ISSUE NINETEEN AUGUST 2010

ISSN 1757-2517
PRICE £4.50

THE MAGAZINE FOR SMALL SCIENCE

NANOTECHNOLOGY
–FORSUSTAINABILITY
ACROSSTHEBOARD
Nanoforplanetfriendlyarchitecture,
learningfromMotherNatureand
understandingtheethicaldebate.

Nanomaterials for Architects

and Architecture
Architects need to learn more about
nano to design sustainably

Discovering Nanotech’s Potential

One architectural practice is
developing their own nanoproducts

Biomimetics – Turning Nature’s

Successes into Gold
After 3.8 billion years, Mother Nature
can teach us a thing or two

Interview: George Whitesides,

Professor of Chemistry at Harvard
Elder statesman of nanotechnology is turning his
attention to healthcare for the world’s poor

Country Profile: Brazil

Pursuing industrial innovation through nanotechnology

Ethics and Nanotechnology

How society determines the way it adopts technology

Nano – Maintaining Independence

for an Ageing Population
Offering a route to less intense intervention
by healthcare professionals

PLUS: THE NANOYOU PROJECT: REACHING OUT TO SCHOOLS AND INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
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In the next issue: Nanomedicine - the latest in diagnostics; Continuing the ethics
theme – how do we define disability, now?; How a strong science and industry base
in Germany is enabling nano to be translated into economic benefit; Learn how one
company in France is taking nano to the market. And how nanotechnology is making
a real difference in agriculture.
Plus: Nano for environmental sensing, the latest in cancer treatment… and lots more!
002
nano
Issue 19, August 2010
Managing Director: Ottilia Saxl
ottilia.saxl@nanomagazine.co.uk

Assistant Editor: Fraser Shand

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Contributors
Sylvia Leydecker, 100% interior; Martina Decker and Peter
Yeadon, Decker Yeadon; Bharat Bhusan, Ohio State University;
José d'Albuquerque e Castro, Universidade Federal do Rio de
Janeiro; Marc Pavlopoulos, CEA-Larsim; Yoel Rothschild and
Dov Kipperman, ORT Israel; Ottilia Saxl, NANO Magazine;
Amarnath Maitra, University of Delhi.

©2010 ION Publishing Ltd

6 The Alpha Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park
Stirling FK9 4NF Scotland UK
013
Article contributions to NANO magazine come from a range of sources and while we
always strive to ensure accuracy in reporting, NANO accepts no responsibility for
inaccuracies that may arise. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect the
views of NANO magazine or IoN Publishing Ltd.

FEATURES
Nanomaterials for Architects and
Architecture ........................................012
Nano-aware architects are needed to design
the sustainable buildings of the future.

Finding Nanotech’s Potential for 020

architecture .........................................016
016
The Decker Yeadon agency isn’t waiting for
new nanotechnology products – they are EDUCATION
developing their own. NANOYOU ............................................032
The leaders of an EU-project describe how
Biomimetics – Turning Nature’s
to inspire the next generation through
Successes into Gold ..........................020
games, role playing and multimedia.
3.8 billion years in perfecting its products?
Bharat Bhusan shows that Mother Nature
034
ETHICS
provides the best solutions. Clarifying the Ethical Questions on
Nanotechnology ..................................036 Does Nanomedicine Really Belong to
INTERVIEW Marc Pavlopoulos sheds light on the the Field of Nanotechnology? ..........034
George Whitesides, Professor of sometimes surprising ways we adopt new Amarnath Maitra argues that nanomedicine
Chemistry at Harvard .........................027 technologies. What are the ethical questions belongs to cell biology as nanotechnology
Multifaceted scientific genius, entrepreneur, we really should be asking? deals only with entities dominated by
surface atoms.
and one of nanotechnology’s elder
statesmen, is turning his attention to almost MEDICINE
zero cost healthcare for the world’s poor. Nanotechnology – Cost and Efficiency REGULARS
Benefits for an Ageing Population 040 Editorial.................................................004
Ottilia Saxl looks at what the ageing population Events ....................................................006
COUNTRY PROFILE
Brazil .....................................................025 needs, and how nanotechnology can deliver What’s new in nano .............................008
José d’Albuquerque e Castro writes how independence for longer. Nanoart..................................................043
Brazil is accelerating its pursuit of
innovation through nanotechnology. OPINION

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Nanotechnology – making
sustainability possible?
Nanotechnology is no longer a technology-in-waiting. It is already
ubiquitous in its reach and effect. In this issue of NANO
magazine, we look at many applications of nanotechnology to our
everyday lives, and its promise for the future. For example,
nanotechnology has great potential for architecture, and it is
recognised that buildings are a major contributor to global
warming. It is argued that if architects are better informed about
Ottilia Saxl, Director, NANO Magazine nanotechnology and prepared to design-in innovative materials to
make buildings more sustainable, this will have an immediate and beneficial effect. One
architecture practice is already so committed to nanotechnology, the partners are even
developing their own nanomaterials, to suit specific architectural applications.
Another theme this issue is inspiration from for the poor also works in favour of the rich, and understand the possibilities offered by
nature. Smart companies and researchers are and many lessons can be learned. Finally, nanotech, if they are to meaningfully
looking at the natural world for a treasure trove informing the general public is the key to address sustainability in their work.
of ideas that can form the basis of innovative acceptance of a technology, and the
new products and processes, and several nanocommunity has not succeeded very well Following on from a plea that architects
exciting possibilities are explored in an article in this sphere. However, a far-sighted EU- become more acquainted with
by a world expert in the field of biomimetics. funded project, NANOYOU, is reaching out to nanotechnology, the Decker Yeadon
Nano risk and toxicology are favourite media schools across Europe, and providing agency in New York has come up with new
subjects, but perhaps more importantly, how teachers and pupils with exciting teaching concepts based on nanotechnology that
society perceives the benefits of materials, so, if this generation isn’t particularly could shape the future of homes and offices.
nanotechnology will be critical to influencing well-informed, the next one will be! They are so convinced by its benefits that
its acceptance. What ethical questions should they have just invested in making
we really be asking, and are these are different Nanotechnology in architecture is addressed Buckypaper, a new material which has an
for nanotechnology, as opposed to any new compellingly by Sylvia Leydecker in this electrically conductive coating of multi-
technology? A problem that affects us all is the issue. She states that innovation-driven walled nanotubes. As half of all energy
growing costs of providing for an ageing materials and products are critical in consumption and greenhouse gas
population. Nanotechnology can offer ways to achieving green construction, which is now emissions in the U.S. can be attributed to
help older people retain the use of their at the forefront of much architectural debate. buildings, it is hoped that this new material
faculties, and more importantly, their Ms Leydecker believes that nanomaterials will reduce cooling-costs and green house
independence, for longer, while reducing the have a huge potential in this area, which is gas emissions in hot climates. Other
costs borne by the State. Healthcare, but for yet to be realised, as architects have not yet nano-based ideas for sustainable
the world’s poor, is also a theme uppermost in engaged fully with what is available. As a buildings are discussed, including low
the mind of George Whitesides, subject of the basic principle, she call for architects, power smart devices that would help
interview this month. Interestingly, what works planners and project developers to learn control ambient temperatures.

