbon based electronics, nanodevice/materials applications, nanotube motors, nano-lithography and H2O storage in nanotubes.

  10. Public perceptions of biotechnology.

    PubMed

    McHughen, Alan

    2007-09-01

    The very term 'Biotechnology' elicits a range of emotions, from wonder and awe to downright fear and hostility. This is especially true among non-scientists, particularly in respect of agricultural and food biotechnology. These emotions indicate just how poorly understood agricultural biotechnology is and the need for accurate, dispassionate information in the public sphere to allow a rational public debate on the actual, as opposed to the perceived, risks and benefits of agricultural biotechnology. This review considers first the current state of public knowledge on agricultural biotechnology, and then explores some of the popular misperceptions and logical inconsistencies in both Europe and North America. I then consider the problem of widespread scientific illiteracy, and the role of the popular media in instilling and perpetuating misperceptions. The impact of inappropriate efforts to provide 'balance' in a news story, and of belief systems and faith also impinges on public scientific illiteracy. Getting away from the abstract, we explore a more concrete example of the contrasting approach to agricultural biotechnology adoption between Europe and North America, in considering divergent approaches to enabling coexistence in farming practices. I then question who benefits from agricultural biotechnology. Is it only the big companies, or is it society at large--and the environment--also deriving some benefit? Finally, a crucial aspect in such a technologically complex issue, ordinary and intelligent non-scientifically trained consumers cannot be expected to learn the intricacies of the technology to enable a personal choice to support or reject biotechnology products. The only reasonable and pragmatic alternative is to place trust in someone to provide honest advice. But who, working in the public interest, is best suited to provide informed and accessible, but objective, advice to wary consumers?

  11. Biotechnology awareness study, Part 2: Meeting the information needs of biotechnologists.

    PubMed Central

    Cunningham, D; Grefsheim, S; Simon, M; Lansing, P S

    1991-01-01

    The second part of the biotechnology awareness study focused on health sciences libraries and how well they are meeting the needs of biotechnologists working in the study's nine medical centers. A survey was conducted over a three-month period to assess the demand for biotechnology-related reference services at nine libraries and the sources the librarians used to answer the questions. Data on monographic and current serial holdings were also collected. At the end of the survey period, librarians were asked for their perceptions about biotechnology research at their institutions and in their geographic areas. Their responses were compared to the responses the scientists at the nine schools gave to the same or similar questions. Results showed few biotechnology-related reference questions were asked of the librarians. The recorded questions dealt with a range of biotechnology subjects. MEDLINE was used to answer 77% of the questions received during the survey period. More detailed notes in MeSH and a guide to online searching for biotechnology topics were suggested by the librarians as ways to improve reference service to this group of researchers. Journal collections were generally strong, with libraries owning from 50% to 87% of the titles on a core list of biotechnology journals compiled for this study. All libraries subscribed to the five titles most often cited by the scientists surveyed. Generally, librarians were unaware of the biotechnology-related research being done on their campuses or in their geographic areas. PMID:1998819

  12. World Biotechnology Leaders to Gather for Conference

    Science.gov Websites

    Biotechnology Leaders to Gather for Conference For more information contact: e:mail: Public Affairs biotechnology leaders gather in Fort Collins, CO May 2-6 for the 21st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and special session on funding opportunities for U.S. biotechnology projects. More than 175 presentations are

  13. EDITORIAL: Quantum phenomena in Nanotechnology Quantum phenomena in Nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loss, Daniel

    2009-10-01

    Twenty years ago the Institute of Physics launched the journal Nanotechnology from its publishing house based in the home town of Paul Dirac, a legendary figure in the development of quantum mechanics at the turn of the last century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the adoption of quantum mechanical descriptions of events transformed the existing deterministic world view. But in many ways it also revolutionised the progress of research itself. For the first time since the 17th century when Francis Bacon established inductive reasoning as the means of advancing science from fact to axiom to law, theory was progressing ahead of experiments instead of providing explanations for observations that had already been made. Dirac's postulation of antimatter through purely theoretical investigation before its observation is the archetypal example of theory leading the way for experiment. The progress of nanotechnology and the development of tools and techniques that enabled the investigation of systems at the nanoscale brought with them many fascinating observations of phenomena that could only be explained through quantum mechanics, first theoretically deduced decades previously. At the nanoscale, quantum confinement effects dominate the electrical and optical properties of systems. They also render new opportunities for manipulating the response of systems. For example, a better understanding of these systems has enabled the rapid development of quantum dots with precisely determined properties, which can be exploited in a range of applications from medical imaging and photovoltaic solar cells to quantum computation, a radically new information technology being currently developed in many labs worldwide. As the first ever academic journal in nanotechnology, {\\it Nanotechnology} has been the forum for papers detailing progress of the science through extremely exciting times. In the early years of the journal, the investigation of electron spin led to the formulation

  14. Institutional profile: the London Centre for Nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Weston, David; Bontoux, Thierry

    2009-12-01

    Located in the London neighborhoods of Bloomsbury and South Kensington, the London Centre for Nanotechnology is a UK-based multidisciplinary research center that operates at the forefront of science and technology. It is a joint venture between two of the world's leading institutions, UCL and Imperial College London, uniting their strong capabilities in the disciplines that underpin nanotechnology: engineering, the physical sciences and biomedicine. The London Centre for Nanotechnology has a unique operating model that accesses and focuses the combined skills of the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Materials, Medicine, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering and Earth Sciences across the two universities. It aims to provide the nanoscience and nanotechnology required to solve major problems in healthcare, information processing, energy and the environment.

  15. Biotechnology Computing: Information Science for the Era of Molecular Medicine.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masys, Daniel R.

    1989-01-01

    The evolution from classical genetics to biotechnology, an area of research involving key macromolecules in living cells, is chronicled and the current state of biotechnology is described, noting related advances in computing and clinical medicine. (MSE)

  16. Commercialization of Nanotechnology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-03-01

    NATO LECTURES M. Meyyappan Commercialization of Nanotechnology Abstract Nanotechnology is an enabling technology and as such, will have an...years), medium term (10 years) and long term (> 15 years) prospects. In addition, the challenges currently being faced to commercialize nanotechnology ...multinational corporations, government funding etc. will be presented. It is important to recognize that nanotechnology is not any one

  17. Patent information retrieval: approaching a method and analysing nanotechnology patent collaborations.

    PubMed

    Ozcan, Sercan; Islam, Nazrul

    2017-01-01

    Many challenges still remain in the processing of explicit technological knowledge documents such as patents. Given the limitations and drawbacks of the existing approaches, this research sets out to develop an improved method for searching patent databases and extracting patent information to increase the efficiency and reliability of nanotechnology patent information retrieval process and to empirically analyse patent collaboration. A tech-mining method was applied and the subsequent analysis was performed using Thomson data analyser software. The findings show that nations such as Korea and Japan are highly collaborative in sharing technological knowledge across academic and corporate organisations within their national boundaries, and China presents, in some cases, a great illustration of effective patent collaboration and co-inventorship. This study also analyses key patent strengths by country, organisation and technology.

  18. The structure and infrastructure of the global nanotechnology literature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kostoff, Ronald N.; Stump, Jesse A.; Johnson, Dustin; Murday, James S.; Lau, Clifford G. Y.; Tolles, William M.

    2006-08-01

    Text mining is the extraction of useful information from large volumes of text. A text mining analysis of the global open nanotechnology literature was performed. Records from the Science Citation Index (SCI)/Social SCI were analyzed to provide the infrastructure of the global nanotechnology literature (prolific authors/journals/institutions/countries, most cited authors/papers/journals) and the thematic structure (taxonomy) of the global nanotechnology literature, from a science perspective. Records from the Engineering Compendex (EC) were analyzed to provide a taxonomy from a technology perspective. The Far Eastern countries have expanded nanotechnology publication output dramatically in the past decade.

  19. Cancer Nanotechnology Plan

    Cancer.gov

    The Cancer Nanotechnology Plan serves as a strategic document to the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer as well as a guiding document to the cancer nanotechnology and oncology fields, as a whole.

  20. Perceptions and attitude effects on nanotechnology acceptance: an exploratory framework

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganesh Pillai, Rajani; Bezbaruah, Achintya N.

    2017-02-01

    Existing literature in people's attitude toward nanotechnology and acceptance of nanotechnology applications has generally investigated the impact of factors at the individual or context levels. While this vast body of research is very informative, a comprehensive understanding of how attitude toward nanotechnology are formed and factors influencing the acceptance of nanotechnology are elusive. This paper proposes an exploratory nanotechnology perception-attitude-acceptance framework (Nano-PAAF) to build a systematic understanding of the phenomenon. The framework proposes that perceptions of risks and benefits of nanotechnology are influenced by cognitive, affective, and sociocultural factors. The sociodemographic factors of consumers and contextual factors mitigate the influence of cognitive, affective, and sociocultural factors on the perception of risks and benefits. The perceived risks and benefits in turn influence people's attitude toward nanotechnology, which then influences acceptance of nanotechnology products. This framework will need further development over time to incorporate emerging knowledge and is expected to be useful for researchers, decision and policy makers, industry, and business entities.

  1. The current state of public understanding of nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waldron, Anna M.; Spencer, Douglas; Batt, Carl A.

    2006-10-01

    The growing importance of nanotechnology in industry and society has not been accompanied by a widespread understanding of the subject among the general public. Simple questions to initially probe the smallest thing that people can see and can think of reveals a divide in the understanding of the general public. A survey of 1500 individuals ranging in age from 6 to 74 has revealed a lack of knowledge of nanotechnology and especially a lack of understanding of the context of nanotechnology in the world that is too small to see. Survey findings are corroborated by in-depth interviews with 400 adults in studies of nanoscience literacy commisioned by University of California, Berkeley and Cornell in 2002 and 2004, respectively. In general, with the exception of 14-28 year olds, over 60% of respondents say they have never heard of nano or nanotechnology. The results suggest that the general public, especially middle-school children, has no firm foundation to understand nanotechnology and likely will continue to be equally impressed by credible scientific information as well as pure fictional accounts of nanotechnology.

  2. Diatom cultivation and biotechnologically relevant products. Part II: current and putative products.

    PubMed

    Lebeau, T; Robert, J-M

    2003-02-01

    While diatoms are widely present in terms of diversity and abundance in nature, few species are currently used for biotechnologically applications. Most studies have focussed on intracellularly synthesised eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) used for pharmaceutical applications. Applications for other intracellular molecules, such as total lipids for biodiesel, amino acids for cosmetic, antibiotics and antiproliferative agents, are at the early stage of development. In addition, the active principle component must be identified amongst the many compounds of biotechnological interest. Biomass from diatom culture may be applied to: (1). aquaculture diets, due to the lipid- and amino-acid-rich cell contents of these microorganisms, and (2). the treatment of water contaminated by phosphorus and nitrogen in aquaculture effluent, or heavy metal (bioremediation). The most original application of microalgal biomass, and specifically diatoms, is the use of silicon derived from frustules in nanotechnology. The competitiveness of biotechnologically relevant products from diatoms will depend on their cost of production. Apart from EPA, which is less expensive when obtained from Phaeodactylum tricornutum than from cod liver, comparative economic studies of other diatom-derived products as well as optimisation of culture conditions are needed. Extraction of intracellular metabolites should be also optimised to reduce production costs, as has already been shown for EPA. Using cell immobilisation techniques, benthic diatoms can be cultivated more efficiently allowing new, biotechnologically relevant products to be investigated.

  3. Toward the Responsible Development and Commercialization of Sensor Nanotechnologies.

    PubMed

    Fadel, Tarek R; Farrell, Dorothy F; Friedersdorf, Lisa E; Griep, Mark H; Hoover, Mark D; Meador, Michael A; Meyyappan, M

    2016-01-01

    Nanotechnology-enabled sensors (or nanosensors) will play an important role in enabling the progression toward ubiquitous information systems as the Internet of Things (IoT) emerges. Nanosensors offer new, miniaturized solutions in physiochemical and biological sensing that enable increased sensitivity, specificity, and multiplexing capability, all with the compelling economic drivers of low cost and high-energy efficiency. In the United States, Federal agencies participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) "Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology: Improving and Protecting Health, Safety, and the Environment" Nanotechnology Signature Initiative (the Sensors NSI), address both the opportunity of using nanotechnology to advance sensor development and the challenges of developing sensors to keep pace with the increasingly widespread use of engineered nanomaterials. This perspective article will introduce and provide background on the NNI signature initiative on sensors. Recent efforts by the Sensors NSI aimed at promoting the successful development and commercialization of nanosensors will be reviewed and examples of sensor nanotechnologies will be highlighted. Future directions and critical challenges for sensor development will also be discussed.

  4. Toward the Responsible Development and Commercialization of Sensor Nanotechnologies

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Nanotechnology-enabled sensors (or nanosensors) will play an important role in enabling the progression toward ubiquitous information systems as the Internet of Things (IoT) emerges. Nanosensors offer new, miniaturized solutions in physiochemical and biological sensing that enable increased sensitivity, specificity, and multiplexing capability, all with the compelling economic drivers of low cost and high-energy efficiency. In the United States, Federal agencies participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) “Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology: Improving and Protecting Health, Safety, and the Environment” Nanotechnology Signature Initiative (the Sensors NSI), address both the opportunity of using nanotechnology to advance sensor development and the challenges of developing sensors to keep pace with the increasingly widespread use of engineered nanomaterials. This perspective article will introduce and provide background on the NNI signature initiative on sensors. Recent efforts by the Sensors NSI aimed at promoting the successful development and commercialization of nanosensors will be reviewed and examples of sensor nanotechnologies will be highlighted. Future directions and critical challenges for sensor development will also be discussed. PMID:28261665

  5. EDITORIAL: Terahertz nanotechnology Terahertz nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demming, Anna; Tonouchi, Masayoshi; Reno, John L.

    2013-05-01

    within the THz spectral region providing an additional benefit. His review describes the principle, characteristics, and applications of terahertz molecular imaging, where the use of nanoparticle probes allows dramatically enhanced sensitivity. Jiaguang Han and Weili Zhang and colleagues in China, Saudi Arabia, Japan and the US report exciting developments for optoelectronics [11]. They describe work on plasmon-induced transparency (PIT), an analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) where interference leads to a sharp transparency window that may be useful for nonlinear and slow-light devices, optical switching, pulse delay, and storage for optical information processing. While PIT has advantages over the cumbersome experimental systems required for EIT, it has so far been constrained to very narrow band operation. Now Zhang and colleagues present the simulation, implementation, and measurement of a broadband PIT metamaterial functioning across a frequency range greater than 0.40 THz in the terahertz regime. 'We can foresee a historic breakthrough for science and technology through terahertz research,' concluded Masayoshi Tonouchi in his review over five years ago as momentum in the field was mounting [12]. He added, 'It is also noteworthy that THz research is built on many areas of science and the coordination of a range of disciplines is giving birth to a new science.' With the inherently multidisciplinary nature of nanotechnology research it is not so strange to see the marriage of the two fields form such a fruitful partnership, as this special section highlights. References [1] Williams B S, Kumar S, Hu Q and Reno J L 2006 High-power terahertz quantum-cascade lasers Electron. Lett. 42 89-91 [2] Köhler R et al 2002 Terahertz semiconductor-heterostructure laser Nature 417 156-9 [3] Mittendorff M, Xu M, Dietz R J B, K¨unzel H, Sartorius B, Schneider H, Helm M and Winnerl S 2013 Large area photoconductive THz emitter for 1.55 μm excitation based on

  6. Agricultural Science Teachers' Barriers, Roles, and Information Source Preferences for Teaching Biotechnology Topics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mowen, Diana L.; Wingenbach, Gary J.; Roberts, T. Grady; Harlin, Julie F.

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine barriers, roles, and information source preferences for teaching agricultural biotechnology topics. Agricultural science teachers were described primarily as 37 year-old males who had taught for 12 years, had bachelor's degrees, and had lived or worked on a farm or ranch. Equipment was perceived as the…

  7. Teaching biotechnology in NSW schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steele, Frances A.

    Agriculture, industry and medicine are being altered by new biological technologies. Today's students are the citizens who will make decisions about associated ethical issues. They need to have the knowledge that will enable them to make informed choices. Hence biotechnology has an important place in science education. The aims of the research were to: 1. describe the state of biotechnology teaching in NSW; 2. determine whether teachers in NSW do not teach biotechnology because they do not have the necessary knowledge and experience; 3. identify other reasons why NSW teachers choose not to teach biotechnology; 4. describe problems encountered in teaching biotechnology in NSW; 5. suggest ways in which the problems encountered in the teaching of biotechnology can be overcome. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in a complementary way to investigate these aims. In a sample of teachers surveyed, many reported that they chose not to teach biotechnology because they did not have adequate knowledge and experience. Other obstacles were identified. These were: 1. the difficulty of the subject matter; 2. the lack of practical work; 3. lack of a program for biotechnology in junior science. The results of this trial suggested that a biotechnology unit should be developed in collaboration with the teacher and that time needs to be made available for school based program development.

  8. Tweeting nano: how public discourses about nanotechnology develop in social media environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Runge, Kristin K.; Yeo, Sara K.; Cacciatore, Michael; Scheufele, Dietram A.; Brossard, Dominique; Xenos, Michael; Anderson, Ashley; Choi, Doo-hun; Kim, Jiyoun; Li, Nan; Liang, Xuan; Stubbings, Maria; Su, Leona Yi-Fan

    2013-01-01

    The growing popularity of social media as a channel for distributing and debating scientific information raises questions about the types of discourse that surround emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology, in online environments, as well as the different forms of information that audiences encounter when they use these online tools of information sharing. This study maps the landscape surrounding social media traffic about nanotechnology. Specifically, we use computational linguistic software to analyze a census of all English-language nanotechnology-related tweets expressing opinions posted on Twitter between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011. Results show that 55 % of tweets expressed certainty and 45 % expressed uncertainty. Twenty-seven percent of tweets expressed optimistic outlooks, 32 % expressed neutral outlooks and 41 % expressed pessimistic outlooks. Tweets were mapped by U.S. state, and our data show that tweets are more likely to originate from states with a federally funded National Nanotechnology Initiative center or network. The trend toward certainty in opinion coupled with the distinct geographic origins of much of the social media traffic on Twitter for nanotechnology-related opinion has significant implications for understanding how key online influencers are debating and positioning the issue of nanotechnology for lay and policy audiences.

  9. Returning to the Patent Landscapes for Nanotechnology: Assessing the Garden that It Has Grown Into.

    PubMed

    Bowman, Diana M; Sylvester, Douglas J; Marino, Anthony D

    2017-01-01

    The patent landscape, like a garden, can tell you much about its designers and users; their motivations, biases, and general interests. While both patent landscapes and gardens may appear to the casual observer as refined and ordered, an in-depth exploration of the terrain is likely to reveal unforeseen challenges including, for example, alien species, thickets, and trolls. As this Chapter illustrates, patent landscapes are dynamic and have been forced to continually evolve in response to technological innovation. While emerging technologies, such as biotechnology and information communication technology have challenged the traditional patent landscape, resulting in the pruning of certain elements here and there, the overarching framework and design has largely remained intact. But will this always be the case? As the field of nanotechnology continues to evolve and mature, the aim of this Chapter is to map how the technology has evolved and grown within the confines of existing structures and underlying foundation of the patent landscape and the implications thereof for the technology, industry, and the public more generally. The Chapter concludes by asking the question whether the current patent landscape will be able to withstand the ubiquitous nature of the technology, or whether nanotechnology, in combination with other emerging technologies, will be a catalyst for governments and policy makers to completely redesign the patent landscape.

  10. Superglue from bacteria: unbreakable bridges for protein nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Veggiani, Gianluca; Zakeri, Bijan; Howarth, Mark

    2014-10-01

    Biotechnology is often limited by weak interactions. We suggest that an ideal interaction between proteins would be covalent, specific, require addition of only a peptide tag to the protein of interest, and form under a wide range of conditions. Here we summarize peptide tags that are able to form spontaneous amide bonds, based on harnessing reactions of adhesion proteins from the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. These include the irreversible peptide-protein interaction of SpyTag with SpyCatcher, as well as irreversible peptide-peptide interactions via SpyLigase. We describe existing applications, including polymerization to enhance cancer cell capture, assembly of living biomaterial, access to diverse protein shapes, and improved enzyme resilience. We also indicate future opportunities for resisting biological force and extending the scope of protein nanotechnology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. NANOTECHNOLOGY, NANOMEDICINE; ETHICAL ASPECTS.

    PubMed

    Gökçay, Banu; Arda, Berna

    2015-01-01

    Nanotechnology is a field that we often hear of its name nowadays. Altough what we know about it is soo poor, we admire this field of technlogy, moreover some societies even argues that nanotechnology will cause second endustrial revolution. In addition, nanotechnology makes our basic scientific knowledge upside down and is soo powerfull that it is potent in nearly every scientific field. Thereby, it is imposible to say that nanotechnology; which is soo effective on human and human life; will not cause social and ethical outcomes. In general, the definition of nanotechnology is the reconfiguration of nanomaterials by human; there also are different definitions according to the history of nanotechnology and different point of views. First of all, in comparison to the other tehnology fields, what is the cause of excellence of nanotechnology, what human can do is to foresee the advantages and disadvantages of it, what are the roles of developed and developping countries for the progression of nanotechnology, what is the attitude of nanoethics and what is view of global politics to nanotechological research according to international regulations are all the focus of interests of this study. Last but not least, our apprehension capacity of nanotechnology, our style of adoption and evaluation of it and the way that how we locate nanotechnology in our lifes and ethical values are the other focus of interests.

  12. NANOTECHNOLOGY, NANOMEDICINE; ETHICAL ASPECTS

    PubMed Central

    GÖKÇAY, Banu; ARDA, Berna

    2017-01-01

    Nanotechnology is a field that we often hear of its name nowadays. Altough what we know about it is soo poor, we admire this field of technlogy, moreover some societies even argues that nanotechnology will cause second endustrial revolution. In addition, nanotechnology makes our basic scientific knowledge upside down and is soo powerfull that it is potent in nearly every scientific field. Thereby, it is imposible to say that nanotechnology; which is soo effective on human and human life; will not cause social and ethical outcomes. In general, the definition of nanotechnology is the reconfiguration of nanomaterials by human; there also are different definitions according to the history of nanotechnology and different point of views. First of all, in comparison to the other tehnology fields, what is the cause of excellence of nanotechnology, what human can do is to foresee the advantages and disadvantages of it, what are the roles of developed and developping countries for the progression of nanotechnology, what is the attitude of nanoethics and what is view of global politics to nanotechological research according to international regulations are all the focus of interests of this study. Last but not least, our apprehension capacity of nanotechnology, our style of adoption and evaluation of it and the way that how we locate nanotechnology in our lifes and ethical values are the other focus of interests. PMID:28424570

  13. Lipid Nanotechnology

    PubMed Central

    Mashaghi, Samaneh; Jadidi, Tayebeh; Koenderink, Gijsje; Mashaghi, Alireza

    2013-01-01

    Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that covers a vast and diverse array of devices and machines derived from engineering, physics, materials science, chemistry and biology. These devices have found applications in biomedical sciences, such as targeted drug delivery, bio-imaging, sensing and diagnosis of pathologies at early stages. In these applications, nano-devices typically interface with the plasma membrane of cells. On the other hand, naturally occurring nanostructures in biology have been a source of inspiration for new nanotechnological designs and hybrid nanostructures made of biological and non-biological, organic and inorganic building blocks. Lipids, with their amphiphilicity, diversity of head and tail chemistry, and antifouling properties that block nonspecific binding to lipid-coated surfaces, provide a powerful toolbox for nanotechnology. This review discusses the progress in the emerging field of lipid nanotechnology. PMID:23429269

  14. Design of virus-based nanomaterials for medicine, biotechnology, and energy

    PubMed Central

    Wen, Amy M.; Steinmetz, Nicole F.

    2016-01-01

    Virus-based nanomaterials are versatile materials that naturally self-assemble and have relevance for a broad range of applications including medicine, biotechnology, and energy. This review provides an overview of recent developments in “chemical virology.” Viruses, as materials, provide unique nanoscale scaffolds that have relevance in chemical biology and nanotechnology, with diverse areas of applications. Some fundamental advantages of viruses, compared to synthetically programmed materials, include the highly precise spatial arrangement of their subunits into a diverse array of shapes and sizes and many available avenues for easy and reproducible modification. Here, we will first survey the broad distribution of viruses and various methods for producing virus-based nanoparticles, as well as engineering principles used to impart new functionalities. We will then examine the broad range of applications and implications of virus-based materials, focusing on the medical, biotechnology, and energy sectors. We anticipate that this field will continue to evolve and grow, with exciting new possibilities stemming from advancements in the rational design of virus-based nanomaterials. PMID:27152673

  15. Nanotechnology in Mexico: Key Findings Based on OECD Criteria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foladori, Guillermo; Arteaga Figueroa, Edgar; Záyago Lau, Edgar; Appelbaum, Richard; Robles-Belmont, Eduardo; Villa, Liliana; Parker, Rachel; Leos, Vanessa

    2015-01-01

    This analysis of Mexico's nanotechnology policies utilizes indicators developed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which in 2008 conducted a pilot survey comparing the nanotechnology policies of 24 countries. In this paper, we apply the same questionnaire to the Mexican case, adding business information derived from the…

  16. A Case for Teaching Biotechnology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lazaros, Edward; Embree, Caleb

    2016-01-01

    Biotechnology is an innovative field that is consistently growing in popularity. It is important that students are taught about this technology at an early age, so they are motivated to join the field, or at least motivated to become informed citizens and consumers (Gonzalez, et al, 2013). An increase in biotechnology knowledge can result in an…

  17. Awareness on adverse effects of nanotechnology increases negative perception among public: survey study from Singapore

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    George, Saji; Kaptan, Gulbanu; Lee, Joel; Frewer, Lynn

    2014-12-01

    As has been demonstrated by recent societal controversies associated with the introduction of novel technologies, societal acceptance of a technology and its applications is shaped by consumers' perceived risks and benefits. The research reported here investigates public perceptions of nanotechnology in Singapore, where technological innovation is an established part of the economy, and it might be expected that consumer perceptions of risk are low, and those of benefit are high. The contribution of socio-demographic variables, knowledge level and exposure to risk information in shaping risk perception about nanotechnology applications within different application sectors were analysed. About 80 % of respondents have some understanding of nanotechnology, 60 % report having heard some negative information, and 39 % perceive nanotechnology as beneficial, while 27.5 % perceive it as risky. Nanotechnology application in food was reported to cause the most concern in the consumers included in the sample. Two-step cluster analysis of the data enabled grouping of respondents into those who expressed `less concern' or `more concern' based on their average scores for concern levels expressed with applications of nanotechnology in different sectors. Profiling of these clusters revealed that, apart from various socio-demographic factors, exposure to risk-related information, rather than awareness in nanotechnology itself, resulted in respondents expressing greater concern about nanotechnology applications. The results provide evidence upon which regulatory agencies and industries can base policies regarding informed risk-benefit communication and management associated with the introduction of commercial applications of nanotechnology.

  18. Anticipating the perceived risk of nanotechnologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Satterfield, Terre; Kandlikar, Milind; Beaudrie, Christian E. H.; Conti, Joseph; Herr Harthorn, Barbara

    2009-11-01

    Understanding emerging trends in public perceptions of nanomaterials is critically important for those who regulate risks. A number of surveys have explored public perceptions of their risks and benefits. In this paper we meta-analyse these surveys to assess the extent to which the following four hypotheses derived from previous studies of new technologies might be said to be valid for nanotechnologies: risk aversion will prevail over benefit appreciation; an increase in knowledge will not result in reduced aversion to risks; judgements will be malleable and subject to persuasion given risk-centric information; and contextual, psychometric and attitudinal predictors of perceived risk from prior studies can help anticipate future perceptions of nanotechnologies. We find that half the public has at least some familiarity with nanotechnology, and those who perceive greater benefits outnumber those who perceive greater risks by 3 to 1. However, a large minority of those surveyed (44%) is unsure, suggesting that risk judgements are highly malleable. Nanotechnology risk perceptions also appear to contradict some long-standing findings. In particular, unfamiliarity with nanotechnology is, contrary to expectations, not strongly associated with risk aversion and reduced `knowledge deficits' are correlated with positive perceptions in this early and controversy-free period. Psychometric variables, trust and affect continue to drive risk perceptions in this new context, although the influence of both trust and affect is mediated, even reversed, by demographic and cultural variables. Given the potential malleability of perceptions, novel methods for understanding future public responses to nanotechnologies will need to be developed.

  19. PREFACE: India-Japan Workshop on Biomolecular Electronics & Organic Nanotechnology for Environment Preservation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Onoda, Mitsuyoshi; Malhotra, Bansi D.

    2012-04-01

    Organic Functional Materials We would like to express our sincere thanks to the organizing committee members of this workshop and the many organizations such as the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan, the Department of Science & Technology (DST), India, the Society of Organic Nanometric Interfacial Controlled Electronic (NICE) Devices, the Japan Society of Applied Physics, Himeji City, Himeji Convention & Visitors Bureau, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India and the University of Hyogo for their financial support. Thanks are also given to The Japan Society of Applied Physics, Division of Molecular Electronics and Bioelectronics, The Japan Society of Applied Physics (M & BE), the Technical Committee on Dielectric and Electrical Insulation Materials of the Institute of Electrical Engineering in Japan (IEEJ), the Technical Group on Organic Molecular Electronics, Electronics Society of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE), and the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society, Japan Chapter, for their cooperation. Finally, we hope that the many young and active researchers who are participating will enjoy stimulating discussions and exchange ideas with each other at IJWBME 2011, Himeji, Japan. 7 April 2011 IJWBME 2011 Chairs Mitsuyoshi Onoda Graduate School of Engineering, University of Hyogo, Himeji, Japan Bansi D Malhotra Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India Conference photograph Participants of the India-Japan Workshop on Biomolecular Electronics & Organic Nanotechnology for Environment Preservation 2011, December 7-10 2011, EGRET Himeji, Japan The PDF also contains a list of sponsors.

  20. [Biotechnology's macroeconomic impact].

    PubMed

    Dones Tacero, Milagros; Pérez García, Julián; San Román, Antonio Pulido

    2008-12-01

    This paper tries to yield an economic valuation of biotechnological activities in terms of aggregated production and employment. This valuation goes beyond direct estimation and includes the indirect effects derived from sectorial linkages between biotechnological activities and the rest of economic system. To deal with the proposed target several sources of data have been used, including official data from National Statistical Office (INE) such us national accounts, input-output tables, and innovation surveys, as well as, firms' level balance sheets and income statements and also specific information about research projects compiled by Genoma Spain Foundation. Methodological approach is based on the estimation of a new input-output table which includes the biotechnological activities as a specific branch. This table offers both the direct impact of these activities and the main parameters to obtain the induced effects over the rest of the economic system. According to the most updated available figures, biotechnological activities would have directly generated almost 1,600 millions of euros in 2005, and they would be employed more than 9,000 workers. But if we take into account the full linkages with the rest of the system, the macroeconomic impact of Biotechnological activities would reach around 5,000 millions euros in production terms (0.6% of total GDP) and would be responsible, directly or indirectly, of more than 44,000 employments.

  1. NANOTECHNOLOGY WHITE PAPER | Science Inventory | US ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating materials at the atomic and molecular level to develop new or enhanced materials and products. In December 2004, EPA’s Science Policy Council created a cross-Agency workgroup to identify and describe the issues EPA must address to ensure protection of human health and the environment as this new technology is developed. The draft white paper on nanotechnology is the product of the workgroup. The draft white paper describes the technology, and provides a discussion of the potential environmental benefits of nanotechnology and its applications that can foster sustainable use of resources. Risk management issues and the Agency’s statutory mandates are outlined, followed by an extensive discussion of risk assessment issues. The paper identifies research needs for both environmental applications and implications of nanotechnology and concludes with recommendations on next steps for addressing science policy issues and research needs. Supplemental information is provided in a number of appendices. The Agency will use the white paper to address research needs and risk assessment issues concerning nanotechnology. The draft white paper will undergo independent expert review, which will be conducted in the February time frame. All public comments received by January 31, 2006 will be submitted to the external review panel for their consideration. Comments received beyond that time will be considered by EPA. Follo

  2. Use and potential of nanotechnology in cosmetic dermatology.

    PubMed

    Morganti, Pierfrancesco

    2010-02-24

    Biotechnology and nanotechnology are the key technologies of the twenty-first century, having enormous potential for innovation and growth. The academic and industrial goals for these technologies are the development of nanoscale biomolecular substances and analytical instruments for investigating cell biology at the cellular and molecular levels. Developments in nanotechnology will provide opportunities for cosmetic dermatology to develop new biocompatible and biodegradable therapeutics, delivery systems and more active compounds. Cosmetics have the primary function of keeping up a good appearance, changing the appearance, or correcting body odors, while maintaining the skin and its surroundings in good conditions. Thus cosmetic dermatology, recognizing the new realities of skin care products, has to emphasize the functional aspects of cosmetics through an understanding of their efficacy and safety in promoting good health. Nanoscience may help the scientific community to find more innovative and efficacious cosmetics. Understanding the physical model of the cell as a machine is essential to understand how all the cell components work together to accomplish a task. The efficacy and safety of new nanomaterials has to be deeply studied by ex vivo tests and innovative laboratory techniques. New delivery systems and natural nanocompounds, such as chitin nanofibrils for wound healing, are being used in cosmetic dermatology with good results, as are nanostructured TiO(2) and ZnO sunscreens. The challenge is open.

  3. Nanotechnology for missiles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruffin, Paul B.

    2004-07-01

    Nanotechnology development is progressing very rapidly. Several billions of dollars have been invested in nanoscience research since 2000. Pioneering nanotechnology research efforts have been primarily conducted at research institutions and centers. This paper identifies developments in nanoscience and technology that could provide significant advances in missile systems applications. Nanotechnology offers opportunities in the areas of advanced materials for coatings, including thin-film optical coatings, light-weight, strong armor and missile structural components, embedded computing, and "smart" structures; nano-particles for explosives, warheads, turbine engine systems, and propellants to enhance missile propulsion; nano-sensors for autonomous chemical detection; and nano-tube arrays for fuel storage and power generation. The Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) is actively collaborating with academia, industry, and other Government agencies to accelerate the development and transition of nanotechnology to favorably impact Army Transformation. Currently, we are identifying near-term applications and quantifying requirements for nanotechnology use in Army missile systems, as well as monitoring and screening research and developmental efforts in the industrial community for military applications. Combining MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology is the next step toward providing technical solutions for the Army"s transformation. Several research and development projects that are currently underway at AMRDEC in this technology area are discussed. A top-level roadmap of MEMS/nanotechnology development projects for aviation and missile applications is presented at the end.

  4. 78 FR 17220 - Request for Information (RFI) Regarding the Planned Biotechnology Development Module (BDM) As...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2013-0018] Request for Information (RFI) Regarding the Planned Biotechnology Development Module (BDM) As Part of the National Bio and Agro-Defense... Development Module (BDM) a planned component of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) and...

  5. Multifunctional Nanotechnology Research

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-03-01

    MULTIFUNCTIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH MARCH 2016 INTERIM TECHNICAL REPORT APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED STINFO COPY AIR...REPORT 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) JAN 2015 – JAN 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE MULTIFUNCTIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER IN-HOUSE...H. Yoon, and C. S. Hwang, “Electrically configurable electroforming and bipolar resistive switching in Pt/TiO2/Pt structures.,” Nanotechnology , vol

  6. The relationship of knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding biotechnology in college students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sohan, Donna Elizabeth

    Biotechnology is the latest in a series of technological innovations that have revolutionized such fields as agriculture and the health sciences. However, along with the benefits of biotechnology are concerns. For biotechnology's potential to be realized, it must be accepted on public and governmental levels. Although many studies focus on adult consumer attitudes, it will be the students of today who will be the consumers and leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, this study focused on the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of college students regarding biotechnology. More than 3,000 undergraduate students were surveyed from a variety of undergraduate courses at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas during the 1997-1998 academic year. Information sought included students' knowledge regarding recent applications of biotechnology, demographic information, and their agreement or disagreement with statements regarding different aspects and applications of biotechnology. This study found that despite a low awareness or knowledge of biotechnology, students were accepting of specific applications or products of biotechnology. Those applications or products viewed as beneficial without involving animals had the highest acceptance levels. A majority of the students identified mass media as their major source of biotechnology while also indicating a high level of distrust of the media. Students also indicated that biotechnology information is needed and that such information is appropriate for high school students. Relationships between knowledge and attitudes were also investigated. A greater knowledge level correlated with a more favorable view of biotechnology. In addition, relationships between demographic variables such as gender and race were investigated. Individuals who identified themselves as scientists were found more accepting of biotechnology while females in general were found less accepting. Females majoring in education were found to be the least

  7. Perceived risks and perceived benefits of different nanotechnology foods and nanotechnology food packaging.

    PubMed

    Siegrist, Michael; Stampfli, Nathalie; Kastenholz, Hans; Keller, Carmen

    2008-09-01

    Nanotechnology has the potential to generate new food products and new food packaging. In a mail survey in the German speaking part of Switzerland, lay people's (N=337) perceptions of 19 nanotechnology applications were examined. The goal was to identify food applications that are more likely and food applications that are less likely to be accepted by the public. The psychometric paradigm was employed, and applications were described in short scenarios. Results suggest that affect and perceived control are important factors influencing risk and benefit perception. Nanotechnology food packaging was assessed as less problematic than nanotechnology foods. Analyses of individual data showed that the importance of naturalness in food products and trust were significant factors influencing the perceived risk and the perceived benefit of nanotechnology foods and nanotechnology food packaging.

  8. High-School Students' Informal Reasoning and Argumentation about Biotechnology: An Indicator of Scientific Literacy?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dawson, Vaille; Venville, Grady Jane

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this research was to explore Australian high-school students' argumentation and informal reasoning about biotechnology. Data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with 10 Year-8 students (12-13 years old), 14 Year-10 students (14-15 years old) and 6 Year-12 students (16-17 years old) from six metropolitan high schools in Perth,…

  9. Editorial: Biotechnology Journal brings more than biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Jungbauer, Alois; Lee, Sang Yup

    2015-09-01

    Biotechnology Journal always brings the state-of-the-art biotechnologies to our readers. Different from other topical issues, this issue of Biotechnology Journal is complied with a series of exiting reviews and research articles from spontaneous submissions, again, addressing society's actual problems and needs. The progress is a real testimony how biotechnology contributes to achievements in healthcare, better utilization of resources, and a bio-based economy. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Nanotechnology in Urology

    PubMed Central

    Jayasimha, Sudhindra

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Nanotechnology has revolutionized our approach to medical diagnostics as well as therapeutics and has spanned an entirely new branch of research. This review addresses the potential applications of Nanotechnology in Urology. This article is based on the Dr. Sitharaman Best Essay award of the Urological Society of India for 2016. Methods: A PubMed search was performed for all relevant articles using the terms, “nanotechnology, nanoparticles, nanoshells, nanoscaffolds, and nanofibers.” Results: The developments in diagnostics include novel techniques of imaging of genitourinary malignancies, prostate-specific antigen measurement, early detection of mutations that are diagnostic for polycystic kidney disease. The potential applications of nanotechnology are in the targeted therapy of genitourinary malignancies, erectile dysfunction, overactive bladder, bladder reconstruction, construction of artificial kidneys and biodegradable stents as well as in robotic surgery. Conclusions: Nanotechnology is a rapidly emerging branch of research in urology with diverse and clinically significant applications in diagnostics as well as therapeutics. PMID:28197024

  11. Nanotechnology for Site Remediation: Fact Sheet

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This fact sheet presents a snapshot of nanotechnology and its current uses in remediation. It presents information to help site project managers understand the potential applications of this group of technologies at their sites.

  12. Fabrication for Nanotechnology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-03-01

    could be divided into four groups as pictured in the following figure. Figure 1 : Nanotechnology fabrication methods Top-down nanofabrication...cooled) substrate on which a layer is formed. RTO-EN-AVT-129bis 2 - 1 van Heeren, H. (2007) Fabrication for Nanotechnology. In Nanotechnology...Aerospace Applications – 2006 (pp. 2- 1 – 2-4). Educational Notes RTO-EN-AVT-129bis, Paper 2. Neuilly-sur-Seine, France: RTO. Available from: http

  13. Twelve years of nanoscience and nanotechnology publications in Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lau, Edgar Záyago; Frederick, Stacey; Foladori, Guillermo

    2014-01-01

    Mexico is the second country in Latin America with regard to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Research and Development, according to various indicators. Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies are viewed as strategic areas in government policy since 2001. In the last few decades, important policy changes in Science and Technology (S&T) have been implemented with an aim to integrate the business sector with government scientific research. This article reviews information from the Web of Science relevant to articles on nanoscience and nanotechnology stretching back 12 years, and explains the changes in S&T policy. The information uncovered leads to three conclusions: the participation of the business sector is negligible; there is a significant concentration of scientific production among a very few institutions; and the country is essentially divided geographically, with scientific production concentrated in the center and north of the country.

  14. International Perspective on Government Nanotechnology Funding in 2005

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roco, M. C.

    2005-12-01

    The worldwide investment in nanotechnology research and development (R&D) reported by national government organizations and EC has increased approximately 9-fold in the last 8 years - from 432 million in 1997 to about 4,100 million in 2005. The proportion of national government investments for: academic R&D and education are between 20% (Korea, Taiwan) and 65% (US), industrial R&D - between 5% (US) and 60% (Korea, Taiwan), and core facilities and government laboratories - about 20-25% in all major contributing economies. This evaluation uses the NNI definition of nanotechnology (that excludes MEMS or microelectronics), and is based on direct information and analysis with managers of nanotechnology R&D programs in the respective countries.

  15. Interferometer-Controlled Optical Tweezers Constructed for Nanotechnology and Biotechnology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Decker, Arthur J.

    2002-01-01

    A new method to control microparticles was developed in-house at the NASA Glenn Research Center in support of the nanotechnology project under NASA's Aerospace Propulsion and Power Base Research Program. A prototype interferometer-controlled optical tweezers was constructed to manipulate scanning probe microscope (SPM) tips. A laser beam passed through a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and a microscope objective then produced an optical trap from the coaxial beams. The trap levitated and generated the coarse motion of a 10-mm polystyrene sphere used to simulate a SPM tip. The interference between the beams provided fine control of the forces and moments on the sphere. The interferometer included a piezoelectric-scanned mirror to modulate the interference pattern. The 10-mm sphere was observed to oscillate about 1 mm as the mirror and fringe pattern oscillated. The prototype tweezers proved the feasibility of constructing a more sophisticated interferometer tweezers to hold and manipulate SPM tips. The SPM tips are intended to interrogate and manipulate nanostructures. A more powerful laser will be used to generate multiple traps to hold nanostructures and SPM tips. The vibrating mirror in the interferometer will be replaced with a spatial light modulator. The modulator will allow the optical phase distribution in one leg of the interferometer to be programmed independently at 640 by 480 points for detailed control of the forces and moments. The interference patterns will be monitored to measure the motion of the SPM tips. Neuralnetwork technology will provide fast analysis of the interference patterns for diagnostic purposes and for local or remote feedback control of the tips. This effort also requires theoretical and modeling support in the form of scattering calculations for twin coherent beams from nonspherical particles.

  16. Frontiers in biomedical engineering and biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Liu, Feng; Goodarzi, Ali; Wang, Haifeng; Stasiak, Joanna; Sun, Jianbo; Zhou, Yu

    2014-01-01

    The 2nd International Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology (iCBEB 2013), held in Wuhan on 11–13 October 2013, is an annual conference that aims at providing an opportunity for international and national researchers and practitioners to present the most recent advances and future challenges in the fields of Biomedical Information, Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology. The papers published by this issue are selected from this conference, which witnesses the frontier in the field of Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, which particularly has helped improving the level of clinical diagnosis in medical work.

  17. Nanotechnology and in Situ Remediation: A Review of the Benefits and Potential Risks

    PubMed Central

    Karn, Barbara; Kuiken, Todd; Otto, Martha

    2009-01-01

    Objective Although industrial sectors involving semiconductors; memory and storage technologies; display, optical, and photonic technologies; energy; biotechnology; and health care produce the most products that contain nanomaterials, nanotechnology is also used as an environmental technology to protect the environment through pollution prevention, treatment, and cleanup. In this review, we focus on environmental cleanup and provide a background and overview of current practice; research findings; societal issues; potential environment, health, and safety implications; and future directions for nanoremediation. We do not present an exhaustive review of chemistry/engineering methods of the technology but rather an introduction and summary of the applications of nanotechnology in remediation. We also discuss nanoscale zerovalent iron in detail. Data sources We searched the Web of Science for research studies and accessed recent publicly available reports from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies and organizations that addressed the applications and implications associated with nanoremediation techniques. We also conducted personal interviews with practitioners about specific site remediations. Data synthesis We aggregated information from 45 sites, a representative portion of the total projects under way, to show nanomaterials used, types of pollutants addressed, and organizations responsible for each site. Conclusions Nanoremediation has the potential not only to reduce the overall costs of cleaning up large-scale contaminated sites but also to reduce cleanup time, eliminate the need for treatment and disposal of contaminated soil, and reduce some contaminant concentrations to near zero—all in situ. Proper evaluation of nanoremediation, particularly full-scale ecosystem-wide studies, needs to be conducted to prevent any potential adverse environmental impacts. PMID:20049198

  18. Biotechnology essay competition: biotechnology and sustainable food practices.

    PubMed

    Peng, Judy; Schoeb, Helena; Lee, Gina

    2013-06-01

    Biotechnology Journal announces our second biotechnology essay competition with the theme "biotechnology and sustainable food practices", open to all undergraduate students. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Public Attitudes Toward Nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sims Bainbridge, William

    2002-12-01

    Data from 3909 respondents to an Internet survey questionnaire provide the first insights into public perceptions of nanotechnology. Quantitative analysis of statistics about agreement and disagreement with two statements, one positive and the other negative, reveals high levels of enthusiasm for the potential benefits of nanotechnology and little concern about possible dangers. The respondents mentally connect nanotechnology with the space program, nuclear power, and cloning research, but rate it more favorably. In contrast, they do not associate nanotechnology with pseudoscience, despite its imaginative exploitation by science fiction writers. Qualitative analysis of written comments from 598 respondents indicates that many ideas about the value of nanotechnology have entered popular culture, and it provides material for an additional 108 questionnaire items that can be used in future surveys on the topic. The findings of this exploratory study can serve as benchmarks against which to compare results of future research on the evolving status of nanotechnology in society.

  20. Biotechnology and Consumer Decision-Making.

    PubMed

    Sax, Joanna K

    Society is facing major challenges in climate change, health care and overall quality of life. Scientific advances to address these areas continue to grow, with overwhelming evidence that the application of highly tested forms of biotechnology is safe and effective. Despite scientific consensus in these areas, consumers appear reluctant to support their use. Research that helps to understand consumer decision-making and the public’s resistance to biotechnologies such as vaccines, fluoridated water programs and genetically engineered food, will provide great social value. This article is forward-thinking in that it suggests that important research in behavioral decision-making, specifically affect and ambiguity, can be used to help consumers make informed choices about major applications of biotechnology. This article highlights some of the most controversial examples: vaccinations, genetically engineered food, rbST treated dairy cows, fluoridated water, and embryonic stem cell research. In many of these areas, consumers perceive the risks as high, but the experts calculate the risks as low. Four major thematic approaches are proposed to create a roadmap for policymakers to consider for policy design and implementation in controversial areas of biotechnology. This article articulates future directions for studies that implement decision-making research to allow consumers to appropriately assign risk to their options and make informed decisions.

