Ishaan Joshi

TOPIC September 27, 2021

PROPOSAL ISM 1B

TOPIC TITLE
Nanobiotechnology(a subfield of Biomedical Engineering)

DESCRIPTION
This year in ISM, I'm interested in studying Bionanotechnology, which is a
subdivision of the extremely vast field of Biomedical Engineering.
Bionanotechnology involves the creation of particles, structures, and devices at a
near-atomic scale(less than 100 nanometers in length), for various health
applications. Targeted drug therapy is one such application, in which polymer
encapsulated particles are used in order to deliver a drug to a specific diseased
tissue in order to increase efficiency and reduce side effects. Despite being a
relatively new field, bionanotechnology has gained a lot of popularity in the
recent past, as it has many applications in healthcare and the potential for
research and new innovations is very high.

INTERESTS
The primary reason that I'm interested in Nanobiotechnology is that I feel like it
has the right mix of chemistry, physics, and biology, as it requires a good
knowledge of materials science, mechanics & electronics due to the engineering
component of it, and the human anatomy due to its healthcare application.
Additionally, a strong math foundation is needed, as calculus is used frequently
in engineering, and statistics are needed for research and data analysis.
Furthermore, I'm drawn to this field because of it's research component, as the
idea of designing new things and innovating new and useful solutions really
resonates with me.

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Since this field is extremely research-heavy, it requires a good amount of
analytical and critical thinking skills to sort through data and find patterns and
trends that can help you improve your solution. It's also an extremely challenging
field, and the lab environment requires a lot of determination, as you'll
encounter many setbacks with experimentation before you make headway, so
persistence is key.
ORIGINAL WORK Ishaan Joshi
October 25, 2021
PROPOSAL ISM 1B

WORK TITLE
Applying nanotechnology for the development of an Artificial Heart using a
combination of ultrananocrystalline diamond thinfilms for electronics and
contractile carbon nanotube fibers for artificial muscle.

PURPOSE
The main purpose of my original work will be to apply the knowledge I've gained
through interviews and reading research articles in creating a biomedical device
My plan is to apply my knowledge of Dr. Auciello's nanocrystalline diamond
conductive thin films for electronics in biomedical implants, alongside the
information I learned about Dr. Baughman's work with twist-stable carbon yarns
for artificial yarns in order to design an artificial heart. Using my knowledge of
nanomaterials and nanotechnology, I'll be able to build an artificial
device(artificial heart) using the building blocks of nanoparticles(nanodiamond
thin films and nanocarbon filaments). I hope to design a device that will be
beneficial to society and can use this research to further innovation in the
medical field.

STEPS
The first step that I'll need to take in order to create this is to do more research
into the two nanoparticle "building blocks" of the artificial heart, which are the
ultrananocrystalline diamond electronic thinfilms and the contractile carbon
nanotubes. I've already talked to Dr. Auciello about the thinfilms, and have an
interview with Dr. Baughman about his research. However, I'm hoping to follow
up with both of them and understand the design of the particles better, so I can
understand how they can be integrated and fit into the design. I'll also need to
study the anatomy of the heart. After that, I'll have to familiarize myself with
CAD software so I can design the heart itself, and I'll need to figure out the
nanostructure of it using the thinfilms and the carbon filaments. During this, I'll
apply higher-level thinking in the form of critical thinking, as I'll be trying to use
my knowledge of nanoparticles in order to integrate them together, like solving a
puzzle.
APPLICATION AND REQUIREMENTS
Through this undertaking, I want to apply my knowledge of nanomaterials and
the synthesis and properties of nanoparticles in order to develop a product that
can combat conditions such as cardiomyopathy. This satisfies all of the
requirements for the original work because it shows my knowledge of
nanobiotechnology, uses critical thinking, is an original application of
nanotechnology, and is a model of a new invention.