004

In a world where nanotechnology products
are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, the
search for new and better nano-based
products continues. Mother Nature has
evolved an answer to many problems over
the 3.8 billion years since life is estimated to
have first appeared on earth. By gaining an
understanding of how the natural world
works, we can imitate nature to produce new
and better materials, devices and processes.
The emphasis on nanoscience and
nanotechnology since the early 1990s has
provided a significant impetus in mimicking
nature, using nanofabrication techniques for
commercial applications. It is estimated that
the 100 most important products based on
biomimetics have generated about US $1.5
billion over 2005-2008, and annual sales and
product diversity are expected to continue to
increase dramatically. Bharat Bhusan takes
us on a whistle stop tour of the natural world
and some of its attributes that are leading to
new commercial products.
The ethical debate on nanotechnology is an
exciting one, which poses many complex
questions - such as how we perceive nature,
as opposed to artefact; the possible
redefinition of the norms of health and
disease; the likelihood of Transhumanism
(which forecasts that nanotechnology will
radically transform our world, and even
ourselves); questions such as the fair
distribution of the benefits of nanotechnology;
and the nature and extent of scientists’
responsibility for the consequences of
technological innovations. Marc Pavlopoulos
explores how we can ask the right questions,
and discusses the surprising ways in which
society adopts a new technology.
The subject of this month’s interview is
Harvard Professor George Whitesides.
Professor Whitesides is not only successful
as an academic, but is also named on over
50 patents. A lifetime of knowledge and
experience has led him to a profound
understanding of what society needs from
science. His view is that, where science
thrives on complexity, and unexpected
outcomes, society needs simplicity allied to
function, and at low cost. And once given
the ‘tools’ that meet this definition, Professor
Whitesides predicts “People will build stuff
you cannot begin to imagine”. At present,
one of his interests focuses on the delivery
of healthcare in the developing world, at
close to zero cost. These low cost solutions
paradoxically also represent major
opportunities in combating the spiralling
and unsustainable costs of healthcare in the
developed world.
Nanoscience and nanotechnologies are
widely seen as having huge potential to
bring benefits to many areas of research
and application, and are attracting rapidly
increasing investments from Governments
and from businesses in many parts of the
world. At the same time, it is recognized
that their application may raise new
challenges in the safety, regulatory or
ethical domains that will require societal
debate. Nanotechnologists are often
criticised for their lack of interest or inability
to communicate the issues around
nanotechnology to the general public. One
way to improve understanding is by
engaging young people in dialogue about
its ethical, legal and social aspects.
NANOYOU (Nano for Youth) is a project
◊nano
funded by the European Commission's
Seventh Framework Programme that aims
to achieve this through an appealing variety
of media, games, role playing and other
interactions.
The country profile this month is Brazil. In
the last few decades, many South American
countries have sloughed off their old images
of corruption and poverty, and replaced
them with a go-ahead, entrepreneurial
culture and an increasingly fairer
distribution of wealth and opportunity. Brazil
may have been a little later in getting to
grips with the potential of nanotechnology,
but investment and strong policies linking
science and industry are reaping the
benefits. José d’Albuquerque e Castro who
has been involved in nanotechnology in
Brazil, both from within University and
Government, gives an all-round perspective
on the state of the technology and where it
is headed.
The cost of supporting the needs of an
ageing population is growing, with longer
life expectancies. This month’s article on
nanomedicine by Ottilia Saxl, explores
the broader issues of how nanotechnology
can provide important benefits to an
ageing population, in terms of prolonging
independence and quality of life for as
long as possible, while reducing costs.
She discusses how nanotechnology
research is leading to a range of medical
interventions that can extend the use of
faculties and senses for longer, and
also technological advances that can
reduce dependency on expensive
healthcare professionals. n
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Events Calendar
EVERY MONTH WE HIGHLIGHT THE LEADING CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS
WHERE INDUSTRY EXPERTS, ACADEMICS AND POLICY MAKERS CONVENE.
August 20 – August 22
International Nanoscience Conference
(INASCON 2010), Baarlo, The Netherlands
The aim of the conference is to focus on the students in contrast to
most conferences where it is the more established researches that are
focused upon. A criterion for European innovation in the field of
nanotechnology in the future will without a doubt be teamwork between
European Universities. To facilitate this teamwork we feel that it is
essential to start networking between students as early as possible.
www.inascon.eu
August 29 – September 2
Commercialization of Micro-Nano Systems Conference
(COMS 2010), Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
COMS brings together leaders from all over the world and every sector
of industry. From high tech companies, national labs, regional
development and government agencies, investment and consulting
groups, market researchers, educators and students; all sharing,
learning and creating partnerships in an open interactive setting. This
is a powerful environment focused on accelerating commercialization
activity among established and emerging micro and nano businesses.
www.mancef-coms2010.org
September 12-15
3rd International conference on
Advanced Nano Materials (ANM 2010), Morocco
The aim of the conference is to bring together worldwide leading
experts of nano technology for the exchange of ideas, experiences and
knowledge. Therefore, the conference will provide a unique forum
convening researchers, scientists and engineers from industry,
research laboratories and academia to address state-of-the-art
developments in all aspects of Nanotechnology.
www.anm2010.nanoac.org
September 13-17
X International Conference on Nanostructured
Materials (NANO2010), Rome, Italy
The X international Conference on nanostructured Materials (NANO)
is the highest level international Conference designed to bring together
the international communitity of scientists and engineers interested in
recent developments on nanostructured materials in many different
fields. It will foster the exchange of ideas, techniques, experiments and
applications in this exciting and rapidly developing field.
www.nano2010.mlib.cnr.it/cms
September 19-23
Adriatic School on Nanoscience, Dubrovnic, Croatia
The aim of the first School is to provide young scientists, primarily PhD
students working in the nanosciences, with a systematic overview of
modern nanoscience through selected contributions from the field's
most relevant experts. Beyond that, it is intended to establish ASON as
an international forum for the growing community of young scientists
and engineers working in the fields of nanoscience and
nanotechnology. In this manner ASON is conceived to flexibly adjust to
encompass the most recent advances and developments in these
rapidly evolving disciplines, including related characterisation
techniques and applications.
www.rathanea.hr/ason-1
September 19 – 24
International Microscopy Congress (IMC17),
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The event for an update on the challenges at the frontiers of applied
scientific research, bringing together, through all forms of microscopy,
advances on Nanotechnologies and applications, Medicine and health,
Energy conversion, Environmental protection, and much more.
www.imc-17.com
006
September 21
Nanotechnology Innovations For High Performance
Motorsport, Cranfield University, UK
With 30% of sales revenue being spent on innovation within the
motorsport industry and a list of potential applications for nano scale
techniques and products within the motorsport sector continuing to
grow, this exclusive event, hosted by CEMMNT, will explore the
challenges and benefits of applying the innovations in nanotechnology
to this highly competitive and highly innovative sector.
This event is FREE to attend. Contact George Guildford at
george.guildford@cemmnt.co.uk
www.cemmnt.co.uk/news.php/
high-performance-motorsport-event
October 20-22
NanotechItaly 2010, Venice, Italy
The aim of the conference is to give a comprehensive picture of
nanotechnology activity, perspectives and needs in Italy; Present the
latest developments and trends at world level about research,
applications and governance; Foster a debate amongst representatives
of industry, public research, the financial community and governmental
bodies to promote the development of nanotechnologies and
cooperation.
www.nanotechitaly.it
October 19-21
MATERIALICA 2010- Product Engineering in Motion,
Munich, Germany
Europe’s top event for material-driven and provider-oriented product
innovations focussing on important sectors of engineering and
materials such as composites, lightweight metal design, high
performance and functional ceramics and surface- and
nanotechnology. The sophisticated visitor and exhibitor structure has
had a great share in implementing innovative technology solutions
within core industries like automotive, aerospace, engineering, medical
engineering and sports and consumer goods.
www.materialica.com
October 23-28
Nanomedicine: Reality Now and Soon,
ESF-UB Conference, Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain
The application of nanotechnology will have a major influence in many
fields of medicine. Novel nano-based materials appear in drug delivery
systems, diagnostics, imaging, biosensing, and medical materials and
devices. This conference aims to provide detailed understanding and
discuss the clinical utility of those areas of nanomedicine which are
close to application or already clinically applied/on the market.
www.esf.org/activities/esf-conferences/details/2010/
confdetail329.html?conf=329&year=2010
October 25-29
Iran Nano, Tehran, Iran
The goals of the Iran Nano conference include: discovering research
and industrial potentials in the field of nanotechnology and introducing
them to the market; fostering research-industry linkages and
collaborations in the field of nanotechnology; providing nanotechnology
companies with the opportunity to participate in international markets
and raising public knowledge on nanotechnology.
festival.nano.ir
 ◊nano
November 16-18
NANOSAFE 2010, Grenoble, France
The objectives of the conference will be to make available the major
progresses and future trends in the domain of the safe production and
use of nanomaterials. Topics include Exposure assessment,
Characterization, Detection and Monitoring, Nanomaterials life cycle,
Toxicology and Environmental impact.
www.nanosafe.org