  1. Nanotechnology: Future of Oncotherapy.

    PubMed

    Gharpure, Kshipra M; Wu, Sherry Y; Li, Chun; Lopez-Berestein, Gabriel; Sood, Anil K

    2015-07-15

    Recent advances in nanotechnology have established its importance in several areas including medicine. The myriad of applications in oncology range from detection and diagnosis to drug delivery and treatment. Although nanotechnology has attracted a lot of attention, the practical application of nanotechnology to clinical cancer care is still in its infancy. This review summarizes the role that nanotechnology has played in improving cancer therapy, its potential for affecting all aspects of cancer care, and the challenges that must be overcome to realize its full promise. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  2. Machine Phase Fullerene Nanotechnology: 1996

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Globus, Al; Chancellor, Marisa K. (Technical Monitor)

    1997-01-01

    NASA has used exotic materials for spacecraft and experimental aircraft to good effect for many decades. In spite of many advances, transportation to space still costs about $10,000 per pound. Drexler has proposed a hypothetical nanotechnology based on diamond and investigated the properties of such molecular systems. These studies and others suggest enormous potential for aerospace systems. Unfortunately, methods to realize diamonoid nanotechnology are at best highly speculative. Recent computational efforts at NASA Ames Research Center and computation and experiment elsewhere suggest that a nanotechnology of machine phase functionalized fullerenes may be synthetically relatively accessible and of great aerospace interest. Machine phase materials are (hypothetical) materials consisting entirely or in large part of microscopic machines. In a sense, most living matter fits this definition. To begin investigation of fullerene nanotechnology, we used molecular dynamics to study the properties of carbon nanotube based gears and gear/shaft configurations. Experiments on C60 and quantum calculations suggest that benzyne may react with carbon nanotubes to form gear teeth. Han has computationally demonstrated that molecular gears fashioned from (14,0) single-walled carbon nanotubes and benzyne teeth should operate well at 50-100 gigahertz. Results suggest that rotation can be converted to rotating or linear motion, and linear motion may be converted into rotation. Preliminary results suggest that these mechanical systems can be cooled by a helium atmosphere. Furthermore, Deepak has successfully simulated using helical electric fields generated by a laser to power fullerene gears once a positive and negative charge have been added to form a dipole. Even with mechanical motion, cooling, and power; creating a viable nanotechnology requires support structures, computer control, a system architecture, a variety of components, and some approach to manufacture. Additional

  3. Biotechnology Program Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Georgia Univ., Athens. Dept. of Vocational Education.

    This program quide presents the biotechnology curriculum for technical institutes in Georgia. The general information section contains the following: purpose and objectives; program description, including admissions, typical job titles, and accreditation and certification; and curriculum model, including standard curriculum sequence and lists of…

  4. Blue Horizons IV: Deterrence in the Age of Surprise

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    technologies. It posits that the result of rapid advances in nanotechnology, biotechnology , directed energy, space, computers and communications...nanotechnology, and biotechnology . Each of these poses the risk of catastrophic attack to the United States, its citizens, and its infrastructure. Deterring...of advanced and potentially dangerous technologies. It posits that the result of rapid advances in nanotechnology, biotechnology , directed energy

  5. Life sciences today and tomorrow: emerging biotechnologies.

    PubMed

    Williamson, E Diane

    2017-08-01

    The purpose of this review is to survey current, emerging and predicted future biotechnologies which are impacting, or are likely to impact in the future on the life sciences, with a projection for the coming 20 years. This review is intended to discuss current and future technical strategies, and to explore areas of potential growth during the foreseeable future. Information technology approaches have been employed to gather and collate data. Twelve broad categories of biotechnology have been identified which are currently impacting the life sciences and will continue to do so. In some cases, technology areas are being pushed forward by the requirement to deal with contemporary questions such as the need to address the emergence of anti-microbial resistance. In other cases, the biotechnology application is made feasible by advances in allied fields in biophysics (e.g. biosensing) and biochemistry (e.g. bio-imaging). In all cases, the biotechnologies are underpinned by the rapidly advancing fields of information systems, electronic communications and the World Wide Web together with developments in computing power and the capacity to handle extensive biological data. A rationale and narrative is given for the identification of each technology as a growth area. These technologies have been categorized by major applications, and are discussed further. This review highlights: Biotechnology has far-reaching applications which impinge on every aspect of human existence. The applications of biotechnology are currently wide ranging and will become even more diverse in the future. Access to supercomputing facilities and the ability to manipulate large, complex biological datasets, will significantly enhance knowledge and biotechnological development.

  6. Targeted therapy using nanotechnology: focus on cancer

    PubMed Central

    Sanna, Vanna; Pala, Nicolino; Sechi, Mario

    2014-01-01

    Recent advances in nanotechnology and biotechnology have contributed to the development of engineered nanoscale materials as innovative prototypes to be used for biomedical applications and optimized therapy. Due to their unique features, including a large surface area, structural properties, and a long circulation time in blood compared with small molecules, a plethora of nanomaterials has been developed, with the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases, in particular by improving the sensitivity and recognition ability of imaging contrast agents and by selectively directing bioactive agents to biological targets. Focusing on cancer, promising nanoprototypes have been designed to overcome the lack of specificity of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, as well as for early detection of precancerous and malignant lesions. However, several obstacles, including difficulty in achieving the optimal combination of physicochemical parameters for tumor targeting, evading particle clearance mechanisms, and controlling drug release, prevent the translation of nanomedicines into therapy. In spite of this, recent efforts have been focused on developing functionalized nanoparticles for delivery of therapeutic agents to specific molecular targets overexpressed on different cancer cells. In particular, the combination of targeted and controlled-release polymer nanotechnologies has resulted in a new programmable nanotherapeutic formulation of docetaxel, namely BIND-014, which recently entered Phase II clinical testing for patients with solid tumors. BIND-014 has been developed to overcome the limitations facing delivery of nanoparticles to many neoplasms, and represents a validated example of targeted nanosystems with the optimal biophysicochemical properties needed for successful tumor eradication. PMID:24531078

  7. TECHNOLOGICAL INFORMATION REGARDING PREBIOTICS AND PROBIOTICS NUTRITION VERSUS THE PATENT REGISTERS: WHAT IS NEW?

    PubMed Central

    dos REIS, José Maciel Caldas; PINHEIRO, Maurício Fortuna; OTI, André Takashi; FEITOSA-JUNIOR, Denilson José Silva; PANTOJA, Mauro de Souza; BARROS, Rui Sérgio Monteiro

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Introduction: Food is a key factor both in prevention and in promoting human health. Among the functional food are highlighted probiotics and prebiotics. Patent databases are the main source of technological information about innovation worldwide, providing extensive library for research sector. Objective: Perform mapping in the main patent databases about pre and probiotics, seeking relevant information regarding the use of biotechnology, nanotechnology and genetic engineering in the production of these foods. Method: Electronic consultation was conducted (online) in the main public databases of patents in Brazil (INPI), United States (USPTO) and the European Patent Bank (EPO). The research involved the period from January 2014 to July 2015, being used in the title fields and summary of patents, the following descriptors in INPI "prebiotic", "prebiotic" "probiotics", "probiotic" and the USPTO and EPO: "prebiotic", "prebiotics", "probiotic", "probiotics". Results: This search haven't found any deposit at the brazilian patents website (INPI) in this period; US Patent &Trademark Office had registered 60 titles in patents and the European Patent Office (EPO) showed 10 documents on the issue. Conclusion: Information technology offered by genetic engineering, biotechnology and nanotechnology deposited in the form of titles and abstracts of patents in relation to early nutritional intervention as functional foods, has increasingly required to decrease the risks and control the progression of health problems. But, the existing summaries, although attractive and promising in this sense, are still incipient to recommend them safely as a therapeutic tool. Therefore, they should be seen more as diet elements and healthy lifestyles. PMID:28076487

  8. Factors influencing nanotechnology commercialization: an empirical analysis of nanotechnology firms in South Korea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Cheol-Ju; Lee, SuKap; Jhon, Myung S.; Shin, Juneseuk

    2013-02-01

    Nanotechnology is a representative emerging technology in an embryonic stage. Due to the continuous support provided by both the public and private sectors of many countries, nanotechnologies have increasingly been commercialized in a wide array of industries, but also produce many commercialization failures. Tackling this problem, we investigate key factors affecting the commercialization of nanotechnologies. Identifying key factors of nanotechnology commercialization through literature review and interview with CEOs, we collected data of 206 Korean nanotechnology-based companies, and analyzed the causal relationship between key factors and financial performance. Logistic and Tobit regression models are used. Overall, companies achieving successful commercialization hold some common characteristics including consistent exploratory R&D, governmental funding, and nano-instrument/energy/environment-related products. Also, the use of potentially toxic materials makes commercialization difficult even if the products are not toxic.

  9. Nanotechnology on duty in medical applications.

    PubMed

    Kubik, T; Bogunia-Kubik, K; Sugisaka, M

    2005-02-01

    At the beginning of 21(st) century, fifty years after discovery of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) double helix structure, scientific world is faced with a great progress in many disciplines of biological research, especially in the field of molecular biology and operating on nucleid acid molecules. Many molecular biology techniques have been implemented successfully in biology, biotechnology, medical science, diagnostics, and many more. The introduction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) resulted in improving old and designing new laboratory devices for PCR amplification and analysis of amplified DNA fragments. In parallel to these efforts, the nature of DNA molecules and their construction have attracted many researchers. In addition, some studies concerning mimicking living systems, as well as developing and constructing artificial nanodevices, such as biomolecular sensors and artificial cells, have been conducted. This review is focused on the potential of nanotechnology in health care and medicine, including the development of nanoparticles for diagnostic and screening purposes, the manufacture of unique drug delivery systems, antisense and gene therapy applications and the enablement of tissue engineering, including the future of nanorobot construction.

  10. Biotechnology Education and the Internet. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Thomas

    The world of modern biotechnology is based on recent developments in molecular biology, especially those in genetic engineering. Since this is a relatively new and rapidly advancing field of study, there are few traditional sources of information and activities. This digest highlights biotechnology resources including those that can be found on…

  11. Commercialization of nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Hobson, David W

    2009-01-01

    The emerging and potential commercial applications of nanotechnologies clearly have great potential to significantly advance and even potentially revolutionize various aspects of medical practice and medical product development. Nanotechnology is already touching upon many aspects of medicine, including drug delivery, diagnostic imaging, clinical diagnostics, nanomedicines, and the use of nanomaterials in medical devices. This technology is already having an impact; many products are on the market and a growing number is in the pipeline. Momentum is steadily building for the successful development of additional nanotech products to diagnose and treat disease; the most active areas of product development are drug delivery and in vivo imaging. Nanotechnology is also addressing many unmet needs in the pharmaceutical industry, including the reformulation of drugs to improve their bioavailability or toxicity profiles. The advancement of medical nanotechnology is expected to advance over at least three different generations or phases, beginning with the introduction of simple nanoparticulate and nanostructural improvements to current product and process types, then eventually moving on to nanoproducts and nanodevices that are limited only by the imagination and limits of the technology itself. This review looks at some recent developments in the commercialization of nanotechnology for various medical applications as well as general trends in the industry, and explores the nanotechnology industry that is involved in developing medical products and procedures with a view toward technology commercialization. (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  12. Modification of nucleic acids by azobenzene derivatives and their applications in biotechnology and nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Li, Jing; Wang, Xingyu; Liang, Xingguo

    2014-12-01

    Azobenzene has been widely used as a photoregulator due to its reversible photoisomerization, large structural change between E and Z isomers, high photoisomerization yield, and high chemical stability. On the other hand, some azobenzene derivatives can be used as universal quenchers for many fluorophores. Nucleic acid is a good candidate to be modified because it is not only the template of gene expression but also widely used for building well-organized nanostructures and nanodevices. Because the size and polarity distribution of the azobenzene molecule is similar to a nucleobase pair, the introduction of azobenzene into nucleic acids has been shown to be an ingenious molecular design for constructing light-switching biosystems or light-driven nanomachines. Here we review recent advances in azobenzene-modified nucleic acids and their applications for artificial regulation of gene expression and enzymatic reactions, construction of photoresponsive nanostructures and nanodevices, molecular beacons, as well as obtaining structural information using the introduced azobenzene as an internal probe. In particular, nucleic acids bearing multiple azobenzenes can be used as a novel artificial nanomaterial with merits of high sequence specificity, regular duplex structure, and high photoregulation efficiency. The combination of functional groups with biomolecules may further advance the development of chemical biotechnology and biomolecular engineering. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-03-12

    clean water. Nanotechnology water desalination and filtration systems may offer affordable, scalable, and portable water filtration...CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Nanotechnology : A Policy Primer John F. Sargent Jr. Specialist...DATES COVERED 00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Nanotechnology : A Policy Primer 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c

  14. Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-04

    clean water. Nanotechnology water desalination and filtration systems may offer affordable, scalable, and portable water filtration...CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Nanotechnology : A Policy Primer John F. Sargent Jr. Specialist...DATES COVERED 00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Nanotechnology : A Policy Primer 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c

  15. Re-Framing Biotechnology Regulation.

    PubMed

    Peck, Alison

    Biotechnology is about to spill the banks of federal regulation. New genetic engineering techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 promise revolutionary breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and public health—but those techniques would not be regulated under the terms of the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology. This revolutionary moment in biotechnology offers an opportunity to correct the flaws in the framework, which was hastily patched together at the advent of the technology. The framework has never captured all relevant technologies, has never satisfied the public that risk is being effectively managed, and has never been accessible to small companies and publicly-funded labs that increasingly are positioned to make radical, life-saving innovations. This Article offers a proposal for new legislation that would reshape biotechnology regulation to better meet these goals. Key reforms include tying regulation to risk rather than technology category; consolidating agency review; capturing distinct regulatory expertise through inter-agency consultations; creating a clearinghouse to help guide applicants and disseminate information; setting up more comprehensive monitoring of environmental effects; and providing federal leadership to fill key data gaps and address socio-economic impacts.

  16. Seminal nanotechnology literature: a review.

    PubMed

    Kostoff, Ronald N; Koytcheff, Raymond G; Lau, Clifford G Y

    2009-11-01

    This paper uses complementary text mining techniques to identify and retrieve the high impact (seminal) nanotechnology literature over a span of time. Following a brief scientometric analysis of the seminal articles retrieved, these seminal articles are then used as a basis for a comprehensive literature survey of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The paper ends with a global analysis of the relation of seminal nanotechnology document production to total nanotechnology document production.

  17. caNanoLab: data sharing to expedite the use of nanotechnology in biomedicine

    PubMed Central

    Gaheen, Sharon; Hinkal, George W.; Morris, Stephanie A.; Lijowski, Michal; Heiskanen, Mervi

    2014-01-01

    The use of nanotechnology in biomedicine involves the engineering of nanomaterials to act as therapeutic carriers, targeting agents and diagnostic imaging devices. The application of nanotechnology in cancer aims to transform early detection, targeted therapeutics and cancer prevention and control. To assist in expediting and validating the use of nanomaterials in biomedicine, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology, in collaboration with the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer (Alliance), has developed a data sharing portal called caNanoLab. caNanoLab provides access to experimental and literature curated data from the NCI Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory, the Alliance and the greater cancer nanotechnology community. PMID:25364375

  18. 75 FR 67149 - Request for Public Comment on the Draft 2010 National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-01

    ... Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan AGENCY: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. ACTION... Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategic Plan. The draft plan is posted at http://strategy.nano.gov . Comments... information. Overview: The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategic Plan is the framework that...

  19. Developing DNA nanotechnology using single-molecule fluorescence.

    PubMed

    Tsukanov, Roman; Tomov, Toma E; Liber, Miran; Berger, Yaron; Nir, Eyal

    2014-06-17

    CONSPECTUS: An important effort in the DNA nanotechnology field is focused on the rational design and manufacture of molecular structures and dynamic devices made of DNA. As is the case for other technologies that deal with manipulation of matter, rational development requires high quality and informative feedback on the building blocks and final products. For DNA nanotechnology such feedback is typically provided by gel electrophoresis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These analytical tools provide excellent structural information; however, usually they do not provide high-resolution dynamic information. For the development of DNA-made dynamic devices such as machines, motors, robots, and computers this constitutes a major problem. Bulk-fluorescence techniques are capable of providing dynamic information, but because only ensemble averaged information is obtained, the technique may not adequately describe the dynamics in the context of complex DNA devices. The single-molecule fluorescence (SMF) technique offers a unique combination of capabilities that make it an excellent tool for guiding the development of DNA-made devices. The technique has been increasingly used in DNA nanotechnology, especially for the analysis of structure, dynamics, integrity, and operation of DNA-made devices; however, its capabilities are not yet sufficiently familiar to the community. The purpose of this Account is to demonstrate how different SMF tools can be utilized for the development of DNA devices and for structural dynamic investigation of biomolecules in general and DNA molecules in particular. Single-molecule diffusion-based Förster resonance energy transfer and alternating laser excitation (sm-FRET/ALEX) and immobilization-based total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) techniques are briefly described and demonstrated. To illustrate the many applications of SMF to DNA nanotechnology, examples of SMF studies of DNA hairpins and

  20. Nanotechnology applications in thoracic surgery

    PubMed Central

    Hofferberth, Sophie C.; Grinstaff, Mark W.; Colson, Yolonda L.

    2016-01-01

    Nanotechnology is an emerging, rapidly evolving field with the potential to significantly impact care across the full spectrum of cancer therapy. Of note, several recent nanotechnological advances show particular promise to improve outcomes for thoracic surgical patients. A variety of nanotechnologies are described that offer possible solutions to existing challenges encountered in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Nanotechnology-based imaging platforms have the ability to improve the surgical care of patients with thoracic malignancies through technological advances in intraoperative tumour localization, lymph node mapping and accuracy of tumour resection. Moreover, nanotechnology is poised to revolutionize adjuvant lung cancer therapy. Common chemotherapeutic drugs, such as paclitaxel, docetaxel and doxorubicin, are being formulated using various nanotechnologies to improve drug delivery, whereas nanoparticle (NP)-based imaging technologies can monitor the tumour microenvironment and facilitate molecularly targeted lung cancer therapy. Although early nanotechnology-based delivery systems show promise, the next frontier in lung cancer therapy is the development of ‘theranostic’ multifunctional NPs capable of integrating diagnosis, drug monitoring, tumour targeting and controlled drug release into various unifying platforms. This article provides an overview of key existing and emerging nanotechnology platforms that may find clinical application in thoracic surgery in the near future. PMID:26843431

  1. EDITORIAL: Nanotechnology under the skin Nanotechnology under the skin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demming, Anna

    2011-07-01

    spectrum. Like microorganisms that can be critical to life processes and fatal too, there is no doubt a little yin-yang in the role of nanoparticles in our future. Perhaps one of the exciting elements in nanomedical research is the possibility of putting materials with potentially harmful characteristics to use for healing. The results of scientific endeavour at the nanoscale continue to progress our understanding, allowing us to maximise the potential of nanotechnology within informed restrictions. Where knowledge lays the boundaries, a little imagination adds wings, and the current state of research in nanomedicine seems well set to take flight. References [1] Grecco A C P 2011 Nanotechnology 22 265103 [2] Zhu X, Wang J, Zhang X, Chang Y and Chen Y 2009 Nanotechnology 20 195103 [3] Liu Y et al 2009 Nanotechnology 20 415102 [4] Weinstein S and Peer D 2010 Nanotechnology 22 232001 [5] Iijima S 1991 Nature 354 56-8 [6] Ou Z, Wu B, Xing D, Zhou F, Wang H and Tang Y 2009 Nanotechnology 20 105102 [7] Wallace E J and Sansom M S P 2009 Nanotechnology 20 045101 [8] Zhu Y, Ran T, Li Y, Guo J and Li W 2006 Nanotechnology 17 4668 [9] Lam C-W, James J T, McCluskey R and Hunter R L 2004 Toxicol. Sci. 77 126-34

  2. Impact of nanotechnology on drug delivery.

    PubMed

    Farokhzad, Omid C; Langer, Robert

    2009-01-27

    Nanotechnology is the engineering and manufacturing of materials at the atomic and molecular scale. In its strictest definition from the National Nanotechnology Initiative, nanotechnology refers to structures roughly in the 1-100 nm size regime in at least one dimension. Despite this size restriction, nanotechnology commonly refers to structures that are up to several hundred nanometers in size and that are developed by top-down or bottom-up engineering of individual components. Herein, we focus on the application of nanotechnology to drug delivery and highlight several areas of opportunity where current and emerging nanotechnologies could enable entirely novel classes of therapeutics.

  3. Turkish university students' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes toward biotechnological applications.

    PubMed

    Öztürk-Akar, Ebru

    2017-03-04

    This study questions the presumed relation between formal schooling and scientific literacy about biotechnologies. Comparing science and nonscience majors' knowledge of and attitudes toward biotechnological applications, conclusions are drawn if their formal learnings improve pupils' understandings of and attitudes toward biotechnology applications. Sample of the study consists of 403 undergraduate and graduate students, 198 nonscience, and 205 science majors. The Biotechnology Knowledge Questionnaire and the Biotechnology Attitude Questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics (mean and percentages), t test, and correlations were used to examine the participants' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes toward biotechnological applications and differences as regards their majors. Although the science majors had higher knowledge and attitude scores than the nonscience majors, it is not possible to say that they have sufficient knowledge of biotechnologies. Besides, the participants' attitudes toward biotechnological applications were not considerably related to their knowledge of biotechnology. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):115-125, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  4. Current and Future Leaders' Perceptions of Agricultural Biotechnology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wingenbach, Gary J.; Miller, Rene P.

    2009-01-01

    Were elected state FFA officers' attitudes toward agricultural biotechnology significantly different from elected Texas legislators' attitudes about the same topic? The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed in agricultural biotechnology perceptions or information source preferences when compared by leadership status:…

  5. [Nanotechnology future of medicine].

    PubMed

    Terlega, Katarzyna; Latocha, Małgorzata

    2012-10-01

    Nanotechnology enables to produce products with new, exactly specified, unique properties. Those products are finding application in various branches of electronic, chemical, food and textile industry as well as in medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, architectural engineering, aviation and in defense. In this paper structures used in nanomedicine were characterized. Possibilities and first effort of application of nanotechnology in diagnostics and therapy were also described. Nanotechnology provides tools which allow to identifying changes and taking repair operations on cellular and molecular level and applying therapy oriented for specific structures in cell. Great hope are being associated with entering nanotechnology into the regenerative medicine. It requires astute recognition bases of tissue regeneration biology--initiating signals as well as the intricate control system of the progress of this process. However application of nanotechnology in tissue engineering allows to avoiding problems associated with loss properties of implants what is frequent cause of performing another surgical procedure at present.

  6. Education resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

    PubMed

    Cooper, Peter S; Lipshultz, Dawn; Matten, Wayne T; McGinnis, Scott D; Pechous, Steven; Romiti, Monica L; Tao, Tao; Valjavec-Gratian, Majda; Sayers, Eric W

    2010-11-01

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) hosts 39 literature and molecular biology databases containing almost half a billion records. As the complexity of these data and associated resources and tools continues to expand, so does the need for educational resources to help investigators, clinicians, information specialists and the general public make use of the wealth of public data available at the NCBI. This review describes the educational resources available at NCBI via the NCBI Education page (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Education/). These resources include materials designed for new users, such as About NCBI and the NCBI Guide, as well as documentation, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and writings on the NCBI Bookshelf such as the NCBI Help Manual and the NCBI Handbook. NCBI also provides teaching materials such as tutorials, problem sets and educational tools such as the Amino Acid Explorer, PSSM Viewer and Ebot. NCBI also offers training programs including the Discovery Workshops, webinars and tutorials at conferences. To help users keep up-to-date, NCBI produces the online NCBI News and offers RSS feeds and mailing lists, along with a presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

  7. Education resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    Lipshultz, Dawn; Matten, Wayne T.; McGinnis, Scott D.; Pechous, Steven; Romiti, Monica L.; Tao, Tao; Valjavec-Gratian, Majda; Sayers, Eric W.

    2010-01-01

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) hosts 39 literature and molecular biology databases containing almost half a billion records. As the complexity of these data and associated resources and tools continues to expand, so does the need for educational resources to help investigators, clinicians, information specialists and the general public make use of the wealth of public data available at the NCBI. This review describes the educational resources available at NCBI via the NCBI Education page (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Education/). These resources include materials designed for new users, such as About NCBI and the NCBI Guide, as well as documentation, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and writings on the NCBI Bookshelf such as the NCBI Help Manual and the NCBI Handbook. NCBI also provides teaching materials such as tutorials, problem sets and educational tools such as the Amino Acid Explorer, PSSM Viewer and Ebot. NCBI also offers training programs including the Discovery Workshops, webinars and tutorials at conferences. To help users keep up-to-date, NCBI produces the online NCBI News and offers RSS feeds and mailing lists, along with a presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. PMID:20570844

  8. Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-06-02

    States of 24 million barrels of oil.3 • Universal access to clean water. Nanotechnology water desalination and filtration systems may offer...CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Nanotechnology : A Policy Primer John F. Sargent Jr. Specialist...00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Nanotechnology : A Policy Primer 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT

  9. Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-05-20

    of oil.3 ! Universal access to clean water. Nanotechnology water desalination and filtration systems may offer affordable, scalable, and portable...Order Code RL34511 Nanotechnology : A Policy Primer May 20, 2008 John F. Sargent Specialist in Science and Technology Policy Resources, Science, and...REPORT DATE 20 MAY 2008 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2008 to 00-00-2008 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Nanotechnology : A Policy Primer 5a

  10. Nano Mapper: an Internet knowledge mapping system for nanotechnology development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xin; Hu, Daning; Dang, Yan; Chen, Hsinchun; Roco, Mihail C.; Larson, Catherine A.; Chan, Joyce

    2009-04-01

    Nanotechnology research has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Advances in information technology enable efficient investigation of publications, their contents, and relationships for large sets of nanotechnology-related documents in order to assess the status of the field. This paper presents the development of a new knowledge mapping system, called Nano Mapper (http://nanomapper.eller.arizona.edu), which integrates the analysis of nanotechnology patents and research grants into a Web-based platform. The Nano Mapper system currently contains nanotechnology-related patents for 1976-2006 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), European Patent Office (EPO), and Japan Patent Office (JPO), as well as grant documents from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for the same time period. The system provides complex search functionalities, and makes available a set of analysis and visualization tools (statistics, trend graphs, citation networks, and content maps) that can be applied to different levels of analytical units (countries, institutions, technical fields) and for different time intervals. The paper shows important nanotechnology patenting activities at USPTO for 2005-2006 identified through the Nano Mapper system.

  11. Nanotechnologies in Latvia: Commercialisation Aspect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geipele, I.; Staube, T.; Ciemleja, G.; Ekmanis, J.; Zeltins, N.

    2014-12-01

    The authors consider the possibilities to apply the nanotechnology products of manufacturing industries in Latvia for further commercialisation. The purpose of the research is to find out the preliminary criteria for the system of engineering economic indicators for multifunctional nanocoating technologies. The article provides new findings and calculations for the local nanotechnology market research characterising the development of nanotechnology industry. The authors outline a scope of issues as to low activities rankings in Latvia on application of locally produced nanotechnologies towards efficiency of the resource use for nanocoating technologies. For the first time in Latvia, the authors make the case study research and summarise the latest performance indicators of the Latvian companies operating in the nanotechnology industry.

  12. Nanotechnology-Based Cosmeceuticals

    PubMed Central

    Lohani, Alka; Verma, Anurag; Joshi, Himanshi; Yadav, Niti; Karki, Neha

    2014-01-01

    Cosmeceuticals are the fastest growing segment of the personal care industry, and a number of topical cosmeceutical treatments for conditions such as photoaging, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and hair damage have come into widespread use. In the cosmeceutical arena nanotechnology has played an important role. Using new techniques to manipulate matter at an atomic or molecular level, they have been at the root of numerous innovations, opening up new perspectives for the future of cosmeceutical industry. Nanotechnology-based cosmeceuticals offer the advantage of diversity in products, and increased bioavailability of active ingredients and increase the aesthetic appeal of cosmeceutical products with prolonged effects. However increased use of nanotechnology in cosmeceuticals has raised concern about the possible penetration of nanoparticles through the skin and potential hazards to the human health. This review outlines the different nanoparticles used in various classes of cosmeceuticals, nanotechnology-based cosmeceutical products present in the market, and the potential risk caused by nanoparticles on exposure and recent regulatory steps taken to overcome them. PMID:24963412

  13. Resource Letter N-1: Nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cela, Devin; Dresselhaus, Mildred; Helen Zeng, Tingying; Terrones, Mauricio; Souza Filho, Antonio G.; Ferreira, Odair P.

    2014-01-01

    This Resource Letter provides a guide to the literature on Nanotechnology. Journal articles, books, websites, and other documents are cited on the following topics: attributes of various types of nanomaterials, nanotechnology in the context of different academic fields, and the effects of nanotechnology on society.

  14. Nanotechnology applications in thoracic surgery.

    PubMed

    Hofferberth, Sophie C; Grinstaff, Mark W; Colson, Yolonda L

    2016-07-01

    Nanotechnology is an emerging, rapidly evolving field with the potential to significantly impact care across the full spectrum of cancer therapy. Of note, several recent nanotechnological advances show particular promise to improve outcomes for thoracic surgical patients. A variety of nanotechnologies are described that offer possible solutions to existing challenges encountered in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Nanotechnology-based imaging platforms have the ability to improve the surgical care of patients with thoracic malignancies through technological advances in intraoperative tumour localization, lymph node mapping and accuracy of tumour resection. Moreover, nanotechnology is poised to revolutionize adjuvant lung cancer therapy. Common chemotherapeutic drugs, such as paclitaxel, docetaxel and doxorubicin, are being formulated using various nanotechnologies to improve drug delivery, whereas nanoparticle (NP)-based imaging technologies can monitor the tumour microenvironment and facilitate molecularly targeted lung cancer therapy. Although early nanotechnology-based delivery systems show promise, the next frontier in lung cancer therapy is the development of 'theranostic' multifunctional NPs capable of integrating diagnosis, drug monitoring, tumour targeting and controlled drug release into various unifying platforms. This article provides an overview of key existing and emerging nanotechnology platforms that may find clinical application in thoracic surgery in the near future. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

  15. Nanotechnology: is there a need for ethical principles?

    PubMed

    Meetoo, Danny

    Nanotechnology (NT) is concerned with materials and systems whose structures and components exhibit novel physical, chemical and biological properties due to their nanoscale size. This new scientific discipline is fast becoming a major driver of the future direction of health care and is likely to have a significant impact on society, medicine and nursing. This article demonstrates that ethical reflections lie at the heart of nursing. In contextualizing the ethics of NT, this article questions the conclusion reached by others that ethical reflections on NT lag behind its scientific developments. Instead it proposes that the ethical issues raised by NT are similar to those relating to biotechnology, considered by ethicists since the 1970s. Consequently, this article argues that a foundation of ethical reflections already exists that can be transferred to NT. Finally, this article asserts the need for nurses to be proactively involved in interdisciplinary discussions likely to extend the current ethical reflections of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice to NT.

  16. Biotechnology worldwide and the 'European Biotechnology Thematic Network' Association (EBTNA).

    PubMed

    Bruschi, F; Dundar, M; Gahan, P B; Gartland, K; Szente, M; Viola-Magni, M P; Akbarova, Y

    2011-09-01

    The European Biotechnology Congress 2011 held under the auspices of the European Biotechnology Thematic Network Association (EBTNA) in conjunction with the Turkish Medical Genetics Association brings together a broad spectrum of biotechnologists from around the world. The subsequent abstracts indicate the manner in which biotechnology has permeated all aspects of research from the basic sciences through to small and medium enterprises and major industries. The brief statements before the presentation of the abstracts aim to introduce not only Biotechnology in general and its importance around the world, but also the European Biotechnology Thematic Network Association and its aims especially within the framework of education and ethics in biotechnology. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Current situation and industrialization of Taiwan nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Hsin-Ning; Lee, Pei-Chun; Tsai, Min-Hua; Chien, Kuo-Ming

    2007-12-01

    Nanotechnology is projected to be a very promising field, and the impact of nanotechnology on society is increasingly significant as the research funding and manufactured goods increase exponentially. A clearer picture of Taiwan's current and future nanotechnology industry is an essential component for future planning. Therefore, this investigation studies the progress of industrializing nanotechnology in Taiwan by surveying 150 companies. Along with understanding Taiwan's current nanotechnology industrialization, this paper also suggests ways to promote Taiwan's nanotechnology. The survey results are summarized and serve as the basis for planning a nanotechnology industrialization strategy.

  18. Termites as targets and models for biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Scharf, Michael E

    2015-01-07

    Termites have many unique evolutionary adaptations associated with their eusocial lifestyles. Recent omics research has created a wealth of new information in numerous areas of termite biology (e.g., caste polyphenism, lignocellulose digestion, and microbial symbiosis) with wide-ranging applications in diverse biotechnological niches. Termite biotechnology falls into two categories: (a) termite-targeted biotechnology for pest management purposes, and (b) termite-modeled biotechnology for use in various industrial applications. The first category includes several candidate termiticidal modes of action such as RNA interference, digestive inhibition, pathogen enhancement, antimicrobials, endocrine disruption, and primer pheromone mimicry. In the second category, termite digestomes are deep resources for host and symbiont lignocellulases and other enzymes with applications in a variety of biomass, industrial, and processing applications. Moving forward, one of the most important approaches for accelerating advances in both termite-targeted and termite-modeled biotechnology will be to consider host and symbiont together as a single functional unit.

  19. Disclosing Biology Teachers' Beliefs about Biotechnology and Biotechnology Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fonseca, Maria Joao; Costa, Patricio; Lencastre, Leonor; Tavares, Fernando

    2012-01-01

    Teachers have been shown to frequently avoid addressing biotechnology topics. Aiming to understand the extent to which teachers' scarce engagement in biotechnology teaching is influenced by their beliefs and/or by extrinsic constraints, such as practical limitations, this study evaluates biology teachers' beliefs about biotechnology and…

  20. "Othering" agricultural biotechnology: Slovenian media representation of agricultural biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Zajc, Jožica; Erjavec, Karmen

    2014-08-01

    While studies on media representations of agricultural biotechnology mostly analyse media texts, this work is intended to fill a research gap with an analysis of journalistic interpretations of media representations. The purpose of this project was to determine how news media represent agricultural biotechnology and how journalists interpret their own representations. A content and critical discourse analysis of news texts published in the Slovenian media over two years and in-depth interviews with their authors were conducted. News texts results suggest that most of the news posts were "othering" biotechnology and biotechnologists: biotechnology as a science and individual scientists are represented as "they," who are socially irresponsible, ignorant, arrogant, and "our" enemies who produce unnatural processes and work for biotechnology companies, whose greed is destroying people, animals, and the environment. Most journalists consider these representations to be objective because they have published the biotechnologists' opinions, despite their own negative attitudes towards biotechnology.

  1. Health-related biotechnology transfer to Africa: principal-agency relationship issues.

    PubMed

    Kirigia, J M; Muthuri, L K; Kirigia, D G

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to stimulate debate on the agency (principal-agent) in health-related biotechnology research. It attempts to answer the following questions: What is health-related biotechnology and biotechnology research? What is an agency? What factors are likely to undermine the principal's capacity to exercise informed consent? When might the principal-agency problem arise? How could the agency in biotechnology transfer be strengthened in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)? The transfer of health-related biotechnology to SSA ought to be preceded by research to ascertain the effectiveness of such technologies on population health. In that process, the national ethical review committee (REC), as an agent of every human research subject (principal), ought to ensure that international principles (e.g. beneficence, non-malfeasance, autonomy, justice, dignity, truthfulness and honesty) for human experimentation are observed by biotechnology researchers in order to satisfy moral, ethical and legal requirements. The key factors that undermine principals' sovereignty in exercising their right to informed consent to participate in biotechnology trials are discussed. The paper ends with a list of activities that can strengthen the agency, e.g. legislative requirement that all health-related biotechnology transfer should be preceded by rigorous evaluation; continuous update of the agents knowledge of the contents of the international ethical guidelines; and education of potential and actual principals on their human rights; among others.

  2. Connecting learners: The role of biotechnology programme in preparing students for the industry.

    PubMed

    Mohd Saruan, Nadiah; Sagran, Avinash; Fadzil, Kamal Solhaimi; Razali, Zuliana; Ow Phui San, Rebecca; Somasundram, Chandran

    2015-01-01

    The recent growth of biotechnology requires a wide range of expertise within the industry. Education is the primary platform for students to gain information and knowledge on biotechnology. In Malaysia where biotechnology is relatively new, education programs and courses must be tailored to meet the demands of the industry. A combination of theoretical knowledge as well as practical and industrial training is essential to ensure graduates are prepared for their career in the fields of biotechnology. Results from this study show that university students lack literacy on biotechnology information and access to facilities provided by the universities. This may be a significant contributing factor to the lack of knowledge and information amongst graduates. Furthermore comparative analysis on the biotechnology program in Malaysian universities with that of other countries show the need to restructure the program by offering more specialized courses as well as soft skills and business subjects. This is to meet the demands of the related professionals as well as the various branches that exist in the biotechnology industry. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  3. Encountering Nanotechnology in an Interactive Exhibition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murriello, Sandra E.; Knobel, Marcelo

    2008-01-01

    This article offers findings from a learning sciences-informed evaluation of a nanoscience and nanotechnology exhibition called Nano-Aventura (NanoAdventure), based on four interactive-collaborative games and two narrated videos. This traveling exhibition was developed in Brazil by the Museu Exploratorio de Ciencias for children and teenagers…

  4. The Legitimation of Novel Technologies: The Case of Nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thyroff, Anastasia E.

    Nanotechnology is the control, manipulation, and application of matter on an atomic and molecular level. The technology is complex and confusing to consumers, and its long-term safety and effect on the human body, as well as the environment, are unknown. However, for the past decade, nanotechnology has been used to develop consumer products and food with novel and attractive attributes. Since nanotechnology is still not well known, it is not legitimized; that is, it has not been deemed safe and accepted by society. However, the market for nanotechnology is in the legitimation process. It will take an entire network of key stakeholders playing a specific roles for nanotechnology to legitimize. Specifically, each key stakeholder will align with a certain cultural discourse to frame nanotechnology in a particular way that complements their values. In Essay 1, I follow previous market system dynamic's literature and combine Actor Network Theory (ANT), Foucault's Discourse on Power and Goffman's Frame analysis to theoretically explore what the actor network for nanotechnology looks like. Four dominate frames are identified: 1) Advancement (i.e., government), 2) Management (i.e., industry), 3) Development (i.e., academia/scientists), and 4) Informant (i.e., NGO). Essay 2 empirically explores each actor's perspective on the nanotechnology network through a total of 24 interviews. A hermeneutic approach is used to analyze the 208 page text and themes describing each actor's role from a self and other's perspective are discussed. Additionally, three overarching themes (i.e., contradiction, constance, and cutoff) emerge; these themes describe the degree of similarity in how actors view their role in the nanotechnology network compared to how other actor's view that actor's role. In Essay 3, I bring critical theory into market system's research to better contextualize market formation theories. Specifically, I discuss how critical theory can be used to supplement ANT. I

  5. EDITORIAL: Ensuring sustainability with green nanotechnology Ensuring sustainability with green nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wong, Stanislaus; Karn, Barbara

    2012-07-01

    Nanotechnology offers immense promise for developing new technologies that are more sustainable than current technologies. All major industrial sectors have felt nanotechnology's impact, mainly from the incorporation of nanomaterials into their products. For example, nanotechnology has improved the design and performance of products in areas as diverse as electronics, medicine and medical devices, food and agriculture, cosmetics, chemicals, materials, coatings, energy, as well as many others. Moreover, the revenues from nanotechnology-enabled products are not trivial. For instance, Lux Research maintains that commercial sales in both Europe and the USA will attain revenues of over 1 trillion from nano-enabled products by 2015. The manufacturing of the nanomaterials for these products uses many processes equivalent to chemical manufacturing processes. As a result, manufacturing nanomaterials can produce either harmful pollutants or adverse environmental impacts similar to those from chemical manufacturing. Unlike the chemical industry, however, those same processes are not ingrained in the manufacturing of nanomaterials, and the opportunity exists at the initial design stage to purposely account for and mitigate out potentially harmful environmental impacts. While prevention has not been a priority in current industries, it can become a main concern for the new and future industries that manufacture nanomaterials on a bulk commercial scale. This is where green nanotechnology comes in. Green nanotechnology involves deliberate efforts aimed at developing meaningful and reasonable protocols for generating products and their associated production processes in a benign fashion. The goal is a conscious minimization of risks associated with the products of nanoscience. The green products of nanotechnology are those that are used in either direct or indirect environmental applications. Direct environmental applications provide benefits such as monitoring using nano

  6. Historical Antecedents as Precedents for Nanotechnology Vocational Education Training and Workforce Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yawson, Robert

    2011-01-01

    In an attempt to inform how to approach nanotechnology vocational education training (nanoVET), this article briefly discusses the history of the development of vocational education training (VET) in the United States during the past century. The history of nanotechnology development and the current advances in this emerging field are discussed in…

  7. Contextualising Nanotechnology in Chemistry Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Connor, Christine; Hayden, Hugh

    2008-01-01

    In recent years nanotechnology has become part of the content of many undergraduate chemistry and physics degree courses. This paper deals with the role of contextualisation of nanotechnology in the delivery of the content, as nanotechnology is only now being slowly integrated into many chemistry degree courses in Ireland and elsewhere. An…

  8. Nanotechnology: From Feynman to Funding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drexler, K. Eric

    2004-01-01

    The revolutionary Feynman vision of a powerful and general nanotechnology, based on nanomachines that build with atom-by-atom control, promises great opportunities and, if abused, great dangers. This vision made nanotechnology a buzzword and launched the global nanotechnology race. Along the way, however, the meaning of the word has shifted. A…

  9. A Boost for the Emerging Field of RNA Nanotechnology

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    This Nano Focus article highlights recent advances in RNA nanotechnology as presented at the First International Conference of RNA Nanotechnology and Therapeutics, which took place in Cleveland, OH, USA (October 23–25, 2010) (http://www.eng.uc.edu/nanomedicine/RNA2010/), chaired by Peixuan Guo and co-chaired by David Rueda and Scott Tenenbaum. The conference was the first of its kind to bring together more than 30 invited speakers in the frontier of RNA nanotechnology from France, Sweden, South Korea, China, and throughout the United States to discuss RNA nanotechnology and its applications. It provided a platform for researchers from academia, government, and the pharmaceutical industry to share existing knowledge, vision, technology, and challenges in the field and promoted collaborations among researchers interested in advancing this emerging scientific discipline. The meeting covered a range of topics, including biophysical and single-molecule approaches for characterization of RNA nanostructures; structure studies on RNA nanoparticles by chemical or biochemical approaches, computation, prediction, and modeling of RNA nanoparticle structures; methods for the assembly of RNA nanoparticles; chemistry for RNA synthesis, conjugation, and labeling; and application of RNA nanoparticles in therapeutics. A special invited talk on the well-established principles of DNA nanotechnology was arranged to provide models for RNA nanotechnology. An Administrator from National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer discussed the current nanocancer research directions and future funding opportunities at NCI. As indicated by the feedback received from the invited speakers and the meeting participants, this meeting was extremely successful, exciting, and informative, covering many groundbreaking findings, pioneering ideas, and novel discoveries. PMID:21604810

  10. Developing nanotechnology in Latin America

    PubMed Central

    Shapira, Philip

    2008-01-01

    This article investigates the development of nanotechnology in Latin America with a particular focus on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Based on data for nanotechnology research publications and patents and suggesting a framework for analyzing the development of R&D networks, we identify three potential strategies of nanotechnology research collaboration. Then, we seek to identify the balance of emphasis upon each of the three strategies by mapping the current research profile of those four countries. In general, we find that they are implementing policies and programs to develop nanotechnologies but differ in their collaboration strategies, institutional involvement, and level of development. On the other hand, we find that they coincide in having a modest industry participation in research and a low level of commercialization of nanotechnologies. PMID:21170134

  11. Application of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials in Oil and Gas Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nabhani, Nader; Emami, Milad; Moghadam, A. B. Taghavi

    2011-12-01

    Micro and nano technologies have already contributed significantly to technological advances in a number of industries, including electronics, biomedical, pharmaceutical, materials and manufacturing, aerospace, photography and more recently the energy industries. Micro and nanotechnologies have the potential to introduce revolutionary changes in several areas of the oil and gas industries such as exploration, drilling, production, refining and distribution. For example, nanosensors might provide more detailed and accurate information about reservoirs and smart fluids for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and drilling. This paper examines and documents applicable nanotechnology base products that can improve the competitiveness of the oil and gas industry. The future challenges of nanotechnology application in the oil and gas industry are also discussed.

  12. Nano Mapper: an Internet knowledge mapping system for nanotechnology development

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Daning; Dang, Yan; Chen, Hsinchun; Roco, Mihail C.; Larson, Catherine A.; Chan, Joyce

    2008-01-01

    Nanotechnology research has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Advances in information technology enable efficient investigation of publications, their contents, and relationships for large sets of nanotechnology-related documents in order to assess the status of the field. This paper presents the development of a new knowledge mapping system, called Nano Mapper (http://nanomapper.eller.arizona.edu), which integrates the analysis of nanotechnology patents and research grants into a Web-based platform. The Nano Mapper system currently contains nanotechnology-related patents for 1976–2006 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), European Patent Office (EPO), and Japan Patent Office (JPO), as well as grant documents from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for the same time period. The system provides complex search functionalities, and makes available a set of analysis and visualization tools (statistics, trend graphs, citation networks, and content maps) that can be applied to different levels of analytical units (countries, institutions, technical fields) and for different time intervals. The paper shows important nanotechnology patenting activities at USPTO for 2005–2006 identified through the Nano Mapper system. PMID:21170121

  13. Strategic Workshops on Cancer Nanotechnology

    PubMed Central

    Nagahara, Larry A.; Lee, Jerry S H.; Molnar, Linda K.; Panaro, Nicholas J.; Farrell, Dorothy; Ptak, Krzysztof; Alper, Joseph; Grodzinski, Piotr

    2010-01-01

    Nanotechnology offers the potential for new approaches to detecting, treating and preventing cancer. To determine the current status of the cancer nanotechnology field and the optimal path forward, the National Cancer Institute’s Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer held three strategic workshops, covering the areas of in-vitro diagnostics and prevention, therapy and post-treatment, and in-vivo diagnosis and imaging. At each of these meetings, a wide range of experts from academia, industry, the non-profit sector, and the Federal government discussed opportunities in the field of cancer nanotechnology and barriers to its implementation. PMID:20460532

  14. Nanotechnology: Fundamental Principles and Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ranjit, Koodali T.; Klabunde, Kenneth J.

    Nanotechnology research is based primarily on molecular manufacturing. Although several definitions have been widely used in the past to describe the field of nanotechnology, it is worthwhile to point out that the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), a federal research and development scheme approved by the congress in 2001 defines nanotechnology only if the following three aspects are involved: (1) research and technology development at the atomic, molecular, or macromolecular levels, in the length scale of approximately 1-100 nanometer range, (2) creating and using structures, devices, and systems that have novel properties and functions because of their small and/or intermediate size, and (3) ability to control or manipulate on the atomic scale. Nanotechnology in essence is the technology based on the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules to build complex structures that have atomic specifications.

  15. Refining search terms for nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Porter, Alan L.; Youtie, Jan; Shapira, Philip; Schoeneck, David J.

    2008-05-01

    The ability to delineate the boundaries of an emerging technology is central to obtaining an understanding of the technology's research paths and commercialization prospects. Nowhere is this more relevant than in the case of nanotechnology (hereafter identified as "nano") given its current rapid growth and multidisciplinary nature. (Under the rubric of nanotechnology, we also include nanoscience and nanoengineering.) Past efforts have utilized several strategies, including simple term search for the prefix nano, complex lexical and citation-based approaches, and bootstrapping techniques. This research introduces a modularized Boolean approach to defining nanotechnology which has been applied to several research and patenting databases. We explain our approach to downloading and cleaning data, and report initial results. Comparisons of this approach with other nanotechnology search formulations are presented. Implications for search strategy development and profiling of the nanotechnology field are discussed.

