WEEK 8: NANOTECH AND ART

Nanotechnology is a field of incredible potential. It is surprising that a field such as nanotechnology, which has revolutionized all aspects of our life, from food to our clothes to medicines, is known so little. It was fascinating to see the mere number of subfields that have been created under the umbrella of nanotechnology, such as nanomedicine, nanoelectronics and nanophotonics.

One of the most surprising examples of use of nanotechnology by the Romans in the Lycurgus Cup. The cup will appear green when lit from front, but if it were lit from the back it would change color to red. This change in color happens due to presence of gold and silver particles that are 50 nanometers in diameter. The fact that romans were able to do this 1600 years ago is absolutely amazing.

Furthermore, nanotechnology is also present in nature. The wings of the Blue morpho butterfly seem to have a blue iridescent color but are in fact transparent. Their wings consist of many nano-scale structures with air in between then, which cause the light waves to diffract and undergo constructive interference to give the blue color to the wings.



However, the one subfield of nanotechnology that caught my attention was nanomedicine. A great example of its benefits can be seen the research undergoing at University of Liverpool on use of nanotechnology in treating HIV. The current treatment is oral dosing of HIV drugs which cause significant health complications due to taking so many pills. One way nanotechnology could help is since cells absorb it more easily it can reduce both the does and the cost of the dose. This will make the treatment safer and more accessible.


However, nanotechnology comes with its problems. As Dr. Gimzewski pointed out, the long-term effects of nanoparticles haven’t been tested rigorously yet. Since these particles are able to penetrate cells more easily they regular medicines, it could cause a lot of harm. In 2011, the global nanomedicine market was estimated to be worth $50.1 billion. It is estimated that the market would grow to $350.8 billion by 2025. This exponential growth is not healthy for a field that we are not knowledgeable about. There is a need to proceed with extreme caution.

REFERENCES:
  • Mdogangun. "Mimicking Nature's Nanotechnology: From a butterfly wing to anti-counterfeit technologies." Sustainable Nano. N.p., 20 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 May 2017. <http://sustainable-nano.com/2015/01/20/mimicking-natures-nanotechnology/>.
  • "Nanomedicine Market Size Worth $350.8 Billion By 2025 | CAGR: 11.2%." Market Research Reports & Consulting. N.p., Apr. 2017. Web. 28 May 2017. <http://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-nanomedicine-market>.
  • "Nanomedicine: new solutions or new problems?" NATIONAL TOXICS NETWORK. N.p., 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 May 2017. <http://www.ntn.org.au/contributor-stories/nanomedicine-new-solutions-or-new-problems>.
  • "New nanomedicine approach aims to improve HIV drug therapies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 Oct. 2016. Web. 28 May 2017. <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161021084327.htm>.
  • Russon, Mary-Ann. "Romans Used Nanotechnology to Turn Lycurgus Cup From Green to Red 1,600 Years Ago." International Business Times UK. N.p., 06 Oct. 2014. Web. 28 May 2017. <http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/romans-used-nanotechnology-turn-lycurgus-cup-green-red-1600-years-ago-1468746>.
  • Dr. Gimzewski, James. Lecture. DESMA 9. Web. 28 May 2017.

Comments

  1. William ConnerMay 31, 2017 at 4:17 PM

    I thought your section on the blue morpho butterfly was very interesting because I would never think nanotechnology would be evident in nature. This leads me to believe that we can learn a lot from organisms in nature and we can study their molecular structures to develop new scientific studies. I also thought the nanomedicine was a crazy concept because a lot of money and resources will be saved if nanomedicine is funded. Great post overall.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMay 31, 2017 at 4:27 PM

    I really liked your post this week! It was very interesting nanotechnology is in all aspects of our lives every day. Something that I never heard of that I found really interesting is when you talked about the Romans and the Lycurgus Cup. The fact that this was done so long ago it quite amazing and I feel like we don't recognize more stuff like the Lycurgus Cup. Overall, I really liked reading your post.

    ReplyDelete

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