November 19-21
International Conference on Nanotechnology
(Nanotech India 2010), Kerala, India
This conference is aimed at pulling together industry leaders,
researchers, entrepreneurs and investors to create a platform for
discussion on the issues and opportunities that are vital in
commercializing Nanotech innovations. It is no wonder then that this
conference has emerged as the premier nanotechnology research and
business event in India.
www.nanotechindia.in/nano210.php

December 8-9
Technology World in partnership with
UK NanoForum, London, UK
Technology World and UK NanoForum have joined together for 2010 to
bring you the only event where UK science and technology excellence
meets face to face with senior international business professionals.
This joint event will showcase over 200 industry and academic
exhibitors and host around 2000 senior business decision makers from
over 25 countries. Connect with innovators, manufacturers, scientists
and service providers and take advantage of the unique business
partnering opportunities.
www.technologyworld.uk.com

To advertise your event here, please contact:

scott.mcmillan@nanomagazine.co.uk

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Breathing easy:
Researchers develop
a ‘lung-on-a-chip’
esearchers from the Wyss
R Institute for Biologically
Inspired Engineering at Harvard
University, Harvard Medical School
and Children’s Hospital Boston have
created a device that mimics a living,
breathing human lung on a microchip.
The device, about the size of a rubber
eraser, acts much like a lung in a
human body and is made using human
lung and blood vessel cells.
Because the lung device is translucent, it
provides a window into the inner-workings
of the human lung without having to invade
a living body. It has the potential to be a
valuable tool for testing the effects of
environmental toxins, absorption of
aerosolized therapeutics and the safety and
efficacy of new drugs. Such a tool may help
accelerate pharmaceutical development by
reducing the reliance on current models, in
which testing a single substance can cost
more than $2 million.
“The ability of the lung-on-a-chip device to
predict absorption of airborne nanoparticles
and mimic the inflammatory response
triggered by microbial pathogens, provides
proof-of-principle for the concept that
organs-on-chips could replace many animal
studies in the future,” says Donald Ingber,
senior author on the study and founding
director of Harvard’s Wyss Institute.
Until now, tissue-engineered microsystems
have been limited either mechanically or
biologically, says Ingber, who is also the
008
Judah Folkman professor of vascular The team followed this experiment with a
Biology at Harvard Medical School and “real-world application of the device,” says
Children’s Hospital Boston. “We really can't Huh. They introduced a variety of nano-
understand how biology works unless we scaled particles (a nanometer is one-
put it in the physical context of real living billionth of a meter) into the air sac
cells, tissues and organs.” channel. Some of these particles exist in
commercial products; others are found in
The lung-on-a-chip microdevice takes a air and water pollution. Several types of
new approach to tissue engineering by these nanoparticles entered the lung cells
placing two layers of living tissues – the and caused the cells to overproduce free
lining of the lung’s air sacs and the blood radicals and to induce inflammation.
vessels that surround them – across a Many of the particles passed through the
porous, flexible boundary. Air is delivered model lung into the blood channel, and
to the lung lining cells, a rich culture the investigators discovered that
medium flows in the capillary channel to mechanical breathing greatly enhanced
mimic blood and cyclic mechanical nanoparticle absorption.
stretching mimics breathing. The device
was created using a novel The Wyss Institute team is also working to
microfabrication strategy that uses clear build other organ models, such as a gut-
rubbery materials. The strategy was on-a-chip, as well as bone marrow and
pioneered by another Wyss core faculty even cancer models. Further, they are
member, George Whitesides, who features exploring the potential for combining
in this month’s NANO Magazine interview. organ systems.
To determine how well the device replicates For example, Ingber is collaborating with
the natural responses of living lungs to Kevin Kit Parker, associate professor at
stimuli, the researchers tested its response Harvard University’s School of Engineering
to inhaled living E.coli bacteria. They and Applied Sciences and another Wyss
introduced bacteria into the air channel on core faculty member, who has created a
the lung side of the device and at the same beating heart-on-a-chip. They hope to link
time flowed white blood cells through the the breathing lung-on-a-chip to the beating
channel on the blood vessel side. The lung heart-on-a-chip. The engineered organ
cells detected the bacteria and, through the combination could be used to test inhaled
porous membrane, activated the blood drugs and to identify new and more
vessel cells, which in turn triggered an effective therapeutics that lack adverse
immune response that ultimately caused the cardiac side effects. n
white blood cells to move to the air chamber
and destroy the bacteria. Source: Harvard University
 ◊nano