  16. Centrality and Flow Vergence gradient based Path analysis of scientific literature: A case study of Biotechnology for Engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lathabai, Hiran H.; Prabhakaran, Thara; Changat, Manoj

    2015-07-01

    Biotechnology, ever since its inception has had a huge impact on the society and its various applications have been intricately woven into the human web of life. Its evolution amidst all the other research realms vital to mankind is remarkable. In this paper, we intend to identify the radical innovations in Biotechnology for Engineering using network analyses. Centrality analysis and Path analysis are used for identifying important works. Existence of Flow Vergence effect in the scientific literature is revealed. Flow Vergence gradient, an arc metric derived from FV model, is utilised for Path analysis which detects pivotal papers of paradigm shift more accurately. A major paradigm shift has been identified in the business models of Biotechnology for Engineering - 'Capability to Connectivity' model. Evidence towards the adoption of business practices in BT firms by nanotechnology start-ups is also identified. The notion of critical divergence is introduced and the exhibition of interdisciplinary interaction in emerging fields due to critical divergence is discussed. Implications of above analyses which target: (i) Science and technology policy makers, (ii) industrialists and investors, (iii) researchers in academia as well as industry, are also discussed.

  17. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides a large suite of online resources for biological information and data, including the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database and the PubMed database of citations and abstracts for published life science journals. Additional NCBI resources focus on literature (Bookshelf, PubMed Central (PMC) and PubReader); medical genetics (ClinVar, dbMHC, the Genetic Testing Registry, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database and MedGen); genes and genomics (BioProject, BioSample, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, Gene, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Genome, HomoloGene, the Map Viewer, Nucleotide, PopSet, Probe, RefSeq, Sequence Read Archive, the Taxonomy Browser, Trace Archive and UniGene); and proteins and chemicals (Biosystems, COBALT, the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), Protein Clusters, Protein and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases). The Entrez system provides search and retrieval operations for many of these databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:25398906

  18. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides a large suite of online resources for biological information and data, including the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database and the PubMed database of citations and abstracts for published life science journals. Additional NCBI resources focus on literature (PubMed Central (PMC), Bookshelf and PubReader), health (ClinVar, dbGaP, dbMHC, the Genetic Testing Registry, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database and MedGen), genomes (BioProject, Assembly, Genome, BioSample, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, the Map Viewer, Nucleotide, Probe, RefSeq, Sequence Read Archive, the Taxonomy Browser and the Trace Archive), genes (Gene, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), HomoloGene, PopSet and UniGene), proteins (Protein, the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), COBALT, Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB) and Protein Clusters) and chemicals (Biosystems and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases). The Entrez system provides search and retrieval operations for most of these databases. Augmenting many of the web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized datasets. All of these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:26615191

  19. Nanotechnology in cancer treatment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mironidou-Tzouveleki, Maria; Imprialos, Konstantinos; Kintsakis, Athanasios

    2011-10-01

    The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current evolutions on nanotechnology and its applications on cancer theragnostics.Rapid advances and emerging technologies in nanotechnology are having a profound impact on cancer treatment. Applications of nanotechnology, which include liposomes, nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, nanocantilever, carbon nanotubes and quantum dots have significantly revolutionized cancer theragnostics. From a pharmaceutical viewpoint, it is critical that the biodistribution of active agents has to be controlled as much as possible. This aspect is vital in order to assure the proper efficiency and safety of the anticancer agents. These biocompatible nanocomposites provide specific biochemical interactions with receptors expressed on the surface of cancer cells. With passive or active targeting strategies, an increased intracellular concentration of drugs can be achieved in cancer cells , while normal cells are being protected from the drug simultaneously. Thus, nanotechnology restricts the extent of the adverse effects of the anticancer therapy. Treatment for metastatic breast cancer, sarcoma in AIDS patients, ovarian and lung cancer is already on market or under final phases of many clinical trials, showing remarkable results. As nanotechnology is perfected, side effects due to normal cell damage will decrease, leading to better results and lengthening patient's survival.

  20. [Nanotechnology, nanomedicine and nanopharmacology].

    PubMed

    Fernández, Pedro Lorenzo

    2007-01-01

    Based on Nanotechnology methods, Nanomedicine and Nanotecnology will obtain significant advances in areas such as Diagnostic, Regenerative Medicine and pharmacological Therapeutics. With nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems,important improvement on pharmacokinetics of drugs will take place, due to increased solubility, protection against decrease in drug effects due to excessive metabolism and subsequent increase of bioavailability. Improvement on pharmacodynamic parameters will occur also due to increased drug concentration in target tissues. Also the use of Nanotechnology in the modern pharmacology will serve for a more accurate control of doses, which will decrease significantly drug toxicity.

  1. Handbook of Electrochemical Nanotechnology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lin, Yuehe; Nalwa, H. S.

    2009-02-12

    This 2-volume handbook provides an overview of recent advances in the field of electrochemical nanotechnology. It will be of great interst to graduate students, scientists, and engineering professionals whose research is at the interface of electrochemistry and nanotechnology.

  2. DNA Nanotechnology for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy.

    PubMed

    Chen, Tianshu; Ren, Lingjie; Liu, Xiaohao; Zhou, Mengru; Li, Lingling; Xu, Jingjing; Zhu, Xiaoli

    2018-06-05

    Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, because of the lack of accurate diagnostic tools for the early stages of cancer. Thus, early diagnosis, which provides important information for a timely therapy of cancer, is of great significance for controlling the development of the disease and the proliferation of cancer cells and for improving the survival rates of patients. To achieve the goals of early diagnosis and timely therapy of cancer, DNA nanotechnology may be effective, since it has emerged as a valid technique for the fabrication of various nanoscale structures and devices. The resultant DNA-based nanoscale structures and devices show extraordinary performance in cancer diagnosis, owing to their predictable secondary structures, small sizes, and high biocompatibility and programmability. In particular, the rapid development of DNA nanotechnologies, such as molecular assembly technologies, endows DNA-based nanomaterials with more functionalization and intellectualization. Here, we summarize recent progress made in the development of DNA nanotechnology for the fabrication of functional and intelligent nanomaterials and highlight the prospects of this technology in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

  3. Nanotechnology Formulations for Antibacterial Free Fatty Acids and Monoglycerides.

    PubMed

    Jackman, Joshua A; Yoon, Bo Kyeong; Li, Danlin; Cho, Nam-Joon

    2016-03-03

    Free fatty acids and monoglycerides have long been known to possess broad-spectrum antibacterial activity that is based on lytic behavior against bacterial cell membranes. Considering the growing challenges of drug-resistant bacteria and the need for new classes of antibiotics, the wide prevalence, affordable cost, and broad spectrum of fatty acids and monoglycerides make them attractive agents to develop for healthcare and biotechnology applications. The aim of this review is to provide a brief introduction to the history of antimicrobial lipids and their current status and challenges, and to present a detailed discussion of ongoing research efforts to develop nanotechnology formulations of fatty acids and monoglycerides that enable superior in vitro and in vivo performance. Examples of nano-emulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and controlled release hydrogels are presented in order to highlight the potential that lies ahead for fatty acids and monoglycerides as next-generation antibacterial solutions. Possible application routes and future directions in research and development are also discussed.

  4. 75 FR 1749 - Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc.; Availability of Petition and Environmental Assessment for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-13

    ...] Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc.; Availability of Petition and Environmental Assessment for Determination of... Health Inspection Service has received a petition from Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc., seeking a....gov ). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Subray Hegde, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, APHIS...

  5. Construction Biotechnology: a new area of biotechnological research and applications.

    PubMed

    Stabnikov, Viktor; Ivanov, Volodymyr; Chu, Jian

    2015-09-01

    A new scientific and engineering discipline, Construction Biotechnology, is developing exponentially during the last decade. The major directions of this discipline are selection of microorganisms and development of the microbially-mediated construction processes and biotechnologies for the production of construction biomaterials. The products of construction biotechnologies are low cost, sustainable, and environmentally friendly microbial biocements and biogrouts for the construction ground improvement. The microbial polysaccharides are used as admixtures for cement. Microbially produced biodegradable bioplastics can be used for the temporarily constructions. The bioagents that are used in construction biotechnologies are either pure or enrichment cultures of microorganisms or activated indigenous microorganisms of soil. The applications of microorganisms in the construction processes are bioaggregation, biocementation, bioclogging, and biodesaturation of soil. The biotechnologically produced construction materials and the microbially-mediated construction technologies have a lot of advantages in comparison with the conventional construction materials and processes. Proper practical implementations of construction biotechnologies could give significant economic and environmental benefits.

  6. Medical biotechnology trends and achievements in iran.

    PubMed

    Mahboudi, Fereidoun; Hamedifar, Haleh; Aghajani, Hamideh

    2012-10-01

    A healthcare system has been the most important priority for all governments worldwide. Biotechnology products have affected the promotion of health care over the last thirty years. During the last several decades, Iran has achieved significant success in extending healthcare to the rural areas and in reducing the rates of infant mortality and increasing population growth. Biomedical technology as a converging technology is considered a helpful tool to fulfill the Iranian healthcare missions. The number of biotechnology products has reached 148 in 2012. The total sales have increased to 98 billion USD without considering vaccines and plasma derived proteins in 2012. Iran is one of the leading countries in the Middle East and North Africa in the area of Medical biotechnology. The number of biotechnology medicines launched in Iran is 13 products until 2012. More than 15 products are in pipelines now. Manufacturers are expecting to receive the market release for more than 8 products by the end of 2012. Considering this information, Iran will lead the biotechnology products especially in area of biosimilars in Asia after India in next three years. The present review will discuss leading policy, decision makers' role, human resource developing system and industry development in medical biotechnology.

  7. Medical Biotechnology Trends and Achievements in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Mahboudi, Fereidoun; Hamedifar, Haleh; Aghajani, Hamideh

    2012-01-01

    A healthcare system has been the most important priority for all governments worldwide. Biotechnology products have affected the promotion of health care over the last thirty years. During the last several decades, Iran has achieved significant success in extending healthcare to the rural areas and in reducing the rates of infant mortality and increasing population growth. Biomedical technology as a converging technology is considered a helpful tool to fulfill the Iranian healthcare missions. The number of biotechnology products has reached 148 in 2012. The total sales have increased to 98 billion USD without considering vaccines and plasma derived proteins in 2012. Iran is one of the leading countries in the Middle East and North Africa in the area of Medical biotechnology. The number of biotechnology medicines launched in Iran is 13 products until 2012. More than 15 products are in pipelines now. Manufacturers are expecting to receive the market release for more than 8 products by the end of 2012. Considering this information, Iran will lead the biotechnology products especially in area of biosimilars in Asia after India in next three years. The present review will discuss leading policy, decision makers’ role, human resource developing system and industry development in medical biotechnology. PMID:23407888

  8. Consumer acceptance of and willingness to pay for food nanotechnology: a systematic review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giles, Emma L.; Kuznesof, Sharron; Clark, Beth; Hubbard, Carmen; Frewer, Lynn J.

    2015-12-01

    Consumer's attitudes to, and acceptance of, emerging technologies and their applications, are important determinants of their successful implementation and commercialisation. Understanding the range of socio-psychological, cultural and affective factors which may influence consumer responses to applications of nanotechnology will help "fine-tune" the development of consumer products in line with their expectations and preferences. This is particularly true of applications in the food area, where consumer concerns about technologies applied to food production may be elevated. This research applied systematic review methodology to synthesise current knowledge regarding societal acceptance or rejection of nanotechnology applied to agri-food production. The objective was to aggregate knowledge derived from different research areas to gain an overall picture of consumer responses to nanotechnology applied to food production. Relevant electronic databases of peer-reviewed literature were searched from the earliest date available, for peer-reviewed papers which reported primary empirical data on consumer and expert acceptance of agri-food nanotechnology, using a formal systematic review protocol. Inclusion criteria for papers to be included in the review were: empirical peer-reviewed papers written in English; a population sample of adults aged 18 years and over used in the research; a research focus on consumer and expert acceptance of agri-food nanotechnology; and research on attitudes towards, and willingness to pay for, different applications of agri-food nanotechnology. Two researchers independently appraised the papers using NVivo 10 QSR software. Studies examining consumer and expert acceptance were thematically analysed, and key information was collated. The results were synthesised in order to identify trends in information relevant to consumer acceptance of nanotechnology applied to food production. Eight key themes were identified from the 32 papers which were

  9. Consumer acceptance of and willingness to pay for food nanotechnology: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Giles, Emma L; Kuznesof, Sharron; Clark, Beth; Hubbard, Carmen; Frewer, Lynn J

    Consumer's attitudes to, and acceptance of, emerging technologies and their applications, are important determinants of their successful implementation and commercialisation. Understanding the range of socio-psychological, cultural and affective factors which may influence consumer responses to applications of nanotechnology will help "fine-tune" the development of consumer products in line with their expectations and preferences. This is particularly true of applications in the food area, where consumer concerns about technologies applied to food production may be elevated. This research applied systematic review methodology to synthesise current knowledge regarding societal acceptance or rejection of nanotechnology applied to agri-food production. The objective was to aggregate knowledge derived from different research areas to gain an overall picture of consumer responses to nanotechnology applied to food production. Relevant electronic databases of peer-reviewed literature were searched from the earliest date available, for peer-reviewed papers which reported primary empirical data on consumer and expert acceptance of agri-food nanotechnology, using a formal systematic review protocol. Inclusion criteria for papers to be included in the review were: empirical peer-reviewed papers written in English; a population sample of adults aged 18 years and over used in the research; a research focus on consumer and expert acceptance of agri-food nanotechnology; and research on attitudes towards, and willingness to pay for, different applications of agri-food nanotechnology. Two researchers independently appraised the papers using NVivo 10 QSR software. Studies examining consumer and expert acceptance were thematically analysed, and key information was collated. The results were synthesised in order to identify trends in information relevant to consumer acceptance of nanotechnology applied to food production. Eight key themes were identified from the 32 papers which were

  10. Biotechnology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Vranken, Nancy S., Ed.

    1987-01-01

    The field of biotechnology, and specifically recombinant DNA technology, is transforming the way that many feel about the nature and purposes of biology. This newsletter annual supplement contains several articles addressing the topic of biotechnology and the importance that the topic should be given in science classes. James D. Watson's article,…

  11. Nanotechnology Cancer Therapy and Treatment

    Cancer.gov

    Nanotechnology offers the means to target therapies directly and selectively to cancerous cells and neoplasms. With these tools, clinicians can safely and effectively deliver chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and the next generation of immuno- and gene therapies to the tumor. Futhermore, surgical resection of tumors can be guided and enhanced by way of nanotechnology tools. Find out how nanotechnology will offer the next generation of our therapeutic arsenal to the patient.

  12. The sounds of nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, Norah; Deane, Cormac; Murphy, Padraig

    2017-07-01

    Public perceptions of nanotechnology are shaped by sound in surprising ways. Our analysis of the audiovisual techniques employed by nanotechnology stakeholders shows that well-chosen sounds can help to win public trust, create value and convey the weird reality of objects on the nanoscale.

  13. Nanotechnology in Dermatology*

    PubMed Central

    Antonio, João Roberto; Antônio, Carlos Roberto; Cardeal, Izabela Lídia Soares; Ballavenuto, Julia Maria Avelino; Oliveira, João Rodrigo

    2014-01-01

    The scientific community and general public have been exposed to a series of achievements attributed to a new area of knowledge: Nanotechnology. Both abroad and in Brazil, funding agencies have launched programs aimed at encouraging this type of research. Indeed, for many who come into contact with this subject it will be clear the key role that chemical knowledge will play in the evolution of this subject. And even more, will see that it is a science in which the basic structure is formed by distilling different areas of inter-and multidisciplinary knowledge along the lines of new paradigms. In this article, we attempt to clarify the foundations of nanotechnology, and demonstrate their contribution to new advances in dermatology as well as medicine in general. Nanotechnology is clearly the future. PMID:24626657

  14. Nanotechnology: Development and challenges in Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joni, I. Made; Muthukannan, Vanitha; Hermawan, Wawan; Panatarani, Camellia

    2018-02-01

    Nanotechnology today is regarded as a revolutionary technology that can help to address the key needs related to energy, environment, health and agriculture in developing countries. This paper is a short review on the development and challenges of nanotechnology in Indonesia. Nanotechnology offers great potential benefits, there is emerging concerns arising from its novel physicochemical properties. The main applications of nanotechnology in the different sectors which is vital and its economic impact in Indonesia is also discussed. The achievment and development of nanotechnology including synthesis and dispersion of nanoparticles (NPs) and its applications in various fields is briefly addressed in Nanotehcnology and Graphene Research Center, Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad). Despite significant progress in developmental goals, many challenges in the development of nanotechnology proccesing need to be resolved such as support infrastructure and evolution of new form of collaborative arrangements between various sectors and policies which is emerged as an important factor enabling development.

  15. Current advances in research and clinical applications of PLGA-based nanotechnology

    PubMed Central

    Lü, Jian-Ming; Wang, Xinwen; Marin-Muller, Christian; Wang, Hao; Lin, Peter H; Yao, Qizhi; Chen, Changyi

    2009-01-01

    Co-polymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanotechnology has been developed for many years and has been approved by the US FDA for the use of drug delivery, diagnostics and other applications of clinical and basic science research, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, vaccine and tissue engineering. This article presents the more recent successes of applying PLGA-based nanotechnologies and tools in these medicine-related applications. It focuses on the possible mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment effects of PLGA preparations and devices. This updated information will benefit to both new and established research scientists and clinical physicians who are interested in the development and application of PLGA nanotechnology as new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for many diseases. PMID:19435455

  16. Etude exploratoire de la commercialisation des nanotechnologies au Canada: L'utilisation de la fouille de donnees de contenu Web

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rietsch, Constant

    Companies rely more every day on the Internet, sharing a lot of information to their customers but also their investors and their associates. Most companies share information such as products, services, partnerships, and research and development activities on their website. All this information is much analytical opportunities provided that we can retrieve and interpret. In this context, is the content of a website can be enough to conduct a study on innovation and commercialization? Websites are sources of information available and accessible to everyone. The majority of companies with a website, the coverage of an Internet-based study is an advantage. For our research on the commercialization of nanotechnology in Canada, we recover as many data on websites of Canadian companies listed by various sources as having activities in nanotechnology. From these data we cluster companies according to their nanotechnology field using a list of keywords from scientific papers to estimate the level of advancement of Canadian companies in nanotechnology research. Finally thanks to several indicators of innovation and marketing we describe the current state of nanotechnology in the Canadian industry.

  17. Advanced Environment Friendly Nanotechnologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Figovsky, O.; Beilin, D.; Blank, N.

    The economic, security, military and environmental implications of molecular manufacturing are extreme. Unfortunately, conflicting definitions of nanotechnology and blurry distinctions between significantly different fields have complicated the effort to understand those differences and to develop sensible, effective policy for each. The risks of today's nanoscale technologies cannot be treated the same as the risks of longer-term molecular manufacturing. It is a mistake to put them together in one basket for policy consideration — each is important to address, but they offer different problems and will require far different solutions. As used today, the term nanotechnology usually refers to a broad collection of mostly disconnected fields. Essentially, anything sufficiently small and interesting can be called nanotechnology. Much of it is harmless. For the rest, much of the harm is of familiar and limited quality. Molecular manufacturing, by contrast, will bring unfamiliar risks and new classes of problems. The advanced environment friendly nanotechnologies elaborated by Israel Company Polymate Ltd. — International Research Center are illustrated.

  18. Cyborg identities and contemporary techno-utopias: adaptations and transformations of the body in the age of nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Maestrutti, Marina

    2011-01-01

    The possibility of improving the human body through a closer relationship with technology in order to overcome the human species toward new stages of evolution is a constant element of techno-utopian visions, among other transhumanism. This projection to a radical transformation of the body - and mind - as a result of technological action is based on the concepts of adaptation, or non adaptation, of a human being to a world constantly changed by technoscience. The belief is that not only the body has to change, but that identity is not a stable concept. This mobility in the relationship between body and identity is typical of the post human thought, which inherits from the informational model the conviction that the biological embodiment of human is to be regarded as an accident of history rather than as an essential condition of life. Hybridization is therefore valued by the post human thought as a condition which has "made" the human as he is today, and it appears as a fundamental topic in any discourse on nanotechnology, biotechnology and development of human-machine interfaces.

  19. Biotechnology: Education and Training. Special Reference Briefs Series No. SRB 96-08.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dobert, Raymond

    This document, prepared by The Biotechnology Information Center at the National Agricultural Library, contains sources of information that can provide a starting point for teachers, university faculty, extension agents, and other education leaders who have an interest in biotechnology education and training. Sections include a bibliography of the…

  20. Ethics in Nanotechnology: Starting from Scratch?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ebbesen, Mette; Andersen, Svend; Besenbacher, Flemming

    2006-01-01

    Research in nanotechnology has advanced rapidly in recent years. Several researchers, however, warn that there is a paucity of research on the ethical, legal, and social implications of nanotechnology, and they caution that ethical reflections on nanotechnology lag behind this fast developing science. In this article, the authors question this…

  1. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    Wheeler, David L.; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A.; Bryant, Stephen H.; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M.; DiCuccio, Michael; Edgar, Ron; Federhen, Scott; Geer, Lewis Y.; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Kenton, David L.; Khovayko, Oleg; Lipman, David J.; Madden, Thomas L.; Maglott, Donna R.; Ostell, James; Pruitt, Kim D.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Schriml, Lynn M.; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Stephen T.; Sirotkin, Karl; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Suzek, Tugba O.; Tatusov, Roman; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas; Yaschenko, Eugene

    2006-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank(R) nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through NCBI's Web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Spidey, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genomes and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Clusters of Orthologous Groups, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, HIV-1, Human Protein Interaction Database, SAGEmap, Gene Expression Omnibus, Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals, the Molecular Modeling Database, the Conserved Domain Database, the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized datasets. All of the resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at: . PMID:16381840

  2. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    Wheeler, David L.; Church, Deanna M.; Lash, Alex E.; Leipe, Detlef D.; Madden, Thomas L.; Pontius, Joan U.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Schriml, Lynn M.; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas; Rapp, Barbara A.

    2001-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides data analysis and retrieval resources that operate on the data in GenBank and a variety of other biological data made available through NCBI’s Web site. NCBI data retrieval resources include Entrez, PubMed, LocusLink and the Taxonomy Browser. Data analysis resources include BLAST, Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, Database of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (dbSNP), Human Genome Sequencing, Human MapViewer, GeneMap’99, Human–Mouse Homology Map, Cancer Chromosome Aberration Project (CCAP), Entrez Genomes, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) database, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP), SAGEmap, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Online Mendelian Inheri­tance in Man (OMIM), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB) and the Conserved Domain Database (CDD). Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of the resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:11125038

  3. 78 FR 7387 - Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture; Renewal

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-01

    ... Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture; Renewal AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, USDA. ACTION: Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture Renewal. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given... agricultural biotechnology. The AC21 has been established to provide information and advice to the Secretary of...

  4. Students' knowledge of, and attitudes towards biotechnology revisited, 1995-2014: Changes in agriculture biotechnology but not in medical biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Chen, Shao-Yen; Chu, Yih-Ru; Lin, Chen-Yung; Chiang, Tzen-Yuh

    2016-09-10

    Modern biotechnology is one of the most important scientific and technological revolutions in the 21st century, with an increasing and measurable impact on society. Development of biotechnology curriculum has become important to high school bioscience classrooms. This study has monitored high school students in Taiwan on their knowledge of and attitudes towards biotechnology for nearly two decades. Not surprisingly, knowledge of biotechnology of current students has increased significantly (p < 0.001) and most students have learned some definitions and examples of biotechnology. There was a positive correlation between biotechnology knowledge and attitudes toward biotechnology for current students who study Advanced Biology (AB). However, for current students who did not study AB, there was a negative correlation.The attitude results showed that students today expressed less favorable opinions toward agricultural biotechnology (p < 0.001) despite studying AB or not. However, there is no significant difference between students today and 18 years ago in opinions towards medical biotechnology. In addition, current students showed a greater concern involving environmental risks than former students. Interestingly, the high school curriculum did affect students' attitudes toward genetically engineered (GE) plants but not GE animals. Our current study also found that the students' attitude towards GE animals was influenced more by their limited knowledge than by their moral belief. On the basis of findings from this study, we suggest that more materials of emerging animal biotechnology should be included in high school curriculum and recommend that high school teachers and university faculty establish a collaborative framework in the near future. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(5):475-491, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  5. Integration among databases and data sets to support productive nanotechnology: Challenges and recommendations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Karcher, Sandra; Willighagen, Egon L.; Rumble, John

    Many groups within the broad field of nanoinformatics are already developing data repositories and analytical tools driven by their individual organizational goals. Integrating these data resources across disciplines and with non-nanotechnology resources can support multiple objectives by enabling the reuse of the same information. Integration can also serve as the impetus for novel scientific discoveries by providing the framework to support deeper data analyses. This article discusses current data integration practices in nanoinformatics and in comparable mature fields, and nanotechnology-specific challenges impacting data integration. Based on results from a nanoinformatics-community-wide survey, recommendations for achieving integration of existing operational nanotechnology resourcesmore » are presented. Nanotechnology-specific data integration challenges, if effectively resolved, can foster the application and validation of nanotechnology within and across disciplines. This paper is one of a series of articles by the Nanomaterial Data Curation Initiative that address data issues such as data curation workflows, data completeness and quality, curator responsibilities, and metadata.« less

  6. Nanotechnology in the real world: Redeveloping the nanomaterial consumer products inventory

    PubMed Central

    Kuiken, Todd; Vejerano, Eric P; McGinnis, Sean P; Hochella, Michael F; Rejeski, David; Hull, Matthew S

    2015-01-01

    Summary To document the marketing and distribution of nano-enabled products into the commercial marketplace, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies created the Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory (CPI) in 2005. The objective of this present work is to redevelop the CPI by leading a research effort to increase the usefulness and reliability of this inventory. We created eight new descriptors for consumer products, including information pertaining to the nanomaterials contained in each product. The project was motivated by the recognition that a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, industry, and state/federal government had become highly dependent on the inventory as an important resource and bellweather of the pervasiveness of nanotechnology in society. We interviewed 68 nanotechnology experts to assess key information needs. Their answers guided inventory modifications by providing a clear conceptual framework best suited for user expectations. The revised inventory was released in October 2013. It currently lists 1814 consumer products from 622 companies in 32 countries. The Health and Fitness category contains the most products (762, or 42% of the total). Silver is the most frequently used nanomaterial (435 products, or 24%); however, 49% of the products (889) included in the CPI do not provide the composition of the nanomaterial used in them. About 29% of the CPI (528 products) contain nanomaterials suspended in a variety of liquid media and dermal contact is the most likely exposure scenario from their use. The majority (1288 products, or 71%) of the products do not present enough supporting information to corroborate the claim that nanomaterials are used. The modified CPI has enabled crowdsourcing capabilities, which allow users to suggest edits to any entry and permits researchers to upload new findings ranging from human and environmental exposure data to complete life cycle

  7. Biotechnology and Open University Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grobstein, Clifford

    1985-01-01

    Discusses whether biotechnology commercial application will significantly inhibit the free flow of information traditional in academic environments. Background factors, crux of the concern, assessment, and current options are given. Although little evidence that industry-university collaboration has impaired academic molecular genetics exists,…

  8. The emergence of the nanobiotechnology industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maine, Elicia; Thomas, V. J.; Bliemel, Martin; Murira, Armstrong; Utterback, James

    2014-01-01

    The confluence of nanotechnology and biotechnology provides significant commercial opportunities. By identifying, classifying and tracking firms with capabilities in both biotechnology and nanotechnology over time, we analyse the emergence and evolution of the global nanobiotechnology industry.

  9. Russia's Policy and Standing in Nanotechnology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Terekhov, Alexander I.

    2013-01-01

    In this article, I consider the historical stages of development of nanotechnology in Russia as well as the political framework for this. It is shown that early federal nanotechnology programs in Russia date back to the 1990s and that since the mid-2000s, nanotechnology has attracted the increasing attention of government. I characterize the…

  10. Vulnerability and social justice as factors in emergent U.S. nanotechnology risk perceptions.

    PubMed

    Conti, Joseph; Satterfield, Terre; Harthorn, Barbara Herr

    2011-11-01

    As an emerging domain of risk research, nanotechnologies engender novel research questions, including how new technologies are encountered given different framing and contextual detail. Using data from a recent U.S. national survey of perceived risks (N= 1,100), risk versus benefit framings and the specific social positions from which people encounter or perceive new technologies are explored. Results indicate that vulnerability and attitudes toward environmental justice significantly influenced risk perceptions of nanotechnology as a broad class, while controlling for demographic and affective factors. Comparative analyses of different examples of nanotechnology applications demonstrated heightened ambivalence across acceptability when risk versus benefit information was provided with application descriptions (described in short vignettes as compared to the general category "nanotechnology," absent of risk or benefit information). The acceptability of these nano-specific vignettes varied significantly in only some cases given indexes of vulnerability and attitudes toward environmental justice. However, experimental narrative analyses, using longer, more comprehensive descriptive passages, show how assessments of risks and benefits are tied to the systematically manipulated psychometric qualities of the application (its invasiveness and controllability), risk messaging from scientists, and the social implications of the technology with regard to justice. The article concludes with discussion of these findings for risk perception research and public policy related to nanotechnology and possibly other emerging technologies. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

  11. Nanotechnology and Social Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandler, Ronald

    2007-01-01

    The central claims defended in this article are the following: (a) The social and ethical challenges of nanotechnology can be fully identified only if both the characteristic features of nanotechnologies and the social contexts into which they are emerging are considered. (b) When this is done, a host of significant social context issues, or…

  12. PREFACE: TNT 2004: Trends in Nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Correia, Antonio; Serena, Pedro A.; Saenz, Juan Jose; Welland, Mark; Reifenberger, Ron

    2005-05-01

    This special issue of Nanotechnology presents representative contributions describing the main topics covered at the fifth `Trends in Nanotechnology' (TNT2004) international conference, held in Segovia, Spain, 13-17 September 2004. During the past few years many international or regional conferences have emerged in response to the growing awareness of the importance of nanotechnology as a key issue for the future of scientific and technological development. Among these, the conference series `Trends in Nanotechnology' (Toledo, Spain, 2000; Segovia, Spain, 2001; Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 2002; Salamanca, Spain, 2003; and Segovia, Spain, 2004) has become one of the most important meeting points in the nanotechnology field: it provides fresh ideas, brings together well-known speakers, and promotes a suitable environment for discussions, exchanging ideas, and enhancing scientific and personal relations among participants. TNT2004 was organized in a similar way to the four previous TNT conferences, with an impressive scientific programme, without parallel sessions, covering a wide spectrum of nanotechnology research. In 2004, more than 370 scientists worldwide attended this event and contributed more than 80 talks, 236 posters, and stimulating discussions about their most recent research. The aim of the conference was to focus on the applications of nanotechnology and to bring together, in a scientific forum, various worldwide groups belonging to industry, universities and government institutions. TNT2004 was particularly effective at transmitting information and establishing contacts among workers in this field. Graduate students attending such conferences understand the importance of interdisciplinary skills in facilitating their future lines of research. Sixty-four graduate students received a grant (from NASA, ONRIFO, IRC, iNANO, SME, NSERC/CRSNG, EU PHANTOMS Network or TNT) allowing them to present their work. During this event, 22 prizes for the best posters

  13. Political incentives towards replacing animal testing in nanotechnology?

    PubMed

    Sauer, Ursula G

    2009-01-01

    The Treaty of Lisbon requests the European Union and the Member States to pay full regard to animal welfare issues when implementing new policies. The present article discusses how these provisions are met in the emerging area of nanotechnology. Political action plans in Europe take into account animal welfare issues to some extent. Funding programmes promote the development of non-animal test methods, however only in the area of nanotoxicology and also here not sufficiently to "pay full regard" to preventing animal testing, let alone to bring about a paradigm change in toxicology or in biomedical research as such. Ethical deliberations on nanotechnology, which influence future policies, so far do not address animal welfare at all. Considering that risk assessment of nanoproducts is conceived as a key element to protect human dignity, ethical deliberations should address the choice of the underlying testing methods and call for basing nanomaterial safety testing upon the latest scientific--and ethically acceptable--technologies. Finally, public involvement in the debate on nanotechnology should take into account information on resulting animal experiments.

  14. Food neophobia, nanotechnology and satisfaction with life.

    PubMed

    Schnettler, Berta; Crisóstomo, Gloria; Sepúlveda, José; Mora, Marcos; Lobos, Germán; Miranda, Horacio; Grunert, Klaus G

    2013-10-01

    This study investigates the relationship between food neophobia, satisfaction with life and food-related life, and acceptance of the use of nanotechnology in food production. Questionnaire data was collected from a sample of 400 supermarket shoppers in southern Chile. The questionnaire measured knowledge of nanotechnology and willingness to purchase food products involving nanotechnology, and included the SWLS (Satisfaction with Life Scale), SWFL (Satisfaction with Food-related Life) and FNS (Food Neophobia Scale) scales. Using cluster analysis, four consumer types were distinguished with significant differences in their scores on the SWLS, SWFL and FNS. The types differed in their knowledge of nanotechnology, willingness to purchase foods involving nanotechnology, age, socioeconomic level and lifestyle. The least food-neophobic type had the highest levels of satisfaction with life and with food-related life and also had the highest acceptance of packaging and foods produced with nanotechnology. The results suggest that the degree of food neophobia is associated with satisfaction with life and with food-related life, as well as with the acceptance of products with nanotechnological applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Design of virus-based nanomaterials for medicine, biotechnology, and energy.

    PubMed

    Wen, Amy M; Steinmetz, Nicole F

    2016-07-25

    This review provides an overview of recent developments in "chemical virology." Viruses, as materials, provide unique nanoscale scaffolds that have relevance in chemical biology and nanotechnology, with diverse areas of applications. Some fundamental advantages of viruses, compared to synthetically programmed materials, include the highly precise spatial arrangement of their subunits into a diverse array of shapes and sizes and many available avenues for easy and reproducible modification. Here, we will first survey the broad distribution of viruses and various methods for producing virus-based nanoparticles, as well as engineering principles used to impart new functionalities. We will then examine the broad range of applications and implications of virus-based materials, focusing on the medical, biotechnology, and energy sectors. We anticipate that this field will continue to evolve and grow, with exciting new possibilities stemming from advancements in the rational design of virus-based nanomaterials.

  16. Nanotechnology applications in medicine and dentistry.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Jyoti

    2011-05-01

    Nanotechnology, or nanoscience, refers to the research and development of an applied science at the atomic, molecular, or macromolecular levels (i.e. molecular engineering, manufacturing). The prefix "nano" is defined as a unit of measurement in which the characteristic dimension is one billionth of a unit. Although the nanoscale is small in size, its potential is vast. As nanotechnology expands in other fields, clinicians, scientists, and manufacturers are working to discover the uses and advances in biomedical sciences. Applications of nanotechnology in medical and dental fields have only approached the horizon with opportunities and possibilities for the future that can only be limited by our imagination. This paper provides an early glimpse of nanotechnology applications in medicine and dentistry to illustrate their potentially far-reaching impacts on clinical practice. It also narrates the safety issues concerning nanotechnology applications. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  17. Connecting Learners: The Role of Biotechnology Programme in Preparing Students for the Industry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mohd Saruan, Nadiah; Sagran, Avinash; Fadzil, Kamal Solhaimi; Razali, Zuliana; Ow Phui San, Rebecca; Somasundram, Chandran

    2015-01-01

    The recent growth of biotechnology requires a wide range of expertise within the industry. Education is the primary platform for students to gain information and knowledge on biotechnology. In Malaysia where biotechnology is relatively new, education programs and courses must be tailored to meet the demands of the industry. A combination of…

  18. Nanotechnology in Textiles.

    PubMed

    Yetisen, Ali K; Qu, Hang; Manbachi, Amir; Butt, Haider; Dokmeci, Mehmet R; Hinestroza, Juan P; Skorobogatiy, Maksim; Khademhosseini, Ali; Yun, Seok Hyun

    2016-03-22

    Increasing customer demand for durable and functional apparel manufactured in a sustainable manner has created an opportunity for nanomaterials to be integrated into textile substrates. Nanomoieties can induce stain repellence, wrinkle-freeness, static elimination, and electrical conductivity to fibers without compromising their comfort and flexibility. Nanomaterials also offer a wider application potential to create connected garments that can sense and respond to external stimuli via electrical, color, or physiological signals. This review discusses electronic and photonic nanotechnologies that are integrated with textiles and shows their applications in displays, sensing, and drug release within the context of performance, durability, and connectivity. Risk factors including nanotoxicity, nanomaterial release during washing, and environmental impact of nanotextiles based on life cycle assessments have been evaluated. This review also provides an analysis of nanotechnology consolidation in the textiles market to evaluate global trends and patent coverage, supplemented by case studies of commercial products. Perceived limitations of nanotechnology in the textile industry and future directions are identified.

  19. Medical nanotechnology in the UK: a perspective from the London Centre for Nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Horton, Michael A; Khan, Abid

    2006-03-01

    Nanotechnology research is booming worldwide, and the general belief is that medical and biological applications will form the greatest sector of expansion over the next decade, driven by an attempt to bring radical solutions to areas of unmet medical need. What is true in the United States is also being fulfilled in Europe. This, though, is generally at a significantly lower investment level, even if for "large" capital infrastructure and interdisciplinary centers. Against this, the United Kingdom and its European partners are following the maxim "small is beautiful" and are attempting to identify and develop academic research and commercial businesses in areas that traditional nanotechnology developments involving engineering or physics find challenging. Thus in London-University College London (UCL) in a major joint project with Imperial College and linked to other UK and European centers of excellence-we are building upon our internationally competitive medical research (the two universities together form one of the largest centers of biomedical research outside the United States) to focus on and develop medical nanotechnology as a major sector of our research activity. A novel approach to commercialization has been the establishment with government and private equity funds of a "BioNanotechnology Centre" that will act as a portal for UK industry to access specialist skills to solve issues relating to developing nanotechnology-based medical applications, for example, for environmental screening, diagnostics, and therapy. This article reviews our academic and business strategy with examples from our current biomedical research portfolio.

  20. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

    PubMed

    2016-01-04

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides a large suite of online resources for biological information and data, including the GenBank(®) nucleic acid sequence database and the PubMed database of citations and abstracts for published life science journals. Additional NCBI resources focus on literature (PubMed Central (PMC), Bookshelf and PubReader), health (ClinVar, dbGaP, dbMHC, the Genetic Testing Registry, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database and MedGen), genomes (BioProject, Assembly, Genome, BioSample, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, the Map Viewer, Nucleotide, Probe, RefSeq, Sequence Read Archive, the Taxonomy Browser and the Trace Archive), genes (Gene, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), HomoloGene, PopSet and UniGene), proteins (Protein, the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), COBALT, Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB) and Protein Clusters) and chemicals (Biosystems and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases). The Entrez system provides search and retrieval operations for most of these databases. Augmenting many of the web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized datasets. All of these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

  1. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

    PubMed

    2015-01-01

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides a large suite of online resources for biological information and data, including the GenBank(®) nucleic acid sequence database and the PubMed database of citations and abstracts for published life science journals. Additional NCBI resources focus on literature (Bookshelf, PubMed Central (PMC) and PubReader); medical genetics (ClinVar, dbMHC, the Genetic Testing Registry, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database and MedGen); genes and genomics (BioProject, BioSample, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, Gene, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Genome, HomoloGene, the Map Viewer, Nucleotide, PopSet, Probe, RefSeq, Sequence Read Archive, the Taxonomy Browser, Trace Archive and UniGene); and proteins and chemicals (Biosystems, COBALT, the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), Protein Clusters, Protein and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases). The Entrez system provides search and retrieval operations for many of these databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research 2014. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

  2. Nanotechnology - Enabling Future Space Viability

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-18

    nanotechnology dates back to 1987 when K. Eric Drexler published Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology; however, the concept itself...The Joint Operating Environment 2008, (Suffolk, VA: USFJCOM, 25 November 2008), 23. 14 Peter Eisler , “Commercial Satellites Alter Global Security

  3. Nanotechnology and its Application in Dentistry

    PubMed Central

    Abiodun-Solanke, IMF; Ajayi, DM; Arigbede, AO

    2014-01-01

    Nanotechnology influences almost every facet of everyday life from security to medicine. The concept of nanotechnology is that when one goes down to the bottom of things, one can discover unlimited possibilities and potential of the basic particle. In nanotechnology, analysis can be made to the level of manipulating atoms, molecules and chemical bonds between them. The growing interest in the dental applications of nanotechnology is leading to the emergence of a new field called nanodentistry. An electronic database search that included PubMed, MedLine, and Cochrane library was conducted. Key words used in the search are nanotechnology dentistry and applications. Language limitation was set as articles reviewed were only those written and published in English language. We did not search the gray literature. Initially, 52 articles were retrieved from the database, and articles considered were those published from 2008 to 2013. Eight articles that met the selection criteria were eventually selected and reviewed. PMID:25364585

  4. EDITORIAL: Multitasking in nanotechnology Multitasking in nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demming, Anna

    2013-06-01

    O nanowires generate a piezoelectric signal that acts as both the power source and the gas sensing information as a result of the different screening effects different gases present on the piezoelectric charges. As they explain 'Our results can provoke a possible new direction for the development of next-generation gas sensors and will further expand the scope of self-powered nanosystems'. Over 50 years ago C P Snow delivered and subsequently published a lecture entitled 'The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution'. In it he lamented a gaping fissure separating the sciences and the humanities to the ultimate detriment of civilization and progress. The increasingly specialized activities in academia may suggest that if anything the gulf separating the two cultures may yet be increasing. It may seem that not only do 'natural scientists' speak a different language from 'literary intellectuals' but that biologists speak a different language from physicists, and so on down the increasingly fine dichotomies of academic endeavour. One of the exciting accompaniments to the rise in nanotechnology research has been a certain amount of liberation from these academic segregations. The breadth of fascinating properties found in a single system beg a strongly multidisciplinary approach and has attracted conversations not only between different sectors within the sciences, but with art as well [12]. The resulting cross-fertilisation between disciplines has already yielded an awesome cornucopia of multitasking devices, and no doubt the best is yet to come. References [1] Xue X, Nie Y, He B, Xing L, Zhang Y and Wang Z L 2013 Surface free-carrier screening effect on the output of ZnO nanowire nanogenerator and its potential as self-powered active gas sensors Nanotechnology 24 225501 [2] Torchilin V P 2006 Multifunctional nanocarriers Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 58 1532-55 [3] Weissleder R, Lee A S, Khaw B A, Shen T and Brady T J 1992 Antimyosin-labeled monocrystalline iron oxide allows detection

  5. Nanotechnology in respiratory medicine.

    PubMed

    Omlor, Albert Joachim; Nguyen, Juliane; Bals, Robert; Dinh, Quoc Thai

    2015-05-29

    Like two sides of the same coin, nanotechnology can be both boon and bane for respiratory medicine. Nanomaterials open new ways in diagnostics and treatment of lung diseases. Nanoparticle based drug delivery systems can help against diseases such as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Moreover, nanoparticles can be loaded with DNA and act as vectors for gene therapy in diseases like cystic fibrosis. Even lung diagnostics with computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) profits from new nanoparticle based contrast agents. However, the risks of nanotechnology also have to be taken into consideration as engineered nanomaterials resemble natural fine dusts and fibers, which are known to be harmful for the respiratory system in many cases. Recent studies have shown that nanoparticles in the respiratory tract can influence the immune system, can create oxidative stress and even cause genotoxicity. Another important aspect to assess the safety of nanotechnology based products is the absorption of nanoparticles. It was demonstrated that the amount of pulmonary nanoparticle uptake not only depends on physical and chemical nanoparticle characteristics but also on the health status of the organism. The huge diversity in nanotechnology could revolutionize medicine but makes safety assessment a challenging task.

  6. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    Sayers, Eric W.; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A.; Bolton, Evan; Bryant, Stephen H.; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M.; DiCuccio, Michael; Federhen, Scott; Feolo, Michael; Fingerman, Ian M.; Geer, Lewis Y.; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Krasnov, Sergey; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J.; Lu, Zhiyong; Madden, Thomas L.; Madej, Tom; Maglott, Donna R.; Marchler-Bauer, Aron; Miller, Vadim; Karsch-Mizrachi, Ilene; Ostell, James; Panchenko, Anna; Phan, Lon; Pruitt, Kim D.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Stephen T.; Shumway, Martin; Sirotkin, Karl; Slotta, Douglas; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas; Wang, Yanli; Wilbur, W. John; Yaschenko, Eugene; Ye, Jian

    2012-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through the NCBI Website. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Primer-BLAST, COBALT, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, Genome and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Trace Archive, Sequence Read Archive, BioProject, BioSample, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Probe, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART), Biosystems, Protein Clusters and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:22140104

  7. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

    PubMed

    Sayers, Eric W; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A; Bolton, Evan; Bryant, Stephen H; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M; Dicuccio, Michael; Federhen, Scott; Feolo, Michael; Fingerman, Ian M; Geer, Lewis Y; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Krasnov, Sergey; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J; Lu, Zhiyong; Madden, Thomas L; Madej, Tom; Maglott, Donna R; Marchler-Bauer, Aron; Miller, Vadim; Karsch-Mizrachi, Ilene; Ostell, James; Panchenko, Anna; Phan, Lon; Pruitt, Kim D; Schuler, Gregory D; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Stephen T; Shumway, Martin; Sirotkin, Karl; Slotta, Douglas; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusova, Tatiana A; Wagner, Lukas; Wang, Yanli; Wilbur, W John; Yaschenko, Eugene; Ye, Jian

    2012-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through the NCBI Website. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Primer-BLAST, COBALT, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, Genome and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Trace Archive, Sequence Read Archive, BioProject, BioSample, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Probe, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART), Biosystems, Protein Clusters and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

  8. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through the NCBI web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Primer-BLAST, COBALT, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, the Genetic Testing Registry, Genome and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Trace Archive, Sequence Read Archive, BioProject, BioSample, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus, Probe, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals, the Molecular Modeling Database, the Conserved Domain Database, the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool, Biosystems, Protein Clusters and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page. PMID:23193264

  9. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

    PubMed

    Sayers, Eric W; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A; Bryant, Stephen H; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M; DiCuccio, Michael; Edgar, Ron; Federhen, Scott; Feolo, Michael; Geer, Lewis Y; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J; Madden, Thomas L; Maglott, Donna R; Miller, Vadim; Mizrachi, Ilene; Ostell, James; Pruitt, Kim D; Schuler, Gregory D; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Stephen T; Shumway, Martin; Sirotkin, Karl; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusova, Tatiana A; Wagner, Lukas; Yaschenko, Eugene; Ye, Jian

    2009-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through the NCBI web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Spidey, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genomes and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs), Retroviral Genotyping Tools, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART) and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the web applications is custom implementation of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of the resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

  10. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    Wheeler, David L.; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A.; Bryant, Stephen H.; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M.; DiCuccio, Michael; Edgar, Ron; Federhen, Scott; Feolo, Michael; Geer, Lewis Y.; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Khovayko, Oleg; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J.; Madden, Thomas L.; Maglott, Donna R.; Miller, Vadim; Ostell, James; Pruitt, Kim D.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Shumway, Martin; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Steven T.; Sirotkin, Karl; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusov, Roman L.; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas; Yaschenko, Eugene

    2008-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank(R) nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data available through NCBI's web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, My NCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link, Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Spidey, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genome, Genome Project and related tools, the Trace, Assembly, and Short Read Archives, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Clusters of Orthologous Groups, Influenza Viral Resources, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus, Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Database of Genotype and Phenotype, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals, the Molecular Modeling Database, the Conserved Domain Database, the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting the web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. These resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:18045790

  11. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    Acland, Abigail; Agarwala, Richa; Barrett, Tanya; Beck, Jeff; Benson, Dennis A.; Bollin, Colleen; Bolton, Evan; Bryant, Stephen H.; Canese, Kathi; Church, Deanna M.; Clark, Karen; DiCuccio, Michael; Dondoshansky, Ilya; Federhen, Scott; Feolo, Michael; Geer, Lewis Y.; Gorelenkov, Viatcheslav; Hoeppner, Marilu; Johnson, Mark; Kelly, Christopher; Khotomlianski, Viatcheslav; Kimchi, Avi; Kimelman, Michael; Kitts, Paul; Krasnov, Sergey; Kuznetsov, Anatoliy; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J.; Lu, Zhiyong; Madden, Thomas L.; Madej, Tom; Maglott, Donna R.; Marchler-Bauer, Aron; Karsch-Mizrachi, Ilene; Murphy, Terence; Ostell, James; O'Sullivan, Christopher; Panchenko, Anna; Phan, Lon; Pruitt, Don Preussm Kim D.; Rubinstein, Wendy; Sayers, Eric W.; Schneider, Valerie; Schuler, Gregory D.; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Stephen T.; Shumway, Martin; Sirotkin, Karl; Siyan, Karanjit; Slotta, Douglas; Soboleva, Alexandra; Soussov, Vladimir; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Trawick, Bart W.; Vakatov, Denis; Wang, Yanli; Ward, Minghong; John Wilbur, W.; Yaschenko, Eugene; Zbicz, Kerry

    2014-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through the NCBI Web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, PubReader, Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link, Primer-BLAST, COBALT, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, the Genetic Testing Registry, Genome and related tools, the Map Viewer, Trace Archive, Sequence Read Archive, BioProject, BioSample, ClinVar, MedGen, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus, Probe, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals, the Molecular Modeling Database, the Conserved Domain Database, the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool, Biosystems, Protein Clusters and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page. PMID:24259429

  12. Update on Genomic Databases and Resources at the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

    PubMed

    Tatusova, Tatiana

    2016-01-01

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), as a primary public repository of genomic sequence data, collects and maintains enormous amounts of heterogeneous data. Data for genomes, genes, gene expressions, gene variation, gene families, proteins, and protein domains are integrated with the analytical, search, and retrieval resources through the NCBI website, text-based search and retrieval system, provides a fast and easy way to navigate across diverse biological databases.Comparative genome analysis tools lead to further understanding of evolution processes quickening the pace of discovery. Recent technological innovations have ignited an explosion in genome sequencing that has fundamentally changed our understanding of the biology of living organisms. This huge increase in DNA sequence data presents new challenges for the information management system and the visualization tools. New strategies have been designed to bring an order to this genome sequence shockwave and improve the usability of associated data.

