Chemistry summative- Nanotechnology (in general + medical)

Tarlin Saini

Technology has been constantly becoming more and more advanced, and the reason for this is
the constant decreasing of size of most products. Computer chips, cameras, flat screens, and even
the first example of this, watches, were all decreased in size and weight, therefore increasing the
efficiency of each product. The watch, has a small amount of quartz in it, and when electrocuted
the stone moves very fast, resulting in the small differences in seconds on the watch screen.
Nanotechnology is the understanding of very small atoms, and being able to manipulate them for
improved physical, chemical, and biological properties. Everything in the world is made out of
atoms, so the ability to control these atoms at a very small scale, can make a huge impact for our
future. They are measured on a nanoscale, and between 1 and 100 nanometers is where the
matter is controlled. The key to manipulate these nanomaterials, is to be able to see them as well.
To see them one must have the right equipment, in order to take advantage of their special
properties. Making these atoms and bulk materials smaller into a range of 1 to 100 nanometers,
displays different physical attributes that are displayed in comparison to large materials and
atoms.

More than 1,000 consumer products now use nanotechnology and that number could grow 10fold in the next decade, researchers say. Many medical products using nanotechnology have been
commercialized. Nanotechnology in various uses is showing up around the world in
manufacturing, oil fields, military installations, and private homes. It holds the promise of
cleaner energy, cleaner water, and biomedical advances. Indeed, its well on the way to becoming
a general-purpose technology, according to a recent report issued by the World Technology
Evaluation Center Inc.
Today, research scientists in companies and universities all over the world, are working to
manufacture nanomaterials. They make new products, from medical devices and drugs that may
treat disease, to strong and lightweight materials that reduce fuel costs for cars and planes. There
are tiny cameras used to examine patients at the hospital now, as well as toothpastes that contain
nanoparticles of the calcium-based mineral found in bones to fill in microscopic cracks in dental
enamel. Nanotechnologies are part of our everyday lives, but we just do not notice. It has made
sports equipment lighter, and more durable as well as keeping food fresher longer.

IMPACT
Currently there are a number of critical risk assessment issues regarding manufactured
nanoparticles, such as
1. Exposure assessment of manufactured nanoparticles

2. Toxicology of manufactured nanoparticles

3. Ability to extrapolate manufactures nanoparticle toxicity using existing particle and fiber
toxicological database
4. Environmental and biological fate, transport, persistence, and transformation of
manufactured nanoparticles
5. Recyclability and overall sustainability of manufactured nanomaterials

NEGATIVE IMPACTS
Many products are made with nanomaterials, such as household socks, that contain nano-silver.
Washing socks releases nano-Ag and Ag+ into sewage water. Bacteria in wastewater treatment
plants biosorb silver, and some are discharged into streams where it is toxic to fish, therefore a
negative impact.

POSITIVE IMPACTS
The advantage of nanotechnology includes the cost efficiency on materials. Methods of alternate
energy such as hybrid cars, save money by the novels of nanotechnology. There is also less waste
on raw materials when a smaller scale is used to test samples and therefore decreases the waste
of raw materials. Nanotechnology also contributes to the studies and furthering science of
medical diagnosis and treatments, as well as agricultural applications, such as control of soil, air
and water materials. Nanotechnology also helps monitor and protect environmental structures,
such as power plants, with radiation detectors, made with nanotechnology.
Breakthroughs in the medical sector of nanotechnology promise to revolutionize drug
manufacturing, drug delivery, and medical diagnostics. With the vast knowledge of the behaviour
of these substances at cellular/particle level, researchers are beginning to unlock the large
medical potential of nano-scale materials. Though it is at its early stages, scientists at the
University of Marylands Nanotechnology Center are developing new methods for research
including the areas of drug synthesis, drug carriers, targeting technologies, toxicity reduction,
and materials optimization.
Nano-scale vesicles that are capable of self-assembling, can provide the stable key to targeted
drug delivery. Drug delivery refers to technologies, and approaches for transporting a
pharmaceutical compound into the body as needed to safely complete the drugs effect. When
mixed in the right concentration, common surfactants (a surfactant is a substance that reduces the
surface tension of a liquid it is dissolved in) will spontaneously gather to form capsules that are
high-charged and thermodynamically stable. These capsules can attract, encapsulate and
concentrate charged organic molecules, such as pharmaceutical compounds. This research could
provide one key to ensuring that drugs are not released until they reach their intended target. The
hope is to create nano-capsules from this research, for the detection and treatments applications
for both infectious diseases and tumours.

The University School of Pharmacys exemplary work with protein-based polymers shows vast
potential for not only drug delivery, but gene therapy as well. DNA technology that allows the
molecular manipulation of these polymers revealed new possibilities for controlling drug release.
HPMA copolymers have been made that demonstrate effective delivery to tumour cells. These
copolymers minimize support by non-target organs and overcome multi-drug resistance. These
polymer structures can be applied to cancer gene therapy, as they can correlate with gene release
and transfer. Most of the nanoparticle polymer-based drug delivery research will now focus
especially on animal testing for toxicity, as well as on the influence of architecture, charge and
drug loading.
A pathogen is a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.
Philip DeShong from the University of Maryland, has developed new pathogen-detection and
drug-delivery systems that recognize targets by coating nanocapsules with smart
materials. Nanocapsules are shells in nanoscale which are made of a nontoxic polymer. They are
vesicular systems that are made up of a membrane that holds a liquid in the inner core, also at the
nanoscale level. These smart systems, compared to current alternatives, promise to be not only
more effective, but also much more efficient. For example, current recognition time for Neisseria
gonorrhoeae takes days, however DeShong has reduced recognition time to minutes.
In drug delivery, DeShongs data recently showed that nanoparticles coated with specific ligands
can carry anti-tumour compounds directly to the wanted site with no obvious signs of toxicity.
His team has already created nanoscale materials sized to prevent removal by either the kidney
of liver, used surface charges to optimize biological effectiveness, and attached receptors onto
optical fibers to create novel biosensors. He continues to develop this research with his team,
with practical applications as well, such as optimizing materials, receptor quantities. His team is
also examining new particle architectures and determining toxicological effects.

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