Nanotechnology
means dentists
could bring
teeth back to life
cientists are reporting an advance Regenerative endodontics,

S toward the next big treatment

revolution in dentistry – the era in
which root canal therapy brings
diseased teeth back to life, rather than
leaving a “non-vital” or dead tooth in the
mouth. In a report in the monthly journal
ACS Nano, they describe a first-of-its-
kind, nano-sized dental film that shows
early promise for achieving this long-
sought goal (“Nanostructured
Assemblies for Dental Application”).
Nadia Benkirane-Jessel and colleagues
note that root canal procedures help
prevent tooth loss in millions of people
each year. During the procedure, a dentist
removes the painful, inflamed pulp, the soft
tissue inside the diseased or injured tooth
that contains nerves and blood vessels.
the development and
delivery of tissues to
replace diseased or
damaged dental pulp,
has the potential to
provide a revolutionary
alternative to pulp removal.
The scientists are reporting
development of a multilayered, nano-
sized film – only 1/50,000th the thickness of
a human hair containing a substance that produced a material that fights
could help regenerate dental pulp. inflammation in dental pulp fibroblasts.
Previous studies show that the substance, Fibroblasts are the main type of cell found
called alpha melanocyte stimulating in dental pulp. Nano-films containing alpha-
hormone, or alpha-MSH, has anti- MSH also increased the number of these
inflammatory properties. The scientists cells. This could help revitalize damaged
showed in laboratory tests alpha-MSH teeth and reduce the need for a root canal
combined with a widely-used polymer procedure, the scientists suggest. n

Drinks leave a trail of crumbs that could

be used to track people’s movement
he bottled water, soda pop, or Lesley Chesson and colleagues explain that cities and found that patterns in the beverages

T micro brew-beer that you drank

in Pittsburgh, Dallas, Denver or
30 other American cities contains a
natural chemical imprint related to
geographic location. When you consume
these beverage you may leave a chemical
imprint in your hair that could be used
to track your travels over time, a new
study suggests.
The findings, believed to be the first
concerted effort to describe the use of
beverages as a potential tool to investigate
the geographic location of people, appears
in ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and
Food Chemistry (“Links between Purchase
Location and Stable Isotope Ratios of Bottled
Water, Soda, and Beer in the United States”).
the body removes hydrogen and oxygen
atoms from water (H2O), and beverages
containing water, and incorporates them into
proteins, including the protein in hair.
Hydrogen and oxygen exist in different
forms, or isotopes. The proportions of those
isotopes vary in a predictable way
geographically, with higher values in low-
latitude, low-elevation, or coastal regions, for
instance, and lower values elsewhere. Since
manufacturers usually use local or regional
water sources in producing beverages,
isotope patterns in hair could serve as a
chemical “fingerprint” to pinpoint the
geographic region where a person has been.
The scientists analyzed isotope patterns in
bottled water, soda pop, and beer from 33
generally matched those already known for
the tap water. They noted that the isotope
pattern in beverages tends to vary from city to
city in ways that give cities in different regions
characteristic “iso-signatures.” A person who
drinks a beer or soda in Denver, Des Moines,
or Dallas, for instance, consumes a different
isotope signature than a person in Las Cruces,
Las Vegas, or Laramie. The finding may help
trace the origin of drinks or help criminal
investigators identify the geographic travels of
crime suspects and other individuals through
analysis of hair strands, the study suggests. n
Source: American Chemical Society