  13. Nanotechnology-supported THz medical imaging

    PubMed Central

    Stylianou, Andreas; Talias, Michael A

    2013-01-01

    Over the last few decades, the achievements and progress in the field of medical imaging have dramatically enhanced the early detection and treatment of many pathological conditions. The development of new imaging modalities, especially non-ionising ones, which will improve prognosis, is of crucial importance. A number of novel imaging modalities have been developed but they are still in the initial stages of development and serious drawbacks obstruct them from offering their benefits to the medical field. In the 21 st century, it is believed that nanotechnology will highly influence our everyday life and dramatically change the world of medicine, including medical imaging. Here we discuss how nanotechnology, which is still in its infancy, can improve Terahertz (THz) imaging, an emerging imaging modality, and how it may find its way into real clinical applications. THz imaging is characterised by the use of non-ionising radiation and although it has the potential to be used in many biomedical fields, it remains in the field of basic research. An extensive review of the recent available literature shows how the current state of this emerging imaging modality can be transformed by nanotechnology. Innovative scientific concepts that use nanotechnology-based techniques to overcome some of the limitations of the use of THz imaging are discussed. We review a number of drawbacks, such as a low contrast mechanism, poor source performance and bulky THz systems, which characterise present THz medical imaging and suggest how they can be overcome through nanotechnology. Better resolution and higher detection sensitivity can also be achieved using nanotechnology techniques. PMID:24555052

  14. Nanotechnology applications in urology: a review.

    PubMed

    Maddox, Michael; Liu, James; Mandava, Sree Harsha; Callaghan, Cameron; John, Vijay; Lee, Benjamin R

    2014-11-01

    The objectives of this review are to discuss the current literature and summarise some of the promising areas with which nanotechnology may improve urological care. A Medline literature search was performed to elucidate all relevant studies of nanotechnology with specific attention to its application in urology. Urological applications of nanotechnology include its use in medical imaging, gene therapy, drug delivery, and photothermal ablation of tumours. In vitro and animal studies have shown initial encouraging results. Further study of nanotechnology for urological applications is warranted to bridge the gap between preclinical studies and translation into clinical practice, but nanomedicine has shown significant potential to improve urological patient care. © 2014 The Authors. BJU International © 2014 BJU International.

  15. How Japanese students reason about agricultural biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Maekawa, Fumi; Macer, Darryl

    2004-10-01

    Many have claimed that education of the ethical issues raised by biotechnology is essential in universities, but there is little knowledge of its effectiveness. The focus of this paper is to investigate how university students assess the information given in class to make their own value judgments and decisions relating to issues of agricultural biotechnology, especially over genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Analysis of homework reports related with agricultural biotechnology after identification of key concepts and ideas in each student report is presented. The ideas were sorted into different categories. The ideas were compared with those in the reading materials using the same categories. These categories included: concern about affects on humans, affects on the environment, developing countries and starvation, trust in industry, responsibility of scientists, risk perception, media influence, need for (international) organizations or third parties, and information dissemination. What was consistent through the different years was that more than half of the students took a "neutral" position. A report was scored as "neutral" when the report included both the positive and negative side of an issue, or when the student could not make a definite decision about the use of GMOs and GM food. While it may be more difficult to defend a strong ''for" or "against" position, some students used logical arguments successfully in doing so. Sample comments are presented to depict how Japanese students see agricultural technology, and how they value its application, with comparisons to the general social attitudes towards biotechnology.

  16. Protein nanotechnology: what is it?

    PubMed

    Gerrard, Juliet A

    2013-01-01

    Protein nanotechnology is an emerging field that is still defining itself. It embraces the intersection of protein science, which exists naturally at the nanoscale, and the burgeoning field of nanotechnology. In this opening chapter, a select review is given of some of the exciting nanostructures that have already been created using proteins, and the sorts of applications that protein engineers are reaching towards in the nanotechnology space. This provides an introduction to the rest of the volume, which provides inspirational case studies, along with tips and tools to manipulate proteins into new forms and architectures, beyond Nature's original intentions.

  17. A cross-sectional study of biotechnology awareness and teaching in European high schools.

    PubMed

    Vanderschuren, Hervé; Heinzmann, Dominik; Faso, Carmen; Stupak, Martin; Arga, Kazim Yalçin; Hoerzer, Helen; Laizet, Yech'an; Leduchowska, Paulina; Silva, Nádia; Simková, Klára

    2010-12-31

    Undoubtedly, biotechnology has a tremendous impact on our daily lives. As a result of this and in parallel to the advancement of knowledge in this field of applied research, consumer awareness of the potential benefits and risks of this technology has steadily increased, leading to a thorough investigation of the public perception of biotechnology in the past years. Indeed, it has become clear that it is in the general interest of science and especially of applied research to inform the public of its advances. A promising next step is to strengthen biotechnology communication in scholastic institutions. In this paper, we investigate the perception of biotechnology in a specific target group, namely high-school students in the 16-20-year-old age range. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey on a total of 1410 students in six European countries to investigate students' perception, concern, scientific knowledge, and awareness. Our data revealed some unexpected patterns of acceptance and concern about biotechnology. Knowledge analysis indicated that pupils lack specific knowledge about biotechnological applications and their interest in biotechnology appeared to be linked to knowledge. Analysis of specific questions about teaching practices at schools suggests that a better targeted choice in media as vehicles for information together with selected speakers could be instrumental in increasing students' interest in science and more specifically in biotechnology. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Biotechnology for Non-biology Majors: An Activity Using a Commercial Biotechnology Laboratory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wray, Francis P.; Fox, Mary C.; Huether, Carl A.; Schurdak, Eric R.

    2001-01-01

    Presents an inexpensive activity to stimulate student interest in biotechnology that was developed in partnership with a biotechnology company. Focuses on the use of DNA by a commercial laboratory; describing the analysis procedure; important uses of DNA technology in modern society; and ethical, social, and legal issues related to biotechnology.…

  19. The morality of attitudes toward nanotechnology: about God, techno-scientific progress, and interfering with nature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vandermoere, Frederic; Blanchemanche, Sandrine; Bieberstein, Andrea; Marette, Stephan; Roosen, Jutta

    2010-02-01

    Using survey data, we examine public attitudes toward and awareness of nanotechnology in Germany ( N = 750). First, it is shown that a majority of the people are still not familiar with nanotechnology. In addition, diffusion of information about nanotechnology thus far mostly seems to reach men and people with a relative higher educational background. Also, pro-science and technology views are positively related with nanotech familiarity. Results further show that a majority of the people have an indifferent, ambiguous, or non-attitude toward nanotechnology. Multinomial logit analyses further reveal that nanotech familiarity is positively related with people's attitudes. In addition, it is shown that traditional religiosity is unrelated to attitudes and that individual religiosity is weakly related to nanotechnology attitudes. However, moral covariates other than religiosity seem of major importance. In particular, our results show that more negative views on technological and scientific progress as well as more holistic views about the relation between people and the environment increase the likelihood of having a negative attitude toward nanotechnology.

  20. Inventory of nanotechnology companies in Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Appelbaum, Richard; Zayago Lau, Edgar; Foladori, Guillermo; Parker, Rachel; Vazquez, Laura Liliana Villa; Belmont, Eduardo Robles; Figueroa, Edgar Ramón Arteaga

    2016-02-01

    This study presents an inventory of 139 nanotechnology companies in Mexico, identifying their geographic distribution, economic sector classification, and position in the nanotechnology value chain. We find that the principal economic sector of nanotechnology-engaged firms involves the manufacture of chemical products, which largely serve as means of production (primary or intermediate materials; instruments and equipment) for industrial processes. The methodology used in this analysis could be replicated in other countries without major modifications.

  1. Nanotechnology in corneal neovascularization therapy--a review.

    PubMed

    Gonzalez, Lilian; Loza, Raymond J; Han, Kyu-Yeon; Sunoqrot, Suhair; Cunningham, Christy; Purta, Patryk; Drake, James; Jain, Sandeep; Hong, Seungpyo; Chang, Jin-Hong

    2013-03-01

    Nanotechnology is an up-and-coming branch of science that studies and designs materials with at least one dimension sized from 1-100 nm. These nanomaterials have unique functions at the cellular, atomic, and molecular levels. The term "nanotechnology" was first coined in 1974. Since then, it has evolved dramatically and now consists of distinct and independent scientific fields. Nanotechnology is a highly studied topic of interest, as nanoparticles can be applied to various fields ranging from medicine and pharmacology, to chemistry and agriculture, to environmental science and consumer goods. The rapidly evolving field of nanomedicine incorporates nanotechnology with medical applications, seeking to give rise to new diagnostic means, treatments, and tools. Over the past two decades, numerous studies that underscore the successful fusion of nanotechnology with novel medical applications have emerged. This has given rise to promising new therapies for a variety of diseases, especially cancer. It is becoming abundantly clear that nanotechnology has found a place in the medical field by providing new and more efficient ways to deliver treatment. Ophthalmology can also stand to benefit significantly from the advances in nanotechnology research. As it relates to the eye, research in the nanomedicine field has been particularly focused on developing various treatments to prevent and/or reduce corneal neovascularization among other ophthalmologic disorders. This review article aims to provide an overview of corneal neovascularization, currently available treatments, and where nanotechnology comes into play.

  2. Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Biotechnology of Elementary Education Preservice Teachers: The first Spanish experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casanoves, Marina; González, Ángel; Salvadó, Zoel; Haro, Juan; Novo, Maite

    2015-11-01

    Due to the important impact that biotechnology has on current Western societies, well-informed critical citizens are needed. People prepared to make conscious decisions about aspects of biotechnology that relate to their own lives. Teachers play a central role in all education systems. Thus, the biotechnological literacy of preservice teachers is an important consideration as they will become an influential collective as future teachers of the next generation of children. The attitudes toward science (and biotechnology) that teachers have affect their behavior and influence the way they implement their daily practice of science teaching in school. This study analyzes the attitudes and knowledge of Spanish preservice teachers toward biotechnology. We designed a new survey instrument that was completed by 407 university students who were taking official degree programs in preschool and primary education. Our results point out that although they are aware of biotechnology applications, topics concerning the structure of DNA, management of genetic information inside the cell, genetically modified organism technology and the use of microorganisms as biotechnological tools were not correctly answered. According to our attitude analysis, Spanish preservice teachers could be defined as opponents of genetically modified product acquisition, supporters of biotechnology for medical purposes and highly interested in increasing their knowledge about biotechnology and other scientific advances. Our results show a positive correlation between better knowledge and more positive attitudes toward biotechnology. A Spanish preservice teacher with positive attitudes toward biotechnology tends to be a student with a strong biology background who scored good marks in our knowledge test.

  3. Hearts and minds and nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Toumey, Chris

    2009-03-01

    New research by social scientists is presenting a clearer picture of the factors that influence the public perception of nanotechnology and, as Chris Toumey reports, the results present challenges for those working to increase public acceptance of nanoscience and technology.See focus on public perceptions of nanotechnology.

  4. Workshop Summary for Maintaining Innovation and Security in Biotechnology: Lessons Learned from Nuclear, Chemical, and Informational Technologies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Althouse, Paris

    In the fast-paced field of biotechnology where innovation has such far-reaching impacts on human health and the environment, dealing with the implications of possible illicit activities, accidents or unintended research consequences with potential detrimental societal impacts tends to remain in the background. While controls may be inevitable for the biotech industry, workshop attendees agreed that the way in which controls are implemented will play a major role in the agility and innovation of the biotechnology industry. There is little desire to slow down the pace of the gains while dealing with the security issues that arise. As was seen frommore » the brief examinations of the Nuclear, Chemical, and Information Technology sectors explored in this workshop, establishing a regulatory regime needs to be a partnership between the public, corporate interests, scientists, and the government. Regulation is often written to combat perceived risk rather than actual risk—the public’s perceptions (occasionally even fictional portrayals) can spur regulatory efforts. This leads to the need for a thorough and continuing assessment of the risks posed by modern biotechnology. Inadequate or minimal risk assessment might expedite development in the short term but has potential negative long-term security and economic consequences. Industry and the technical community also often have a large role in setting regulatory policy, especially when well-crafted incentives are incorporated into the regulations. Such incentives might actually lead to enhanced innovation while poorly designed incentives can actually reduce safety and security. Any regulations should be as agile and flexible as the technology they regulate and when applied to biotechnologies they will need a new framework for thinking and implementing. The new framework should consider biotechnology as a technology and not simply a science since it is an extremely complex and adaptive system. This suggests the need to

  5. The applications of nanotechnology in food industry.

    PubMed

    Rashidi, Ladan; Khosravi-Darani, Kianoush

    2011-09-01

    Nanotechnology has the potential of application in the food industry and processing as new tools for pathogen detection, disease treatment delivery systems, food packaging, and delivery of bioactive compounds to target sites. The application of nanotechnology in food systems will provide new methods to improve safety and the nutritional value of food products. This article will review the current advances of applications of nanotechnology in food science and technology. Also, it describes new current food laws for nanofood and novel articles in the field of risk assessment of using nanotechnology in the food industry.

  6. Risk of nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Louda, Petr; Bakalova, Totka

    2014-05-01

    Nano-this and nano-that. These days it seems you need the prefix "nano" for products or applications if you want to be either very trendy or incredibly scary. This "nano-trend" has assumed "mega" proportions. Vague promises of a better life are met by equally vague, generalized fears about a worse future. These debates have some aspects in common: the subject is complex and not easy to explain; there is no consensus on risks and benefits. - A particular problem with nanotechnology lies in the huge gap between the public perception of what the hype promises and the scientific and commercial reality of what the technology actually delivers today and in the near future. There is nanoscience, which is the study of phenomena and manipulation of material at the nanoscale, in essence an extension of existing sciences into the nanoscale. Then there is nanotechnology, which is the design, characterization, production and application of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size at the nanoscale. Nanotechnology should really be called nanotechnologies: There is no single field of nanotechnology. The term broadly refers to such fields as biology, physics or chemistry, any scientific field really, or a combination thereof, that deals with the deliberate and controlled manufacturing of nanostructures. In addressing the health and environmental impact of nanotechnology we need to differentiate two types of nanostructures: (1) Nanocomposites, nanostructured surfaces and nanocomponents (electronic, optical, sensors etc.), where nanoscale particles are incorporated into a substance, material or device ("fixed" nanoparticles); and (2) "free" nanoparticles, where at some stage in production or use individual nanoparticles of a substance are present. There are four entry routes for nanoparticles into the body: they can be inhaled, swallowed, absorbed through skin or be deliberately injected during medical procedures. Once within the body they are highly mobile and

  7. Knowledge and Attitudes towards Biotechnology of Elementary Education Preservice Teachers: The First Spanish Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casanoves, Marina; González, Ángel; Salvadó, Zoel; Haro, Juan; Novo, Maite

    2015-01-01

    Due to the important impact that biotechnology has on current Western societies, well-informed critical citizens are needed. People prepared to make conscious decisions about aspects of biotechnology that relate to their own lives. Teachers play a central role in all education systems. Thus, the biotechnological literacy of preservice teachers is…

  8. Frames and comparators: How might a debate on synthetic biology evolve?

    PubMed

    Torgersen, Helge; Schmidt, Markus

    2013-04-01

    A stimulated early public debate is frequently advocated when introducing an emerging technology like synthetic biology (SB). To debate a still quite abstract technology, participants functionally need a frame that determines which arguments are legitimate and which issues are relevant. Often, such frames are based on previous debates over other novel technologies. Three technologies currently provide frames for discussing SB: (green) biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology. In the biotechnology debate, risk has long been emphasised over economic benefits. More recently, nanotechnology has been referred to mostly in terms of benefits, while risks tended to be an issue for scientific discourses. This has frequently been related to the many outreach activities around nanotechnology. Information technology, finally, has retained the image of being 'cool' and useful on a personal level. The technology itself is taken for granted and only the consequences of particular applications have been up for discussion. Upstream engagement exercises in SB will have to consider the comparator chosen more diligently, because it might influence the debate on SB 'out there' in the long run.

  9. Frames and comparators: How might a debate on synthetic biology evolve?

    PubMed Central

    Torgersen, Helge; Schmidt, Markus

    2013-01-01

    A stimulated early public debate is frequently advocated when introducing an emerging technology like synthetic biology (SB). To debate a still quite abstract technology, participants functionally need a frame that determines which arguments are legitimate and which issues are relevant. Often, such frames are based on previous debates over other novel technologies. Three technologies currently provide frames for discussing SB: (green) biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology. In the biotechnology debate, risk has long been emphasised over economic benefits. More recently, nanotechnology has been referred to mostly in terms of benefits, while risks tended to be an issue for scientific discourses. This has frequently been related to the many outreach activities around nanotechnology. Information technology, finally, has retained the image of being ‘cool’ and useful on a personal level. The technology itself is taken for granted and only the consequences of particular applications have been up for discussion. Upstream engagement exercises in SB will have to consider the comparator chosen more diligently, because it might influence the debate on SB ‘out there’ in the long run. PMID:23805003

  10. Emerging Biomimetic Applications of DNA Nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Shen, Haijing; Wang, Yingqian; Wang, Jie; Li, Zhihao; Yuan, Quan

    2018-06-25

    Re-engineering cellular components and biological processes has received great interest and promised compelling advantages in applications ranging from basic cell biology to biomedicine. With the advent of DNA nanotechnology, the programmable self-assembly ability makes DNA an appealing candidate for rational design of artificial components with different structures and functions. This Forum Article summarizes recent developments of DNA nanotechnology in mimicking the structures and functions of existing cellular components. We highlight key successes in the achievements of DNA-based biomimetic membrane proteins and discuss the assembly behavior of these artificial proteins. Then, we focus on the construction of higher-order structures by DNA nanotechnology to recreate cell-like structures. Finally, we explore the current challenges and speculate on future directions of DNA nanotechnology in biomimetics.

  11. Integrating nanotechnology into school education: a review of the literature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghattas, Nadira I.; Carver, Jeffrey S.

    2012-11-01

    Background : In this era of rapid technical advancement, there are growing debates around the idea of nanotechnology, which are both timely and controversial. Nanotechnology materials are being utilized in our daily lives in many ways, often without consumer knowledge. Due to the explosion of nanotechnology applications, there is a necessity to update school science curricula by integrating nanotechnology-related concepts that are both relevant and meaningful to students. The integration of nanotechnology in school science curricula comes in response to nanoscientific development and our mission as educators to instill and arouse students' curiosity in learning about both what is and what will be more dominantly occupying the marketplace. Purpose : The purpose of this review was to set a baseline for the current work being conducted in moving nanotechnology-based activities into the school science setting. Design and methods: The review was implemented by searching LexisNexis Academic, EBSCOhost, Academic Search Complete, Education Search Complete as well as Google Scholar using search terms of nanotechnology, nanotechnology in schools, nanotechnology activities, history of nanotechnology, implications of nanotechnology, issues of nanotechnology and related combinations with nanotechnology as a consistent keyword. Returned articles were categorized by thematic content with primary and seminal work being given priority for inclusion. Conclusions : Current literature in the area of nanotechnology integration into school science curricula presented seven key categories of discussion: the origins of nanotechnology, challenges for educational implementation, currently available school activities, current consumer product applications, ethical issues, recommendations for educational policy, and implications of nanotechnology. There is limited availability of school-based activities. There are strong proponents for including nanotechnology in school science curricula

  12. Nanotechnology overview: Opportunities and challenges

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Nanotechnology can be defined as the science of manipulating matter at the nanometer scale in order to discover new properties and possibly produce new products. For the past 30 years, a considerable amount of scientific interest and R&D funding devoted to nanotechnology has led to rapid developmen...

  13. Nanotechnology: From "Wow" to "Yuck"?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kulinowski, Kristen

    2004-01-01

    Nanotechnology is science and engineering resulting from the manipulation of matter's most basic building blocks: atoms and molecules. As such, nanotechnology promises unprecedented control over both the materials we use and the means of their production. Such control could revolutionize nearly every sector of our economy, including medicine,…

  14. Nanotechnology in agri-food production: an overview

    PubMed Central

    Sekhon, Bhupinder Singh

    2014-01-01

    Nanotechnology is one of the most important tools in modern agriculture, and agri-food nanotechnology is anticipated to become a driving economic force in the near future. Agri-food themes focus on sustainability and protection of agriculturally produced foods, including crops for human consumption and animal feeding. Nanotechnology provides new agrochemical agents and new delivery mechanisms to improve crop productivity, and it promises to reduce pesticide use. Nanotechnology can boost agricultural production, and its applications include: 1) nanoformulations of agrochemicals for applying pesticides and fertilizers for crop improvement; 2) the application of nanosensors/nanobiosensors in crop protection for the identification of diseases and residues of agrochemicals; 3) nanodevices for the genetic manipulation of plants; 4) plant disease diagnostics; 5) animal health, animal breeding, poultry production; and 6) postharvest management. Precision farming techniques could be used to further improve crop yields but not damage soil and water, reduce nitrogen loss due to leaching and emissions, as well as enhance nutrients long-term incorporation by soil microorganisms. Nanotechnology uses include nanoparticle-mediated gene or DNA transfer in plants for the development of insect-resistant varieties, food processing and storage, nanofeed additives, and increased product shelf life. Nanotechnology promises to accelerate the development of biomass-to-fuels production technologies. Experts feel that the potential benefits of nanotechnology for agriculture, food, fisheries, and aquaculture need to be balanced against concerns for the soil, water, and environment and the occupational health of workers. Raising awareness of nanotechnology in the agri-food sector, including feed and food ingredients, intelligent packaging and quick-detection systems, is one of the keys to influencing consumer acceptance. On the basis of only a handful of toxicological studies, concerns have

  15. Healthcare biotechnology in India.

    PubMed

    Srivastava, L M

    2005-01-01

    Biotechnology in India has made great progress in the development of infrastructure, manpower, research and development and manufacturing of biological reagents, biodiagnostics, biotherapeutics, therapeutic and, prophylactic vaccines and biodevices. Many of these indigenous biological reagents, biodiagnostics, therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines and biodevices have been commercialized. Commercially when biotechnology revenue has reached $25 billions in the U.S. alone in 2000 excluding the revenues of biotech companies that were acquired by pharmaceutical companies, India has yet to register a measurable success. The conservative nature and craze of the Indian Industry for marketing imported biotechnology products, lack of Government support, almost non-existing national healthcare system and lack of trained managers for marketing biological and new products seem to be the important factors responsible for poor economic development of biotechnology in India. With the liberalization of Indian economy, more and more imported biotechnology products will enter into the Indian market. The conditions of internal development of biotechnology are not likely to improve in the near future and it is destined to grow only very slowly. Even today biotechnology in India may be called to be in its infancy.

  16. Numbers, scale and symbols: the public understanding of nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Batt, Carl A.; Waldron, Anna M.; Broadwater, Natalie

    2008-10-01

    Nanotechnology will be an increasing part of the everyday lives of most people in the world. There is a general recognition that few people understand the implications of the technology, the technology itself or even the definition of the word. This lack of understanding stems from a lack of knowledge about science in general but more specifically difficulty in grasping the size scale and symbolism of nanotechnology. A potential key to informing the general public is establishing the ability to comprehend the scale of nanotechnology. Transitioning from the macro to the nanoscale seems to require an ability to comprehend scales of one-billion. Scaling is a skill not common in most individuals and tests of their ability to extrapolate size based upon scaling a common object demonstrates that most individuals cannot scale to the extent needed to make the transition to nanoscale. Symbolism is another important vehicle to providing the general public with a basis to understand the concepts of nanotechnology. With increasing age, individuals are able to draw representations of atomic scale objects, but these tend to be iconic and the different representations not easily translated. Ball and stick models are most recognized by the public, which provides an opportunity to present not only useful symbolism but also a reference point for the atomic scale.

  17. Pharmacogenomics and Nanotechnology Toward Advancing Personalized Medicine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vizirianakis, Ioannis S.; Amanatiadou, Elsa P.

    The target of personalized medicine to achieve major benefits for all patients in terms of diagnosis and drug delivery can be facilitated by creating a sincere multidisciplinary information-based infrastructure in health care. To this end, nanotechnology, pharmacogenomics, and informatics can advance the utility of personalized medicine, enable clinical translation of genomic knowledge, empower healthcare environment, and finally improve clinical outcomes.

  18. Fungal biodiversity to biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Chambergo, Felipe S; Valencia, Estela Y

    2016-03-01

    Fungal habitats include soil, water, and extreme environments. With around 100,000 fungus species already described, it is estimated that 5.1 million fungus species exist on our planet, making fungi one of the largest and most diverse kingdoms of eukaryotes. Fungi show remarkable metabolic features due to a sophisticated genomic network and are important for the production of biotechnological compounds that greatly impact our society in many ways. In this review, we present the current state of knowledge on fungal biodiversity, with special emphasis on filamentous fungi and the most recent discoveries in the field of identification and production of biotechnological compounds. More than 250 fungus species have been studied to produce these biotechnological compounds. This review focuses on three of the branches generally accepted in biotechnological applications, which have been identified by a color code: red, green, and white for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial biotechnology, respectively. We also discuss future prospects for the use of filamentous fungi in biotechnology application.

  19. NASA Applications of Molecular Nanotechnology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Globus, Al; Bailey, David; Han, Jie; Jaffe, Richard; Levit, Creon; Merkle, Ralph; Srivastava, Deepak

    1998-01-01

    Laboratories throughout the world are rapidly gaining atomically precise control over matter. As this control extends to an ever wider variety of materials, processes and devices, opportunities for applications relevant to NASA's missions will be created. This document surveys a number of future molecular nanotechnology capabilities of aerospace interest. Computer applications, launch vehicle improvements, and active materials appear to be of particular interest. We also list a number of applications for each of NASA's enterprises. If advanced molecular nanotechnology can be developed, almost all of NASA's endeavors will be radically improved. In particular, a sufficiently advanced molecular nanotechnology can arguably bring large scale space colonization within our grasp.

  20. Nanotechnology and Secondary Science Teacher's Self-Efficacy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cox, Elena K.

    The recommendations of the United States President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and the multi-agency National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) identified the need to prepare the workforce and specialists in the field of nanotechnology in order for the United States to continue to compete in the global marketplace. There is a lack of research reported in recent literature on the readiness of secondary science teachers to introduce higher level sciences---specifically nanotechnology---in their classes. The central research question of this study examined secondary science teachers' beliefs about teaching nanotechnology comfortably, effectively, and successfully. Bandura's self-efficacy theory provided the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. A data analysis rubric was used to identify themes and patterns that emerged from detailed descriptions during in-depth interviews with 15 secondary science teachers. The analysis revealed the shared, lived experiences of teachers and their beliefs about their effectiveness and comfort in teaching higher-level sciences, specifically nanotechnology. The results of the study indicated that, with rare exceptions, secondary science teachers do not feel comfortable or effective, nor do they believe they have adequate training to teach nanotechnology concepts to their students. These teachers believed they were not prepared or trained in incorporating these higher level science concepts in the curriculum. Secondary science teachers' self-efficacy and personal beliefs of effectiveness in teaching nanotechnology can be an important component in achieving a positive social change by helping to familiarize high school students with nanotechnology and how it can benefit society and the future of science.

  1. Nanotechnology - An emerging technology

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Buckingham, D.

    2007-01-01

    The science of nanotechnology is still in its infancy. However, progress is being made in research and development of potential beneficial properties of nanomaterials that could play an integral part in the development of new and changing uses for mineral commodities. Nanotechnology is a kind of toolbox that allows industry to make nanomaterials and nanostructures with special properties. New nanotechnology applications of mineral commodities in their nanoscale form are being discovered, researched and developed. At the same time, there is continued research into environmental, human health and safety concerns that inherently arise from the development of a new technology. Except for a few nanomaterials (CNTs, copper, silver and zinc oxide), widespread applications are hampered by processing and suitable commercial-scale production techniques, high manufacturing costs, product price, and environmental, and human health and safety concerns. Whether nanotechnology causes a tidal wave of change or is a long-term evolutionary process of technology, new applications of familiar mineral commodities will be created. As research and development continues, the ability to manipulate matter at the nanoscale into increasingly sophisticated nanomaterials will improve and open up new possibilities for industry that will change the flow and use of mineral commodities and the materials and products that are used.

  2. Nanotechnology in Radiation Oncology

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Andrew Z.; Tepper, Joel E.

    2014-01-01

    Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter on atomic and molecular scales, is a relatively new branch of science. It has already made a significant impact on clinical medicine, especially in oncology. Nanomaterial has several characteristics that are ideal for oncology applications, including preferential accumulation in tumors, low distribution in normal tissues, biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, and clearance, that differ from those of small molecules. Because these properties are also well suited for applications in radiation oncology, nanomaterials have been used in many different areas of radiation oncology for imaging and treatment planning, as well as for radiosensitization to improve the therapeutic ratio. In this article, we review the unique properties of nanomaterials that are favorable for oncology applications and examine the various applications of nanotechnology in radiation oncology. We also discuss the future directions of nanotechnology within the context of radiation oncology. PMID:25113769

  3. International strategy for Nanotechnology Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roco, M. C.

    2001-12-01

    The worldwide nanotechnology research and development (R&D) investment reported by government organizations has increased by a factor of 3.5 between 1997 and 2001, and the highest rate of 90% is in 2001. At least 30 countries have initiated or are beginning national activities in this field. Scientists have opened a broad net of discoveries that does not leave any major research area untouched in physical, biological, and engineering sciences. Industry has gained confidence that nanotechnology will bring competitive advantages. The worldwide annual industrial production is estimated to exceed 1 trillion in 10-15 years from now, which would require about 2 million nanotechnology workers. U.S. has initiated a multidisciplinary strategy for development of science and engineering fundamentals through the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Japan and Europe have broad programs, and their current plans look ahead to four to five years. Other countries have encouraged their own areas of strength, several of them focusing on fields of the potential markets. Differences among countries are observed in the research domain they are aiming for, the level of program integration into various industrial sectors, and in the time scale of their R & D targets. Nanotechnology is growing in an environment where international interactions accelerate in science, education and industrial R & D. A global strategy of mutual interest is envisioned by connecting individual programs of contributing countries, professional communities, and international organizations.

  4. German innovation initiative for nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rieke, Volker; Bachmann, Gerd

    2004-10-01

    In many areas of nanotechnology, Germany can count on a good knowledge basis due to its diverse activities in nanosciences. This knowledge basis, when paired with the production and sales structures needed for implementation and the internationally renowned German talent for system integration, should consequently lead to success in the marketplace. And this is exactly the field of application for the innovation initiative "Nanotechnologie erobert Märkte" (nanotechnology conquers markets) and for the new BMBF strategy in support of nanotechnology. Until now, aspects of nanotechnology have been advanced within the confines of their respective technical subject areas. However, the primary aim of incorporating them into an overall national strategy is to build on Germany's well-developed and internationally competitive research in science and technology to tap the potential of Germany's important industrial sectors for the application of nanotechnology through joint research projects (leading-edge innovations) that strategically target the value-added chain. This development is to be supported by government education policy to remedy a threatening shortage of skilled professionals. To realize that goal, forward-looking political policymaking must become oriented to a uniform concept of innovation, one that takes into consideration all facets of new technological advances that can contribute to a new culture of innovation in Germany. And that includes education and research policy as well as a climate that encourages and supports innovation in science, business and society.

  5. Bioprospecting and biotechnological applications of fungal laccase.

    PubMed

    Upadhyay, Pooja; Shrivastava, Rahul; Agrawal, Pavan Kumar

    2016-06-01

    Laccase belongs to a small group of enzymes called the blue multicopper oxidases, having the potential ability of oxidation. It belongs to enzymes, which have innate properties of reactive radical production, but its utilization in many fields has been ignored because of its unavailability in the commercial field. There are diverse sources of laccase producing organisms like bacteria, fungi and plants. In fungi, laccase is present in Ascomycetes, Deuteromycetes, Basidiomycetes and is particularly abundant in many white-rot fungi that degrade lignin. Laccases can degrade both phenolic and non-phenolic compounds. They also have the ability to detoxify a range of environmental pollutants. Due to their property to detoxify a range of pollutants, they have been used for several purposes in many industries including paper, pulp, textile and petrochemical industries. Some other application of laccase includes in food processing industry, medical and health care. Recently, laccase has found applications in other fields such as in the design of biosensors and nanotechnology. The present review provides an overview of biological functions of laccase, its mechanism of action, laccase mediator system, and various biotechnological applications of laccase obtained from endophytic fungi.

  6. Upstream oversight assessment for agrifood nanotechnology: a case studies approach.

    PubMed

    Kuzma, Jennifer; Romanchek, James; Kokotovich, Adam

    2008-08-01

    Although nanotechnology is broadly receiving attention in public and academic circles, oversight issues associated with applications for agriculture and food remain largely unexplored. Agrifood nanotechnology is at a critical stage in which informed analysis can help shape funding priorities, risk assessment, and oversight activities. This analysis is designed to help society and policymakers anticipate and prepare for challenges posed by complicated, convergent applications of agrifood nanotechnology. The goal is to identify data, risk assessment, regulatory policy, and engagement needs for overseeing these products so they can be addressed prior to market entry. Our approach, termed upstream oversight assessment (UOA), has potential as a key element of anticipatory governance. It relies on distinct case studies of proposed applications of agrifood nanotechnology to highlight areas that need study and attention. As a tool for preparation, UOA anticipates the types and features of emerging applications; their endpoints of use in society; the extent to which users, workers, ecosystems, or consumers will be exposed; the nature of the material and its safety; whether and where the technologies might fit into current regulatory system(s); the strengths and weaknesses of the system(s) in light of these novel applications; and the possible social concerns related to oversight for them.

  7. Nanotechnology: A Vast Field for the Creative Mind

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Benavides, Jeannette

    2003-01-01

    Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing field worldwide. Nanotechnology is the development of smart systems for many different applications by building from the molecular level up. Current research, sponsored by The National Nanotechnology Alliance in the US will be described. Future needs in manpower of different disciplines will be discussed. Nanotechnology is a field of research that could allow developing countries to establish a technological infrastructure. The nature of nanotechnology requires professionals in many areas, such as engineers, chemists, physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists, materials scientists, etc. One of the materials that provide unique properties for nanotechnology is carbon nanotubes. At Goddard we have develop a process to produce nanotubes at lower costs and without metal catalysts which will be of great importance for the development of new materials for space applications and others outside NASA. Nanotechnology in general is a very broad and exciting field that will provide the technologies of tomorrow including biomedical applications for the betterment of mankind. There is room in this area for many researchers all over the world. The key is collaboration, nationally and internationally.

  8. Experiences in supporting the structured collection of cancer nanotechnology data using caNanoLab

    PubMed Central

    Gaheen, Sharon; Lijowski, Michal; Heiskanen, Mervi; Klemm, Juli

    2015-01-01

    Summary The cancer Nanotechnology Laboratory (caNanoLab) data portal is an online nanomaterial database that allows users to submit and retrieve information on well-characterized nanomaterials, including composition, in vitro and in vivo experimental characterizations, experimental protocols, and related publications. Initiated in 2006, caNanoLab serves as an established resource with an infrastructure supporting the structured collection of nanotechnology data to address the needs of the cancer biomedical and nanotechnology communities. The portal contains over 1,000 curated nanomaterial data records that are publicly accessible for review, comparison, and re-use, with the ultimate goal of accelerating the translation of nanotechnology-based cancer therapeutics, diagnostics, and imaging agents to the clinic. In this paper, we will discuss challenges associated with developing a nanomaterial database and recognized needs for nanotechnology data curation and sharing in the biomedical research community. We will also describe the latest version of caNanoLab, caNanoLab 2.0, which includes enhancements and new features to improve usability such as personalized views of data and enhanced search and navigation. PMID:26425409

  9. NASA Efforts on Nanotechnology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miranda, Felix A.

    2003-01-01

    An overview of the field of nanotechnology within the theme of "New efforts in Nanotechnology Research," will be presented. NASA's interest, requirements and current efforts in this emerging field will be discussed. In particular, NASA efforts to develop nanoelectronic devices, fuel cells, and other applications of interest using this novel technology by collaborating with academia will be addressed. Progress on current collaborations in this area with the University of Puerto Rico will be highlighted.

  10. Statement Testimony of Mr. Alan Shaffer, Principal Deputy, Defense Research and Engineering, Before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-03-13

    neuroscience , biotechnology, immersive technology, quantum information science, nanotechnology, and autonomous systems. The Army has also increased...already occurred within the intelligence community. These include (but were not limited to) a 10 Gigabit/second encryption to NSA , delivering a

  11. Nanotechnology Concepts at MSFC: Engineering Directorate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bhat, Biliyar; Kaul, Raj; Shah, Sandeep; Smithers, Gweneth; Watson, Michael D.

    2000-01-01

    Nanotechnology is the art and science of building materials and devices at the ultimate level of finesse: atom by atom. Our nation's space program has needs for miniaturization of components, minimization of weight and maximization of performance, and nanotechnology will help us get there. MSFC - Engineering Directorate (ED) is committed to developing nanotechnology that will enable MSFC missions in space transportation, space science and space optics manufacturing. MSFC-ED has a dedicated group of technologists who are currently developing high pay-off nanotechnology concepts. This poster presentation will outline some of the concepts being developed at this time including, nanophase structural materials, carbon nanotube reinforced metal and polymer matrix composites, nanotube temperature sensors and aerogels. The poster will outline these concepts and discuss associated technical challenges in turning these concepts into real components and systems.

  12. Advances in Nanotechnology for Restorative Dentistry.

    PubMed

    Khurshid, Zohaib; Zafar, Muhammad; Qasim, Saad; Shahab, Sana; Naseem, Mustafa; AbuReqaiba, Ammar

    2015-02-16

    Rationalizing has become a new trend in the world of science and technology. Nanotechnology has ascended to become one of the most favorable technologies, and one which will change the application of materials in different fields. The quality of dental biomaterials has been improved by the emergence of nanotechnology. This technology manufactures materials with much better properties or by improving the properties of existing materials. The science of nanotechnology has become the most popular area of research, currently covering a broad range of applications in dentistry. This review describes the basic concept of nanomaterials, recent innovations in nanomaterials and their applications in restorative dentistry. Advances in nanotechnologies are paving the future of dentistry, and there are a plenty of hopes placed on nanomaterials in terms of improving the health care of dental patients.

  13. Advances in Nanotechnology for Restorative Dentistry

    PubMed Central

    Khurshid, Zohaib; Zafar, Muhammad; Qasim, Saad; Shahab, Sana; Naseem, Mustafa; AbuReqaiba, Ammar

    2015-01-01

    Rationalizing has become a new trend in the world of science and technology. Nanotechnology has ascended to become one of the most favorable technologies, and one which will change the application of materials in different fields. The quality of dental biomaterials has been improved by the emergence of nanotechnology. This technology manufactures materials with much better properties or by improving the properties of existing materials. The science of nanotechnology has become the most popular area of research, currently covering a broad range of applications in dentistry. This review describes the basic concept of nanomaterials, recent innovations in nanomaterials and their applications in restorative dentistry. Advances in nanotechnologies are paving the future of dentistry, and there are a plenty of hopes placed on nanomaterials in terms of improving the health care of dental patients. PMID:28787967

  14. Crop Biotechnology. Where Now?

    PubMed Central

    Miflin, B. J.

    2000-01-01

    Abstract Nature Biotechnology organized a conference in London on Agbiotech 99: Biotechnology and World Agriculture (November 14-16, 1999). The conference focused entirely on crop biotechnology and covered both societal and scientific aspects. Below is an account of the more important issues raised by the speakers and the audience. PMID:10806221

  15. Nanotechnology: The Incredible Invisible World

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Amanda S.

    2011-01-01

    The concept of nanotechnology was first introduced in 1959 by Richard Feynman at a meeting of the American Physical Society. Nanotechnology opens the door to an exciting new science/technology/engineering field. The possibilities for the uses of this technology should inspire the imagination to think big. Many are already pursuing such feats…

  16. Recovery of biotechnological products using aqueous two phase systems.

    PubMed

    Phong, Win Nee; Show, Pau Loke; Chow, Yin Hui; Ling, Tau Chuan

    2018-04-16

    Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) has been suggested as a promising separation tool in the biotechnological industry. This liquid-liquid extraction technique represents an interesting advance in downstream processing due to several advantages such as simplicity, rapid separation, efficiency, economy, flexibility and biocompatibility. Up to date, a range of biotechnological products have been successfully recovered from different sources with high yield using ATPS-based strategy. In view of the important potential contribution of the ATPS in downstream processing, this review article aims to provide latest information about the application of ATPS in the recovery of various biotechnological products in the past 7 years (2010-2017). Apart from that, the challenges as well as the possible future work and outlook of the ATPS-based recovery method have also been presented in this review article. Copyright © 2018 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. National Nanotechnology Initiative: Driving Innovation & Competitiveness

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-09-19

    networking & IT National Nanotechnology Initiative Complex biological systems Environment Next Generation Air Transportation Systems Federal scientific ... collections Science of Science Policy Slide 9: A little history about the National Nanotechnology Initiative: The interagency program was

  18. PREFACE: IV Nanotechnology International Forum (RUSNANOTECH 2011)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dvurechenskii, Anatoly; Alfimov, Mikhail; Suzdalev, Igor; Osiko, Vyacheslav; Khokhlov, Aleksey; Son, Eduard; Skryabin, Konstantin; Petrov, Rem; Deev, Sergey

    2012-02-01

    Logo The RUSNANOTECH 2011 International Forum on Nanotechnology was held from 26-28 October 2011, in Moscow, Russia. It was the fourth forum organized by RUSNANO (Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies) since 2008. In March 2011 RUSNANO was established as an open joint-stock company through the reorganization of the state corporation Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies. RUSNANO's mission is to develop the Russian nanotechnology industry through co-investment in nanotechnology projects with substantial economic potential or social benefit. Within the framework of the Forum Science and Technology Program, presentations on key trends of nanotechnology development were given by foreign and Russian scientists, R&D officers of leading international companies, universities and scientific centers. The science and technology program of the Forum was divided into four sections as follows (by following hyperlinks you may find each section's program including videos of all oral presentations): Nanoelectronics and Nanophotonics Nanomaterials Nanotechnology and Green Energy Nanotechnology in Healthcare and Pharma (United business and science & technology section on 'RUSNANOTECH 2011') The scientific program of the forum included more than 50 oral presentations by leading scientists from 15 countries. Among them were world-known specialists such as Professor S Bader (Argonne National Laboratory, USA), Professor O Farokzhad (Harvard Medical School, USA), Professor K Chien (Massachusetts General Hospital, USA), Professor L Liz-Marzan (University of Vigo), A Luque (Polytechnic University of Madrid) and many others. The poster session consisted of over 120 presentations, 90 of which were presented in the framework of the young scientists' nanotechnology papers competition. This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series includes a selection of 47 submissions. Section editors of the proceedings: Nanoelectronics and nanophotonics Corresponding Member of Russian Academy of

  19. Nanotechnology enabled sensors and wireless sensing networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsui, Ray; Zhang, Ruth; Mastroianni, Sal; Díaz Aguilar, Alvaro; Forzani, Erica; Tao, Nongjian

    2009-05-01

    The capabilities of future mobile communication devices will extend beyond merely transmitting and receiving voice, data, and video information. For example, first responders such as firefighters and emergency workers will wear environmentally- aware devices that will warn them of combustible and toxic gases as well as communicate that information wirelessly to the Command and Control Center. Similar sensor systems could alert warfighters of the presence of explosives or biological weapons. These systems can function either in the form of an individual stand-alone detector or part of a wireless sensor network. Novel sensors whose functionality is enhanced via nanotechnology will play a key role in realizing such systems. Such sensors are important because of their high sensitivity, low power consumption, and small size. This talk will provide an overview of some of the advances made in sensors through the use of nanotechnology, including those that make use of carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles. Their applicability in mobile sensing and wireless sensor networks for use in national security and public safety will be described. Other technical challenges associated with the development of such systems and networks will also be discussed.

  20. Nanotechnology: A Vast Field For The Creative Mind

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Benavides, Jeannette

    2004-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation gives examples of possible future uses of nanotechnology, with some emphasis on carbon nanotubes and medical applications. The presentation provides an overview of organizations conducting nanotechnology research in the United States, and suggests a timeline for nanotechnology development.

  1. Traditional Chinese Biotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Yan; Wang, Dong; Fan, Wen Lai; Mu, Xiao Qing; Chen, Jian

    The earliest industrial biotechnology originated in ancient China and developed into a vibrant industry in traditional Chinese liquor, rice wine, soy sauce, and vinegar. It is now a significant component of the Chinese economy valued annually at about 150 billion RMB. Although the production methods had existed and remained basically unchanged for centuries, modern developments in biotechnology and related fields in the last decades have greatly impacted on these industries and led to numerous technological innovations. In this chapter, the main biochemical processes and related technological innovations in traditional Chinese biotechnology are illustrated with recent advances in functional microbiology, microbial ecology, solid-state fermentation, enzymology, chemistry of impact flavor compounds, and improvements made to relevant traditional industrial facilities. Recent biotechnological advances in making Chinese liquor, rice wine, soy sauce, and vinegar are reviewed.

  2. ANTS: Exploring the Solar System with an Autonomous Nanotechnology Swarm

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clark, P. E.; Curtis, S.; Rilee, M.; Truszkowski, W.; Marr, G.