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he fastest growing waste in the
T EU could soon be helping to
combat hospital infections,
according to scientists at the University
of York. Researchers at the University’s
Department of Chemistry have
discovered a way of transforming the
chemical compound polyvinyl-alcohol
(PVA), which is a key element of
television sets with liquid crystal
display (LCD) technology, into an anti-
microbial substance that destroys
infections such as Escherichia coli and
some strains of Staphylococcus aureus.
The York research team had earlier found
a method of recovering PVA from television
screens and transforming it into a substance
which, due to its compatibility with the
human body, could be suitable for use in
tissue scaffolds that help parts of the body
regenerate. It could also be used in pills
and dressings that are designed to deliver
drugs to particular parts of the body.
Dr Hunt, of the York Green Chemistry
Centre of Excellence, said: “The influence “Now we have gone a step further by
of LCDs on modern society is dramatic –
it is estimated that 2.5 billion LCDs are
approaching the end of their life, and they nanoparticles, with the result being that it
are the fastest growing waste in the
Greening the Alberta Oil Sands
using nano
n the quest to develop more cost-
I effective ways to reduce carbon
emissions from fossil fuels, GE is
partnering with the University of Alberta
(UA) and Alberta Innovates Technology
Futures (AITF) on a $4 million CO2
capture project supported by the
Climate Change and Emissions
Management (CCEMC) Corporation.
This team is leveraging cutting-edge
research in nanotechnology to tackle two
of the most pressing environmental
challenges facing the Oil Sands –
reduction of CO2 emissions associated
with the extraction and upgrading process,
and treatment of produced water
generated during the oil recovery.
010
TV really could
be good for us
Turning LCD waste into an
infection fighting substance.
European Union. But we can add
significant value this waste. By heating
then cooling the PVA and then
dehydrating it with ethanol we can
produce a high surface area mesoporous
material that has great potential for use
in biomedicine.”
enhancing its anti-microbial properties
through the addition of silver
can destroy bacterial infections such as
The technology is based on naturally
occurring zeolites identified by UA. These
materials are rocks with molecularly sized
pores, which allow small molecules to
enter while excluding larger molecules.
Zeolites are widely used in the chemical
industry as catalysts, and this project
seeks to form these materials into
membranes that can be used for high
temperature gas separation. The materials
also have the potential to be used as
filters for contaminated water. The
CCEMC is providing $2 million in support
of this project, with an equal cost share
from GE and its project partners.
Anthony Ku, a chemical engineer and
project leader for GE Global Research on
E.coli. Potentially, it could be used in
hospital cleaning products to help to
reduce infections.”
The project’s next steps will be to test the
PVA-based substance against commercial
compounds to determine relative
effectiveness, and to secure approval
from regulatory agencies regarding the
suitability of silver nanoparticles for
human health applications. n
Source: University of York
the CO2 capture project, s noted that the
successful commercialization and
widespread adoption of this technology
could reduce CO2 emissions from the
production of synthetic crude oil from the
Oil Sands by up to 25%.
With fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural
gas projected to be a large portion of our
energy mix for decades to come, GE is
committed to developing new, cost-
effective technologies for the
management of greenhouse gas
emissions. This technology collaboration
is supported in part through GE's
ecomagination initiative. Ecomagination
represents GE’s commitment to deliver
new clean products and technologies to
market for its customers and society.
Recently, the company pledged to double
its investment in clean R&D over the next
five years from $5 billion to $10 billion. n
Source: GE Research

ELECTRONIC DNA
SEQUENCING
USING GRAPHENE
NANOPORES
esearchers at the University of
R Pennsylvania have developed a
new, carbon-based nanoscale
platform to electrically detect single
DNA molecules.
Using electric fields, the tiny DNA strands
are pushed through nanoscale-sized,
atomically thin pores in a graphene
nanopore platform that ultimately may be
important for fast electronic sequencing of
the four chemical bases of DNA based on
their unique electrical signature.
The pores, burned into graphene
membranes using electron beam technology,
provide Penn physicists with electronic
measurements of the translocation of DNA.
“We were motivated to exploit the unique
properties of graphene – a two-
dimensional sheet of carbon atoms – in
order to develop a new nanopore electrical
platform that could exhibit high resolution,”
said Marija Drndic, associate professor in
the Department of Physics and Astronomy
in Penn's School of Arts and Sciences and
the paper's senior author. “High resolution
of graphene nanopore devices is expected
because the thickness of the graphene
sheet is smaller than the distance between
two DNA bases. Graphene has previously
been used for other electrical and
mechanical devices, but up until now it has
not been used for DNA translocation.”
The research team had made graphene
nanopores in a study completed two years
ago and in this study put the pores to work.
To conduct the experiments, Drndic and
postdoctoral fellow Christopher A.
Merchant, together with Ken Healy, Meni
Wanunu, Vishva Ray and other members
from the Drndic lab made use of large-area
graphene material developed by
postdoctoral fellow Zhengtang Luo and
Professor A.T. Charlie Johnson, both
physicists at Penn. The team used a
chemical vapour deposition, or CVD,
method to grow large flakes of graphene
and suspend them over a single micron-
sized hole made in silicon nitride. An even
smaller hole, the nanopore in the very
centre of the suspended graphene, was
then drilled with an electron beam of a
transmission electron microscope, or TEM.
Solid-state nanopores are proving to be
invaluable tools for probing biology at the
single-molecule level.
Graphene nanopore devices developed by
the Penn team work in a simple manner. The
pore divides two chambers of electrolyte
solution and researchers apply voltage,
which drives ions through the pores. Ion
transport is measured as a current flowing
from the voltage source. DNA molecules,
inserted into the electrolyte, can be driven
single file through such nanopores.
As the molecules translocate, they block
the flow of ions and are detected as a drop
in the measured current. Because the four
DNA bases block the current differently,
graphene nanopores with sub-nanometer
thickness may provide a way to distinguish
among bases, realizing a low-cost, high-
throughput DNA sequencing technique.
In addition, to increase the robustness of
graphene nanopore devices, Penn
researchers also deposited an ultrathin
layer, only a few atomic layers thick, of
titanium oxide on the membrane which
further generated a cleaner, more easily
wettable surface that allows the DNA to go
through it more easily. Although graphene-
only nanopores can be used for
translocating DNA, coating the graphene
membranes with a layer of oxide
consistently reduced the nanopore noise
level and at the same time improved the
robustness of the device.
Because of the ultrathin nature of the
graphene pores, researchers were able to
detect an increase in the magnitude of the
translocation signals relative to previous
solid state nanopores made in silicon
nitride, for similar applied voltages.
The Penn team is now working on
improving the overall reliability of these
devices and on utilizing the conductivity of
the graphene sheet to create devices with
transverse electrical control over DNA
transport. Specifically, this transverse
electrical control may be achievable by
carving graphene into nanoelectrodes and
utilizing its conducting nature. Towards
this goal, Michael Fischbein and Drndic
have previously demonstrated
nanosculpting of graphene into arbitrary
structures, such as nanoribbons,
nanopores and other shapes, published in
Applied Physics Letters in 2008, creating a
firm foundation for future research. n
The article, submitted on March 25, is published
in the current issue of Nano Letters.
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NANOMATERIALS
FOR ARCHITECTS
AND ARCHITECTURE
TO INTRODUCE NANOMATERIALS INTO ARCHITECTURE, ARCHITECTS
MUST FIRST BE ATTRACTED TO THE NANOWORLD. INNOVATION-DRIVEN
MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS SERVE AS A TOOL FOR ACHIEVING GREEN
CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS NOW ON THE FOREFRONT OF ARCHITECTURAL
DEBATES. NANOMATERIALS DO HAVE A HUGE POTENTIAL, BUT THIS
POTENTIAL IS YET TO BE REALISED, AND ARCHITECTS ARE YET TO ENGAGE
FULLY WITH WHAT IS AVAILABLE, THEREFORE AS A BASIC PRINCIPLE,
AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE POSSIBILITIES OFFERED BY NANOTECH IS
ESSENTIAL FOR ARCHITECTS, PLANNERS AND PROJECT DEVELOPERS.
SYLVIA LEYDECKER DISCUSSES HOW THE ARCHITECTURE WORLD
NEEDS TO ADAPT TO THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED BY
NANOTECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS.

ano has become a word which at least an acceptably designed layout able possible to do this. Nano-science definitely

N isn’t as unheard-of in the

architectural world as it was a
couple of years ago. Nevertheless, what
it actually means and what it can be used
for is still almost unknown in the
architectural community.
Having little substantial information,
nebulous ideas are formulated, fact and
fiction are mixed up in several web-forums
or the whole topic is reduced to the catchy
name “Lotus effect”. The main problem
seems to be a lack of information due to the
huge gap between the world of science and
the world of architecture. Chemical
formulas, curves, diagrams, hard to
comprehend vocabulary, underexposed
pictures of poor-quality architecture,
accompanied by badly designed layouts
isn’t the appropriate way to attract architects to achieve: today, now and here, not later,
at all. Much better is understandable writing, we have to build for our future on this planet.
images of high-quality built examples, and
to fulfil aesthetic demands. (Incidentally,
exactly this gap is filled by the book I’ve
written: “Nanomaterials in Architecture,
Interior Architecture and Design”!)
Despite these problems with its mode of
communication, the role that nano is already
playing is getting bigger with the increase in
use of smart materials. On one hand we’re
still building with brick and mortar, which
sounds quite medieval, or we use concrete,
which was invented by the Romans. On the
other hand we are building smart facades,
constructing ambitious buildings composed
of glass and membranes - today’s
technology for the future.
Omnipresent today is the term
“sustainability”. This is exactly what we have
With the help of nanotechnology, it is
offers the chance to solve our global climate
problems, answering the questions which
governments have been struggling with up
to now. If there is a single reason to use
nanotechnology in architecture, it is
definitely because of energy efficiency and
sustainability. Ecological and economical
advantages are offered by nanotechnology,
which cannot be ignored as a way to reduce
climate change. This is more important now
than it ever was. Climate protection pays off,
this is why in the long run ecology in
architecture is also economical. In the
meantime very cheap material is still used
in construction, for the sake of quickly
gained and maximized profits.
Nanotechnology as progressive science is
today’s answer for the future, it will change the
future of architecture to the use of advanced
construction and materials, which help to
reduce carbon emissions. At least, its promise

012
for the future of our planet offers a chance
which we simply do not have otherwise.
Fundamentally there are three ways for
architects to approach the use of material.
Traditionally, ‘real’ material, such as stone or
wood, is used. This approach is favoured by
those architects who tend to prefer authenticity.
Second, there is a mass of fake-materials
which are used for cost and maintenance
reasons. Artificially designed fake surfaces,
such as wood-effect plastics, laminates etc.
are continually perfected and are more
visible and increasingly difficult to
differentiate from the original and identify as
fake. Even patina is forged, whereas –
strangely enough - at the same time, a real
patina would not be accepted by clients.
Third, there is emerging nanotechnology:
emancipated from the underlying material,
properties of functional surfaces are invisible
and can be completely different. Another
approach is offered by nanocomposites,
Sylvia Leydecker is
interior architect at BDIA
and director of the
Cologne-based studio
100% interior.
providing completely new materials and the
optimization of existing products.
Easy Clean Surfaces
There are several nanofunctions already
implemented in the market and
comparatively well established. Self-
cleaning surfaces are at the forefront: The
well known Lotus-Effect ®, despite its
popularity, isn’t really present in the market.
The scientist Barthlott, who investigated the
effect, was clever enough to not only find a
catchy name, but to protect it as well.
Nevertheless its micro-rough surface can’t
stand mechanical treatment, and so the
licence is given to only a few building
products such as paint. Because of its
hydrophobic effect, it is quite often confused
with easy-to-clean surfaces, which show the
same effect but are different in function.
Easy-to-clean surfaces have started to be
quite common in the sector of sanitation and
are used for shower-glazing, toilets, wash-
basins and are now found in other products
as well. Photocatalytic self-cleaning
surfaces, mostly glass and paint, also
membranes, are quite common worldwide.
These surfaces are, contrary to the above-
named, not hydrophobic but hydrophilic.
Water runs off in films and loose dirt is
easily washed away. All these surfaces are
in the strict sense only, almost selfcleaning,
which means cleaning cycles are
considerably longer, but cleaning is still
required. That cleaning is needed at all,
causes difficulties because of expectations
of the contrary. Antibacterial functions are
now the most interesting function for the
healthcare sector. You can find tiling,
flooring, light-switches, handles, paints –
a broad range of applications, but
sometimes in a very limited product range,
for instance in just a single model. Anti-
fingerprint protection on stainless-steel or
coloured glass, is perfect for interior use.
Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC)
is one of the most exciting new
developments, because of its strength,
provides elegant and thinner construction,
needing just the minimum material.
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REGARDING DESIGN Nano Insulation
Some of the most promising future
AESTHETICS IT’S STILL applications are in the field of nano-infused
DIFFICULT FOR ARCHITECTS thermal-insulation. One third of energy
worldwide is wasted for heating, which is a
TO DEAL WITH NANO big challenge for sustainable building.
PRODUCTS. WE SEE IT Highly efficient insulation-material called
Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) are ten
AS A BATTLE SOMETIMES times as effective as conventional
BETWEEN CONFLICTING polystyrene. This is interesting for both old
and new buildings, as it provides a much
DESIRES FOR FORM higher thermal conductivity at a much
AND FUNCTIONALITY. thinner insulation thickness. At present
planning with VIPs is still very challenging
and also building at the construction site
itself is demanding, as VIPs have to be
handled with care. Improvements in their
production are expected, and their potential
worldwide is vast.
Aerogel, which is also used as filling for
VIPs, comes as a filling for glazing as well.
As a NASA-designed material for use in
outer space, it contributes extremely high
thermal insulation, which makes it perfect
for the external envelope of buildings.
014
Phase Change Materials (PCM) are
designed to regulate temperatures, to cut off
peak temperatures by stowing warmth or
even cold. It comes in microcapsules
(MPCM) and is conveniently integrated in
several building materials, such as plaster,
plasterboard or aerated concrete-blocks. All
the above are mentioned just to name a few,
as there is already more examples on the
market. The potential for further material-
and product innovations is there, think about
Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) or
highly efficient photovoltaic (PV) modules.
Aesthetics and Function
Regarding design aesthetics it is still
difficult for architects to deal with nano-
products. We see it as a battle sometimes
between conflicting desires for form and
functionality. For instance there may be a
desire to use a certain product because of
its colour and texture – but this product
does not provide the necessary antibacterial
and easy-to-clean function. Another product
does integrate these favoured functions, but
is only available in non-suitable colours. So