    2002-01-01

    ANTS (Autonomous Nano-Technology Swarm), a NASA advanced mission concept, calls for a large (1000 member) swarm of pico-class (1 kg) totally autonomous spacecraft to prospect the asteroid belt. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

  3. Broader Societal Issues of Nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roco, M. C.

    2003-08-01

    Nanoscale science and engineering are providing unprecedented understanding and control over the basic building blocks of matter, leading to increased coherence in knowledge, technology, and education. The main reason for developing nanotechnology is to advance broad societal goals such as improved comprehension of nature, increased productivity, better healthcare, and extending the limits of sustainable development and of human potential. This paper outlines societal implication activities in nanotechnology R&D programs. The US National Nanotechnology Initiative annual investment in research with educational and societal implications is estimated at about 30 million (of which National Science Foundation (NSF) awards about 23 million including contributions to student fellowships), and in nanoscale research with relevance to environment at about 50 million (of which NSF awards about 30 million and EPA about 6 million). An appeal is made to researchers and funding organizations worldwide to take timely and responsible advantage of the new technology for economic and sustainable development, to initiate societal implications studies from the beginning of the nanotechnology programs, and to communicate effectively the goals and potential risks with research users and the public.

  4. Nanotechnology and the need for risk governance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Renn, O.; Roco, M. C.

    2006-04-01

    After identifying the main characteristics and prospects of nanotechnology as an emerging technology, the paper presents the general risks associated with nanotechnology applications and the deficits of the risk governance process today, concluding with recommendations to governments, industry, international organizations and other stakeholders. The International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) has identified a governance gap between the requirements pertaining to the nano- rather than the micro-/macro- technologies. The novel attributes of nanotechnology demand different routes for risk-benefit assessment and risk management, and at present, nanotechnology innovation proceeds ahead of the policy and regulatory environment. In the shorter term, the governance gap is significant for those passive nanostructures that are currently in production and have high exposure rates; and is especially significant for the several `active' nanoscale structures and nanosystems that we can expect to be on the market in the near future. Active nanoscale structures and nanosystems have the potential to affect not only human health and the environment but also aspects of social lifestyle, human identity and cultural values. The main recommendations of the report deal with selected higher risk nanotechnology applications, short- and long-term issues, and global models for nanotechnology governance.

  5. Recent progress in the therapeutic applications of nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Solomon, Melani; D'Souza, Gerard G M

    2011-04-01

    The field of pharmaceutical and medical nanotechnology has grown rapidly in recent decades and offers much promise for therapeutic advances. This review is intended to serve as a quick summary of the major areas in the therapeutic application of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology for therapeutic application falls into two broad categories of particulate systems and nanoengineered devices. Recent studies appear to focus on the development of multifunctional particles for drug delivery and imaging and the development of nanotechnology-based biosensors for diagnostic applications. Cancer treatment and diagnosis appears to be the principal focus of many of these applications, but nanotechnology is also finding application in tissue engineering and surface engineering of medical implants. Particulate drug delivery systems in general appear to be poised for increased use in the clinic, whereas nanoengineered implants and diagnostic sensors might well be the next major wave in the medical use of nanotechnology.

  6. Cultural diversity in nanotechnology ethics.

    PubMed

    Schummer, Joachim

    2011-01-01

    Along with the rapid worldwide advance of nanotechnology, debates on associated ethical issues have spread from local to international levels. However unlike science and engineering issues, international perceptions of ethical issues are very diverse. This paper provides an analysis of how sociocultural factors such as language, cultural heritage, economics and politics can affect how people perceive ethical issues of nanotechnology. By attempting to clarify the significance of sociocultural issues in ethical considerations my aim is to support the ongoing international dialogue on nanotechnology. At the same time I pose the general question of ethical relativism in engineering ethics, that is to say whether or not different ethical views are irreconcilable on a fundamental level.

  7. Nanotechnology: The new perspective in precision agriculture.

    PubMed

    Duhan, Joginder Singh; Kumar, Ravinder; Kumar, Naresh; Kaur, Pawan; Nehra, Kiran; Duhan, Surekha

    2017-09-01

    Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary research field. In recent past efforts have been made to improve agricultural yield through exhaustive research in nanotechnology. The green revolution resulted in blind usage of pesticides and chemical fertilizers which caused loss of soil biodiversity and developed resistance against pathogens and pests as well. Nanoparticle-mediated material delivery to plants and advanced biosensors for precision farming are possible only by nanoparticles or nanochips. Nanoencapsulated conventional fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides helps in slow and sustained release of nutrients and agrochemicals resulting in precise dosage to the plants. Nanotechnology based plant viral disease detection kits are also becoming popular and are useful in speedy and early detection of viral diseases. In this article, the potential uses and benefits of nanotechnology in precision agriculture are discussed. The modern nanotechnology based tools and techniques have the potential to address the various problems of conventional agriculture and can revolutionize this sector.

  8. Nanotechnology research: applications in nutritional sciences.

    PubMed

    Srinivas, Pothur R; Philbert, Martin; Vu, Tania Q; Huang, Qingrong; Kokini, Josef L; Saltos, Etta; Saos, Etta; Chen, Hongda; Peterson, Charles M; Friedl, Karl E; McDade-Ngutter, Crystal; Hubbard, Van; Starke-Reed, Pamela; Miller, Nancy; Betz, Joseph M; Dwyer, Johanna; Milner, John; Ross, Sharon A

    2010-01-01

    The tantalizing potential of nanotechnology is to fabricate and combine nanoscale approaches and building blocks to make useful tools and, ultimately, interventions for medical science, including nutritional science, at the scale of approximately 1-100 nm. In the past few years, tools and techniques that facilitate studies and interventions in the nanoscale range have become widely available and have drawn widespread attention. Recently, investigators in the food and nutrition sciences have been applying the tools of nanotechnology in their research. The Experimental Biology 2009 symposium entitled "Nanotechnology Research: Applications in Nutritional Sciences" was organized to highlight emerging applications of nanotechnology to the food and nutrition sciences, as well as to suggest ways for further integration of these emerging technologies into nutrition research. Speakers focused on topics that included the problems and possibilities of introducing nanoparticles in clinical or nutrition settings, nanotechnology applications for increasing bioavailability of bioactive food components in new food products, nanotechnology opportunities in food science, as well as emerging safety and regulatory issues in this area, and the basic research applications such as the use of quantum dots to visualize cellular processes and protein-protein interactions. The session highlighted several emerging areas of potential utility in nutrition research. Nutrition scientists are encouraged to leverage ongoing efforts in nanomedicine through collaborations. These efforts could facilitate exploration of previously inaccessible cellular compartments and intracellular pathways and thus uncover strategies for new prevention and therapeutic modalities.

  9. National nanotechnology partnership to protect workers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howard, John; Murashov, Vladimir

    2009-10-01

    Nanotechnology is predicted to improve many aspects of human life. By 2015, it is estimated to represent 3.1 trillion in manufactured goods. Data is emerging that exposure to nanomaterials may pose a health risk to workers. If the economic promise of nanotechnology is to be achieved, ways need to be found to protect nanotechnology workers now. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) gave the responsibility to protect workers to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through research, standards adoption, and standards enforcement. Since 1980, adopting new occupational health standards has grown more complex. The increased complexity has greatly slowed efforts to adopt protective standards for toxic agents that are well-known to pose significant risks. The likelihood of rapidly adopting standards to protect workers from nanomaterials, whose risks are just emerging, seems even more unlikely. Use of the OSHAct's general duty clause to protect workers also seems uncertain at this time. In the interim, a national partnership led by NIOSH involving nanotech manufacturers and downstream users, workers, academic researchers, safety, and health practitioners is proposed. A National Nanotechnology Partnership would generate knowledge about the nature and the extent of worker risk, utilize that knowledge to develop risk control strategies to protect nanotechnology workers now, and provide an evidence base for NIOSH recommendations to OSHA for a nanotechnology program standard at a future date.

  10. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

    PubMed

    Sayers, Eric W; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A; Bolton, Evan; Bryant, Stephen H; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M; DiCuccio, Michael; Federhen, Scott; Feolo, Michael; Fingerman, Ian M; Geer, Lewis Y; Helmberg, Wolfgang; Kapustin, Yuri; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J; Lu, Zhiyong; Madden, Thomas L; Madej, Tom; Maglott, Donna R; Marchler-Bauer, Aron; Miller, Vadim; Mizrachi, Ilene; Ostell, James; Panchenko, Anna; Phan, Lon; Pruitt, Kim D; Schuler, Gregory D; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Stephen T; Shumway, Martin; Sirotkin, Karl; Slotta, Douglas; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusova, Tatiana A; Wagner, Lukas; Wang, Yanli; Wilbur, W John; Yaschenko, Eugene; Ye, Jian

    2011-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through the NCBI Web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, MyNCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link (BLink), Primer-BLAST, COBALT, Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Splign, ProSplign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, dbVar, Epigenomics, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genomes and related tools, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Trace Archive, Sequence Read Archive, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART), IBIS, Biosystems, Peptidome, OMSSA, Protein Clusters and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of these resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

  11. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

    PubMed

    Wheeler, David L; Barrett, Tanya; Benson, Dennis A; Bryant, Stephen H; Canese, Kathi; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Church, Deanna M; DiCuccio, Michael; Edgar, Ron; Federhen, Scott; Geer, Lewis Y; Kapustin, Yuri; Khovayko, Oleg; Landsman, David; Lipman, David J; Madden, Thomas L; Maglott, Donna R; Ostell, James; Miller, Vadim; Pruitt, Kim D; Schuler, Gregory D; Sequeira, Edwin; Sherry, Steven T; Sirotkin, Karl; Souvorov, Alexandre; Starchenko, Grigory; Tatusov, Roman L; Tatusova, Tatiana A; Wagner, Lukas; Yaschenko, Eugene

    2007-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through NCBI's Web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, My NCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link(BLink), Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Spidey, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genome, Genome Project and related tools, the Trace and Assembly Archives, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs), Viral Genotyping Tools, Influenza Viral Resources, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART) and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. These resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

  12. Nanotechnology in radiation oncology.

    PubMed

    Wang, Andrew Z; Tepper, Joel E

    2014-09-10

    Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter on atomic and molecular scales, is a relatively new branch of science. It has already made a significant impact on clinical medicine, especially in oncology. Nanomaterial has several characteristics that are ideal for oncology applications, including preferential accumulation in tumors, low distribution in normal tissues, biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, and clearance, that differ from those of small molecules. Because these properties are also well suited for applications in radiation oncology, nanomaterials have been used in many different areas of radiation oncology for imaging and treatment planning, as well as for radiosensitization to improve the therapeutic ratio. In this article, we review the unique properties of nanomaterials that are favorable for oncology applications and examine the various applications of nanotechnology in radiation oncology. We also discuss the future directions of nanotechnology within the context of radiation oncology. © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

  13. Nanotechnology for regenerative medicine.

    PubMed

    Khang, Dongwoo; Carpenter, Joseph; Chun, Young Wook; Pareta, Rajesh; Webster, Thomas J

    2010-08-01

    Future biomaterials must simultaneously enhance tissue regeneration while minimizing immune responses and inhibiting infection. While the field of tissue engineering has promised to develop materials that can promote tissue regeneration for the entire body, such promises have not become reality. However, tissue engineering has experienced great progress due to the recent emergence of nanotechnology. Specifically, it has now been well established that increased tissue regeneration can be achieved on almost any surface by employing novel nano-textured surface features. Numerous studies have reported that nanotechnology accelerates various regenerative therapies, such as those for the bone, vascular, heart, cartilage, bladder and brain tissue. Various nano-structured polymers and metals (alloys) have been investigated for their bio (and cyto) compatibility properties. This review paper discusses several of the latest nanotechnology findings in regenerative medicine (also now called nanomedicine) as well as their relative levels of success.

  14. Micro- and nanotechnologies in plankton research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohammed, Javeed Shaikh

    2015-05-01

    A better understanding of the vast range of plankton and their interactions with the marine environment would allow prediction of their large-scale impact on the marine ecosystem, and provide in-depth knowledge on pollution and climate change. Numerous technologies, especially lab-on-a-chip microsystems, are being used to this end. Marine biofouling is a global issue with significant economic consequences. Ecofriendly polymer nanotechnologies are being developed to combat marine biofouling. Furthermore, nanomaterials hold great potential for bioremediation and biofuel production. Excellent reviews covering focused topics in plankton research exist, with only a handful discussing both micro- and nanotechnologies. This work reviews both micro- and nanotechnologies applied to broad-ranging plankton research topics including flow cytometry, chemotaxis/toxicity assays, biofilm formation, marine antifouling/fouling-release surfaces and coatings, green energy, green nanomaterials, microalgae immobilization, and bioremediation. It is anticipated that developments in plankton research will see engineered exploitation of micro- and nanotechnologies. The current review is therefore intended to promote micro-/nanotechnology researchers to team up with limnologists/oceanographers, and develop novel strategies for understanding and green exploitation of the complex marine ecosystem.

  15. Nanotechnology in Corneal Neovascularization Therapy—A Review

    PubMed Central

    Gonzalez, Lilian; Loza, Raymond J.; Han, Kyu-Yeon; Sunoqrot, Suhair; Cunningham, Christy; Purta, Patryk; Drake, James; Jain, Sandeep; Hong, Seungpyo

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Nanotechnology is an up-and-coming branch of science that studies and designs materials with at least one dimension sized from 1–100 nm. These nanomaterials have unique functions at the cellular, atomic, and molecular levels.1 The term “nanotechnology” was first coined in 1974.2 Since then, it has evolved dramatically and now consists of distinct and independent scientific fields. Nanotechnology is a highly studied topic of interest, as nanoparticles can be applied to various fields ranging from medicine and pharmacology, to chemistry and agriculture, to environmental science and consumer goods.3 The rapidly evolving field of nanomedicine incorporates nanotechnology with medical applications, seeking to give rise to new diagnostic means, treatments, and tools. Over the past two decades, numerous studies that underscore the successful fusion of nanotechnology with novel medical applications have emerged. This has given rise to promising new therapies for a variety of diseases, especially cancer. It is becoming abundantly clear that nanotechnology has found a place in the medical field by providing new and more efficient ways to deliver treatment. Ophthalmology can also stand to benefit significantly from the advances in nanotechnology research. As it relates to the eye, research in the nanomedicine field has been particularly focused on developing various treatments to prevent and/or reduce corneal neovascularization among other ophthalmologic disorders. This review article aims to provide an overview of corneal neovascularization, currently available treatments, and where nanotechnology comes into play. PMID:23425431

  16. Impact of Biotechnology on Libraries and Educational Resources.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Mignon; And Others

    1990-01-01

    As biotechnology continues to influence significantly the environment of pharmacy educators, it brings pharmacy librarians opportunity for changes in many sectors, notably the profession of librarianship, the nature of information resources, and delivery of information services. More human, financial, and material resources will be needed to…

  17. 76 FR 66932 - The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Announces the Initiation of a Public Private Industry...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-28

    ...The Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is initiating a public private industry partnership called TONIC (Translation Of Nanotechnology In Cancer) to promote translational research and development opportunities of nanotechnology-based cancer solutions. An immediate consequence of this effort will be the formation of a consortium involving government and pharmaceutical, and biotechnology companies. This consortium will evaluate promising nanotechnology platforms and facilitate their successful translation from academic research to clinical environment, resulting in safe, timely, effective and novel diagnosis and treatment options for cancer patients. The purpose of this notice is to inform the community about the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer of NCI's intention to form the consortium and to invite eligible companies (as defined in last paragraph) to participate.

  18. Scope of nanotechnology in modern textiles

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This review article demonstrates the scope and applications of nanotechnology towards modification and development of advanced textile fibers, yarns and fabrics and their processing techniques. Basically, it summarizes the recent advances made in nanotechnology and its applications to cotton textil...

  19. NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer

    Cancer.gov

    The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer funds the Cancer Nanotechnology Training Centers collectively with the NCI Cancer Training Center. Find out about the funded Centers, to date, that train our next generation of scientists in the field of Canc

  20. [Current estate of biotechnology in Costa Rica].

    PubMed

    Valdez, Marta; López, Rebeca; Jiménez, Luis

    2004-09-01

    A study was carried out on the construction of indicators in biotechnology in Costa Rica as part of the project "SYMBIOSIS, Cooperative Program for the Construction of Indicators in Biotechnology adapted to Latin American and Caribbean countries, to motivate the application and transference of industrial technologies". The study focused on two units: researchers and research projects developed in Costa Rica, between 1998 and 2002. For researchers, information was collected about indicators related to sex, age, teaching activities, number of projects, academic degree, area of speciality and number of publications. For research projects we obtained information about: speciality, sector of application, duration of projects and number of researchers per project. Very interesting results include the high participation of the women in this area of investigation (54%); the low participation of young researchers (13% younger than 30), and a high proportion of the investigators that are responsible for 4 or more projects (42%). With relation to the specialities of the projects, the majority are in the category Bio-Agro (39%) whereas in Acuaculture only 1% was found. The sectors of application with the most number of projects are: Agriculture and Livestock (37%) and Human Health (35%). The main strengthts and limitatations for the development of biotechnology in Costa Rica are discussed.

  1. Short and Long-Term Impacts of Biotechnology Education on Professionals Who Communicate Science to the Public

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fritz, Susan M.; Ward, Sarah M.; Byrne, Pat F.; Namuth, Deana M.; Egger, Valerie A.

    2004-01-01

    Consumer acceptance or rejection of biotechnology is often shaped by information prepared by communicators with varying levels of scientific knowledge, awareness, and acceptance. This study compared the prior, post-workshop, and sustained (1 year) biotechnology awareness, acceptance, and attitudes of professionals who communicate biotechnology to…

  2. Informing, involving or engaging? Science communication, in the ages of atom-, bio- and nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Kurath, Monika; Gisler, Priska

    2009-09-01

    Science communication has shifted considerably in Europe over the last decades. Three technology controversies on atoms, genes, and nanoscale sciences and nanotechnologies (NST) turned the style of communication from one-way information, participation and dialogues to the idea of an early and more democratic engagement of the public. Analyzing science communication developing over the three controversies, this article shows that what happened in one technology field fed forward to and contributed to shaping the subsequent field and that communication was initiated at a progressively earlier stage of technology development. The article concludes with an empirical analysis of six public engagement projects in NST, saying that the shift towards more democratic engagement of the public hasn't been as profound and complete as has been thought. This is particularly due to the continuing adoption of a simplistic contrast structure that opposes science and the public as two self-contained, antagonistic social entities.

  3. Biotechnology Laboratory Methods.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Robert H.; Kompala, Dhinakar S.

    1989-01-01

    Describes a course entitled "Biotechnology Laboratory" which introduces a variety of laboratory methods associated with biotechnology. Describes the history, content, and seven experiments of the course. The seven experiments are selected from microbiology and molecular biology, kinetics and fermentation, and downstream…

  4. Biotechnology and Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Journal of Biological Education, 1982

    1982-01-01

    Summarizes a Royal Society report on the educational implications of the growth of biotechnology (application of biological organisms, systems, or processes to manufacturing and service industries). Eighteen recommendations are made including the inclusion of biotechnological content into science curricula. (Author/JN)

  5. Thirty years of European biotechnology programmes: from biomolecular engineering to the bioeconomy.

    PubMed

    Aguilar, Alfredo; Magnien, Etienne; Thomas, Daniel

    2013-06-25

    This article traces back thirty years of biotechnology research sponsored by the European Union (EU). It outlines the crucial role played by De Nettancourt, Goffeau and Van Hoeck to promote and prepare the first European programme on biotechnology (1982-1986) run by the European Commission. Following this first biotechnology programme, others followed until the current one, part of the seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration (2007-2013) (FP7). Particular attention is given to the statutory role of the European institutions in the design and orientation of the successive biotechnology programmes, compared to the more informal-yet visionary-role of key individuals upstream to any legislative decision. Examples of success stories and of the role of the biotechnology programmes in addressing societal issues and industrial competitiveness are also presented. Finally, an outline of Horizon 2020, the successor of FP7, is described, together with the role of biotechnology in building the bioeconomy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Nanotechnology in food science: Functionality, applicability, and safety assessment.

    PubMed

    He, Xiaojia; Hwang, Huey-Min

    2016-10-01

    Rapid development of nanotechnology is expected to transform many areas of food science and food industry with increasing investment and market share. In this article, current applications of nanotechnology in food systems are briefly reviewed. Functionality and applicability of food-related nanotechnology are highlighted in order to provide a comprehensive view on the development and safety assessment of nanotechnology in the food industry. While food nanotechnology offers great potential benefits, there are emerging concerns arising from its novel physicochemical properties. Therefore, the safety concerns and regulatory policies on its manufacturing, processing, packaging, and consumption are briefly addressed. At the end of this article, the perspectives of nanotechnology in active and intelligent packaging applications are highlighted. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  7. Analysis of the frontier technology of agricultural IoT and its predication research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Shuqing; Zhang, Jianhua; Zhu, Mengshuai; Wu, Jianzhai; Shen, Chen; Kong, Fantao

    2017-09-01

    Agricultural IoT (Internet of Things) develops rapidly. Nanotechnology, biotechnology and optoelectronic technology are successfully integrated into the agricultural sensor technology. Big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence technology have also been successfully used in IoT. This paper carries out the research on integration of agricultural sensor technology, nanotechnology, biotechnology and optoelectronic technology and the application of big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence technology in agricultural IoT. The advantages and development of the integration of nanotechnology, biotechnology and optoelectronic technology with agricultural sensor technology were discussed. The application of big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence technology in IoT and their development trend were analysed.

  8. Current research on public perceptions of nanotechnology

    PubMed Central

    Besley, J

    2010-01-01

    This review explores research on public perceptions of nanotechnology. It highlights a recurring emphasis on some researchers’ expectations that there will be a meaningful relationship between awareness of nanotechnology and positive views about nanotechnology. The review, however, also notes that this emphasis is tacitly and explicitly rejected by a range of multivariate studies that emphasize the key roles of non-awareness variables, such as, trust, general views about science, and overall worldview. The review concludes with a discussion of likely future research directions, including the expectation that social scientists will continue to focus on nanotechnology as a unique opportunity to study how individuals assess risk in the context of relatively low levels of knowledge. PMID:22460398

  9. Nanotechnology applied to treatment of mucopolysaccharidoses.

    PubMed

    Schuh, Roselena S; Baldo, Guilherme; Teixeira, Helder F

    2016-12-01

    Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are genetic disorders caused by the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans due to deficiencies in the lysosomal enzymes responsible for their catabolism. Current treatments are not fully effective and are not available for all MPS types. Accordingly, researchers have tested novel therapies for MPS, including nanotechnology-based enzyme delivery systems and gene therapy. In this review, we aim to analyze some of the approaches involving nanotechnology as alternative treatments for MPS. Areas covered: We analyze nanotechnology-based systems, focusing on the biomaterials, such as polymers and lipids, that comprise these nanostructures, and we have highlighted studies that describe their use as enzyme and gene delivery systems for the treatment of MPS diseases. Expert opinion: Some protocols, such as the use of polymer-based systems or nanostructured carriers associated with enzymes and nanotechnology-based carriers for gene therapy, along with combined approaches, seem to be the future of MPS therapy.

  10. Nanotechnology and Public Interest Dialogue: Some International Observations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowman, Diana M.; Hodge, Graeme A.

    2007-01-01

    This article examines nanotechnology within the context of the public interest. It notes that though nanotechnology research and development investment totalled US$9.6 billion in 2005, the public presently understands neither the implications nor how it might be best governed. The article maps a range of nanotechnology dialogue activities under…

  11. Turkish University Students' Knowledge of Biotechnology and Attitudes toward Biotechnological Applications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Öztürk-Akar, Ebru

    2017-01-01

    This study questions the presumed relation between formal schooling and scientific literacy about biotechnologies. Comparing science and nonscience majors' knowledge of and attitudes toward biotechnological applications, conclusions are drawn if their formal learnings improve pupils' understandings of and attitudes toward biotechnology…

  12. Cancer Nanotechnology: Opportunities for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapy.

    PubMed

    Zeineldin, Reema; Syoufjy, Joan

    2017-01-01

    Nanotechnological innovations over the last 16 years have brought about the potential to revolutionize specific therapeutic drug delivery to cancer tissue without affecting normal tissues. In addition, there are new nanotechnology-based platforms for diagnosis of cancers and for theranostics, i.e., integrating diagnosis with therapy and follow-up of effectiveness of therapy. This chapter presents an overview of these nanotechnology-based advancements in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and theranostics for cancer. In addition, we stress the need to educate bio- and medical students in the field of nanotechnology.

  13. The Challenge in Teaching Biotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Steele, F.; Aubusson, P.

    2004-08-01

    Agriculture, industry and medicine are being altered by new biotechnologies. Biotechnology education is important because todays students and citizens will make decisions about the development and application of these new molecular biologies. This article reports an investigation of the teaching of biotechnology in an Australian state, New South Wales (NSW). In NSW few students were electing to answer examination questions related to biotechnology, suggesting that few students were studying the topic. This study looks at why electives relating to biotechnology are chosen or not chosen by students and teachers, with the intention of developing a greater understanding of the requirements for provision of a successful unit of study in this subject. Data was obtained through a survey of secondary science teachers, interviews with teachers and two case studies of the teaching of a biotechnology unit. Teachers reported a range of obstacles to the teaching of biotechnology including the difficulty of the subject matter and a lack of practical work that was suited to the content of the teaching unit. If biotechnology is worth learning in school science, then further research is needed to identify ways to promote the effective teaching of this topic, which teachers regard as important for, and interesting to, students but which most teachers choose not to teach.

  14. Interactive survey of consumer awareness of nanotechnologies and nanoparticles in consumer products in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Yu-Ri; Lee, Eun Jeong; Park, Sung Ha; Kwon, Hyo Jin; An, Seong Soo A; Son, Sang Wook; Seo, Young Rok; Pie, Jae-Eun; Yoon, Myoung; Kim, Ja Hei; Kim, Meyoung-Kon

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of our study was to understand consumers' risk awareness and need for relevant information about nanotechnology and nanoparticles contained in products currently being sold in Korea. One thousand and seven adult consumers (aged 20-50 years) were randomly selected from all over South Korea between November 1 and 9, 2010. We surveyed the origin and degree of their concern and their need for information and education regarding nanomaterials. Analysis of the survey results showed no significant differences in responses by sex, age, and level of education, but significant differences were found in responses based on average monthly household income. Our research showed that consumers have vague expectations for and positive image of nanotechnology and nanoproducts but do not clearly understand what they are. In addition, we found that preparing and disseminating information to consumers is required in order to provide correct information about nanotechnology to the public. A communication system should be established among the multiple stakeholders involved with nanomaterials to address consumer expectations and concerns. Further, a safety evaluation system must be set up, the results of which should be processed by a reliable expert group so they can be disseminated to the public.

  15. Sociocultural Meanings of Nanotechnology: Research Methodologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bainbridge, William Sims

    2004-06-01

    This article identifies six social-science research methodologies that will be useful for charting the sociocultural meaning of nanotechnology: web-based questionnaires, vignette experiments, analysis of web linkages, recommender systems, quantitative content analysis, and qualitative textual analysis. Data from a range of sources are used to illustrate how the methods can delineate the intellectual content and institutional structure of the emerging nanotechnology culture. Such methods will make it possible in future to test hypotheses such as that there are two competing definitions of nanotechnology - the technical-scientific and the science-fiction - that are influencing public perceptions by different routes and in different directions.

  16. Green Chemistry for Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Future Challenges

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Preeti Nigam, Joshi, E-mail: ph.joshi@ncl.res.in

    2016-01-26

    Nanotechnology is a paradigm for emerging technologies and much talked about area of science. It is the technology of future and has revolutionized all fields of medicine, agriculture, environmental and electronics by providing abilities that would never have previously dreamt of. It is a unique platform of multidisciplinary approaches integrating diverse fields of engineering, biology, physics and chemistry. In recent years, nanotechnology has seen the fastest pace in its all aspects of synthesis methodologies and wide applications in all areas of medicine, agricultural, environmental, and electronics. It is the impact of nanotechnology approaches that new fields of nanomedicine, cancer nanotechnology,more » nanorobotics and nanoelectronics have been emerged and are flourishing with the advances in this expanding field. Nanotechnology holds the potential for pervasive and promising applications and getting significant attention and financial aids also. Although there are different definitions of nanotechnology, in broad prospective, nanotechnology can be described as designing or exploiting materials at nanometer dimensions (i.e., one dimension less than 100 nanometers). At nanoscale, substances have a larger surface area to volume ratio than conventional materials which is the prime reason behind their increased level of reactivity, improved and size tunable magnetic, optical and electrical properties and more toxicity also.« less

  17. Advanced health biotechnologies in Thailand: redefining policy directions.

    PubMed

    Velasco, Román Pérez; Chaikledkaew, Usa; Myint, Chaw Yin; Khampang, Roongnapa; Tantivess, Sripen; Teerawattananon, Yot

    2013-01-02

    Thailand faces a significant burden in terms of treating and managing degenerative and chronic diseases. Moreover, incidences of rare diseases are rising. Many of these-such as diabetes, cancer, and inherited inborn metabolic diseases-have no definite treatments or cure. Meanwhile, advanced health biotechnology has been found, in principle, to be an effective solution for these health problems. Qualitative approaches were employed to analyse the current situation and examine existing public policies related to advanced health biotechnologies in Thailand. The results of this analysis were then used to formulate policy recommendations. Our research revealed that the system in Thailand in relation to advanced health biotechnologies is fragmented, with multiple unaddressed gaps, underfunding of research and development (R&D), and a lack of incentives for the private sector. In addition, there are no clear definitions of advanced health biotechnologies, and coverage pathways are absent. Meanwhile, false advertising and misinformation are prevalent, with no responsible bodies to actively and effectively provide appropriate information and education (I&E). The establishment of a specialised institution to fill the gaps in this area is warranted. The development and implementation of a comprehensive national strategic plan related to advanced health biotechnologies, greater investment in R&D and I&E for all stakeholders, collaboration among agencies, harmonisation of reimbursement across public health schemes, and provision of targeted I&E are specifically recommended.

  18. Advanced health biotechnologies in Thailand: redefining policy directions

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Thailand faces a significant burden in terms of treating and managing degenerative and chronic diseases. Moreover, incidences of rare diseases are rising. Many of these—such as diabetes, cancer, and inherited inborn metabolic diseases—have no definite treatments or cure. Meanwhile, advanced health biotechnology has been found, in principle, to be an effective solution for these health problems. Methods Qualitative approaches were employed to analyse the current situation and examine existing public policies related to advanced health biotechnologies in Thailand. The results of this analysis were then used to formulate policy recommendations. Results Our research revealed that the system in Thailand in relation to advanced health biotechnologies is fragmented, with multiple unaddressed gaps, underfunding of research and development (R&D), and a lack of incentives for the private sector. In addition, there are no clear definitions of advanced health biotechnologies, and coverage pathways are absent. Meanwhile, false advertising and misinformation are prevalent, with no responsible bodies to actively and effectively provide appropriate information and education (I&E). The establishment of a specialised institution to fill the gaps in this area is warranted. Conclusion The development and implementation of a comprehensive national strategic plan related to advanced health biotechnologies, greater investment in R&D and I&E for all stakeholders, collaboration among agencies, harmonisation of reimbursement across public health schemes, and provision of targeted I&E are specifically recommended. PMID:23281771

  19. Nanotechnology for Stimulating Osteoprogenitor Differentiation

    PubMed Central

    Ibrahim, A.; Bulstrode, N.W.; Whitaker, I.S.; Eastwood, D.M.; Dunaway, D.; Ferretti, P.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Bone is the second most transplanted tissue and due to its complex structure, metabolic demands and various functions, current reconstructive options such as foreign body implants and autologous tissue transfer are limited in their ability to restore defects. Most tissue engineering approaches target osteoinduction of osteoprogenitor cells by modifying the extracellular environment, using scaffolds or targeting intracellular signaling mechanisms or commonly a combination of all of these. Whilst there is no consensus as to what is the optimal cell type or approach, nanotechnology has been proposed as a powerful tool to manipulate the biomolecular and physical environment to direct osteoprogenitor cells to induce bone formation. Methods: Review of the published literature was undertaken to provide an overview of the use of nanotechnology to control osteoprogenitor differentiation and discuss the most recent developments, limitations and future directions. Results: Nanotechnology can be used to stimulate osteoprogenitor differentiation in a variety of way. We have principally classified research into nanotechnology for bone tissue engineering as generating biomimetic scaffolds, a vector to deliver genes or growth factors to cells or to alter the biophysical environment. A number of studies have shown promising results with regards to directing ostroprogenitor cell differentiation although limitations include a lack of in vivo data and incomplete characterization of engineered bone. Conclusion: There is increasing evidence that nanotechnology can be used to direct the fate of osteoprogenitor and promote bone formation. Further analysis of the functional properties and long term survival in animal models is required to assess the maturity and clinical potential of this. PMID:28217210

  20. PREFACE: Rusnanotech 2010 International Forum on Nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kazaryan, Konstantin

    2011-03-01

    The Rusnanotech 2010 International Forum on Nanotechnology was held from November 1-3, 2010, in Moscow, Russia. It was the third forum organized by RUSNANO (Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies) since 2008. In March 2011 RUSNANO was established as an open joint-stock company through the reorganization of the state corporation Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies. RUSNANO's mission is to develop the Russian nanotechnology industry through co-investment in nanotechnology projects with substantial economic potential or social benefit. Within the framework of the Forum Science and Technology Program, presentations on key trends of nanotechnology development were given by foreign and Russian scientists, R&D officers of leading international companies, universities and scientific centers. The science and technology program of the Forum was divided into eight sections as follows (by following hyperlinks you may find each section's program including videos of all oral presentations): Catalysis and Chemical Industry Nanobiotechnology Nanodiagnostics Nanoelectronics Nanomaterials Nanophotonics Nanotechnolgy In The Energy Industry Nanotechnology in Medicine The scientific program of the forum included 115 oral presentations by leading scientists from 15 countries. Among them in the "Nanomaterials" section was the lecture by Dr Konstantin Novoselov, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2010. The poster session consisted of over 500 presentations, 300 of which were presented in the framework of the young scientists' nanotechnology papers competition. This volume of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series includes a selection of 57 submissions. The scientific program committee: Prof Zhores Alferov, AcademicianVice-president of Russian Academy of Sciences, Nobel Prize winner, Russia, Chairman of the Program CommitteeProf Sergey Deev, Corresponding Member of Russian Academy of SciencesHead of the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, M M Shemyakin and Yu A Ovchinnikov

  1. Engaging scientists: An online survey exploring the experience of innovative biotechnological approaches to controlling vector-borne diseases.

    PubMed

    Boëte, Christophe; Beisel, Uli; Reis Castro, Luísa; Césard, Nicolas; Reeves, R Guy

    2015-08-10

    Pioneering technologies (e.g., nanotechnology, synthetic biology or climate engineering) are often associated with potential new risks and uncertainties that can become sources of controversy. The communication of information during their development and open exchanges between stakeholders is generally considered a key issue in their acceptance. While the attitudes of the public to novel technologies have been widely considered there has been relatively little investigation of the perceptions and awareness of scientists working on human or animal diseases transmitted by arthropods. Consequently, we conducted a global survey on 1889 scientists working on aspects of vector-borne diseases, exploring, under the light of a variety of demographic and professional factors, their knowledge and awareness of an emerging biotechnology that has the potential to revolutionize the control of pest insect populations. Despite extensive media coverage of key developments (including releases of manipulated mosquitoes into human communities) this has in only one instance resulted in scientist awareness exceeding 50% on a national or regional scale. We document that awareness of pioneering releases significantly relied on private communication sources that were not equally accessible to scientists from countries with endemic vector-borne diseases (dengue and malaria). In addition, we provide quantitative analysis of the perceptions and knowledge of specific biotechnological approaches to controlling vector-borne disease, which are likely to impact the way in which scientists around the world engage in the debate about their value. Our results indicate that there is scope to strengthen already effective methods of communication, in addition to a strong demand by scientists (expressed by 79.9% of respondents) to develop new, creative modes of public engagement.

  2. New Developments in Biotechnology: U.S. Investment in Biotechnology. Summary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Office of Technology Assessment.

    Since the discovery of recombinant DNA in the early 1970s, biotechnology has become an essential tool for many industries. The potential of biotechnology to improve the Nation's health, food supply, and the quality of the environment leads logically to questions of whether current levels of investment in research and development, human resources,…

  3. Microspheres and Nanotechnology for Drug Delivery.

    PubMed

    Jóhannesson, Gauti; Stefánsson, Einar; Loftsson, Thorsteinn

    2016-01-01

    Ocular drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye can be accomplished by invasive drug injections into different tissues of the eye and noninvasive topical treatment. Invasive treatment involves the risks of surgical trauma and infection, and conventional topical treatments are ineffective in delivering drugs to the posterior segment of the eye. In recent years, nanotechnology has become an ever-increasing part of ocular drug delivery. In the following, we briefly review microspheres and nanotechnology for drug delivery to the eye, including different forms of nanotechnology such as nanoparticles, microparticles, liposomes, microemulsions and micromachines. The permeation barriers and anatomical considerations linked to ocular drug delivery are discussed and a theoretical overview on drug delivery through biological membranes is given. Finally, in vitro, in vivo and human studies of x03B3;-cyclodextrin nanoparticle eyedrop suspensions are discussed as an example of nanotechnology used for drug delivery to the eye. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. DNA Nanotechnology-Enabled Drug Delivery Systems.

    PubMed

    Hu, Qinqin; Li, Hua; Wang, Lihua; Gu, Hongzhou; Fan, Chunhai

    2018-02-21

    Over the past decade, we have seen rapid advances in applying nanotechnology in biomedical areas including bioimaging, biodetection, and drug delivery. As an emerging field, DNA nanotechnology offers simple yet powerful design techniques for self-assembly of nanostructures with unique advantages and high potential in enhancing drug targeting and reducing drug toxicity. Various sequence programming and optimization approaches have been developed to design DNA nanostructures with precisely engineered, controllable size, shape, surface chemistry, and function. Potent anticancer drug molecules, including Doxorubicin and CpG oligonucleotides, have been successfully loaded on DNA nanostructures to increase their cell uptake efficiency. These advances have implicated the bright future of DNA nanotechnology-enabled nanomedicine. In this review, we begin with the origin of DNA nanotechnology, followed by summarizing state-of-the-art strategies for the construction of DNA nanostructures and drug payloads delivered by DNA nanovehicles. Further, we discuss the cellular fates of DNA nanostructures as well as challenges and opportunities for DNA nanostructure-based drug delivery.

  5. Nanotechnology-based approaches in anticancer research

    PubMed Central

    Jabir, Nasimudeen R; Tabrez, Shams; Ashraf, Ghulam Md; Shakil, Shazi; Damanhouri, Ghazi A; Kamal, Mohammad A

    2012-01-01

    Cancer is a highly complex disease to understand, because it entails multiple cellular physiological systems. The most common cancer treatments are restricted to chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Moreover, the early recognition and treatment of cancer remains a technological bottleneck. There is an urgent need to develop new and innovative technologies that could help to delineate tumor margins, identify residual tumor cells and micrometastases, and determine whether a tumor has been completely removed or not. Nanotechnology has witnessed significant progress in the past few decades, and its effect is widespread nowadays in every field. Nanoparticles can be modified in numerous ways to prolong circulation, enhance drug localization, increase drug efficacy, and potentially decrease chances of multidrug resistance by the use of nanotechnology. Recently, research in the field of cancer nanotechnology has made remarkable advances. The present review summarizes the application of various nanotechnology-based approaches towards the diagnostics and therapeutics of cancer. PMID:22927757

  6. Medical applications of nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Zdrojewicz, Zygmunt; Waracki, Mateusz; Bugaj, Bartosz; Pypno, Damian; Cabała, Krzysztof

    2015-10-29

    Nanotechnologies are new areas of research focusing on affecting matter at the atomic and molecular levels. It is beyond doubt that modern medicine can benefit greatly from it; thus nanomedicine has become one of the main branches of nanotechnological research. Currently it focuses on developing new methods of preventing, diagnosing and treating various diseases. Nanomaterials show very high efficiency in destroying cancer cells and are already undergoing clinical trials. The results are so promising that nanomaterials might become an alternative to traditional cancer therapy, mostly due to the fact that they allow cancer cells to be targeted specifically and enable detailed imaging of tissues, making planning further therapy much easier. Nanoscience might also be a source of the needed breakthrough in the fight against atherosclerosis, since nanostructures may be used in both preventing and increasing the stability of atherosclerotic lesions. One area of interest is creating nanomaterials that are not only efficient, but also well tolerated by the human body. Other potential applications of nanotechnology in medicine include: nanoadjuvants with immunomodulatory properties used to deliver vaccine antigens; the nano-knife, an almost non-invasive method of destroying cancer cells with high voltage electricity; and carbon nanotubes, which are already a popular way of repairing damaged tissues and might be used to regenerate nerves in the future. The aim of this article is to outline the potential uses of nanotechnology in medicine. Original articles and reviews have been used to present the new developments and directions of studies.

  7. Ethical limitations in patenting biotechnological inventions.

    PubMed

    Lugagnani, V

    1999-01-01

    In order to connect ethical considerations with practical limits to patentability, the moral judgement should possibly move from the exploitation of the invention to the nature and/or objectives of Research and Development (R&D) projects which have produced it: in other words, it appears quite reasonable and logical that Society is not rewarding unethical R&D activities by granting intellectual property rights. As far as biotechnology R&D is concerned, ethical guidance can be derived from the 1996 Council of EuropeOs OConvention for the protection of human rights and dignity of the human being with regard to the application of biology and medicineO, whose Chapter V - Scientific research - provides guidelines on: i. protection of persons undergoing research (e.g. informed consent); ii. protection of persons not able to consent to research; iii. research on embryos in vitro. As far as the specific point of patenting biotechnology inventions is concerned, the four exclusions prescribed by Directive 98/44/EC (i.e. human cloning, human germ-line gene therapy, use of human embryos for commercial purposes, unjustified animal suffering for medical purposes) are all we have in Europe in terms of ethical guidance to patentability. In Italy, in particular, we certainly need far more comprehensive legislation, expressing SocietyOs demand to provide ethical control of modern biotechnology. However it is quite difficult to claim that ethical concerns are being raised by currently awarded biotechnology patents related to living organisms and material thereof; they largely deal with the results of genomic R&D, purposely and usefully oriented toward improving health-care and agri-food processes, products and services. ONo patents on lifeOO can be an appealing slogan of militants against modern biotechnology, but it is far too much of an over-simplified abstraction to become the Eleventh Commandment our Society.

  8. How can developing countries harness biotechnology to improve health?

    PubMed Central

    Daar, Abdallah S; Berndtson, Kathryn; Persad, Deepa L; Singer, Peter A

    2007-01-01

    Background The benefits of genomics and biotechnology are concentrated primarily in the industrialized world, while their potential to combat neglected diseases in the developing world has been largely untapped. Without building developing world biotechnology capacity to address local health needs, this disparity will only intensify. To assess the potential of genomics to address health needs in the developing world, the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, along with local partners, organized five courses on Genomics and Public Health Policy in the developing world. The overall objective of the courses was to collectively explore how to best harness genomics to improve health in each region. This article presents and analyzes the recommendations from all five courses. Discussion In this paper we analyze recommendations from 232 developing world experts from 58 countries who sought to answer how best to harness biotechnology to improve health in their regions. We divide their recommendations into four categories: science; finance; ethics, society and culture; and politics. Summary The Courses' recommendations can be summarized across the four categories listed above: Science - Collaborate through national, regional, and international networks - Survey and build capacity based on proven models through education, training, and needs assessments Finance - Develop regulatory and intellectual property frameworks for commercialization of biotechnology - Enhance funding and affordability of biotechnology - Improve the academic-industry interface and the role of small and medium enterprise Ethics, Society, Culture - Develop public engagement strategies to inform and educate the public about developments in genomics and biotechnology - Develop capacity to address ethical, social and cultural issues - Improve accessibility and equity Politics - Strengthen understanding, leadership and support at the political level for biotechnology - Develop policies outlining

  9. How can developing countries harness biotechnology to improve health?

    PubMed

    Daar, Abdallah S; Berndtson, Kathryn; Persad, Deepa L; Singer, Peter A

    2007-12-03

    The benefits of genomics and biotechnology are concentrated primarily in the industrialized world, while their potential to combat neglected diseases in the developing world has been largely untapped. Without building developing world biotechnology capacity to address local health needs, this disparity will only intensify. To assess the potential of genomics to address health needs in the developing world, the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, along with local partners, organized five courses on Genomics and Public Health Policy in the developing world. The overall objective of the courses was to collectively explore how to best harness genomics to improve health in each region. This article presents and analyzes the recommendations from all five courses. In this paper we analyze recommendations from 232 developing world experts from 58 countries who sought to answer how best to harness biotechnology to improve health in their regions. We divide their recommendations into four categories: science; finance; ethics, society and culture; and politics. The Courses' recommendations can be summarized across the four categories listed above: SCIENCE: - Collaborate through national, regional, and international networks- Survey and build capacity based on proven models through education, training, and needs assessments FINANCE: - Develop regulatory and intellectual property frameworks for commercialization of biotechnology- Enhance funding and affordability of biotechnology- Improve the academic-industry interface and the role of small and medium enterprise ETHICS, SOCIETY, CULTURE: - Develop public engagement strategies to inform and educate the public about developments in genomics and biotechnology- Develop capacity to address ethical, social and cultural issues- Improve accessibility and equity POLITICS: - Strengthen understanding, leadership and support at the political level for biotechnology- Develop policies outlining national biotechnology strategy

  10. Peptides and peptidomimetics in medicine, surgery and biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Gentilucci, Luca; Tolomelli, Alessandra; Squassabia, Federico

    2006-01-01

    Despite the fact that they have been used for a century to treat several kinds of diseases, peptides and short proteins are now considered the new generation of biologically active tools. Indeed, recent findings suggest a wide range of novel applications in medicine, biotechnology, and surgery. The efficacy of native peptides has been greatly enhanced by introducing structural modifications in the original sequences, giving rise to the class of peptidomimetics. This review gives an overview of both classical applications and promising new categories of biologically active peptides and analogs. Besides the new entries in well known peptide families, such as antibiotic macrocyclic peptides, integrin inhibitors, as well as immunoactive, anticancer, neuromodulator, opioid, and hormone peptides, a number of novel applications have been recently reported. Outstanding examples include peptide-derived semi-synthetic vaccines, drug delivery systems, radiolabeled peptides, self-assembling peptides, which can serve as biomaterials in tissue engineering for creating cartilage, blood vessels, and other tissues, or as substrates for neurite outgrowth and synapse formation, immobilized peptides, and proteins. Finally, peptide-based biomaterials can find applications in bio-nanotechnology for bio-microchips, peptide nanorods and nanotubes, bio-sensors, bio-electronic devices, and peptide-metal wires.

  11. Biotechnology and Agriculture.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kenney, Martin

    Even at this early date in the application of biotechnology to agriculture, it is clear that agriculture may provide the largest market for new or less expensive biotechnologically manufactured products. The chemical and pharmaceutical industries that hold important positions in agricultural inputs are consolidating their positions by purchasing…

  12. Nanotechnology: toxicologic pathology.

    PubMed

    Hubbs, Ann F; Sargent, Linda M; Porter, Dale W; Sager, Tina M; Chen, Bean T; Frazer, David G; Castranova, Vincent; Sriram, Krishnan; Nurkiewicz, Timothy R; Reynolds, Steven H; Battelli, Lori A; Schwegler-Berry, Diane; McKinney, Walter; Fluharty, Kara L; Mercer, Robert R

    2013-02-01

    Nanotechnology involves technology, science, and engineering in dimensions less than 100 nm. A virtually infinite number of potential nanoscale products can be produced from many different molecules and their combinations. The exponentially increasing number of nanoscale products will solve critical needs in engineering, science, and medicine. However, the virtually infinite number of potential nanotechnology products is a challenge for toxicologic pathologists. Because of their size, nanoparticulates can have therapeutic and toxic effects distinct from micron-sized particulates of the same composition. In the nanoscale, distinct intercellular and intracellular translocation pathways may provide a different distribution than that obtained by micron-sized particulates. Nanoparticulates interact with subcellular structures including microtubules, actin filaments, centrosomes, and chromatin; interactions that may be facilitated in the nanoscale. Features that distinguish nanoparticulates from fine particulates include increased surface area per unit mass and quantum effects. In addition, some nanotechnology products, including the fullerenes, have a novel and reactive surface. Augmented microscopic procedures including enhanced dark-field imaging, immunofluorescence, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal microscopy are useful when evaluating nanoparticulate toxicologic pathology. Thus, the pathology assessment is facilitated by understanding the unique features at the nanoscale and the tools that can assist in evaluating nanotoxicology studies.