INNOVATIONS ARE HARD TO IMPLEMENT INTO
THE NOTORIOUSLY CONSERVATIVE FIELD OF
ARCHITECTURE. CONSTRUCTION, WITH THE HELP OF
SOMETHING NEW, ALWAYS REQUIRES A READINESS
TO ASSUME A RISK. NOT ONLY BY THE ARCHITECTS
WHO PLAN THE BUILDINGS, AS THEY ARE THE ONES
TO BE LIABLE FOR A LONG TIME, BUT ALSO BY THE
CONSTRUCTION FIRMS THAT REALISE THEIR IDEAS.
the architect must resort to using the first
product, knowing at the same time that it
could have been a better, updated version.
The winner is always the product which
provides both – aesthetically and
functionally, in the advanced sense.
Hopefully these products are becoming
more available, as innovations are always on
the producer’s roadmap.
Marketing Nano in Architecture
– Benefits and Pitfalls
It is difficult for architects to get to know
what they are actually dealing with in the
products and materials they plan with.
Depending on changing marketing
strategies companies may choose to
communicate or conceal the use of nano
in their product.
Three ways of marketing “nano”
actually occur:
1) The use of nanotechnology is
communicated in an offensive way, as a
response to a demand for innovation, and
at the same time demonstrate an
innovative approach and market leadership.
Just to attach the word “nano” isn’t quite
enough to convince architects, it is also
necessary to communicate its purpose,
its use and the advantages of the specific
material or product.
2) Contrarily, the use of nanotechnology in a
product or design is not communicated at
all, and furthermore, even concealed,
because of a fear about negative “risk”-
reaction. This is thoroughly understandable,
but it can’t be allowed to be the case
because of two reasons: on one hand the
consumer wants just be informed what it is
all about (if it’s not “nano” it can’t work …)
on the other hand it’s just not possible, as
there seems to be a stigma about using NT.
3) The product is labelled “nano” to take
advantage of the term nano as a futuristic
brand, while in reality it has nothing to do
with nanotechnology at all. All-in-all, the
strategy of truth is the better one, as firms
who pretend to have or claim not to have but
in fact do, lose their reliability and
reputation. How can one believe what else
they are saying?
As such, for architects nano is quite difficult
to deal with, especially when they don’t
know anything about it and are unable to
ask the right questions to the right people.
The confusion is confounded because there
isn’t a precise definition of “nano” and it is
sometimes difficult to find the appropriate
contacts with the knowledge to help - so
better stick to technical departments or
even labs of the producing firms.
Innovations are hard to implement into the
notoriously conservative field of architecture.
Construction, with the help of something
new, always requires a readiness to assume
a risk. Not only by the architects who plan
the buildings, as they are the ones to be
liable for a long time, but also by the
construction firms that realise their ideas.
They also might not win a tender because of
the higher prices incurred by the use of
more expensive nano-products. This will
hopefully change in the future, as the use of
nano results in lower prices in the long run.
Clients should be fully informed as well, as
they can be the ones to start with the
implementation of clever construction and
materials. There is still a lack of
communication from architect to client to
firms, which creates a barrier for innovation.
There are built references around the world
which show that nano-products work, and do before him, German architect Bauersfeld
not belong to the realms of science fiction.
Some Unquestionable Nanobenefits
For clients dealing with public private
partnerships (PPP) and facility managers,
nanotechnology in architecture is a “do not
ignore” topic, as it reduces maintenance
costs. Energy savings and reduced cleaning architect at BDIA and director of the
are two of the main factors, which show up
in lower maintenance costs and which can
be a huge benefit for operator to gain profits. She is the author of
More efficient production-processes and
cost-efficiency is integrated in the lifecycle-
chain of a product. Directly, for instance,
scratch resistant lacquer helps to reduce
◊nano
production-steps whereas indirectly highly
efficient insulation conserves energy, needs
less material and in consequence less
transportation and reduces carbon
emissions. Reduction in the use of energy,
minimum use of raw materials and
reduction in the waste of resources forms a
powerful argument for using nanomaterials
in architecture. As architectural discussion
today is all about sustainability, especially in
the context of worldwide property ratings by
labels such as BREEAM, LEED, DGNB,
innovation-driven and highly-effective
materials are of substantial interest. The
use of nanomaterials is an effective tool
for green building.
The Way Ahead
In the last few years, there has been an
enormous hype about materials in the fields
of architecture and design. Books about
materials have popped up everywhere,
accompanied by the installation of several
material archives aimed at architects,
designers and also producers. Materials are
at a certain point of the supply chain – it’s
nice to get to know the material, but it’s also
important is to get to know the real people
behind it. At this point, it is necessary to see
the importance of working together through
several fields. Scientists, producers,
architects – they have to work together to
form the materials which are needed, and
the products which are wanted. Scientists,
producers and creative people have to
communicate with each other and work
together, regarding the long chain from raw
material to successful products, to selling
on the market.
Finally, for architects it’s not a “must” but a
“nice to have” knowledge about nanotubes
and buckyballs as icons of the nano-world.
A very promising way to get to know
buckyballs, is the American architect
Richard Buckminster Fuller, who is well-
known in architect’s circles. His impressive
geodesic domes, self-supporting cupolas,
are characterized by Buckyball-Structures
which are adored. Almost unknown is that
realized these structures, but he failed to
label it in a handy way, which again shows
the importance of communication. n
Sylvia Leydecker, Dipl.-Ing., is interior
Cologne-based studio 100% interior.
Nanomaterials in Architecture,
Interior Architecture and Design
published by Birkhauser.
For more information, visit
www.100%interior.de
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Finding
nanotech’s
potential for
architecture
WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURE
INDUSTRIES MAY BE RESISTING THE APPLICATION
OF NANOTECHNOLOGY PRODUCTIONS,
THE DECKER YEADON AGENCY IS GETTING TO
GRIPS WITH THE SCIENCE IN ORDER TO COME UP
WITH INTERESTING NEW CONCEPTS THAT COULD
SHAPE THE FUTURE OF OUR HOMES AND OFFICES.
Carbon Nanotubes are used
to create Buckypaper
Architects and Nanotechnology
Fullerenes come in a variety of shapes, but
all of the molecules in the fullerene family
are composed entirely of carbon. They
might be cylindrical fullerenes, in which
case they are called carbon nanotubes or
buckytubes, or they might be more complex
shapes. Fullerene molecules might also be
spherical, as in the buckminsterfullerene
C60 molecule, which was named in honour
of R. Buckminster Fuller, architect of the
geodesic dome. Despite the homage,
Buckminster Fuller never worked directly
with nanotechnology. But few architects
have. Even today, as other disciplines rush
to experiment with nanotechnology in the
pursuit of new applications, it is extremely
rare to find anyone in the architecture
community that is engaged in nanotech
research and development. A few nano-
enabled building products have been
specified for some projects here and there,
but architects are well behind other creative
disciplines, such as industrial design and
apparel design in embracing this new field.