  13. Nanotechnology: Toxicologic Pathology

    PubMed Central

    Hubbs, Ann F.; Sargent, Linda M.; Porter, Dale W.; Sager, Tina M.; Chen, Bean T.; Frazer, David G.; Castranova, Vincent; Sriram, Krishnan; Nurkiewicz, Timothy R.; Reynolds, Steven H.; Battelli, Lori A.; Schwegler-Berry, Diane; McKinney, Walter; Fluharty, Kara L.; Mercer, Robert R.

    2015-01-01

    Nanotechnology involves technology, science, and engineering in dimensions less than 100 nm. A virtually infinite number of potential nanoscale products can be produced from many different molecules and their combinations. The exponentially increasing number of nanoscale products will solve critical needs in engineering, science, and medicine. However, the virtually infinite number of potential nanotechnology products is a challenge for toxicologic pathologists. Because of their size, nanoparticulates can have therapeutic and toxic effects distinct from micron-sized particulates of the same composition. In the nanoscale, distinct intercellular and intracellular translocation pathways may provide a different distribution than that obtained by micron-sized particulates. Nanoparticulates interact with subcellular structures including microtubules, actin filaments, centrosomes, and chromatin; interactions that may be facilitated in the nanoscale. Features that distinguish nanoparticulates from fine particulates include increased surface area per unit mass and quantum effects. In addition, some nanotechnology products, including the fullerenes, have a novel and reactive surface. Augmented microscopic procedures including enhanced dark-field imaging, immunofluorescence, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal microscopy are useful when evaluating nanoparticulate toxicologic pathology. Thus, the pathology assessment is facilitated by understanding the unique features at the nanoscale and the tools that can assist in evaluating nanotoxicology studies. PMID:23389777

  14. The rise (and decline?) of biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Kinch, Michael S

    2014-11-01

    Since the 1970s, biotechnology has been a key innovator in drug development. An analysis of FDA-approved therapeutics demonstrates pharmaceutical companies outpace biotechs in terms of new approvals but biotechnology companies are now responsible for earlier-stage activities (patents, INDs or clinical development). The number of biotechnology organizations that contributed to an FDA approval began declining in the 2000s and is at a level not seen since the 1980s. Whereas early biotechnology companies had a decade from first approval until acquisition, the average acquisition of a biotechnology company now occurs months before their first FDA approval. The number of hybrid organizations that arise when pharmaceutical companies acquire biotechnology is likewise declining, raising questions about the sustainability of biotechnology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Editorial: Trends in Nanotechnology (TNT2005)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Correia, Antonio; Serena, Pedro A.; José Saenz, Juan; Reifenberger, Ron; Ordejón, Pablo

    2006-05-01

    This special issue of physica status solidi (a) presents representative contributions describing the main topics covered at the sixth Trends in Nanotechnology (TNT2005) International Conference, held in Oviedo (Spain), 29 August-2 September 2005.During the last years many international or national conferences have emerged in response to the growing awareness of the importance of nanotechnology as key issue for the future scientific and technological development. Among these, the conference series Trends in Nanotechnology has become one of the most important meeting points in the nanotechnology field: it provides fresh organisation ideas, brings together well known speakers, and promotes a suitable environment for discussions, exchanging ideas, enhancing scientific and personal relations among participants. TNT2005 was organised in a similar way to the five prior TNT conferences, with an impressive scientific programme including 40 Keynote lectures and two Nobel prizes, without parallel sessions, covering a wide spectrum of Nanotechnology research. In 2005, more than 360 scientists worldwide attended this event and contributed with more than 60 oral contributions and 250 posters, stimulating discussions about their most recent research.The aim of the conference was to focus on the applications of Nanotechnology and to bring together, in a scientific forum, various worldwide groups belonging to industry, universities and government institutions. TNT2005 was particularly effective at transmitting information and establishing contacts among workers in this field. Graduate students attending such conferences have understood the importance of interdisciplinary skills to afford their future research lines. 76 graduate students received a grant allowing them to present their work. 28 prizes to the best posters were awarded during this event. We would like to thank all the participants for their assistance, as well as the authors for their written contributions.TNT2005 is

  16. Nanotechnology: An Untapped Resource for Food Packaging.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Chetan; Dhiman, Romika; Rokana, Namita; Panwar, Harsh

    2017-01-01

    Food commodities are packaged and hygienically transported to protect and preserve them from any un-acceptable alteration in quality, before reaching the end-consumer. Food packaging continues to evolve along-with the innovations in material science and technology, as well as in light of consumer's demand. Presently, the modern consumers of competitive economies demands for food with natural quality, assured safety, minimal processing, extended shelf-life and ready-to-eat concept. Innovative packaging systems, not only ascertains transit preservation and effective distribution, but also facilitates communication at the consumer levels. The technological advances in the domain of food packaging in twenty-first century are mainly chaired by nanotechnology, the science of nano-materials. Nanotechnology manipulates and creates nanometer scale materials, of commercial and scientific relevance. Introduction of nanotechnology in food packaging sector has significantly addressed the food quality, safety and stability concerns. Besides, nanotechnology based packaging intimate's consumers about the real time quality of food product. Additionally, nanotechnology has been explored for controlled release of preservatives/antimicrobials, extending the product shelf life within the package. The promising reports for nanotechnology interventions in food packaging have established this as an independent priority research area. Nanoparticles based food packages offer improved barrier and mechanical properties, along with food preservation and have gained welcoming response from market and end users. In contrary, recent advances and up-liftment in this area have raised various ethical, environmental and safety concerns. Policies and regulation regarding nanoparticles incorporation in food packaging are being reviewed. This review presents the existing knowledge, recent advances, concerns and future applications of nanotechnology in food packaging sector.

  17. Nanotechnology: An Untapped Resource for Food Packaging

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Chetan; Dhiman, Romika; Rokana, Namita; Panwar, Harsh

    2017-01-01

    Food commodities are packaged and hygienically transported to protect and preserve them from any un-acceptable alteration in quality, before reaching the end-consumer. Food packaging continues to evolve along-with the innovations in material science and technology, as well as in light of consumer's demand. Presently, the modern consumers of competitive economies demands for food with natural quality, assured safety, minimal processing, extended shelf-life and ready-to-eat concept. Innovative packaging systems, not only ascertains transit preservation and effective distribution, but also facilitates communication at the consumer levels. The technological advances in the domain of food packaging in twenty-first century are mainly chaired by nanotechnology, the science of nano-materials. Nanotechnology manipulates and creates nanometer scale materials, of commercial and scientific relevance. Introduction of nanotechnology in food packaging sector has significantly addressed the food quality, safety and stability concerns. Besides, nanotechnology based packaging intimate's consumers about the real time quality of food product. Additionally, nanotechnology has been explored for controlled release of preservatives/antimicrobials, extending the product shelf life within the package. The promising reports for nanotechnology interventions in food packaging have established this as an independent priority research area. Nanoparticles based food packages offer improved barrier and mechanical properties, along with food preservation and have gained welcoming response from market and end users. In contrary, recent advances and up-liftment in this area have raised various ethical, environmental and safety concerns. Policies and regulation regarding nanoparticles incorporation in food packaging are being reviewed. This review presents the existing knowledge, recent advances, concerns and future applications of nanotechnology in food packaging sector. PMID:28955314

  18. 75 FR 31795 - Office of Biotechnology Activities; Recombinant DNA Research: Amended Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-04

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Office of Biotechnology Activities; Recombinant DNA Research: Amended Notice of Meeting ACTION: Notice of cancellation of... information. Dated: May 26, 2010. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, Acting Director, Office of Biotechnology...

  19. Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure University Students' Biotechnology Attitude

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erdogan, Mehmet; Özel, Murat; Uşak, Muhammet; Prokop, Pavol

    2009-06-01

    The impact of biotechnologies on peoples' everyday lives continuously increases. Measuring young peoples' attitudes toward biotechnologies is therefore very important and its results are useful not only for science curriculum developers and policy makers, but also for producers and distributors of genetically modified products. Despite of substantial number of instruments which focused on measuring student attitudes toward biotechnology, a majority of them were not rigorously validated. This study deals with the development and validation of an attitude questionnaire toward biotechnology. Detailed information on development and validation process of the instrument is provided. Data gathered from 326 university students provided evidence for the validity and reliability of the new instrument which consists of 28 attitude items on a five point likert type scale. It is believed that the instrument will serve as a valuable tool for both instructors and researchers in science education to assess students' biotechnology attitudes.

  20. Database resources of the National Center for Biotechnology Information: 2002 update

    PubMed Central

    Wheeler, David L.; Church, Deanna M.; Lash, Alex E.; Leipe, Detlef D.; Madden, Thomas L.; Pontius, Joan U.; Schuler, Gregory D.; Schriml, Lynn M.; Tatusova, Tatiana A.; Wagner, Lukas; Rapp, Barbara A.

    2002-01-01

    In addition to maintaining the GenBank nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides data analysis and retrieval resources that operate on the data in GenBank and a variety of other biological data made available through NCBI’s web site. NCBI data retrieval resources include Entrez, PubMed, LocusLink and the Taxonomy Browser. Data analysis resources include BLAST, Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, Database of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (dbSNP), Human Genome Sequencing, Human MapViewer, Human¡VMouse Homology Map, Cancer Chromosome Aberration Project (CCAP), Entrez Genomes, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) database, Retroviral Genotyping Tools, SAGEmap, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB) and the Conserved Domain Database (CDD). Augmenting many of the web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. All of the resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PMID:11752242

  1. Nanotechnology and nuclear medicine; research and preclinical applications.

    PubMed

    Assadi, Majid; Afrasiabi, Kolsoom; Nabipour, Iraj; Seyedabadi, Mohammad

    2011-01-01

    The birth of nanotechnology in human society was around 2000 years ago and soon found applications in various fields. In this article, we highlight the current status of research and preclinical applications and also future prospects of nanotechnology in medicine and in nuclear medicine. The most important field is cancer. A regular nanotechnology training program for nuclear medicine physicians may be welcome.

  2. Inquire Learning Effects to Elementary School Students' Nanotechnology Instructions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Yueh-Yun; Lu, Chow-Chin; Sung, Chia-Chi

    2012-01-01

    Nanotechnology is an emerging science that involved in different fields. This research inquired elementary school students' learning effect by using quasi-experiment, expositive-teaching and experiential-teaching methods for nanotechnology in the microcosmic world. By utilized the pretest "Nanotechnology Situational Questionnaire (NSQ)",…

  3. The Challenge in Teaching Biotechnology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steele, F.; Aubusson, P.

    2004-01-01

    Agriculture, industry and medicine are being altered by new biotechnologies. Biotechnology education is important because today's students and citizens will make decisions about the development and application of these new molecular biologies. This article reports an investigation of the teaching of biotechnology in an Australian state, New South…

  4. Nanotechnology and bone healing.

    PubMed

    Harvey, Edward J; Henderson, Janet E; Vengallatore, Srikar T

    2010-03-01

    Nanotechnology and its attendant techniques have yet to make a significant impact on the science of bone healing. However, the potential benefits are immediately obvious with the result that hundreds of researchers and firms are performing the basic research needed to mature this nascent, yet soon to be fruitful niche. Together with genomics and proteomics, and combined with tissue engineering, this is the new face of orthopaedic technology. The concepts that orthopaedic surgeons recognize are fabrication processes that have resulted in porous implant substrates as bone defect augmentation and medication-carrier devices. However, there are dozens of applications in orthopaedic traumatology and bone healing for nanometer-sized entities, structures, surfaces, and devices with characteristic lengths ranging from 10s of nanometers to a few micrometers. Examples include scaffolds, delivery mechanisms, controlled modification of surface topography and composition, and biomicroelectromechanical systems. We review the basic science, clinical implications, and early applications of the nanotechnology revolution and emphasize the rich possibilities that exist at the crossover region between micro- and nanotechnology for developing new treatments for bone healing.

  5. The intertwine of nanotechnology with the food industry.

    PubMed

    Hamad, Alshammari Fanar; Han, Jong-Hun; Kim, Byung-Chun; Rather, Irfan A

    2018-01-01

    The past decade has proven the competence of nanotechnology in almost all known fields. The evolution of nanotechnology today in the area of the food industry has been largely and has had a lot of contribution in the food processing, food package, and food preservation. The increasing global human population has come with growing population to be fed, and food production is not adjusted to at par with the growing population. This mismatch has shown the real essence of food preservation so that food products can reach to people on a global scale. The introduction of nanotechnology in the food industry has made it easy to transport foods to different parts of the world by extending the shelf-life of most food products. Even with this beneficial aspect of nanotechnology, it has not been proven an entire full-proof measure, and the field is still open to changing technology. It suffices to note that nanotechnology has to a big extent succeed in curbing the extent of food wastage due to food spoilage by the microbial infestation. Nanotechnology has focused on fresh foods, ensuring a healthier food by employing nano-delivery systems in the process. The delivery systems are the ones, which carries the food supplements. However, these are certain sets of regulations that must be followed to tame or control the health related risks of nanotechnology in food industries. This paper outlines the role of nanotechnology at different levels of the food industry including, packaging of food, processing of food and the various preservation techniques all aiming to increase the shelf life of the food products.

  6. Nanotechnology for forest products. Part 2

    Treesearch

    Theodore Wegner; Phil Jones

    2005-01-01

    In planning for the Nanotechnology for the Forest products Industry Workshop, we considered many different options for organizing technical focus areas for breakout discussion sessions. We felt the fallowing R&D focus areas provide the best path forward for a nanotechnology roadmap by identifying the underlying science and technology needed: also, they foster...

  7. Nanotechnology Education: Contemporary Content and Approaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ernst, Jeremy V.

    2009-01-01

    Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field of research and development identified as a major priority in the United States. Progress in science and engineering at the nanoscale is critical for national security, prosperity of the economy, and enhancement of the quality of life. It is anticipated that nanotechnology will be a major transitional…

  8. Nano-technology and nano-toxicology.

    PubMed

    Maynard, Robert L

    2012-01-01

    Rapid developments in nano-technology are likely to confer significant benefits on mankind. But, as with perhaps all new technologies, these benefits are likely to be accompanied by risks, perhaps by new risks. Nano-toxicology is developing in parallel with nano-technology and seeks to define the hazards and risks associated with nano-materials: only when risks have been identified they can be controlled. This article discusses the reasons for concern about the potential effects on health of exposure to nano-materials and relates these to the evidence of the effects on health of the ambient aerosol. A number of hypotheses are proposed and the dangers of adopting unsubstantiated hypotheses are stressed. Nano-toxicology presents many challenges and will need substantial financial support if it is to develop at a rate sufficient to cope with developments in nano-technology.

  9. Nano-technology and nano-toxicology

    PubMed Central

    Maynard, Robert L.

    2012-01-01

    Rapid developments in nano-technology are likely to confer significant benefits on mankind. But, as with perhaps all new technologies, these benefits are likely to be accompanied by risks, perhaps by new risks. Nano-toxicology is developing in parallel with nano-technology and seeks to define the hazards and risks associated with nano-materials: only when risks have been identified they can be controlled. This article discusses the reasons for concern about the potential effects on health of exposure to nano-materials and relates these to the evidence of the effects on health of the ambient aerosol. A number of hypotheses are proposed and the dangers of adopting unsubstantiated hypotheses are stressed. Nano-toxicology presents many challenges and will need substantial financial support if it is to develop at a rate sufficient to cope with developments in nano-technology. PMID:22662021

  10. The biotechnology innovation machine: a source of intelligent biopharmaceuticals for the pharma industry--mapping biotechnology's success.

    PubMed

    Evens, R P; Kaitin, K I

    2014-05-01

    The marriage of biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry (pharma) is predicated on an evolution in technology and product innovation. It has come as a result of advances in both the science and the business practices of the biotechnology sector in the past 30 years. Biotechnology products can be thought of as "intelligent pharmaceuticals," in that they often provide novel mechanisms of action, new approaches to disease control, higher clinical success rates, improved patient care, extended patent protection, and a significant likelihood of reimbursement. Although the first biotechnology product, insulin, was approved just 32 years ago in 1982, today there are more than 200 biotechnology products commercially available. Research has expanded to include more than 900 biotechnology products in clinical trials. Pharma is substantially engaged in both the clinical development of these products and their commercialization.

  11. Epistemic Beliefs and Conceptual Understanding in Biotechnology: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rebello, Carina M.; Siegel, Marcelle A.; Witzig, Stephen B.; Freyermuth, Sharyn K.; McClure, Bruce A.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to explore students' epistemic beliefs and conceptual understanding of biotechnology. Epistemic beliefs can influence reasoning, how individuals evaluate information, and informed decision making abilities. These skills are important for an informed citizenry that will participate in debates regarding areas in…

  12. Nanotechnology and its applications in the food sector.

    PubMed

    Sozer, Nesli; Kokini, Jozef L

    2009-02-01

    Nanoscience and nanotechnology are new frontiers of this century. Their applications to the agriculture and food sector are relatively recent compared with their use in drug delivery and pharmaceuticals. Smart delivery of nutrients, bioseparation of proteins, rapid sampling of biological and chemical contaminants and nanoencapsulation of nutraceuticals are some of the emerging topics of nanotechnology for food and agriculture. Advances in technologies, such as DNA microarrays, microelectromechanical systems and microfluidics, will enable the realization of the potential of nanotechnology for food applications. In this review, we intended to summarize the applications of nanotechnology relevant to food and nutraceuticals together with identifying the outstanding challenges.

  13. Nanotechnology Divides: Development Indicators and Thai Construction Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitisriworaphan, T.; Sawangdee, Y.

    Nanotechnology and disparity between developed and developing nations could increase the gap of global development while it also affects to construction industry where workers have potentially exposed to nanomaterials application. This research examined the influence of development indicators as demographic, social and economic factors on nanotechnology policy among 250 nations. Results revealed that 68.2% of developed countries have policy on nanotechnology while only 18% of developing countries have such a policy. Fertility and mortality declining with the increasing of literacy, urbanization and energy consumption provide significant positive effect on nanotechnology divides. Furthermore, results pointed out the existing gap of development between developed and developing worlds.

  14. Understanding public perceptions of biotechnology through the "Integrative Worldview Framework".

    PubMed

    De Witt, Annick; Osseweijer, Patricia; Pierce, Robin

    2015-07-03

    Biotechnological innovations prompt a range of societal responses that demand understanding. Research has shown such responses are shaped by individuals' cultural worldviews. We aim to demonstrate how the Integrative Worldview Framework (IWF) can be used for analyzing perceptions of biotechnology, by reviewing (1) research on public perceptions of biotechnology and (2) analyses of the stakeholder-debate on the bio-based economy, using the Integrative Worldview Framework (IWF) as analytical lens. This framework operationalizes the concept of worldview and distinguishes between traditional, modern, and postmodern worldviews, among others. Applied to these literatures, this framework illuminates how these worldviews underlie major societal responses, thereby providing a unifying understanding of the literature on perceptions of biotechnology. We conclude the IWF has relevance for informing research on perceptions of socio-technical changes, generating insight into the paradigmatic gaps in social science, and facilitating reflexive and inclusive policy-making and debates on these timely issues. © The Author(s) 2015.

  15. Advanced Material Nanotechnology in Israel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Figovsky, O.; Beilin, D.; Blank, N.

    One of the most interesting directions in material engineering during the past few years is the technical development of nanocomposite materials consisting from two or more phases with precise interphase border and nanostructured materials based on interpenetrated polymer network. Israel is one of world leaders in fundamental and industrial nanotechnology research, including fostering of start-up companies. Some important developments in the field of nanotechnology material engineering in Israel are summarized in the paper.

  16. Nanotechnology risk perceptions and communication: emerging technologies, emerging challenges.

    PubMed

    Pidgeon, Nick; Harthorn, Barbara; Satterfield, Terre

    2011-11-01

    Nanotechnology involves the fabrication, manipulation, and control of materials at the atomic level and may also bring novel uncertainties and risks. Potential parallels with other controversial technologies mean there is a need to develop a comprehensive understanding of processes of public perception of nanotechnology uncertainties, risks, and benefits, alongside related communication issues. Study of perceptions, at so early a stage in the development trajectory of a technology, is probably unique in the risk perception and communication field. As such it also brings new methodological and conceptual challenges. These include: dealing with the inherent diversity of the nanotechnology field itself; the unfamiliar and intangible nature of the concept, with few analogies to anchor mental models or risk perceptions; and the ethical and value questions underlying many nanotechnology debates. Utilizing the lens of social amplification of risk, and drawing upon the various contributions to this special issue of Risk Analysis on Nanotechnology Risk Perceptions and Communication, nanotechnology may at present be an attenuated hazard. The generic idea of "upstream public engagement" for emerging technologies such as nanotechnology is also discussed, alongside its importance for future work with emerging technologies in the risk communication field. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

  17. Space and biotechnology: An industry profile

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnston, Richard S.; Norton, David J.; Tom, Baldwin H.

    1988-01-01

    The results of a study conducted by the Center for Space and Advanced Technology (CSAT) for NASA-JSC are presented. The objectives were to determine the interests and attitudes of the U.S. biotechnology industry toward space biotechnology and to prepare a concise review of the current activities of the biotechnology industry. In order to accomplish these objectives, two primary actions were taken. First, a questionnaire was designed, reviewed, and distributed to U.S. biotechnology companies. Second, reviews of the various biotechnology fields were prepared in several aspects of the industry. For each review, leading figures in the field were asked to prepare a brief review pointing out key trends and current industry technical problems. The result is a readable narrative of the biotechnology industry which will provide space scientists and engineers valuable clues as to where the space environment can be explored to advance the U.S. biotechnology industry.

  18. Students' Knowledge of, and Attitudes towards Biotechnology Revisited, 1995-2014: Changes in Agriculture Biotechnology but Not in Medical Biotechnology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Shao-Yen; Chu, Yih-Ru; Lin, Chen-Yung; Chiang, Tzen-Yuh

    2016-01-01

    Modern biotechnology is one of the most important scientific and technological revolutions in the 21st century, with an increasing and measurable impact on society. Development of biotechnology curriculum has become important to high school bioscience classrooms. This study has monitored high school students in Taiwan on their knowledge of and…

  19. Biotechnology regulation: is policy transfer an appropriate answer?

    PubMed

    Cárdenas-Gómez, Olga Carolina; Létourneau, Lyne

    2010-01-01

    In the world of biotechnology regulation, one often encounters the suggestion that the legislation of other countries should be consulted. Known as "policy transfer" in the field of public policy analysis, the purpose of such a recommendation is for policymakers to use the experiences of other States as a basis for developing appropriate regulatory frameworks in a timely manner. This paper examines whether policy transfer is relevant as an instrument for biotechnology regulation, and if it is, to what extent. Our analysis uses the example of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), and unfolds according to the following argumentative steps. We will begin by discussing policy transfer as a recognized feature of policymaking in the literature pertaining to public policy analysis. We will then introduce a distinction between the technical dimension of policymaking and its political component. We will refer to "morality policy" as an illustration of policymaking directed toward its political component. We will show that, in the case of morality policy, States have moved away from a policy transfer approach. We will then establish that ART qualifies as morality policy, suggesting that policy transfer is most likely not the optimal policymaking tool for dealing with biotechnology regulation. Moving beyond the issue of ART in order to expand our reasoning to biotechnology regulation as a whole, we will conclude that, although the experiences of other States may be useful, policy transfer does not suffice in terms of informing policymaking in the case of biotechnology advances.

  20. Nanotechnology Research: Applications in Nutritional Sciences12

    PubMed Central

    Srinivas, Pothur R.; Philbert, Martin; Vu, Tania Q.; Huang, Qingrong; Kokini, Josef L.; Saos, Etta; Chen, Hongda; Peterson, Charles M.; Friedl, Karl E.; McDade-Ngutter, Crystal; Hubbard, Van; Starke-Reed, Pamela; Miller, Nancy; Betz, Joseph M.; Dwyer, Johanna; Milner, John; Ross, Sharon A.

    2010-01-01

    The tantalizing potential of nanotechnology is to fabricate and combine nanoscale approaches and building blocks to make useful tools and, ultimately, interventions for medical science, including nutritional science, at the scale of ∼1–100 nm. In the past few years, tools and techniques that facilitate studies and interventions in the nanoscale range have become widely available and have drawn widespread attention. Recently, investigators in the food and nutrition sciences have been applying the tools of nanotechnology in their research. The Experimental Biology 2009 symposium entitled “Nanotechnology Research: Applications in Nutritional Sciences” was organized to highlight emerging applications of nanotechnology to the food and nutrition sciences, as well as to suggest ways for further integration of these emerging technologies into nutrition research. Speakers focused on topics that included the problems and possibilities of introducing nanoparticles in clinical or nutrition settings, nanotechnology applications for increasing bioavailability of bioactive food components in new food products, nanotechnology opportunities in food science, as well as emerging safety and regulatory issues in this area, and the basic research applications such as the use of quantum dots to visualize cellular processes and protein-protein interactions. The session highlighted several emerging areas of potential utility in nutrition research. Nutrition scientists are encouraged to leverage ongoing efforts in nanomedicine through collaborations. These efforts could facilitate exploration of previously inaccessible cellular compartments and intracellular pathways and thus uncover strategies for new prevention and therapeutic modalities. PMID:19939997

  1. Nanotechnology applications in hematological malignancies (Review)

    PubMed Central

    SAMIR, AHMED; ELGAMAL, BASMA M; GABR, HALA; SABAAWY, HATEM E

    2015-01-01

    A major limitation to current cancer therapies is the development of therapy-related side-effects and dose limiting complications. Moreover, a better understanding of the biology of cancer cells and the mechanisms of resistance to therapy is rapidly developing. The translation of advanced knowledge and discoveries achieved at the molecular level must be supported by advanced diagnostic, therapeutic and delivery technologies to translate these discoveries into useful tools that are essential in achieving progress in the war against cancer. Nanotechnology can play an essential role in this aspect providing a transforming technology that can translate the basic and clinical findings into novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive tools useful in different types of cancer. Hematological malignancies represent a specific class of cancer, which attracts special attention in the applications of nanotechnology for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The aim of the present review is to elucidate the emerging applications of nanotechnology in cancer management and describe the potentials of nanotechnology in changing the key fundamental aspects of hematological malignancy diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. PMID:26134389

  2. Nanotechnology tolls the bell for plastic surgeons.

    PubMed

    Salehahmadi, Zeinab; Hajiliasgari, Fatemeh

    2013-06-01

    Nanotechnology is an emerging discipline, having power to revolutionarize every scientific field to a very deep level which previously thought to be a science fiction. Having a great potential to beneficially change the way a disease is diagnosed, treated and prevented, nanotechnology practically impacts on state of the art healthcare technologies and plays a crucial role in changing the field of surgery. Surgeons are constantly looking for minimally invasive ways to treat their patients, as recovery is faster when a lesser trauma is inflicted upon a patient, scarring is lessened and there are usually fewer complications in the aftermath of the operation. Through nanotechnology, tiny biosensors could be constructed which could take these factors into account, thus shortening the patient recovery period and saving hospitals money, reducing infection rates within the hospital, reducing the waiting lists for operation and allowing doctors to treat more patients in the same period of time. This review employs a thematic analysis of online series of academic papers focuses on the potentials of nanotechnology in surgery, especially in plastic surgery and addresses the possible future prospects of nanotechnology in this field.

  3. Nanotechnology Tolls the Bell for Plastic Surgeons

    PubMed Central

    Salehahmadi, Zeinab; Hajiliasgari, Fatemeh

    2013-01-01

    Nanotechnology is an emerging discipline, having power to revolutionarize every scientific field to a very deep level which previously thought to be a science fiction. Having a great potential to beneficially change the way a disease is diagnosed, treated and prevented, nanotechnology practically impacts on state of the art healthcare technologies and plays a crucial role in changing the field of surgery. Surgeons are constantly looking for minimally invasive ways to treat their patients, as recovery is faster when a lesser trauma is inflicted upon a patient, scarring is lessened and there are usually fewer complications in the aftermath of the operation. Through nanotechnology, tiny biosensors could be constructed which could take these factors into account, thus shortening the patient recovery period and saving hospitals money, reducing infection rates within the hospital, reducing the waiting lists for operation and allowing doctors to treat more patients in the same period of time. This review employs a thematic analysis of online series of academic papers focuses on the potentials of nanotechnology in surgery, especially in plastic surgery and addresses the possible future prospects of nanotechnology in this field. PMID:25489508

  4. Current state of biotechnology in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Dundar, Munis; Akbarova, Yagut

    2011-09-01

    Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary branch of science that encompasses a wide range of subjects like genetics, virology, microbiology, immunology, engineering to develop vaccines, and so on and plays a vital role in health systems, crop and seed management, yield improvement, agriculture, soil management, ecology, animal farming, cellular process, bio statistics, and so on. This article is about activities in medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology and nanobiotechnology carried out in Turkey. Turkey has made some progress in biotechnology projects for research and development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Search and Discovery Strategies for Biotechnology: the Paradigm Shift

    PubMed Central

    Bull, Alan T.; Ward, Alan C.; Goodfellow, Michael

    2000-01-01

    Profound changes are occurring in the strategies that biotechnology-based industries are deploying in the search for exploitable biology and to discover new products and develop new or improved processes. The advances that have been made in the past decade in areas such as combinatorial chemistry, combinatorial biosynthesis, metabolic pathway engineering, gene shuffling, and directed evolution of proteins have caused some companies to consider withdrawing from natural product screening. In this review we examine the paradigm shift from traditional biology to bioinformatics that is revolutionizing exploitable biology. We conclude that the reinvigorated means of detecting novel organisms, novel chemical structures, and novel biocatalytic activities will ensure that natural products will continue to be a primary resource for biotechnology. The paradigm shift has been driven by a convergence of complementary technologies, exemplified by DNA sequencing and amplification, genome sequencing and annotation, proteome analysis, and phenotypic inventorying, resulting in the establishment of huge databases that can be mined in order to generate useful knowledge such as the identity and characterization of organisms and the identity of biotechnology targets. Concurrently there have been major advances in understanding the extent of microbial diversity, how uncultured organisms might be grown, and how expression of the metabolic potential of microorganisms can be maximized. The integration of information from complementary databases presents a significant challenge. Such integration should facilitate answers to complex questions involving sequence, biochemical, physiological, taxonomic, and ecological information of the sort posed in exploitable biology. The paradigm shift which we discuss is not absolute in the sense that it will replace established microbiology; rather, it reinforces our view that innovative microbiology is essential for releasing the potential of microbial

  6. Functionalized surfaces and nanostructures for nanotechnological applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2003-01-01

    of information technology. Of equal significance is the lead in military technology as demonstrated by the use of unmanned drones for both surveillance and assault in recent conflicts. Nanotechnology promises far more significant economic, military and cultural changes than those created by the internet, and with technology advancing so fast, and development and adoption cycles becoming shorter, playing catch-up will not be an option for governments who are not already taking action. Maybe the greatest short term benefit of nanotechnology is in bringing together the disparate sciences, physical and biological, who due to the nature of education often have had no contact since high school. Rather than nanosubmarines or killer nanobots, the greatest legacy of nanotechnology may well prove to be the unification of scientific disciplines and the resultant ability of scientists, when faced with a problem, to call on the resources of the whole of science, not just of one discipline. Tim Harper Tim Harper About the author Tim Harper is the Founder and President of CMP Cientifica, and the co-author of the Nanotechnology Opportunity ReportTM, described by NASA as `the defining report in the field of nanotechnology'. Tim is also the Founder and Executive Director of European NanoBusiness Association and an advisor to the US NanoBusiness Alliance. He contributes a weekly column to the Institute of Physics Nanotechweb site and writes a regular column for Tornado Insider magazine. Tim also publishes, and occasionally edits, the weekly nanotechnology newsletter TNT Weekly which has been running since 2000 and is widely read across the entire nanotechnology community, from academics to investors. In October 2002 Time magazine described Tim as `the face of European nanotechnology' and profiled him in their Digital Europe Top 25, as one of Europe's top 25 entrepreneurs. This was followed in November by recognition in Small Times magazine who described Tim as `Europe's pre

  7. Interactive survey of consumer awareness of nanotechnologies and nanoparticles in consumer products in South Korea

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Yu-Ri; Lee, Eun Jeong; Park, Sung Ha; Kwon, Hyo Jin; An, Seong Soo A; Son, Sang Wook; Seo, Young Rok; Pie, Jae-Eun; Yoon, Myoung; Kim, Ja Hei; Kim, Meyoung-Kon

    2014-01-01

    Background The purpose of our study was to understand consumers’ risk awareness and need for relevant information about nanotechnology and nanoparticles contained in products currently being sold in Korea. Methods One thousand and seven adult consumers (aged 20–50 years) were randomly selected from all over South Korea between November 1 and 9, 2010. We surveyed the origin and degree of their concern and their need for information and education regarding nanomaterials. Results Analysis of the survey results showed no significant differences in responses by sex, age, and level of education, but significant differences were found in responses based on average monthly household income. Our research showed that consumers have vague expectations for and positive image of nanotechnology and nanoproducts but do not clearly understand what they are. In addition, we found that preparing and disseminating information to consumers is required in order to provide correct information about nanotechnology to the public. Conclusion A communication system should be established among the multiple stakeholders involved with nanomaterials to address consumer expectations and concerns. Further, a safety evaluation system must be set up, the results of which should be processed by a reliable expert group so they can be disseminated to the public. PMID:25565822

  8. Regulation of animal biotechnology: research needs.

    PubMed

    Rexroad, C E; Green, R D; Wall, R J

    2007-09-01

    Livestock that result from biotechnology have been a part of agricultural science for over 30 years but have not entered the market place as food or fiber. Two biotechnologies are at the forefront as challenges to the world's systems for regulating the market place: animal clones and transgenic animals. Both technologies have come before the Food and Drug Administration in the United States and it appears that action is imminent for clones. The FDA has asserted principles for evaluation of clones and asserts that "... remaining hazard(s) from cloning are likely to be subtle in nature." The science-based principles recognize that in some areas related to developmental biology and gene expression in clones, additional scientific information would be useful. The role of science then is to use the genomic tools that we have available to answer questions about epigenetic regulation of development and reprogramming of genes to the state found in germ cells. Transgenics pose additional challenges to regulators. If the transgenics are produced using cloning from modified cells then the additional scientific information needed will be related to the effects of insertion and expression of the transgenes. Other approaches such as retrovirally vectored transgenesis will elicit additional questions. These questions will be challenging because the science will have to be related to the expression and function of each gene or class of genes. For the promises of animal biotechnology to be fulfilled, scientists will have to resolve many questions for regulators and the public but tools to answer those questions are rapidly becoming available.

  9. NANOMATERIALS, NANOTECHNOLOGY: APPLICATIONS, CONSUMER PRODUCTS, AND BENEFITS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Nanotechnology is a platform technology that is finding more and more applications daily. Today over 600 consumer products are available globally that utilize nanomaterials. This chapter explores the use of nanomaterials and nanotechnology in three areas, namely Medicine, Environ...

  10. Effect of Nanotechnology Instructions on Senior High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Chow-Chin; Sung, Chia-Chi

    2011-01-01

    In this research, we cooperate with senior high school teachers to understand current nanotechnology model of senior high school nanotechnology curriculum in Taiwan. Then design senior high school nanotechnology (nano-tech) curriculum to teach 503 senior high school students. After teaching the nano-tech curriculum we use the "Nanotechnology…

  11. New Developments in Biotechnology: U.S. Investment in Biotechnology. [Special Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Office of Technology Assessment.

    Since the discovery of recombinant DNA in the early 1970s, biotechnology has become an essential tool for many industries. The potential of biotechnology to improve the Nation's health, food supply, and the quality of the environment leads logically to questions of whether current levels of investment in research and development, human resources,…

  12. Standardisation in the field of nanotechnology: some issues of legitimacy.

    PubMed

    Forsberg, Ellen-Marie

    2012-12-01

    Nanotechnology will allegedly have a revolutionary impact in a wide range of fields, but has also created novel concerns about health, safety and the environment (HSE). Nanotechnology regulation has nevertheless lagged behind nanotechnology development. In 2004 the International Organization for Standardization established a technical committee for producing nanotechnology standards for terminology, measurements, HSE issues and product specifications. These standards are meant to play a role in nanotechnology development, as well as in national and international nanotechnology regulation, and will therefore have consequences for consumers, workers and the environment. This paper gives an overview of the work in the technical committee on nanotechnology and discusses some challenges with regard to legitimacy in such work. The paper focuses particularly on stakeholder involvement and the potential problems of scientific robustness when standardising in such early stages of the scientific development. The intention of the paper is to raise some important issues rather than to draw strong conclusions. However, the paper will be concluded with some suggestions for improving legitimacy in the TC 229 and a call for increased public awareness about standardisation in the field of nanotechnology.

  13. The Ohio Science Workbook: Biotechnology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reames, Spencer E., Comp.

    Because of the daily impact of biotechnology, it is important that students have some knowledge and experience with biotechnology in order to enable them to deal with the issues that arise as a result of its implementation. The purpose of this workbook is to assist in the efforts to expose students to the concepts of biotechnology through hands-on…

  14. ISS Biotechnology Facility - Overview of Analytical Tools for Cellular Biotechnology Investigations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jeevarajan, A. S.; Towe, B. C.; Anderson, M. M.; Gonda, S. R.; Pellis, N. R.

    2001-01-01

    The ISS Biotechnology Facility (BTF) platform provides scientists with a unique opportunity to carry out diverse experiments in a microgravity environment for an extended period of time. Although considerable progress has been made in preserving cells on the ISS for long periods of time for later return to Earth, future biotechnology experiments would desirably monitor, process, and analyze cells in a timely way on-orbit. One aspect of our work has been directed towards developing biochemical sensors for pH, glucose, oxygen, and carbon dioxide for perfused bioreactor system developed at Johnson Space Center. Another aspect is the examination and identification of new and advanced commercial biotechnologies that may have applications to on-orbit experiments.

  15. Outlining ethical issues in nanotechnologies.

    PubMed

    Spagnolo, Antonio G; Daloiso, Viviana

    2009-09-01

    Nanotechnologies are an expression of the human ability to control and manipulate matter on a very small scale. Their use will enable an even and constant monitoring of human organisms, in a new and perhaps less invasive way. Debates at all levels--national, European and international--have pointed out the common difficulty of giving a complete, clear definition of nanotechnologies. This is primarily due to the variety of their components, to the fact that there is not just one technology but several. The most significant medical applications of nanotechnologies are in the diagnostic and the therapeutic fields, eg biosensors and molecular imaging, providing diagnosis and drug delivery with no invasive methods involved. Like any other emerging field, such technologies imply new possibilities for improving health but, on the other hand, they are still at an experimental stage and therefore should be implemented under rigorous safety testing before going on general release. For this purpose, the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of nanotechnologies have been elaborated by study groups, in order to develop solutions before the results of the tests are diffused into medical practice. The aim of this paper is to define some of the ethical issues concerning biomedical applications and to evaluate whether there is a need for new or additional guidelines and regulations.

  16. Disentangling the influence of value predispositions and risk/benefit perceptions on support for nanotechnology among the American public.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jiyoun; Yeo, Sara K; Brossard, Dominique; Scheufele, Dietram A; Xenos, Michael A

    2014-05-01

    Using nanotechnology as a case study, this article explores (1) how people's perceptions of benefits and risks are related to their approval of nanotechnology, (2) which information-processing factors contribute to public risk/benefit perceptions, and (3) whether individuals' predispositions (i.e., deference to scientific authority and ideology) may moderate the relationship between cognitive processing and risk perceptions of the technology. Results indicate that benefit perceptions positively affect public support for nanotechnology; perceptions of risk tend to be more influenced by systematic processing than by heuristic cues, whereas both heuristic and systematic processing influence benefit perceptions. People who are more liberal-minded tend to be more affected by systematic processing when thinking about the benefits of nanotechnology than those who are more conservative. Compared to less deferent individuals, those who are more deferent to scientific authority tend to be less influenced by systematic processing when making judgments about the benefits and risks of nanotechnology. Implications are discussed. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

  17. Best Practices in Cancer Nanotechnology – Perspective from NCI Nanotechnology Alliance

    PubMed Central

    Zamboni, William C.; Torchilin, Vladimir; Patri, Anil; Hrkach, Jeff; Stern, Stephen; Lee, Robert; Nel, Andre; Panaro, Nicholas J.; Grodzinski, Piotr

    2014-01-01

    Historically, treatment of patients with cancer using chemotherapeutic agents has been associated with debilitating and systemic toxicities, poor bioavailability, and unfavorable pharmacokinetics. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, on the other hand, can specifically target cancer cells while avoiding their healthy neighbors, avoid rapid clearance from the body, and be administered without toxic solvents. They hold immense potential in addressing all of these issues which has hampered further development of chemotherapeutics. Furthermore, such drug delivery systems will lead to cancer therapeutic modalities which are not only less toxic to the patient but also significantly more efficacious. In addition to established therapeutic modes of action, nanomaterials are opening up entirely new modalities of cancer therapy, such as photodynamic and hyperthermia treatments. Furthermore, nanoparticle carriers are also capable of addressing several drug delivery problems which could not be effectively solved in the past and include overcoming formulation issues, multi-drug-resistance phenomenon and penetrating cellular barriers that may limit device accessibility to intended targets such as the blood-brain-barrier. The challenges in optimizing design of nanoparticles tailored to specific tumor indications still remain; however, it is clear that nanoscale devices carry a significant promise towards new ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. This review focuses on future prospects of using nanotechnology in cancer applications and discusses practices and methodologies used in the development and translation of nanotechnology-based therapeutics. PMID:22669131

  18. [Biotechnology in perspective].

    PubMed

    Brand, A

    1990-06-15

    Biotechnology is a collective term for a large number of manipulations of biological material. Fields of importance in stock-keeping include: (1) manipulation of reproductive processes; (2) genetic manipulation of macro-(farm) animals and micro-organisms and (3) manipulation of metabolism. Fitting in biotechnological findings in breeding-stock farming has repercussions in several fields such as the relationship between producers and the ancillary and processing industries, service industries, consumers and society as a whole. The use of biotechnical findings will also require further automation and adaptation of farm management. Biotechnology opens up a new area and new prospects for farm animal husbandry. These can only be regarded as positive when they take a permanent development of the entire section into account.

  19. Biotechnology education as social and cultural production/reproduction of the biotechnology community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andrée, Maria

    2014-03-01

    This paper is a commentary to a paper by Anne Solli, Frank Bach and Björn Åkerman on how students at a technical university learn to argue as biotechnologists. Solli and her colleagues report from an ethnographic study performed during the first semester of a 5-year program in biotechnology at a technical university in Sweden. Their study demonstrates how students begin to acquire `the right way' of approaching the controversial issue of producing and consuming genetically modified organisms. In my response I discuss the ethnographic account of this particular educational practice in terms of social and cultural production/reproduction of a biotechnology community and how the participants (students and teaching professors) deal with the dialectic of individual and collective transformation. In the perspective of the biotechnology community, the work done by the teaching professor becomes a way of ensuring the future of the biotechnology community in terms of what values and objectives are held highly in the community of practice.

  20. Governance Challenges of Technological Systems Convergence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitman, Jim

    2006-01-01

    The convergence of several technological systems (especially nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and robotics) has now been adopted as a strategic goal by several countries, most notably the United States and those of the European Union. The anticipated benefits and related fears of competitive disadvantage have brought together…

  1. Computational Nanotechnology at NASA Ames Research Center, 1996

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Globus, Al; Bailey, David; Langhoff, Steve; Pohorille, Andrew; Levit, Creon; Chancellor, Marisa K. (Technical Monitor)

    1996-01-01

    Some forms of nanotechnology appear to have enormous potential to improve aerospace and computer systems; computational nanotechnology, the design and simulation of programmable molecular machines, is crucial to progress. NASA Ames Research Center has begun a computational nanotechnology program including in-house work, external research grants, and grants of supercomputer time. Four goals have been established: (1) Simulate a hypothetical programmable molecular machine replicating itself and building other products. (2) Develop molecular manufacturing CAD (computer aided design) software and use it to design molecular manufacturing systems and products of aerospace interest, including computer components. (3) Characterize nanotechnologically accessible materials of aerospace interest. Such materials may have excellent strength and thermal properties. (4) Collaborate with experimentalists. Current in-house activities include: (1) Development of NanoDesign, software to design and simulate a nanotechnology based on functionalized fullerenes. Early work focuses on gears. (2) A design for high density atomically precise memory. (3) Design of nanotechnology systems based on biology. (4) Characterization of diamonoid mechanosynthetic pathways. (5) Studies of the laplacian of the electronic charge density to understand molecular structure and reactivity. (6) Studies of entropic effects during self-assembly. Characterization of properties of matter for clusters up to sizes exhibiting bulk properties. In addition, the NAS (NASA Advanced Supercomputing) supercomputer division sponsored a workshop on computational molecular nanotechnology on March 4-5, 1996 held at NASA Ames Research Center. Finally, collaborations with Bill Goddard at CalTech, Ralph Merkle at Xerox Parc, Don Brenner at NCSU (North Carolina State University), Tom McKendree at Hughes, and Todd Wipke at UCSC are underway.

  2. Computational Nanotechnology Molecular Electronics, Materials and Machines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Srivastava, Deepak; Biegel, Bryan A. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    This presentation covers research being performed on computational nanotechnology, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes at the NASA Ames Research Center. Topics cover include: nanomechanics of nanomaterials, nanotubes and composite materials, molecular electronics with nanotube junctions, kinky chemistry, and nanotechnology for solid-state quantum computers using fullerenes.

  3. Nanotechnology and health: From boundary object to bodily intervention

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perry, Karen-Marie Elah

    Nanotechnology is commonly understood to involve the manipulation of individual molecules and atoms. Increasingly, healthcare practices in British Columbia are articulated through the nanotechnological in relationship to the body. The hope for better treatment and diagnosis of disease is located in the specificity of nanotechnological applications -- the finely tuned targeting of cells and treatments geared towards individual molecular profiles. However, this same specificity also alarms regulators, activists and consumer groups in the potential for increased toxicity. Drawing from participant observation, ethnographic interviews, and theoretical orientations adopted by Susan Leigh Star and Jeffrey Bowker, this thesis explores three questions: 1) How can nanotechnology inhabit multiple contexts at once and have both local and shared meaning; 2) How can people who live in one community draw their meanings from people and objects situated there and communicate with those inhabiting another; and 3) What moral and political consequences attend each of these questions? Keywords: nanotechnology; medical anthropology; anthropology of the body; science studies; critical theory; feminist theory; ethnography; qualitative research; biomedicine; nanotoxicology; bionanotechnology; British Columbia; Canada; nanomedicine; medical nanotechnology.

  4. Development of a Model for the Representation of Nanotechnology-Specific Terminology

    PubMed Central

    Bailey, LeeAnn O.; Kennedy, Christopher H.; Fritts, Martin J.; Hartel, Francis W.

    2006-01-01

    Nanotechnology is an important, rapidly-evolving, multidisciplinary field [1]. The tremendous growth in this area necessitates the establishment of a common, open-source terminology to support the diverse biomedical applications of nanotechnology. Currently, the consensus process to define and categorize conceptual entities pertaining to nanotechnology is in a rudimentary stage. We have constructed a nanotechnology-specific conceptual hierarchy that can be utilized by end users to retrieve accurate, controlled terminology regarding emerging nanotechnology and corresponding clinical applications. PMID:17238469

  5. Foresight Study on the Risk Governance of New Technologies: The Case of Nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Read, Sheona A K; Kass, Gary S; Sutcliffe, Hilary R; Hankin, Steven M

    2016-05-01

    Technology-led innovation represents an important driver of European economic and industrial competitiveness and offers solutions to societal challenges. In order to facilitate responsible innovation and public acceptance, a need exists to identify and implement oversight approaches focused on the effective risk governance of emerging technologies. This article describes a foresight study on the governance of new technologies, using nanotechnology as a case example. Following a mapping of the governance landscape, four plausible foresight scenarios were developed, capturing critical uncertainties for nanotechnology governance. Key governance elements were then stress tested within these scenarios to see how well they might perform in a range of possible futures and to inform identification of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for nanotechnology governance in Europe. Based on the study outcomes, recommendations are proposed regarding the development of governance associated with the responsible development of new technologies. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

  6. EDITORIAL: Nanotechnological selection Nanotechnological selection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demming, Anna

    2013-01-01

    across the channel. The aim of achieving selectivity encompasses a huge range of fields in nanotechnology research, from sensing and medicine to nanoelectronics and self-assembly. As our understanding of how nanosystems behave deepens, so too does the hunger to improve our capabilities, allowing greater precision and control in manipulating these systems. Selectivity is far from trivial when shrinking to systems of nanoscale dimensions, but the range of opportunities it brings just keeps on growing. References [1] Gong X, Li J, Guo C, Xu K and Hui Y 2012 Molecular switch for tuning ions across nanopores by an external electric field Nanotechnology 24 025502 [2] Brannon-Peppas L and Blanchette J O 2004 Nanoparticle and targeted systems for cancer therapy Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev 56 1649-59 [3] Lukianova-Hleb E Y, Hanna E Y, Hafner J H and Lapotko D O 2010 Tunable plasmonic nanobubbles for cell theranostics Nanotechnology 21 085102 [4] Zhang T, Mubeen S, Myung N V and Deshusses M A 2008 Recent progress in carbon nanotube-based gas sensors Nanotechnology 19 332001 [5] Mangu R, Rajaputra S and Singh V P 2011 MWCNT-polymer composites as highly sensitive and selective room temperature gas sensors Nanotechnology 22 215502 [6]Meller A, Nivon L, Brandin E, Golovchenko J and Branton D 2000 Rapid nanopore discrimination between single polynucleotide molecules Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. 97 1079-84 [7] Asghar W, Ilyas A, Deshmukh R R, Sumitsawan S, Timmons R B and Iqbal S M 2011 Pulsed plasma polymerization for controlling shrinkage and surface composition of nanopores Nanotechnology 22 285304

  7. Role of Nanotechnology in Erectile Dysfunction Treatment.

    PubMed

    Wang, Alice Y; Podlasek, Carol A

    2017-01-01

    The biological importance of nanotechnology-based delivery vehicles for in vivo tissue regeneration is gaining acceptance by the medical community; however, its relevance and incorporation into the treatment of sexual dysfunction are evolving and have not been well evaluated. To provide scientific evidence examining the use of state-of-the-art nanotechnology-based delivery methodology in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in animal models and in patients. This review assessed the current basic science literature examining the role of nanotechnology-based delivery vehicles in the development of potential ED therapies. There are four primary areas where nanotechnology has been applied for ED treatment: (i) topical delivery of drugs for on-demand erectile function, (ii) injectable gels into the penis to prevent morphologic changes after prostatectomy, (iii) hydrogels to promote cavernous nerve regeneration or neuroprotection, and (iv) encapsulation of drugs to increase erectile function (primarily of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors). Basic science studies provide evidence for a significant and evolving role for nanotechnology in the development of therapies for ED and suggest that properly administered nano-based therapies might be advantageous for treating male sexual dysfunction. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Biotechnology: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Biotechnology Research Efforts. Briefing Report. To the Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, House of Representatives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

    Information pertaining to biotechnology research that was funded in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is presented in this report. Findings obtained from state agricultural experimental stations and colleges of veterinary medicine are discussed in 11 appendices. These include: (1) information on USDA's biotechnology…

  9. Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Challenges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meyyappan, Meyya

    2003-01-01

    Nanotechnology seeks to exploit novel physical, chemical, biological, mechanical, electrical, and other properties, which arise primarily due to the nanoscale nature of certain materials. A key example is carbon nanotubes (CNTs) which exhibit unique electrical and extraordinary mechanical properties and offer remarkable potential for revolutionary applications in electronics devices, computing, and data storage technology, sensors, composites, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), and as tip in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) for imaging and nanolithography. Thus the CNT synthesis, characterization, and applications touch upon all disciplines of science and engineering. This presentation will provide an overview and progress report on this and other major research candidates in Nanotechnology and address opportunities and challenges ahead.

  10. Nanotechnology applications for glioblastoma.

    PubMed

    Nduom, Edjah K; Bouras, Alexandros; Kaluzova, Milota; Hadjipanayis, Costas G

    2012-07-01

    Glioblastoma remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat and represents the most common primary malignancy of the brain. Although conventional treatments have found modest success in reducing the initial tumor burden, infiltrating cancer cells beyond the main mass are responsible for tumor recurrence and ultimate patient demise. Targeting residual infiltrating cancer cells requires the development of new treatment strategies. The emerging field of cancer nanotechnology holds promise in the use of multifunctional nanoparticles for imaging and targeted therapy of glioblastoma. This article examines the current state of nanotechnology in the treatment of glioblastoma and directions of further study. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Optimal Learning for Efficient Experimentation in Nanotechnology and Biochemistry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-22

    AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0018 Optimal Learning for Efficient Experimentation in Nanotechnology , Biochemistry Warren Powell TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON...3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 01-07-2012 to 30-09-2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Optimal Learning for Efficient Experimentation in Nanotechnology and...in Nanotechnology and Biochemistry Principal Investigators: Warren B. Powell Princeton University Department of Operations Research and

  12. The effect of biotechnology education on Australian high school students' understandings and attitudes about biotechnology processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dawson, Vaille; Soames, Christina

    2006-11-01

    Our education system aims to equip young people with the knowledge, problem-solving skills and values to cope with an increasingly technological society. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of biotechnology education on adolescents’ understanding and attitudes about processes associated with biotechnology. Data were drawn from teacher and student interviews and surveys in the context of innovative Year 10 biotechnology courses conducted in three Western Australian high schools. The results indicate that after completing a biotechnology course students’ understanding increased but their attitudes remained constant with the exception of their views about human uses of gene technology. The findings of this study have ramifications for the design and implementation of biotechnology education courses in high schools.

  13. EDITORIAL: Nanotechnology impact on sensors Nanotechnology impact on sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brugger, Jürgen

    2009-10-01

    A sensor is a device that responds to a stimulus by generating a functional output induced by a change in some intrinsic properties. We are surrounded by sensors and sensing networks that monitor a multitude of parameters in view of enhancing our safety and quality of life. Sensors assist us in health care and diagnostics, they monitor our environment, our aeroplanes and automobiles, our mobile phones, game consoles and watches, and last but not least, many of our human body functions. Modern sensing systems have greatly benefited in recent decades from advances in microelectronics and microengineering, mainly in view of making sensors smaller, cheaper, more sensitive, more selective, and with a better signal-to-noise ratio, following classical scaling rules. So how about nanotechnology-enabled sensing? Nanoscale features have a great impact on many (though not all) sensing systems, in particular where the surface-to-volume ratio plays a fundamental role, such as in certain chemical and gas sensors. The high surface-to-volume ratios of nanoporous and nanostructured materials have led to their implementation in sensing systems since sensing research first began to engage with the nanotechnology. The surface plasmon resonances of nanostructures have also enriched the scope for developing novel sensing devices. On the other hand, sensors where bulk properties dominate, such as inertial sensors, are less likely to benefit from extreme scaling. Advances in thin film techniques and chemical synthesis have allowed material properties to be tailored to sensing requirements for enhanced performance. These bottom-up fabrication techniques enable parallel fabrication of ordered nanostructures, often in domain-like areas with molecular precision. At the same time the progress in top-down methods such as scanning probe lithography, nanoimprint lithography, soft-lithography and stencil lithography have also facilitated research into sensing and actuating nanotechnology. Although

  14. Engaging Undergraduates through Interdisciplinary Research in Nanotechnology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goonewardene, Anura U.; Offutt, Christine; Whitling, Jacqueline; Woodhouse, Donald

    2012-01-01

    To recruit and retain more students in all science disciplines at our small (5,000 student) public university, we implemented an interdisciplinary strategy focusing on nanotechnology and enhanced undergraduate research. Inherently interdisciplinary, the novelty of nanotechnology and its growing career potential appeal to students. To engage…

  15. Nanotechnology in dentistry: prevention, diagnosis, and therapy.

    PubMed

    Abou Neel, Ensanya Ali; Bozec, Laurent; Perez, Roman A; Kim, Hae-Won; Knowles, Jonathan C

    2015-01-01

    Nanotechnology has rapidly expanded into all areas of science; it offers significant alternative ways to solve scientific and medical questions and problems. In dentistry, nanotechnology has been exploited in the development of restorative materials with some significant success. This review discusses nanointerfaces that could compromise the longevity of dental restorations, and how nanotechnolgy has been employed to modify them for providing long-term successful restorations. It also focuses on some challenging areas in dentistry, eg, oral biofilm and cancers, and how nanotechnology overcomes these challenges. The recent advances in nanodentistry and innovations in oral health-related diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic methods required to maintain and obtain perfect oral health, have been discussed. The recent advances in nanotechnology could hold promise in bringing a paradigm shift in dental field. Although there are numerous complex therapies being developed to treat many diseases, their clinical use requires careful consideration of the expense of synthesis and implementation.

  16. Nanotechnology in dentistry: prevention, diagnosis, and therapy

    PubMed Central

    Abou Neel, Ensanya Ali; Bozec, Laurent; Perez, Roman A; Kim, Hae-Won; Knowles, Jonathan C

    2015-01-01

    Nanotechnology has rapidly expanded into all areas of science; it offers significant alternative ways to solve scientific and medical questions and problems. In dentistry, nanotechnology has been exploited in the development of restorative materials with some significant success. This review discusses nanointerfaces that could compromise the longevity of dental restorations, and how nanotechnolgy has been employed to modify them for providing long-term successful restorations. It also focuses on some challenging areas in dentistry, eg, oral biofilm and cancers, and how nanotechnology overcomes these challenges. The recent advances in nanodentistry and innovations in oral health-related diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic methods required to maintain and obtain perfect oral health, have been discussed. The recent advances in nanotechnology could hold promise in bringing a paradigm shift in dental field. Although there are numerous complex therapies being developed to treat many diseases, their clinical use requires careful consideration of the expense of synthesis and implementation. PMID:26504385

  17. Cancer nanotechnology: emerging role of gold nanoconjugates.

    PubMed

    Kudgus, Rachel A; Bhattacharya, Resham; Mukherjee, Priyabrata

    2011-12-01

    Over the last few decades, the study of nanotechnology has grown exponentially. Nanotechnology bridges science, engineering and technology; it continues to expand in definition as well as practice. One sub-set of nanotechnology is bionanotechnology, this will be the focus of this review. Currently, bionanotechnology is being studied and exploited for utility within medicinal imaging, diagnosis and therapy in regard to cancer. Cancer is a world-wide health problem and the implication rate as well as the death rate increase year to year. However promising work is being done with gold nanoparticles for detection, diagnosis and targeted drug delivery therapy. Gold nanoparticles can be synthesized in various shapes and sizes, which directly correlates to the color; they can also be manipulated to carry various antibody, protein, plasmid, DNA or small molecule drug. Herein we summarize some of the very influential research being done in the field of Cancer Nanotechnology with an emphasis on gold nanoparticles.

  18. Nanotechnology - A path forward for developing nations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shah, S. Ismat; Powers, Thomas M.

    2015-10-01

    One of the major issues with technology in general, and nanotechnology in particular, is that it could exacerbate the divide between developed and developing nations. If the benefits of the research do not flow beyond the national and geographical borders of the traditional major bastions of R&D, these benefits will not be equally and globally available. The consequence is that the technological divide becomes wider at the expense of mutual reliance. As much as developed nations need to rethink the strategy and the policy to bring nanotechnology products to market with the goal of global prosperity, developing nations cannot afford to simply wait for the lead from the developed nations. In the spirit of collaboration and collegiality, we describe issues with the current practices in nanotechnology R&D in the developing world and suggest a path for nanotechnology research in energy, water and the environment that developing nations could follow in order to become contributors rather than simply consumers.

  19. Cancer Nanotechnology: Emerging Role of Gold Nanoconjugates

    PubMed Central

    Kudgus, Rachel A.; Bhattacharya, Resham; Mukherjee, Priyabrata

    2014-01-01

    Over the last few decades, the study of nanotechnology has grown exponentially. Nanotechnology bridges science, engineering and technology; it continues to expand in definition as well as practice. One sub-set of nanotechnology is bionanotechnology, this will be the focus of this review. Currently, bionanotechnology is being studied and exploited for utility within medicinal imaging, diagnosis and therapy in regard to cancer. Cancer is a world-wide health problem and the implication rate as well as the death rate increase year to year. However promising work is being done with gold nanoparticles for detection, diagnosis and targeted drug delivery therapy. Gold nanoparticles can be synthesized in various shapes and sizes, which directly correlates to the color; they can also be manipulated to carry various antibody, protein, plasmid, DNA or small molecule drug. Herein we summarize some of the very influential research being done in the field of Cancer Nanotechnology with an emphasis on gold nanoparticles. PMID:21864234

  20. Targeting Ovarian Cancer with Porphysome Nanotechnology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-13-1-0442 TITLE: Targeting Ovarian Cancer with Porphysome Nanotechnology PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Gang Zheng CONTRACTING...Ovarian Cancer with Porphysome Nanotechnology 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-13-1-0442 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Gang Zheng...the intrinsic multimodal nature of porphyrin-assembled nanoparticles confers high potential for cancer theranostics and clinical translation

  1. Challenges of Trainees in a Multidisciplinary Research Program: Nano-Biotechnology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kriegel, Christina; Koehne, Jessica; Tinkle, Sally; Maynard, Andrew D.; Hill, Rodney A.

    2011-01-01

    The breadth of knowledge required for the multidisciplinary field of nanotechnology challenges and extends traditional concepts of multidisciplinary graduate education. There is a paucity of information, both general reporting and peer-reviewed studies, on the challenges for graduate students working in this multidisciplinary paradigm, from the…

  2. Toward Sustainable Anticipatory Governance: Analyzing and Assessing Nanotechnology Innovation Processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foley, Rider Williams

    Cities around the globe struggle with socio-economic disparities, resource inefficiency, environmental contamination, and quality-of-life challenges. Technological innovation, as one prominent approach to problem solving, promises to address these challenges; yet, introducing new technologies, such as nanotechnology, into society and cities has often resulted in negative consequences. Recent research has conceptually linked anticipatory governance and sustainability science: to understand the role of technology in complex problems our societies face; to anticipate negative consequences of technological innovation; and to promote long-term oriented and responsible governance of technologies. This dissertation advances this link conceptually and empirically, focusing on nanotechnology and urban sustainability challenges. The guiding question for this dissertation research is: How can nanotechnology be innovated and governed in responsible ways and with sustainable outcomes? The dissertation: analyzes the nanotechnology innovation process from an actor- and activities-oriented perspective (Chapter 2); assesses this innovation process from a comprehensive perspective on sustainable governance (Chapter 3); constructs a small set of future scenarios to consider future implications of different nanotechnology governance models (Chapter 4); and appraises the amenability of sustainability problems to nanotechnological interventions (Chapter 5). The four studies are based on data collected through literature review, document analysis, participant observation, interviews, workshops, and walking audits, as part of process analysis, scenario construction, and technology assessment. Research was conducted in collaboration with representatives from industry, government agencies, and civic organizations. The empirical parts of the four studies focus on Metropolitan Phoenix. Findings suggest that: predefined mandates and economic goals dominate the nanotechnology innovation process

  3. Ohio Biotechnology Competency Profile.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Lavonna; Bowermeister, Bob; Boudreau, Joyce

    This document, which lists the biotechnology competencies identified by representatives from biotechnology businesses and industries as well as secondary and post-secondary educators throughout Ohio, is intended to assist individuals and organizations in developing college tech prep programs that will prepare students from secondary through…

  4. Advanced Lung Cancer Screening: An Individualized Molecular Nanotechnology Approach

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-03-01

    Award Number: W81XWH-12-1-0323 TITLE: Advanced Lung Cancer Screening: An Individualized Molecular Nanotechnology Approach PRINCIPAL...SUBTITLE Advanced Lung Cancer Screening: An Individualized Molecular Nanotechnology Approach 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT...increasing its sensitivity and specificity through nanotechnology . Hypothesis: Detection of DNA methylation from individuals with cancer can be used to

  5. Nanotechnology and Environmental, Health, and Safety: Issues for Consideration

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-08-06

    be required. J. Clarence Davies, senior advisor to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies and former EPA Assistant Administrator for Policy...and the applications become more diverse. CRS-25 54 Davies, J. Clarence . Managing the Effects of Nanotechnology, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies...August 2, 2007. 67 Davies, J. Clarence , testimony, EPA Public Meeting on Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program, August 2, 2007. [http

  6. The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Overview, Reauthorization, and Appropriations Issues

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-03-18

    and Health, July 2006. 91 Progress Toward Safe Nanotechnology in the Workplace , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, June 2007. 92...2007. Progress Toward Safe Nanotechnology in the Workplace , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. June 2007. Approaches to Safe...Nanotechnology in the Workplace , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. July 2006. Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology in

  7. The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Overview, Reauthorization, and Appropriations Issues

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-05-13

    Health, July 2006. 91 Progress Toward Safe Nanotechnology in the Workplace , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, June 2007. 92 NIOSH...Toward Safe Nanotechnology in the Workplace , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. June 2007. Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology in...the Workplace , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. July 2006. Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology in DOE’s Office of

  8. Using natural language processing techniques to inform research on nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Lewinski, Nastassja A; McInnes, Bridget T

    2015-01-01

    Literature in the field of nanotechnology is exponentially increasing with more and more engineered nanomaterials being created, characterized, and tested for performance and safety. With the deluge of published data, there is a need for natural language processing approaches to semi-automate the cataloguing of engineered nanomaterials and their associated physico-chemical properties, performance, exposure scenarios, and biological effects. In this paper, we review the different informatics methods that have been applied to patent mining, nanomaterial/device characterization, nanomedicine, and environmental risk assessment. Nine natural language processing (NLP)-based tools were identified: NanoPort, NanoMapper, TechPerceptor, a Text Mining Framework, a Nanodevice Analyzer, a Clinical Trial Document Classifier, Nanotoxicity Searcher, NanoSifter, and NEIMiner. We conclude with recommendations for sharing NLP-related tools through online repositories to broaden participation in nanoinformatics.

  9. Grand Challenges: Nanotechnology and the Social Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manfra, Meghan McGlinn

    2013-01-01

    This article explores a multidisciplinary lesson on nanotechnology that can provide an effective means for teaching about both STEM and social studies topics. This approach encourages students to consider the "role that science and technology play in our lives and in our cultures." The extraordinary promise of nanotechnology, however, is…

  10. Potentials of nanotechnology application in forest protection

    Treesearch

    Yadong Qi; K. Lian; Q. Wu; Y. Li; M. Danzy; R. Menard; K.L. Chin; D. Collins; F. Oliveria; Kier Klepzig

    2013-01-01

    This joint research project formed by Southern University, Louisiana State University, and the USDA Forest Service focuses on applying nanotechnology in forest health and natural resource management. The targeted nanotechnology is derived from a new generation of renewable composite nano-material called Copper-Carbon Core-Shell Nanoparticles (CCCSNs), which have...

  11. Engines of Second Creation: Stories about Nanotechnology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shew, Ashley

    2013-01-01

    We are in a position today to appreciate the ambiguity of technologies: that they are good, and bad, and neutral and present challenges in different ways. Reading U.S. national nanotechnology documents and histories of nanotechnology, one finds that rhetoric idealizing progress without serious consideration of negative side-effects remains…

  12. Space Biotechnology and Commercial Applications University of Florida

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phillips, Winfred; Evanich, Peggy L.

    2004-01-01

    collect real-time information from these systems to ensure crew safety. This new class of nanosensors will be critical to monitoring the space flight environment in future NASA space systems. The Commercial Applications component of this program pursued industry partnerships to develop products for terrestrial use of NASA sponsored technologies, and in turn to stimulate growth in the biotechnology industry. For technologies demonstrating near term commercial potential, the objective is to include industry partners on or about the time of proof of concept that will not only co-invest in the technology but also take the resultant technology to the commercial market.

  13. Nanotechnology in paper electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demming, Anna; Österbacka, Professor Ronald; Han, Jin-Woo, Dr

    2014-03-01

    devices. If 'writing is thinking on paper' [15], it seems researchers are finding yet more powerful means of putting their ideas on paper. References [1] Barquinha P, Martins R, Pereira L and Fortunato E 2012 Transparent Oxide Electronics: From Materials to Devices (Chichester: Wiley) [2] Zocco A T, You H, Hagen J A and Steckl A J 2014 Pentacene organic thin film transistors on flexible paper and glass substrates Nanotechnology 25 094005 [3] Pereira L, Gaspar D, Guerin D, Delattre A, Fortunato E and Martins R 2014 The influence of fibril composition and dimension on the performance of paper gated oxide transistors Nanotechnology 25 094007 [4] Wu G, Wan C, Zhou J, Zhu L and Wan Q 2014 Low-voltage protonic/electronic hybrid indium-zinc-oxide synaptic transistors on paper substrates Nanotechnology 25 094001 [5] Shin H, Yoon B, Park I S and Kim J-M 2014 An electrothermochromic paper display based on colorimetrically reversible polydiacetylenes Nanotechnology 25 094011 [6] Ihalainen P, Pettersson F, Pesonen M, Viitala T, Määttänen A, Österbacka R and Peltonen J 2014 An impedimetric study of DNA hybridization on paper supported inkjet-printed gold electrodes Nanotechnology 25 094009 [7] Wang Y, Shi Y, Zhao C X, Wong J I, Sun X W and Yang H Y 2014 Printed all-solid flexible microsupercapacitors: towards the general route for high energy storage device Nanotechnology 25 094010 [8] Andersson H A, Manuilskiy A, Haller S, Hummelgård M, Sidén J, Hummelgård C, Olin H and Nilsson H-E 2014 Assembling surface mounted components on ink-jet printed double sided paper circuit board Nanotechnology 25 094002 [9] Gaspar D, Fernandes S N, de Oliveira A G, Fernandes J G, Grey P, Pontes R V, Pereira L, Martins R, Godinho M H and Fortunato E 2014 Nanocrystalline cellulose applied simultaneously as gate dielectric and substrate on flexible field effect transistors Nanotechnology 25 094008 [10] Männl U, van den Berg C, Magunje B, Härting M, Britton D T, Jones S, Mvan Staden M J and Scriba M

  14. An Exploration of Attitudes towards Modern Biotechnology: A Study among Dutch Secondary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klop, Tanja; Severiens, Sabine

    2007-01-01

    Modern biotechnology will have a large impact on society and requires informed decision-making and critical attitudes toward biotechnology among the public. This study aims to explore these attitudes in secondary education. For this purpose, a questionnaire was constructed according to the general tripartite theory of attitudes. A total of 574…

  15. Future Directions of the National Nanotechnology Initiative - NNI 2.0

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meador, Michael A.

    2017-01-01

    The National Nanotechnology Initiative is a collaboration of 20 Federal agencies and departments with shared interests in nanotechnology research, development and commercialization. These agencies recognize that the ability to understand and exploit the novel phenomena that occur at the nanoscale will enabled the development of new materials and devices with properties and performance that far exceeds that of conventional systems. Due to the combined investments of the Federal government, now close to $24B, and those of industry, nanotechnology has moved out of the laboratory and into commercial products that are enhancing our daily lives. Nanotechnology-based discoveries are poised to revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat disease, radically improve the energy efficiency of aircraft and ground transportation systems, and will someday enable human exploration of Mars. This presentation will provide an overview of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, highlight some accomplishments in nanotechnology research and development, and discuss the future of the initiative.

  16. Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R. H.; van der Lans, Ivo A.; Frewer, Lynn J.

    2012-05-01

    Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public.

  17. Impact of Biotechnology on Pharmacy Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, Curtis D.; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Discussed is the role of schools of pharmacy in (1) preparing future practitioners to assimilate and shape the impact of biotechnology; (2) establish graduate and research programs to enhance and apply products of biotechnology; and (3) identify manpower needs to fully realize potential advances caused by biotechnology. (DB)

  18. Published Research - NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer

    Cancer.gov

    The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer has published much exciting and impactful research over the years. Find here a list of all of these listed in PubMed and others across the field of Cancer Nanotechnology.

  19. How interdisciplinary is nanotechnology?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Porter, Alan L.; Youtie, Jan

    2009-07-01

    Facilitating cross-disciplinary research has attracted much attention in recent years, with special concerns in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Although policy discourse has emphasized that nanotechnology is substantively integrative, some analysts have countered that it is really a loose amalgam of relatively traditional pockets of physics, chemistry, and other disciplines that interrelate only weakly. We are developing empirical measures to gauge and visualize the extent and nature of interdisciplinary interchange. Such results speak to research organization, funding, and mechanisms to bolster knowledge transfer. In this study, we address the nature of cross-disciplinary linkages using "science overlay maps" of articles, and their references, that have been categorized into subject categories. We find signs that the rate of increase in nano research is slowing, and that its composition is changing (for one, increasing chemistry-related activity). Our results suggest that nanotechnology research encompasses multiple disciplines that draw knowledge from disciplinarily diverse knowledge sources. Nano research is highly, and increasingly, integrative—but so is much of science these days. Tabulating and mapping nano research activity show a dominant core in materials sciences, broadly defined. Additional analyses and maps show that nano research draws extensively upon knowledge presented in other areas; it is not constricted within narrow silos.

  20. Using a Deliberative Exercise to Foster Public Engagement in Nanotechnology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Angela R.; Anderson, Ashley A.; Yeo, Sara K.; Greenberg, Andrew E.; Brossard, Dominique; Moore, John W.

    2014-01-01

    Nanotechnology is an emerging technology poised to benefit society both technically and socially, but as with any new advance, there is potential risk. This paper describes a novel deliberative exercise involving nanotechnology that engages the public in debate regarding the funding of nanotechnology-related research while also discussing…

  1. Application of nanotechnology in cancers prevention, early detection and treatment.

    PubMed

    Patel, Shraddha P; Patel, Parshottambhai B; Parekh, Bhavesh B

    2014-01-01

    Use of nanotechnology in medical science is a rapidly developing area. New opportunities of diagnosis, imaging and therapy have developed due to recent rapid advancement by nanotechnology. The most common areas to be affected are diagnostic, imaging and targeted drug delivery in gastroenterology, oncology, cardiovascular medicine, obstetrics and gynecology. Mass screening with inexpensive imaging might be possible in the near future with the help of nanotechnology. This review paper provides an overview of causes of cancer and the application of nanotechnology in cancer prevention, detection and treatment.

  2. Books on biotechnology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    The books selected for this review could serve to establish or strengthen the background of the chemical engineer who seeks to enter the field of biotechnology, which is described as a field linking three different branches of science - microbiology, biochemistry and engineering. Nineteen books on biotechnology under the headings Science, Genetic Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biomass Energy, Directories and sourcebook are reviewed and titles of five other books received too late for comment given.

  3. Nanotechnology patenting trends through an environmental lens: analysis of materials and applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leitch, Megan E.; Casman, Elizabeth; Lowry, Gregory V.

    2012-12-01

    Many international groups study environmental health and safety (EHS) concerns surrounding the use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). These researchers frequently use the "Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies" (PEN) inventory of nano-enabled consumer products to prioritize types of ENMs to study because estimates of life-cycle ENM releases to the environment can be extrapolated from the database. An alternative "snapshot" of nanomaterials likely to enter commerce can be determined from the patent literature. The goal of this research was to provide an overview of nanotechnology intellectual property trends, complementary to the PEN consumer product database, to help identify potentially "risky" nanomaterials for study by the nano-EHS community. Ten years of nanotechnology patents were examined to determine the types of nano-functional materials being patented, the chemical compositions of the ENMs, and the products in which they are likely to appear. Patenting trends indicated different distributions of nano-enabled products and materials compared to the PEN database. Recent nanotechnology patenting is dominated by electrical and information technology applications rather than the hygienic and anti-fouling applications shown by PEN. There is an increasing emphasis on patenting of nano-scale layers, coatings, and other surface modifications rather than traditional nanoparticles, and there is widespread use of nano-functional semiconductor, ceramic, magnetic, and biological materials that are currently less studied by EHS professionals. These commonly patented products and the nano-functional materials they contain may warrant life-cycle evaluations to determine the potential for environmental exposure and toxicity. The patent and consumer product lists contribute different and complementary insights into the emerging nanotechnology industry and its potential for introducing nanomaterials into the environment.

  4. Nanotechnology in cosmetics: Opportunities and challenges

    PubMed Central

    Raj, Silpa; Jose, Shoma; Sumod, U. S.; Sabitha, M.

    2012-01-01

    Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating atoms and molecules in the nanoscale - 80,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. The world market for products that contain nanomaterials is expected to reach $2.6 trillion by 2015. The use of nanotechnology has stretched across various streams of science, from electronics to medicine and has now found applications in the field of cosmetics by taking the name of nanocosmetics. This widespread influence of nanotechnology in the cosmetic industries is due to the enhanced properties attained by the particles at the nano level including color, transparency, solubility etc. The different types of nanomaterials employed in cosmetics include nanosomes, liposomes, fullerenes, solid lipid nanoparticles etc. Recently, concerns over the safety of such nanocosmetics are raised and have forced the cosmetic industries to limit the use of nanotechnology in cosmetics and for enforcing laws to undergo a full-fledged safety assessment before they enter into the market. In this review, emphasis is made on the types of nanomaterials used in cosmetics by the various cosmetic brands, the potential risks caused by them both to human life and also to the environment and what all regulations have been undertaken or can be taken to overcome them. PMID:22923959

  5. Plant Genome Resources at the National Center for Biotechnology Information

    PubMed Central

    Wheeler, David L.; Smith-White, Brian; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Resenchuk, Sergei; Dombrowski, Susan M.; Pechous, Steven W.; Tatusova, Tatiana; Ostell, James

    2005-01-01

    The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) integrates data from more than 20 biological databases through a flexible search and retrieval system called Entrez. A core Entrez database, Entrez Nucleotide, includes GenBank and is tightly linked to the NCBI Taxonomy database, the Entrez Protein database, and the scientific literature in PubMed. A suite of more specialized databases for genomes, genes, gene families, gene expression, gene variation, and protein domains dovetails with the core databases to make Entrez a powerful system for genomic research. Linked to the full range of Entrez databases is the NCBI Map Viewer, which displays aligned genetic, physical, and sequence maps for eukaryotic genomes including those of many plants. A specialized plant query page allow maps from all plant genomes covered by the Map Viewer to be searched in tandem to produce a display of aligned maps from several species. PlantBLAST searches against the sequences shown in the Map Viewer allow BLAST alignments to be viewed within a genomic context. In addition, precomputed sequence similarities, such as those for proteins offered by BLAST Link, enable fluid navigation from unannotated to annotated sequences, quickening the pace of discovery. NCBI Web pages for plants, such as Plant Genome Central, complete the system by providing centralized access to NCBI's genomic resources as well as links to organism-specific Web pages beyond NCBI. PMID:16010002

  6. Corporate social responsibility for nanotechnology oversight.

    PubMed

    Kuzma, Jennifer; Kuzhabekova, Aliya

    2011-11-01

    Growing public concern and uncertainties surrounding emerging technologies suggest the need for socially-responsible behavior of companies in the development and implementation of oversight systems for them. In this paper, we argue that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an important aspect of nanotechnology oversight given the role of trust in shaping public attitudes about nanotechnology and the lack of data about the health and environmental risks of nanoproducts. We argue that CSR is strengthened by the adoption of stakeholder-driven models and attention to moral principles in policies and programs. In this context, we examine drivers of CSR, contextual and leadership factors that influence CSR, and strategies for CSR. To illustrate these concepts, we discuss existing cases of CSR-like behavior in nanotechnology companies, and then provide examples of how companies producing nanomedicines can exhibit morally-driven CSR behavior.

  7. Regulation and safety implementation of nanotechnology for chemical enterprises in the Central Europe Space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Falk, A.; Hartl, S.; Sinner, F.

    2013-04-01

    As result of the gradually increasing nanotechnology sector there is the necessity of a contemporary analysis of the present regulations used for nanomaterials, to outline the current situation of the nanotechnology sector, to promote international cooperation and research's coordination to overcome disciplinary boundaries, to fill the gap between more and less experienced regions and to turn investments in R&D in industrial innovations. The general objective of the Central Europe project NANOFORCE, which is developed by national and regional chemistry associations and R&D Centres of the Central Europe area, is to foster the innovative nanotechnology-sector networks across Central Europe regions by bringing together public and private organizations to carry out collaborative and interdisciplinary researches on nanomaterials (in the frame of REACH Regulation) and to turn the most promising laboratory results into innovative industrial applications. To build up a legal advisory board for chemical enterprises starting in nanotechnology, a state of the art report on existing safety procedures and nanotech related regulations was produced to give an overview on currently available regulations used by chemical industries and manufacturing companies within the European region to secure their products. The main emphasis was placed on REACH regulation to search for relevant sections concentrating on nanomaterials which are applicable for nanotechnology. In addition, all relevant directives and amendments of REACH were screened with regard to identify gaps where action is still needed and give possible recommendations for the European Commission. Beyond literature research a questionnaire for producers, users, researchers and financiers was developed with the goal to collect information about the nanotechnology sector in the CE region concerning development, financial status, and international cooperation within joint ventures, safety and nanotoxicology.

  8. Nanotechnology in diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease.

    PubMed

    Karimi, Mahdi; Zare, Hossein; Bakhshian Nik, Amirala; Yazdani, Narges; Hamrang, Mohammad; Mohamed, Elmira; Sahandi Zangabad, Parham; Moosavi Basri, Seyed Masoud; Bakhtiari, Leila; Hamblin, Michael R

    2016-01-01

    Nanotechnology could provide a new complementary approach to treat coronary artery disease (CAD) which is now one of the biggest killers in the Western world. The course of events, which leads to atherosclerosis and CAD, involves many biological factors and cellular disease processes which may be mitigated by therapeutic methods enhanced by nanotechnology. Nanoparticles can provide a variety of delivery systems for cargoes such as drugs and genes that can address many problems within the arteries. In order to improve the performance of current stents, nanotechnology provides different nanomaterial coatings, in addition to controlled-release nanocarriers, to prevent in-stent restenosis. Nanotechnology can increase the efficiency of drugs, improve local and systematic delivery to atherosclerotic plaques and reduce the inflammatory or angiogenic response after intravascular intervention. Nanocarriers have potential for delivery of imaging and diagnostic agents to precisely targeted destinations. This review paper will cover the current applications and future outlook of nanotechnology, as well as the main diagnostic methods, in the treatment of CAD.

  9. Nanotechnology in diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease

    PubMed Central

    Karimi, Mahdi; Zare, Hossein; Bakhshian Nik, Amirala; Yazdani, Narges; Hamrang, Mohammad; Mohamed, Elmira; Sahandi Zangabad, Parham; Moosavi Basri, Seyed Masoud; Bakhtiari, Leila; Hamblin, Michael R

    2016-01-01

    Nanotechnology could provide a new complementary approach to treat coronary artery disease (CAD) which is now one of the biggest killers in the Western world. The course of events, which leads to atherosclerosis and CAD, involves many biological factors and cellular disease processes which may be mitigated by therapeutic methods enhanced by nanotechnology. Nanoparticles can provide a variety of delivery systems for cargoes such as drugs and genes that can address many problems within the arteries. In order to improve the performance of current stents, nanotechnology provides different nanomaterial coatings, in addition to controlled-release nanocarriers, to prevent in-stent restenosis. Nanotechnology can increase the efficiency of drugs, improve local and systematic delivery to atherosclerotic plaques and reduce the inflammatory or angiogenic response after intravascular intervention. Nanocarriers have potential for delivery of imaging and diagnostic agents to precisely targeted destinations. This review paper will cover the current applications and future outlook of nanotechnology, as well as the main diagnostic methods, in the treatment of CAD. PMID:26906471

  10. Integrating Nanotechnology into School Education: A Review of the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ghattas, Nadira I.; Carver, Jeffrey S.

    2012-01-01

    Background: In this era of rapid technical advancement, there are growing debates around the idea of nanotechnology, which are both timely and controversial. Nanotechnology materials are being utilized in our daily lives in many ways, often without consumer knowledge. Due to the explosion of nanotechnology applications, there is a necessity to…

  11. Nanotechnology applications in hematological malignancies (Review).

    PubMed

    Samir, Ahmed; Elgamal, Basma M; Gabr, Hala; Sabaawy, Hatem E

    2015-09-01

    A major limitation to current cancer therapies is the development of therapy-related side-effects and dose limiting complications. Moreover, a better understanding of the biology of cancer cells and the mechanisms of resistance to therapy is rapidly developing. The translation of advanced knowledge and discoveries achieved at the molecular level must be supported by advanced diagnostic, therapeutic and delivery technologies to translate these discoveries into useful tools that are essential in achieving progress in the war against cancer. Nanotechnology can play an essential role in this aspect providing a transforming technology that can translate the basic and clinical findings into novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive tools useful in different types of cancer. Hematological malignancies represent a specific class of cancer, which attracts special attention in the applications of nanotechnology for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The aim of the present review is to elucidate the emerging applications of nanotechnology in cancer management and describe the potentials of nanotechnology in changing the key fundamental aspects of hematological malignancy diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.

  12. Concrete Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Definitions and Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garboczi, E. J.

    There are many improvements needed in concrete, especially for use in renewal and expansion of the world’s infrastructure. Nanomodification can help solve many of these problems. However, concrete has been slow to catch on to the nanotechnology revolution. There are several reasons for this lag in the nanoscience and nanotechnology of concrete (NNC). First is the lack of a complete basic understanding of chemical and physical mechanisms and structure at the nanometer length scale. Another reason is the lack of a broad understanding of what nanomodification means to concrete, which is a liquid-solid composite. NNC ideas need to profit from, but not be bound by, experience with other materials. As an illustration of these ideas, a specific application will be given of using nano-size molecules in solution to affect the viscosity of the concrete pore solution so that ionic diffusion is slowed. A molecular-based understanding would help move this project towards true nanotechnology. A final section of this paper lists some possibly fruitful focus areas for the nanoscience and nanotechnology of concrete.

  13. Nanotechnology for sustainable development: retrospective and outlook

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diallo, Mamadou S.; Fromer, Neil A.; Jhon, Myung S.

    2013-11-01

    The world is facing great challenges in meeting rising demands for basic commodities (e.g., food, water and energy), finished goods (e.g., cell phones, cars and airplanes) and services (e.g., shelter, healthcare and employment) while reducing and minimizing the impact of human activities on Earth's global environment and climate. Nanotechnology has emerged as a versatile platform that could provide efficient, cost-effective and environmentally acceptable solutions to the global sustainability challenges facing society. This special issue of the Journal of Nanoparticle Research is devoted to the utilization of nanotechnology to improve or achieve sustainable development. We highlight recent advances and discuss opportunities of utilizing nanotechnology to address global challenges in (1) water purification, (2) clean energy technologies, (3) greenhouse gases management, (4) materials supply and utilization, and (5) green manufacturing and chemistry. In addition to the technical challenges listed above, we also discuss societal perspectives and provide an outlook of the role of nanotechnology in the convergence of knowledge, technology and society for achieving sustainable development.

  14. Applications of nanotechnology in dermatology.

    PubMed

    DeLouise, Lisa A

    2012-03-01

    What are nanoparticles and why are they important in dermatology? These questions are addressed by highlighting recent developments in the nanotechnology field that have increased the potential for intentional and unintentional nanoparticle skin exposure. The role of environmental factors in the interaction of nanoparticles with skin and the potential mechanisms by which nanoparticles may influence skin response to environmental factors are discussed. Trends emerging from recent literature suggest that the positive benefit of engineered nanoparticles for use in cosmetics and as tools for understanding skin biology and curing skin disease outweigh potential toxicity concerns. Discoveries reported in this journal are highlighted. This review begins with a general introduction to the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. This is followed by a discussion of the current state of understanding of nanoparticle skin penetration and their use in three therapeutic applications. Challenges that must be overcome to derive clinical benefit from the application of nanotechnology to skin are discussed last, providing perspective on the significant opportunity that exists for future studies in investigative dermatology.

  15. Applications of Nanotechnology in Dermatology

    PubMed Central

    DeLouise, Lisa A.

    2014-01-01

    What are nanoparticles and why are they important in dermatology? These questions are addressed by highlighting recent developments in the nanotechnology field that have increased the potential for intentional and unintended nanoparticle skin exposure. The role of environmental factors in the interaction of nanoparticles with skin and the potential mechanisms by which nanoparticles may influence skin response to environmental factors are discussed. Trends emerging from recent literature suggest that the positive benefit of engineered nanoparticles for use in cosmetics and as tools for understanding skin biology and curing skin disease, out weigh potential toxicity concerns. Discoveries reported in this journal are highlighted. This review begins with a general introduction to the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. This is followed by a discussion of the current state of understanding of nanoparticle skin penetration and their use in three different therapeutic applications. Challenges that must be overcome to derive clinical benefit from the application of nanotechnology to skin are discussed last, providing perspective on the significant opportunity that exists for future studies in investigative dermatology. PMID:22217738

  16. Improving Peptide Applications Using Nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Narayanaswamy, Radhika; Wang, Tao; Torchilin, Vladimir P

    2016-01-01

    Peptides are being successfully used in various fields including therapy and drug delivery. With advancement in nanotechnology and targeted delivery carrier systems, suitable modification of peptides has enabled achievement of many desirable goals over-riding some of the major disadvantages associated with the delivery of peptides in vivo. Conjugation or physical encapsulation of peptides to various nanocarriers, such as liposomes, micelles and solid-lipid nanoparticles, has improved their in vivo performance multi-fold. The amenability of peptides to modification in chemistry and functionalization with suitable nanocarriers are very relevant aspects in their use and have led to the use of 'smart' nanoparticles with suitable linker chemistries that favor peptide targeting or release at the desired sites, minimizing off-target effects. This review focuses on how nanotechnology has been used to improve the number of peptide applications. The paper also focuses on the chemistry behind peptide conjugation to nanocarriers, the commonly employed linker chemistries and the several improvements that have already been achieved in the areas of peptide use with the help of nanotechnology.

  17. Strategic Partnership for Research in Nanotechnology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-08-01

    S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) Harold Weinstock, Program Manager, Physics and Electronics Directorate/M/ Air Force Office of...can be broken into two research areas "Nanotechnology for Energy Needs" and "Nanoelectronics". Highlights of both projects are outlines below. The...for Energy Needs" and "Nanoelectronics". Highlights of both projects are outlined below. 1. Nanotechnology for Energy Needs Developing new methods to

  18. Emerging Synergy between Nanotechnology and Implantable Biosensors: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Vaddiraju, Santhisagar; Tomazos, Ioannis; Burgess, Diane J; Jain, Faquir C; Papadimitrakopoulos, Fotios

    2010-01-01

    The development of implantable biosensors for continuous monitoring of metabolites is an area of sustained scientific and technological interest. On the other hand, nanotechnology, a discipline which deals with the properties of materials at the nanoscale, is developing as a potent tool to enhance the performance of these biosensors. This article reviews the current state of implantable biosensors, highlighting the synergy between nanotechnology and sensor performance. Emphasis is placed on the electrochemical method of detection in light of its widespread usage and substantial nanotechnology-based improvements in various aspects of electrochemical biosensor performance. Finally, issues regarding toxicity and biocompatibility of nanomaterials, along with future prospects for the application of nanotechnology in implantable biosensors, are discussed. PMID:20042326

  19. "Nanoselves": NBIC and the Culture of Convergence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Venkatesan, Priya

    2010-01-01

    The subject of this essay is NBIC convergence (nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science convergence). NBIC convergence is a recurring trope that is dominated by the paradigm of integration of the sciences. It is largely influenced by the considerations of social and economic impact, and it assumes positivism in…

  20. Using natural language processing techniques to inform research on nanotechnology

    PubMed Central

    Lewinski, Nastassja A

    2015-01-01

    Summary Literature in the field of nanotechnology is exponentially increasing with more and more engineered nanomaterials being created, characterized, and tested for performance and safety. With the deluge of published data, there is a need for natural language processing approaches to semi-automate the cataloguing of engineered nanomaterials and their associated physico-chemical properties, performance, exposure scenarios, and biological effects. In this paper, we review the different informatics methods that have been applied to patent mining, nanomaterial/device characterization, nanomedicine, and environmental risk assessment. Nine natural language processing (NLP)-based tools were identified: NanoPort, NanoMapper, TechPerceptor, a Text Mining Framework, a Nanodevice Analyzer, a Clinical Trial Document Classifier, Nanotoxicity Searcher, NanoSifter, and NEIMiner. We conclude with recommendations for sharing NLP-related tools through online repositories to broaden participation in nanoinformatics. PMID:26199848

  1. Nanotechnology in medicine and relevance to dermatology: present concepts.

    PubMed

    Basavaraj, K H

    2012-05-01

    Nanotechnology and nanomedicine are complementary disciplines aimed at the betterment of human life. Nanotechnology is an emerging branch of science for designing tools and devices of size 1-100 nm, with unique functions at the cellular, atomic and molecular levels. The concept of using nanotechnology in medical research and clinical practice is known as nanomedicine. Today, nanotechnology and nanoscience approaches to particle design and formulations are beginning to expand the market for many drugs and forming the basis for a highly profitable niche within the industry, but some predicted benefits are hyped. Under many conditions, dermal penetration of nanoparticles may be limited for consumer products such as sunscreens, although additional studies are needed on potential photooxidation products, experimental methods and the effect of skin condition on penetration. Today, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (20-30 nm) are widely used in several topical skin care products such as sunscreens. Thus, in the present scenario, nanotechnology is spreading its wings to address the key problems in the field of medicine. The benefits of nanoparticles have been shown in several scientific fields, but very little is known about their potential to penetrate the skin. Hence, this review discusses in detail the applications of nanotechnology in medicine with more emphasis on the dermatologic aspects.

  2. Nanotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture: Recent Developments, Challenges, and Perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Prasad, Ram; Bhattacharyya, Atanu; Nguyen, Quang D.

    2017-01-01

    Nanotechnology monitors a leading agricultural controlling process, especially by its miniature dimension. Additionally, many potential benefits such as enhancement of food quality and safety, reduction of agricultural inputs, enrichment of absorbing nanoscale nutrients from the soil, etc. allow the application of nanotechnology to be resonant encumbrance. Agriculture, food, and natural resources are a part of those challenges like sustainability, susceptibility, human health, and healthy life. The ambition of nanomaterials in agriculture is to reduce the amount of spread chemicals, minimize nutrient losses in fertilization and increased yield through pest and nutrient management. Nanotechnology has the prospective to improve the agriculture and food industry with novel nanotools for the controlling of rapid disease diagnostic, enhancing the capacity of plants to absorb nutrients among others. The significant interests of using nanotechnology in agriculture includes specific applications like nanofertilizers and nanopesticides to trail products and nutrients levels to increase the productivity without decontamination of soils, waters, and protection against several insect pest and microbial diseases. Nanotechnology may act as sensors for monitoring soil quality of agricultural field and thus it maintain the health of agricultural plants. This review covers the current challenges of sustainability, food security and climate change that are exploring by the researchers in the area of nanotechnology in the improvement of agriculture. PMID:28676790

  3. Nanotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture: Recent Developments, Challenges, and Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Prasad, Ram; Bhattacharyya, Atanu; Nguyen, Quang D

    2017-01-01

    Nanotechnology monitors a leading agricultural controlling process, especially by its miniature dimension. Additionally, many potential benefits such as enhancement of food quality and safety, reduction of agricultural inputs, enrichment of absorbing nanoscale nutrients from the soil, etc. allow the application of nanotechnology to be resonant encumbrance. Agriculture, food, and natural resources are a part of those challenges like sustainability, susceptibility, human health, and healthy life. The ambition of nanomaterials in agriculture is to reduce the amount of spread chemicals, minimize nutrient losses in fertilization and increased yield through pest and nutrient management. Nanotechnology has the prospective to improve the agriculture and food industry with novel nanotools for the controlling of rapid disease diagnostic, enhancing the capacity of plants to absorb nutrients among others. The significant interests of using nanotechnology in agriculture includes specific applications like nanofertilizers and nanopesticides to trail products and nutrients levels to increase the productivity without decontamination of soils, waters, and protection against several insect pest and microbial diseases. Nanotechnology may act as sensors for monitoring soil quality of agricultural field and thus it maintain the health of agricultural plants. This review covers the current challenges of sustainability, food security and climate change that are exploring by the researchers in the area of nanotechnology in the improvement of agriculture.

  4. Undergraduate Biotechnology Students' Views of Science Communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edmondston, Joanne Elisabeth; Dawson, Vaille; Schibeci, Renato

    2010-12-01

    Despite rapid growth of the biotechnology industry worldwide, a number of public concerns about the application of biotechnology and its regulation remain. In response to these concerns, greater emphasis has been placed on promoting biotechnologists' public engagement. As tertiary science degree programmes form the foundation of the biotechnology sector by providing a pipeline of university graduates entering into the profession, it has been proposed that formal science communication training be introduced at this early stage of career development. The aim of the present study was to examine the views of biotechnology students towards science communication and science communication training. Using an Australian biotechnology degree programme as a case study, 69 undergraduates from all three years of the programme were administered a questionnaire that asked them to rank the importance of 12 components of a biotechnology curriculum, including two science communication items. The results were compared to the responses of 274 students enrolled in other science programmes. Additional questions were provided to the second year biotechnology undergraduates and semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 13 of these students to further examine their views of this area. The results of this study suggest that the biotechnology students surveyed do not value communication with non-scientists nor science communication training. The implications of these findings for the reform of undergraduate biotechnology courses yet to integrate science communication training into their science curriculum are discussed.

  5. Nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics in plastic surgery: The next frontier

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Aaron; Chawla, Reema; Natasha, G; Mahdibeiraghdar, Sara; Jeyaraj, Rebecca; Rajadas, Jayakumar; Hamblin, Michael R.; Seifalian, Alexander M.

    2015-01-01

    Summary The rapid ascent of nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics as applied to medicine and surgery has seen an exponential rise in the scale of research generated in this field. This is evidenced not only by the sheer volume of papers dedicated to nanotechnology but also in a large number of new journals dedicated to nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics specifically to medicine and surgery. Aspects of nanotechnology that have already brought benefits to these areas include advanced drug delivery platforms, molecular imaging and materials engineering for surgical implants. Particular areas of interest include nerve regeneration, burns and wound care, artificial skin with nanoelectronic sensors and head and neck surgery. This study presents a review of nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics, with focus on its applications and implications in plastic surgery. PMID:26422652

  6. 75 FR 75707 - Request for Public Comment on the Draft National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-06

    ... Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research AGENCY... the public regarding the draft National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategy for Nanotechnology... confidential. Overview: The National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related...

  7. DNA nanotechnology and fluorescence applications.

    PubMed

    Schlichthaerle, Thomas; Strauss, Maximilian T; Schueder, Florian; Woehrstein, Johannes B; Jungmann, Ralf

    2016-06-01

    Structural DNA nanotechnology allow researchers to use the unique molecular recognition properties of DNA strands to construct nanoscale objects with almost arbitrary complexity in two and three dimensions. Abstracted as molecular breadboards, DNA nanostructures enable nanometer-precise placement of guest molecules such as proteins, fluorophores, or nanoparticles. These assemblies can be used to study biological phenomena with unprecedented control over number, spacing, and molecular identity. Here, we give a general introduction to structural DNA nanotechnology and more specifically discuss applications of DNA nanostructures in the field of fluorescence and plasmonics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. US-Korea Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, and Information Technology (NBIT) Symbiosys Program - Phase 1

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-10-01

    diameter, length, and spacing. Fabrication Technology: Synthesis of self-organized AAO ( Anodic aluminum oxide ) templates with controlled diameter...nanowires arrayed in anodized aluminum oxide ( AAO ) templates and the diameter is precisely controlled by using atomic layer deposition (ALD) process...Jin, “Highly Self-assembled Nanotubular Aluminum Oxide by Hard Anodization ”, J. Mater. Res. (in press, December 2010). 3. J.Y. Kim, K. Noh, C. Choi

  9. Projector Center. What Is Biotechnology?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belzer, Bill; Case, Christine L.

    1990-01-01

    Presented is a menu designed to illustrate some classical examples of fermentation. This may be used to discuss biotechnology from a technological perspective. Other examples of biotechnology used in the foods industry are described. (CW)

  10. Biotechnology and human rights.

    PubMed

    Feuillet-Le Mintier, B

    2001-12-01

    Biotechnology permits our world to progress. It's a tool to better apprehend the human being, but as well to let him go ahead. Applied to the living, biotechnologies present the same finality. But since their matter concerns effectively the living, they are the sources of specific dangers and particularly of that one to use the improvements obtained on the human to modify the human species. The right of the persons has to find its place to avoid that the fundamental rights of the human personality shall undergo harm. This mission assigned to the right of the persons is as so much invaluable that the economical stakes are particularly important in the domain of the biotechnologies.

  11. Current status of biotechnology in Slovakia.

    PubMed

    Stuchlík, Stanislav; Turna, Ján

    2013-07-01

    The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as: 'Any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.' In other words biotechnology is 'application of scientific and technical advances in life science to develop commercial products' or briefly 'the use of molecular biology for useful purposes'. This short overview is about different branches of biotechnology carried out in Slovakia and it shows that Slovakia has a good potential for further development of modern biotechnologies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Applied Nanotechnology for Human Space Exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yowell, Leonard L.

    2007-01-01

    A viewgraph presentation describing nanotechnology for human space exploration is shown. The topics include: 1) NASA's Strategic Vision; 2) Exploration Architecture; 3) Future Exploration Mission Requirements Cannot be met with Conventional Materials; 4) Nanomaterials: Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes; 5) Applied Nanotechnology at JSC: Fundamentals to Applications; 6) Technology Readiness Levels (TRL); 7) Growth, Modeling, Diagnostics and Production; 8) Characterization: Purity, Dispersion and Consistency; 9) Processing; 10) Nanoelectronics: Enabling Technologies; 11) Applications for Human Space Exploration; 12) Exploration Life Support: Atmosphere Revitalization System; 13) Advanced and Exploration Life Support: Regenerable CO2 Removal; 14) Exploration Life Support: Water Recovery; 15) Advanced Life Support: Water Disinfection/Recovery; 16) Power and Energy: Supercapacitors and Fuel Cells; 17) Nanomaterials for EMI Shielding; 18) Active Radiation Dosimeter; 19) Advanced Thermal Protection System (TPS) Repair; 20) Thermal Radiation and Impact Protection (TRIPS); 21) Nanotechnology: Astronaut Health Management; 22) JSC Nanomaterials Group Collaborations.

  13. Nanotechnology: an evidence-based analysis.

    PubMed

    2006-01-01

    Due to continuing advances in the development of structures, devices, and systems with a length of about 1 to 100 nanometres (nm) (1 nm is one billionth of a metre), the Medical Advisory Secretariat conducted a horizon scanning appraisal of nanotechnologies as new and emerging technologies, including an assessment of the possibly disruptive impact of future nanotechnologies. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States proclaimed a 2015 challenge goal of eliminating suffering and death from cancer. To help meet this goal, the NCI is engaged in a concerted effort to introduce nanotechnology "to radically change the way we diagnose, treat and prevent cancer." It is the NCI's position that "melding nanotechnology and cancer research and development efforts will have a profound, disruptive effect on how we diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer." Thus, this appraisal sought to determine the systemic effects of nanotechnologies that target, image and deliver drugs, for example, with respect to health human resources, training, and new specialties; and to assess the current status of these nanotechnologies and their projected timeline to clinical utilization. TARGET POPULATION AND CONDITION Cancer is a heterogeneous set of many malignant diseases. In each sex, 3 sites account for over one-half of all cancers. In women, these are the breast (28%), colorectum (13%) and lungs (12%). In men, these are the prostate (28%), lungs (15%), and the colorectum (13%). It is estimated that 246,000 people in Ontario (2% of the population) have been diagnosed with cancer within the past 10 years and are still alive. Most were diagnosed with cancer of the breast (21%), prostate (20%), or colon or rectum (13%). The number of new cancer cases diagnosed each year in Ontario is expected to increase from about 53,000 in 2001 to 80,000 in 2015. This represents more than a 50% increase in new cases over this period. An aging population, population growth, and rising cancer risk are

  14. Nanotechnology in Agriculture

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    An overview is given of the application of nanotechnology to agriculture. This is an active field of R&D, where a large number of findings and innovations have been reported. For example, in soil management, applications reported include nanofertilizers, soil binders, water retention aids, and nut...

  15. Emerging synergy between nanotechnology and implantable biosensors: a review.

    PubMed

    Vaddiraju, Santhisagar; Tomazos, Ioannis; Burgess, Diane J; Jain, Faquir C; Papadimitrakopoulos, Fotios

    2010-03-15

    The development of implantable biosensors for continuous monitoring of metabolites is an area of sustained scientific and technological interests. On the other hand, nanotechnology, a discipline which deals with the properties of materials at the nanoscale, is developing as a potent tool to enhance the performance of these biosensors. This article reviews the current state of implantable biosensors, highlighting the synergy between nanotechnology and sensor performance. Emphasis is placed on the electrochemical method of detection in light of its widespread usage and substantial nanotechnology based improvements in various aspects of electrochemical biosensor performance. Finally, issues regarding toxicity and biocompatibility of nanomaterials, along with future prospects for the application of nanotechnology in implantable biosensors, are discussed. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Nanotechnology in Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    The NCI Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research has had a major impact on bringing novel nano-enabled solutions through the pre-clinical space. The strategic framework of this effort is presented here.

  17. Nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics in plastic surgery: The next frontier.

    PubMed

    Tan, Aaron; Chawla, Reema; G, Natasha; Mahdibeiraghdar, Sara; Jeyaraj, Rebecca; Rajadas, Jayakumar; Hamblin, Michael R; Seifalian, Alexander M

    2016-01-01

    The rapid ascent of nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics as applied to medicine and surgery has seen an exponential rise in the scale of research generated in this field. This is evidenced not only by the sheer volume of papers dedicated to nanotechnology but also in a large number of new journals dedicated to nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics specifically to medicine and surgery. Aspects of nanotechnology that have already brought benefits to these areas include advanced drug delivery platforms, molecular imaging and materials engineering for surgical implants. Particular areas of interest include nerve regeneration, burns and wound care, artificial skin with nanoelectronic sensors and head and neck surgery. This study presents a review of nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics, with focus on its applications and implications in plastic surgery. Copyright © 2015 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. All rights reserved.

  18. Nanotechnology and its Relationship to Interventional Radiology. Part I: Imaging

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Power, Sarah; Slattery, Michael M.; Lee, Michael J., E-mail: mlee@rcsi.ie

    2011-04-15

    Nanotechnology refers to the design, creation, and manipulation of structures on the nanometer scale. Interventional radiology stands to benefit greatly from advances in nanotechnology because much of the ongoing research is focused toward novel methods of imaging and delivery of therapy through minimally invasive means. Through the development of new techniques and therapies, nanotechnology has the potential to broaden the horizon of interventional radiology and ensure its continued success. This two-part review is intended to acquaint the interventionalist with the field of nanotechnology, and provide an overview of potential applications, while highlighting advances relevant to interventional radiology. Part I ofmore » the article deals with an introduction to some of the basic concepts of nanotechnology and outlines some of the potential imaging applications, concentrating mainly on advances in oncological and vascular imaging.« less

  19. Progress towards the 'Golden Age' of biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Gartland, K M A; Bruschi, F; Dundar, M; Gahan, P B; Viola Magni, M p; Akbarova, Y

    2013-07-01

    Biotechnology uses substances, materials or extracts derived from living cells, employing 22 million Europeans in a € 1.5 Tn endeavour, being the premier global economic growth opportunity this century. Significant advances have been made in red biotechnology using pharmaceutically and medically relevant applications, green biotechnology developing agricultural and environmental tools and white biotechnology serving industrial scale uses, frequently as process feedstocks. Red biotechnology has delivered dramatic improvements in controlling human disease, from antibiotics to overcome bacterial infections to anti-HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals such as azidothymidine (AZT), anti-malarial compounds and novel vaccines saving millions of lives. Green biotechnology has dramatically increased food production through Agrobacterium and biolistic genetic modifications for the development of 'Golden Rice', pathogen resistant crops expressing crystal toxin genes, drought resistance and cold tolerance to extend growth range. The burgeoning area of white biotechnology has delivered bio-plastics, low temperature enzyme detergents and a host of feedstock materials for industrial processes such as modified starches, without which our everyday lives would be much more complex. Biotechnological applications can bridge these categories, by modifying energy crops properties, or analysing circulating nucleic acid elements, bringing benefits for all, through increased food production, supporting climate change adaptation and the low carbon economy, or novel diagnostics impacting on personalized medicine and genetic disease. Cross-cutting technologies such as PCR, novel sequencing tools, bioinformatics, transcriptomics and epigenetics are in the vanguard of biotechnological progress leading to an ever-increasing breadth of applications. Biotechnology will deliver solutions to unimagined problems, providing food security, health and well-being to mankind for centuries to come. Copyright © 2013

  20. Design-Oriented Introduction of Nanotechnology into the Electrical and Computer Engineering Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Donghwi; Kamoua, Ridha; Pacelli, Andrea

    2006-01-01

    Nanoelectronics has the potential, and is indeed expected, to revolutionize information technology by the use of the impressive characteristics of nano-devices such as carbon nanotube transistors, molecular diodes and transistors, etc. A great effort is being put into creating an introductory course in nano-technology. However, practically all…

  1. The costly benefits of opposing agricultural biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Apel, Andrew

    2010-11-30

    Rigorous application of a simple definition of what constitutes opposition to agricultural biotechnology readily encompasses a wide array of key players in national and international systems of food production, distribution and governance. Even though the sum of political and financial benefits of opposing agricultural biotechnology appears vastly to outweigh the benefits which accrue to providers of agricultural biotechnology, technology providers actually benefit from this opposition. If these barriers to biotechnology were removed, subsistence farmers still would not represent a lucrative market for improved seed. The sum of all interests involved ensures that subsistence farmers are systematically denied access to agricultural biotechnology. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

    EPA Science Inventory

    The last two decades have shown remarkable advances in the field of biotechnology. We have processes using biotechnology to produce materials from commodity chemicals to pharmaceuticals. The application to agriculture has shown the introduction of transgenic crops with pesticidal...

  3. ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

    EPA Science Inventory

    The last two decades have shown remarkable advances in the field of biotechnology. We hav processes using biotechnology to produce materials from commodity chemicals to pharmaceuticals. The application to agriculture gas shown the introduction of transgenic crops with pesticidal ...

  4. [Nanotechnology: a big revolution from the small world].

    PubMed

    Bassi, Matteo; Santinello, Irene; Bevilacqua, Andrea; Bassi, Pierfrancesco

    2013-01-01

    Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field originating from the interaction of several different disciplines, such as engineering, physics, biology and chemistry. New materials and devices effectively interact with the body at molecular level, yielding a brand new range of highly selective and targeted applications designed to maximize the therapeutic efficiency while reducing the side effects. Liposomes, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and superparamagnetic nanoparticles are among the most assessed nanotechnologies. Meanwhile, other futuristic platforms are paving the way toward a new scientific paradigm, able to deeply change the research path in the medical science. The growth of nanotechnology, driven by the dramatic advances in science and technology, clearly creates new opportunities for the development of the medical science and disease treatment in human health care. Despite the concerns and the on-going studies about their safety, nanotechnology clearly emerges as holding the promise of delivering one of the greatest breakthroughs in the history of medical science.

  5. Impact of nanotechnology in cancer: emphasis on nanochemoprevention

    PubMed Central

    Siddiqui, Imtiaz A; Adhami, Vaqar M; Christopher, Jean; Chamcheu; Mukhtar, Hasan

    2012-01-01

    Since its advent in the field of cancer, nanotechnology has provided researchers with expertise to explore new avenues for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the disease. Utilization of nanotechnology has enabled the development of devices in nanometer (nm) sizes which could be designed to encapsulate useful agents that have shown excellent results but otherwise are generally toxic due to the doses intended for extended use. In addition, examples are also available where these devices are easily conjugated with several purposeful moieties for better localization and targeted delivery. We introduced a novel concept in which nanotechnology was utilized for enhancing the outcome of chemoprevention. This idea, which we termed as “nanochemoprevention,” was subsequently exploited by several laboratories worldwide and has now become an advancing field in chemoprevention research. This review examines some of the up and coming applications of nanotechnology for cancer detection, imaging, treatment, and prevention. Further, we detail the current and future utilization of nanochemoprevention for prevention and treatment of cancer. PMID:22346353

  6. Some cases in applications of nanotechnology to food and agricultural systems

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Food nanotechnology is an emerging technology. Many scientists and engineers have recognized well the potential of nanotechnology to lead all the industries in the 21st century. Even though successful applications of nanotechnology to foods are still limited, some basic concepts based on nano-scale ...

  7. Nanotechnology in the management of cervical cancer.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jiezhong; Gu, Wenyi; Yang, Lei; Chen, Chen; Shao, Renfu; Xu, Kewei; Xu, Zhi Ping

    2015-03-01

    Cervical cancer is a major disease with high mortality. All cervical cancers are caused by infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV). Although preventive vaccines for cervical cancer are successful, treatment of cervical cancer is far less satisfactory because of multidrug resistance and side effects. In this review, we summarize the recent application of nanotechnology to the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer as well as the development of HPV vaccines. Early detection of cervical cancer enables tumours to be efficiently removed by surgical procedures, leading to increased survival rate. The current method of detecting cervical cancer by Pap smear can only achieve 50% sensitivity, whereas nanotechnology has been used to detect HPVs with greatly improved sensitivity. In cervical cancer treatment, nanotechnology has been used for the delivery of anticancer drugs to increase treatment efficacy and decrease side effects. Nanodelivery of HPV preventive and therapeutic vaccines has also been investigated to increase vaccine efficacy. Overall, these developments suggest that nanoparticle-based vaccine may become the most effective way to prevent and treat cervical cancer, assisted or combined with some other nanotechnology-based therapy. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. DNA nanotechnology: understanding and optimisation through simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ouldridge, Thomas E.

    2015-01-01

    DNA nanotechnology promises to provide controllable self-assembly on the nanoscale, allowing for the design of static structures, dynamic machines and computational architectures. In this article, I review the state-of-the art of DNA nanotechnology, highlighting the need for a more detailed understanding of the key processes, both in terms of theoretical modelling and experimental characterisation. I then consider coarse-grained models of DNA, mesoscale descriptions that have the potential to provide great insight into the operation of DNA nanotechnology if they are well designed. In particular, I discuss a number of nanotechnological systems that have been studied with oxDNA, a recently developed coarse-grained model, highlighting the subtle interplay of kinetic, thermodynamic and mechanical factors that can determine behaviour. Finally, new results highlighting the importance of mechanical tension in the operation of a two-footed walker are presented, demonstrating that recovery from an unintended 'overstepped' configuration can be accelerated by three to four orders of magnitude by application of a moderate tension to the walker's track. More generally, the walker illustrates the possibility of biasing strand-displacement processes to affect the overall rate.

  9. Nanotechnology: Scientific challenges and societal benefits and risks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romig, A. D.

    2004-12-01

    The field of nanotechnology is developing rapidly, as are its practical application in society. In this article, we give examples that demonstrate the enormous potential that exists for this new class of materials, and for devices with critical dimensions of less than 100 nm. We also identify some of the challenges that need to be faced in order to fully realize the practical benefits of nanotechnology, and discuss possible risks that may come with this new technology. In all cases, the unique advantage of nanotechnology can be traced back to nanoscale physical and chemical properties that are quite different from those encountered in more traditional microscopic (micro) or macroscopic (macro) materials and devices. Unique nanoscale properties and behaviors are already being used to increase energy efficiency, improve healthcare, and strengthen national security. However, while progress is rapid, many challenges remain. These include manufacturing at the nanoscale, integration of nanoscale materials and devices with more conventional technology, and predictive modeling that will allow nanotechnology to be engineered reliably into useful applications and products. Nanotechnology can be expected to have an increasing impact on human lives and society at large. As we strive to use nanotechnology to improve human life through better healthcare, cleaner environment, and improved national security, we must also work to detect and assess the negative impacts that nanotechnology science (or any new technology) might bring. We suggest that the conduct of should be allowed to proceed unimpeded, so that we can fully understand and appreciate the rules of nature at the nanometer scale. That said, scientific pursuits that involve self-replication in synthetic systems, encryption, defense technology, or the enhancement of human intelligence should be reviewed. The development of new technology from fundamental science and the process of deciding what new technology is to be

  10. Biotechnology Outlines for Classroom Use.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paolella, Mary Jane

    1991-01-01

    Presents a course outline for the study of biotechnology at the high school or college level. The outline includes definitions, a history, and the vocabulary of biotechnology. Presents a science experiment to analyze the effects of restriction enzymes on DNA. (MDH)

  11. Nanotechnology in bone tissue engineering.

    PubMed

    Walmsley, Graham G; McArdle, Adrian; Tevlin, Ruth; Momeni, Arash; Atashroo, David; Hu, Michael S; Feroze, Abdullah H; Wong, Victor W; Lorenz, Peter H; Longaker, Michael T; Wan, Derrick C

    2015-07-01

    Nanotechnology represents a major frontier with potential to significantly advance the field of bone tissue engineering. Current limitations in regenerative strategies include impaired cellular proliferation and differentiation, insufficient mechanical strength of scaffolds, and inadequate production of extrinsic factors necessary for efficient osteogenesis. Here we review several major areas of research in nanotechnology with potential implications in bone regeneration: 1) nanoparticle-based methods for delivery of bioactive molecules, growth factors, and genetic material, 2) nanoparticle-mediated cell labeling and targeting, and 3) nano-based scaffold construction and modification to enhance physicochemical interactions, biocompatibility, mechanical stability, and cellular attachment/survival. As these technologies continue to evolve, ultimate translation to the clinical environment may allow for improved therapeutic outcomes in patients with large bone deficits and osteodegenerative diseases. Traditionally, the reconstruction of bony defects has relied on the use of bone grafts. With advances in nanotechnology, there has been significant development of synthetic biomaterials. In this article, the authors provided a comprehensive review on current research in nanoparticle-based therapies for bone tissue engineering, which should be useful reading for clinicians as well as researchers in this field. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Molecular Nanotechnology and Space Settlement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Globus, Al; Saini, Subhash (Technical Monitor)

    1998-01-01

    Atomically precise manipulation of matter is becoming increasingly common in laboratories around the world. As this control moves into aerospace systems, huge improvements in computers, high-strength materials, and other systems are expected. For example, studies suggest that it may be possible to build: 10(exp 18) MIPS computers, 10(exp 15) bytes/sq cm write once memory, $153-412/kg-of-cargo single- stage-to-orbit launch vehicles and active materials which sense their environment and react intelligently. All of NASA's enterprises should benefit significantly from molecular nanotechnology. Although the time may be measured in decades and the precise path to molecular nanotechnology is unclear, all paths (diamondoid, fullerene, self-assembly, biomolecular, etc.) will require very substantial computation. This talk will discuss fullerene nanotechnology and early work on hypothetical active materials consisting of large numbers of identical machines. The speaker will also discuss aerospace applications, particularly missions leading to widespread space settlement (e.g., small near-Earth - object retrieval). It is interesting to note that control of the tiny - individual atoms and molecules - may lead to colonization of the huge -first the solar system, then the galaxy.

  13. Biotechnology in Switzerland: high on the public agenda, but only moderate support.

    PubMed

    Bonfadelli, Heinz; Dahinden, Urs; Leonarz, Martina

    2002-04-01

    In Switzerland, there have been intensive public debates about biotechnology because of the specific Swiss political system of direct democracy that led, in 1992 and 1998, to two national referenda on biotechnology regulation. As a result, the Swiss population is well informed but skeptical about this technology. These findings contrast with the deficit model of public understanding of science, which predicts a positive correlation between knowledge of, and support for, a specific technology. What role did the media play in the development of public opinion? This question is discussed because of a content analysis (time series) of national newspapers. In addition, representative surveys and focus groups yield insights into the public perception of biotechnology and the influence of mass communication for opinion formation.

  14. Avian Biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Yoshiaki

    2017-01-01

    Primordial germ cells (PGCs) generate new individuals through differentiation, maturation and fertilization. This means that the manipulation of PGCs is directly linked to the manipulation of individuals, making PGCs attractive target cells in the animal biotechnology field. A unique biological property of avian PGCs is that they circulate temporarily in the vasculature during early development, and this allows us to access and manipulate avian germ lines. Following the development of a technique for transplantation, PGCs have become central to avian biotechnology, in contrast to the use of embryo manipulation and subsequent transfer to foster mothers, as in mammalian biotechnology. Today, avian PGC transplantation combined with recent advanced manipulation techniques, including cell purification, cryopreservation, depletion, and long-term culture in vitro, have enabled the establishment of genetically modified poultry lines and ex-situ conservation of poultry genetic resources. This chapter introduces the principles, history, and procedures of producing avian germline chimeras by transplantation of PGCs, and the current status of avian germline modification as well as germplasm cryopreservation. Other fundamental avian reproductive technologies are described, including artificial insemination and embryo culture, and perspectives of industrial applications in agriculture and pharmacy are considered, including poultry productivity improvement, egg modification, disease resistance impairment and poultry gene "pharming" as well as gene banking.

  15. Factors influencing societal response of nanotechnology: an expert stakeholder analysis.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Nidhi; Fischer, Arnout R H; van der Lans, Ivo A; Frewer, Lynn J

    2012-05-01

    Nanotechnology can be described as an emerging technology and, as has been the case with other emerging technologies such as genetic modification, different socio-psychological factors will potentially influence societal responses to its development and application. These factors will play an important role in how nanotechnology is developed and commercialised. This article aims to identify expert opinion on factors influencing societal response to applications of nanotechnology. Structured interviews with experts on nanotechnology from North West Europe were conducted using repertory grid methodology in conjunction with generalized Procrustes analysis to examine the psychological constructs underlying societal uptake of 15 key applications of nanotechnology drawn from different areas (e.g. medicine, agriculture and environment, chemical, food, military, sports, and cosmetics). Based on expert judgement, the main factors influencing societal response to different applications of nanotechnology will be the extent to which applications are perceived to be beneficial, useful, and necessary, and how 'real' and physically close to the end-user these applications are perceived to be by the public. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11051-012-0857-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

  16. Nanotechnology Applications for Glaucoma.

    PubMed

    Cetinel, Sibel; Montemagno, Carlo

    2016-01-01

    Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, and the antiglaucoma treatments currently available suffer from various complications. Nanotechnology-based treatments show a great deal of promise in overcoming these complications and form the basis for next-generation glaucoma treatment strategies, with the help of applications such as controlled release, targeted delivery, increased bioavailability, diffusion limitations, and biocompatibility. Significant progress has been made in nanomedicine in the efficiency of antiglaucoma medications, nanofabrication systems such as microelectromechanical systems that remove the limitations of nanodevices, and tissue regeneration vesicles for developing glaucoma treatments not based on intraocular pressure. With the use of these advanced technologies, the prevention of glaucoma-induced blindness will be possible in the near future. Herein, we reviewed the recent advances in nanotechnology-based treatment strategies for glaucoma.

  17. Medical biofilms--nanotechnology approaches.

    PubMed

    Neethirajan, Suresh; Clond, Morgan A; Vogt, Adam

    2014-10-01

    Biofilms are colonies of bacteria or fungi that adhere to a surface, protected by an extracellular polymer matrix composed of polysaccharides and extracellular DNA. They are highly complex and dynamic multicellular structures that resist traditional means of killing planktonic bacteria. Recent developments in nanotechnology provide novel approaches to preventing and dispersing biofilm infections, which are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Medical device infections are responsible for approximately 60% of hospital acquired infections. In the United States, the estimated cost of caring for healthcare-associated infections is approximately between $28 billion and $45 billion per year. In this review, we will discuss our current understanding of biofilm formation and degradation, its relevance to challenges in clinical practice, and new technological developments in nanotechnology that are designed to address these challenges.

  18. Nanotechnology Concepts at Marshall Space Flight Center: Engineering Directorate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bhat, B.; Kaul, R.; Shah, S.; Smithers, G.; Watson, M. D.

    2001-01-01

    Nanotechnology is the art and science of building materials and devices at the ultimate level of finesse: atom by atom. Our nation's space program has need for miniaturization of components, minimization of weight, and maximization of performance, and nanotechnology will help us get there. Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) Engineering Directorate is committed to developing nanotechnology that will enable MSFC missions in space transportation, space science, and space optics manufacturing. MSFC has a dedicated group of technologists who are currently developing high-payoff nanotechnology concepts. This poster presentation will outline some of the concepts being developed including, nanophase structural materials, carbon nanotube reinforced metal and polymer matrix composites, nanotube temperature sensors, and aerogels. The poster will outline these concepts and discuss associated technical challenges in turning these concepts into real components and systems.

  19. An Overview on Indian Patents on Biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Mallick, Anusaya; Chandra Santra, Subhas; Samal, Alok Chandra

    2015-01-01

    The application of biotechnology is a potential tool for mitigating the present and future fooding and clothing demands in developing countries like India. The commercialization of biotechnological products might benefiting the poor`s in developing countries are unlikely to be developed. Biotechnology has the potential to provide a wide range of products and the existing production skills in the industrial, pharmaceuticals and the agricultural sector. Ownership of the intellectual property rights is the key factors in determining the success of any technological invention, which was introduced in the market. It provides the means for technological progress to continue of the industry of the country. The new plans, animal varieties, new methods of treatments, new crops producing food articles as such are the inventions of biotechnology. Biotechnology is the result of the application of human intelligence and knowledge to the biological processes. Most of the tools of biotechnology have been developed, by companies, governments, research in- stitutes and universities in developed nations. These human intellectual efforts deserve protection. India is a developing country with advance biotechnology based segments of pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. The Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is not likely to have a significant impact on incentives for innovation creation in the biotechnology sectors. In the recent years, the world has seen the biotechnology sector as one of greatest investment area through the Patent Law and will giving huge profit in future. The Research and Development in the field of biotechnology should be encouraged for explor- ing new tools and improve the biological systems for interest of the common people. Priority should be given to generation, evaluation, protection and effective commercial utilization of tangible products of intellectual property in agriculture and pharmaceuticals. To support the future growth and

  20. Applications of nanotechnology in cancer.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Laura; Gunasekera, Ayanthi; Douek, Michael

    2010-04-01

    Modern cancer therapy is more individualized to specific cancer subtypes, in an attempt to treat those patients who are likely to obtain greater benefit and avoid treatment induced side effects in those who will not. Nanotechnology heralds an era whereby cancer could be diagnosed by a single agent, treated simultaneously while the diagnosis is being made, and its response to treatment monitored. Whilst nanotechnology is still mostly in the research stage, several applications are ready for translation from the bench to the bedside, in particular in the field of breast cancer. This is exciting new area of research where science fiction may become a reality.

  1. State responses to biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Harris, Rebecca C

    2015-01-01

    This article reviews biotechnology legislation in the 50 states for 11 policy areas spanning 1990-2010, an era of immense growth in biotechnology, genetic knowledge, and significant policy development. Policies regarding health insurance, life insurance, long-term care insurance, DNA data bank collection, biotech research protection, biotech promotion and support, employment discrimination, genetic counselor licensing, human cloning, and genetic privacy each represent major policy responses arising from biotechnology and coinciding with key areas of state regulation (insurance, criminal justice, economic development, labor law, health and safety, privacy, and property rights). This analysis seeks to answer three questions regarding biotechnology legislation at the state level: who is acting (policy adoption), when is policy adopted (policy timing), and what is policy doing (policy content). Theoretical concerns examine state ideology (conservative or liberal), policy type (economic or moral), and the role of external events (federal law, news events, etc.) on state policy adoption. Findings suggest ideological patterns in adoption, timing, and content of biotech policy. Findings also suggest economic policies tend to be more uniform in content than moral policies, and findings also document a clear link between federal policy development, external events, and state policy response.

  2. Nanotechnology controlled drug delivery for treating bone diseases.

    PubMed

    Yang, Lei; Webster, Thomas J

    2009-08-01

    Rapid developments at the intersection of nanotechnology and controlled drug delivery have triggered exceptional growth in treating various bone diseases. As a result, over the past decade, nanotechnology has contributed tremendously to controlling drug delivery for treating various bone diseases, and in many cases, has led to increased bone regeneration. In this review paper, the recent experimental progress towards using nanotechnology to treat bone-specific diseases is reviewed. Novel applications of different types of nanomaterials (from nanoparticles to 3D nanostructured scaffolds) for treating bone diseases are summarized. In addition, fundamental principles for utilizing nanomaterials to create better drug delivery systems, especially for treating bone diseases and regenerating bone, are emphasized.

  3. Properties and biotechnological applications of ice-binding proteins in bacteria.

    PubMed

    Cid, Fernanda P; Rilling, Joaquín I; Graether, Steffen P; Bravo, Leon A; Mora, María de La Luz; Jorquera, Milko A

    2016-06-01

    Ice-binding proteins (IBPs), such as antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and ice-nucleating proteins (INPs), have been described in diverse cold-adapted organisms, and their potential applications in biotechnology have been recognized in various fields. Currently, both IBPs are being applied to biotechnological processes, primarily in medicine and the food industry. However, our knowledge regarding the diversity of bacterial IBPs is limited; few studies have purified and characterized AFPs and INPs from bacteria. Phenotypically verified IBPs have been described in members belonging to Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Flavobacteriia classes, whereas putative IBPs have been found in Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Bacilli classes. Thus, the main goal of this minireview is to summarize the current information on bacterial IBPs and their application in biotechnology, emphasizing the potential application in less explored fields such as agriculture. Investigations have suggested the use of INP-producing bacteria antagonists and AFPs-producing bacteria (or their AFPs) as a very attractive strategy to prevent frost damages in crops. UniProt database analyses of reported IBPs (phenotypically verified) and putative IBPs also show the limited information available on bacterial IBPs and indicate that major studies are required. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Molecular Nanotechnology and Designs of Future

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Srivastava, Deepak; Chancellor, Marisa K. (Technical Monitor)

    1997-01-01

    Reviewing the status of current approaches and future projections, as already published in the scientific journals and books, the talk will summarize the direction in which computational and experimental molecular nanotechnologies are progressing. Examples of nanotechnological approach to the concepts of design and simulation of atomically precise materials in a variety of interdisciplinary areas will be presented. The concepts of hypothetical molecular machines and assemblers as explained in Drexler's and Merckle's already published work and Han et. al's WWW distributed molecular gears will be explained.

  5. Epistemic Beliefs and Conceptual Understanding in Biotechnology: A Case Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rebello, Carina M.; Siegel, Marcelle A.; Witzig, Stephen B.; Freyermuth, Sharyn K.; McClure, Bruce A.

    2012-04-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to explore students' epistemic beliefs and conceptual understanding of biotechnology. Epistemic beliefs can influence reasoning, how individuals evaluate information, and informed decision making abilities. These skills are important for an informed citizenry that will participate in debates regarding areas in science such as biotechnology. We report on an in-depth case study analysis of three undergraduate, non-science majors in a biotechnology course designed for non-biochemistry majors. We selected participants who performed above average and below average on the first in-class exam. Data from multiple sources—interviews, exams, and a concept instrument—were used to construct (a) individual profiles and (b) a cross-case analysis of our participants' conceptual development and epistemic beliefs from two different theoretical perspectives—Women's Ways of Knowing and the Reflective Judgment Model. Two independent trained researchers coded all case records independently for both theoretical perspectives, with resultant initial Cohen's kappa values above .715 (substantial agreement), and then reached consensus on the codes. Results indicate that a student with more sophisticated epistemology demonstrated greater conceptual understandings at the end of the course than a student with less sophisticated epistemology, even though the latter performed higher initially. Also a student with a less sophisticated epistemology and low initial conceptual performance does not demonstrate gains in their overall conceptual understanding. Results suggest the need for instructional interventions fostering epistemological development of learners in order to facilitate their conceptual growth.

  6. Effectiveness of a cloning and sequencing exercise on student learning with subsequent publication in the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank.

    PubMed

    Lau, Joann M; Robinson, David L

    2009-01-01

    With rapid advances in biotechnology and molecular biology, instructors are challenged to not only provide undergraduate students with hands-on experiences in these disciplines but also to engage them in the "real-world" scientific process. Two common topics covered in biotechnology or molecular biology courses are gene-cloning and bioinformatics, but to provide students with a continuous laboratory-based research experience in these techniques is difficult. To meet these challenges, we have partnered with Bio-Rad Laboratories in the development of the "Cloning and Sequencing Explorer Series," which combines wet-lab experiences (e.g., DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, ligation, transformation, and restriction digestion) with bioinformatics analysis (e.g., evaluation of DNA sequence quality, sequence editing, Basic Local Alignment Search Tool searches, contig construction, intron identification, and six-frame translation) to produce a sequence publishable in the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank. This 6- to 8-wk project-based exercise focuses on a pivotal gene of glycolysis (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase), in which students isolate, sequence, and characterize the gene from a plant species or cultivar not yet published in GenBank. Student achievement was evaluated using pre-, mid-, and final-test assessments, as well as with a survey to assess student perceptions. Student confidence with basic laboratory techniques and knowledge of bioinformatics tools were significantly increased upon completion of this hands-on exercise.

  7. Educational awareness of biotechnology issues among undergraduate students at the United Arab Emirates University.

    PubMed

    AbuQamar, Synan; Alshannag, Qasim; Sartawi, Abdelaziz; Iratni, Rabah

    2015-01-01

    Due to its valuable benefits and potential risks, there is a progressing debate among opponents and proponents of biotechnology in recent decades. Previous studies have shown that lack of knowledge about biotechnology remains the concern about genetically modified organisms/food (GMO/GMF). This study assessed levels of educational awareness perceptions and attitudes of United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) students towards biotechnology. An electronic survey including literacy, environmental, social, and economic domains associated with biotechnology was administered to obtain data from undergraduate students in different colleges of the university. Responses from students (n = 1,104) were gathered and statistically analyzed. Results indicated that educational awareness in biotechnology literacy and environmental domains were significantly different according to the enrolled college and the academic achievement of the student. In general, a poor overall performance of our students' understanding was concluded. Aware groups most likely accepted accurate biotechnology information delivered by reliable sources from internet or lectures; they grasped their knowledge from surrounding people as a secondary source. Since UAEU students have several concept misunderstandings of biotechnology and its ethics, our results suggest that awareness plays a crucial role in forming a "clear-cut" opinion about this technology. Because education can shape public attitudes toward biotechnology, priorities on university curricula and teaching strategies should be extensively given, and therefore, improve in respect to this topic. Ultimately, this promotes the students' perception in understanding the new technology. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  8. Students' Perception of Risk About Nanotechnology After an SAQ Teaching Strategy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simonneaux, Laurence; Panissal, Nathalie; Brossais, Emmanuelle

    2013-09-01

    We experimented with teaching nanotechnology in high school within the perspective of citizenship education in science by involving experts in nanotechnology, education, ethics and philosophy. After training, the students debated a Socially Acute Question (SAQ) that they elaborated during the various phases of instruction. The field of SAQs represents a French orientation for the teaching of SocioScientific Issues. We analyzed the interactions of students in the debate to determine their risk perception on nanotechnology. We compared and put their arguments into perspective using various analytical frameworks. We observed two contrasting argumentative tendencies: one reflecting a positivist view that involved an individualistic use of nanotechnology and science and one carrying a critical and humanistic vision of the use of nanotechnology and science.

  9. 76 FR 2428 - Request for Public Comment on the Draft National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-13

    ... Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research AGENCY... the public regarding the draft National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategy for Nanotechnology... considered proprietary, personal, sensitive, or confidential. Overview: The National Nanotechnology...

  10. An Epistemological Framework for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yawson, Robert M.

    2012-01-01

    The need for a new literacy that will allow for meaningful participation in the rapidly evolving field of nanotechnology is very critical to national development. This need is important for nanotechnology to achieve its full potential. This paper describes and analyzes some contemporary philosophical interpretations of the concept of technological…

  11. Relevance of chemistry to white biotechnology

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Munishwar N; Raghava, Smita

    2007-01-01

    White biotechnology is a fast emerging area that concerns itself with the use of biotechnological approaches in the production of bulk and fine chemicals, biofuels, and agricultural products. It is a truly multidisciplinary area and further progress depends critically on the role of chemists. This article outlines the emerging contours of white biotechnology and encourages chemists to take up some of the challenges that this area has thrown up. PMID:17880746

  12. Occupational safety and health criteria for responsible development of nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schulte, P. A.; Geraci, C. L.; Murashov, V.; Kuempel, E. D.; Zumwalde, R. D.; Castranova, V.; Hoover, M. D.; Hodson, L.; Martinez, K. F.

    2014-01-01

    Organizations around the world have called for the responsible development of nanotechnology. The goals of this approach are to emphasize the importance of considering and controlling the potential adverse impacts of nanotechnology in order to develop its capabilities and benefits. A primary area of concern is the potential adverse impact on workers, since they are the first people in society who are exposed to the potential hazards of nanotechnology. Occupational safety and health criteria for defining what constitutes responsible development of nanotechnology are needed. This article presents five criterion actions that should be practiced by decision-makers at the business and societal levels—if nanotechnology is to be developed responsibly. These include (1) anticipate, identify, and track potentially hazardous nanomaterials in the workplace; (2) assess workers' exposures to nanomaterials; (3) assess and communicate hazards and risks to workers; (4) manage occupational safety and health risks; and (5) foster the safe development of nanotechnology and realization of its societal and commercial benefits. All these criteria are necessary for responsible development to occur. Since it is early in the commercialization of nanotechnology, there are still many unknowns and concerns about nanomaterials. Therefore, it is prudent to treat them as potentially hazardous until sufficient toxicology, and exposure data are gathered for nanomaterial-specific hazard and risk assessments. In this emergent period, it is necessary to be clear about the extent of uncertainty and the need for prudent actions.

  13. Preface: Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This book was assembled with the intent of bringing together current advances and in-depth reviews of biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology with emphasis on bio-based products and agricultural biotechnology. Recent energy and food crises point out the importance of bio-based products from ren...

  14. 75 FR 30874 - National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-02

    ... OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, Nanoscale... Technology; The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategic Planning Stakeholder Workshop: Public Meeting ACTION: Notice of public meeting. SUMMARY: The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO...

  15. Knowledge of, and Attitudes towards Health-Related Biotechnology Applications amongst Australian Year 10 High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Lieshout, Emile; Dawson, Vaille

    2016-01-01

    Modern biotechnology has a large and rapidly increasing impact on society. New advances in genetics, stem cells and other areas hold great potential for human health but also presenting socioscientific issues that commonly divide public opinion. While knowledge is necessary to develop informed opinions about biotechnology, they may also be…

  16. Microorganisms living on macroalgae: diversity, interactions, and biotechnological applications.

    PubMed

    Martin, Marjolaine; Portetelle, Daniel; Michel, Gurvan; Vandenbol, Micheline

    2014-04-01

    Marine microorganisms play key roles in every marine ecological process, hence the growing interest in studying their populations and functions. Microbial communities on algae remain underexplored, however, despite their huge biodiversity and the fact that they differ markedly from those living freely in seawater. The study of this microbiota and of its relationships with algal hosts should provide crucial information for ecological investigations on algae and aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, because these microorganisms interact with algae in multiple, complex ways, they constitute an interesting source of novel bioactive compounds with biotechnological potential, such as dehalogenases, antimicrobials, and alga-specific polysaccharidases (e.g., agarases, carrageenases, and alginate lyases). Here, to demonstrate the huge potential of alga-associated organisms and their metabolites in developing future biotechnological applications, we first describe the immense diversity and density of these microbial biofilms. We further describe their complex interactions with algae, leading to the production of specific bioactive compounds and hydrolytic enzymes of biotechnological interest. We end with a glance at their potential use in medical and industrial applications.

  17. Nanotechnology, voluntary oversight, and corporate social performance: does company size matter?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuzma, Jennifer; Kuzhabekova, Aliya

    2011-04-01

    In this article, we examine voluntary oversight programs for nanotechnology in the context of corporate social performance (CSP) in order to better understand the drivers, barriers, and forms of company participation in such programs. At the theoretical level, we use the management framework of CSP to understand the voluntary behavior of companies. At the empirical level, we investigate nanotech industry participation in the Environmental Protection Agency's Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program (NMSP) as an example of CSP, in order to examine the effects of company characteristics on CSP outcomes. The analysis demonstrates that, on the average, older and larger companies for which nanotech is one of the many business activities demonstrate greater CSP as judged by company actions, declarations, and self-evaluations. Such companies tended to submit more of the requested information to the NMSP, including specific information about health and safety, and to claim fewer of the submitted items as confidential business information. They were also more likely to have on-line statements of generic and nano-specific corporate social responsibility principles, policies, and achievements. The article suggests a need to encourage smaller and younger companies to participate in voluntary oversight programs for nanotechnology and presents options for better design of these programs.

  18. A Study of Engineering Freshmen Regarding Nanotechnology Understanding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Kathy

    2009-01-01

    This study was conducted under the grand scheme of nanotechnology education and was focused on examining the nanotechnology readiness of first-year engineering students. The study found that most students learned the term "nano" from popular science magazines or as a measurement unit; less than 5% of the students learned "nano" through…

  19. Nanotechnology - Enabled Sensing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-07

    Sailor, Steve Semancik, Selim Shahriar, Ranga nathan Shashidhar, Richard Silberglitt, Joseph Stetter, Duncan Stewart, Mark Stiles, Thomas Thundat...Evans National Nanotechnology Coordination Office Patricia Foland World Technology Evaluation Center Richard Gaster‡ Stanford University Bonnie...Technology Selim Shahriar*, ◊ Northwestern University Ranganathan Shashidhar‡,†,◊ Polestar Technologies, Inc. Richard Silberglitt*,§, ◊ RAND

  20. Agenda 21: biotechnology at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

    PubMed

    Taylhardat, A R; Zilinskas, R A

    1992-04-01

    Preparation has yet to be completed for the 1992 Earth Summit, UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Nonetheless, it has been planned as a forum in which recommendations will be made to governments and international organizations on how to alleviate environmental damage caused by human activities and how to prevent future damage without retarding development in the Third World. It will declare basic principles for national and individual conduct regarding environmental preservation and sustainable development; adopt international conventions to protect biodiversity and manage climatic change; lay out Agenda 21 activities as specified by UNCED; provide an agenda to help Third World governments manage environmental matters; and provide an agenda for improving the transfer of technology to developing countries. Where biotechnology is concerned, scientists and policy makers in developing countries have shown their interest. Limited resources and capabilities, however, constrain their abilities to engage in serious research and development. International organizations such as the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) may help UNCED and developing countries with biotechnology. Since 1986, UNIDO has held the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) as a special project. The ICGEB conducts research and development (R&D) on high priority topics in developing countries; trains scientific and technical personnel from member countries in advanced biotechnology techniques; helps member countries implement and operate ICGEB-affiliated R&D and training centers; and manages an information exchange for internationally affiliated centers. To maximize the potential of biotechnology to help Third World nations clear their environments of pollutants while safely exploiting natural resources, organizations should promote full use of available training resources; promote biosafety and the dissemination of