016
Buckypaper – offering infinite
architectural possibilities?
Lack of interest in nanotechnology by
architects might be changing. Decker
Yeadon, a young firm in New York City
interested in the potential of nanotechnology,
has just synthesized a thin sheet of carbon
nanotubes, called Buckypaper. To make it,
single walled carbon nanotubes were
dispersed in sodium dodecyl sulfate and
deionized water. Because the 1-2nm
diameter nanotubes are hydrophobic,
sodium dodecyl sulfate was used as a
surfactant that enabled the nanotubes to
disperse well in water.
The solution containing the nanotubes was
then poured into a vacuum filtration unit,
which contained a microporous filtration
membrane with 200 nanometer diameter
pores. Because each nanotube was just
over 20µm long, the tubes collected on the
surface of the membrane as the solution
was drawn through its pores, like long hairs
collecting at the drain of a bathtub, leaving
behind a "paper" mat that is less than
100µm thick.
There is a great deal of interest in the
scientific community recently surrounding
Buckypaper research. Buckypaper, made of
carbon nanotubes, has a number of novel
properties that could be advantageous for a
variety of applications. It is hundreds of
times stronger than steel, it can filter
particles, it can conduct and disperse heat
like metals, and it can conduct electricity.
Decker Yeadon have been active in
pursuing new applications for smart
materials and emergent nanomaterials, and
the Buckypaper material they have just
made springs from earlier attempts, in 2009,
to make an electrically conductive coating
of multi-walled nanotubes. The company is
hopeful that this new Buckypaper can be
used as a thin, flexible electrode surface in
an artificial muscle that they are developing
for architecture, as well as for its many
potential uses in other applications. The first
prototype of the artificial muscle should be
completed and demonstrated this year. It
will be small, limited by the size of
Buckypaper that can currently be produced.
The sheet is about the same size as the
filtration membrane, 90mm in diameter.
Although its surface has an area that is
similar to the palm of a hand, the active
surface area of the nanotubes in the
material is tremendous. If all the tiny tubes
were rolled out flat, they would have a
surface area of about an astonishing 100
square meters.
Using nanobots in self-assembly design
Decker Yeadon have also been exploring
the future potential offered to design by
nanobots, developing nanomuscles using
rotaxane molecules.
Rotaxane molecules consist of two main
molecular components: a ring and a shaft.
When excited by electricity or light, an
electron jumps back and forth along the
shaft while the ring follows it. The company
017
 SmartScreen reduces
greenhouse gas
emissions by reducng
energy consumption in
buildings. By regulating
solar heat gain, it
reduces the cooling load
on mechanical systems.
Additionally,
SmartScreen does not
need any power
whatsoever, thus it
provides an important
alternative to commercial
motorised systems that
require electricity,
sensors, processors,
controls and motors.
in residential buildings
Half of all energy
consumtion and CHG
emissions in the U.S. can
be attributed to
buildings. Globally the
percentage is much
greater. The majority of
energy is used for space
conditioning (heating
and cooling) and all
US Electricity use recent studies show that
in buildings our net energy use for
space conditioning will
increase significantly in
the future, especially for
cooling. We urgently
need innovative solutions
that can reduce energy
consumption, and
emissions associated
with fossil fuel power
production.
SmartScreen uses smart
materials to mitigate
US Electricity use
solar heat gain,
effectively reducing
energy consumption
without consuming any
electricity itself.

US Electricity use
in commercial buildings
Source: US Department
of Energy / 2007 Buildings

has designed a novel molecular machine
with two rotaxanes joined end-to-end. These
rotaxanes bend molecular beams to serve
as autonomous artificial nanomuscles for a
small nanorobotic device. The rotaxane
muscles are covered by a thin, flexible skin
of conductive graphene, just one carbon
atom thick, which can distribute and
delivers energy to the array of rotaxane
muscles below. Each nBot has four arms
that are covered with carbon nanotubes. Van
der Waals forces generated in the
nanotubes enable the nBots to stick to each
other, like the fine spatulae of a gecko's foot.
Individually the nBots would be too small to
be seen. However, they can self-assemble
into larger structures, creating objects and
environments that can change their form
and density on demand.
Smart nano materials to reduce
cooling-costs and green house gas
emissions in hot climates
Decker Yeadon are working on a novel way
to deal with regulating temperatures in
buildings so as to avoid the financial and
environmental costs of cooling and heating.
Half of all energy consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. can
be attributed to buildings. Globally, the
percentage is even greater. The majority of
this energy is consumed for space
conditioning (heating and cooling), and all
recent studies show that net energy use for
space conditioning will increase
substantially in future, especially for cooling.
Innovative solutions are urgently needed
that can reduce energy consumption and
emissions associated with the fossil fuel
power production.
It is widely understood that motorized
window treatments, such as shades and
blinds, can assist in the reduction of solar
heat gain in buildings; these electrically-
driven systems can help conserve energy
that is expended on cooling. A novel
material device might be engineered to
open/close apertures in a surface when
solar heat gain is advantageous/disadvant-
ageous is described. This device would
include a smart material that is only
activated by changes in interior ambient air
temperature, so the system can directly
influence a building’s climate without
expending any fuel or electricity for its
own operation.
The Decker Yeadon team investigated how
a particular set of smart materials, thermo-
responsive shape-memory alloys (SMAs),
can regulate solar heat gain through glazed
building envelopes, to conserve energy
expended on cooling.
The main objective was to demonstrate how
a new class of material devices might be
engineered to open/close apertures in a
surface when solar heat gain is
advantageous/disadvantageous, simply by
changing their shape when the interior
ambient air temperature falls/rises. As these
smart materials are only activated by
temperature changes, the aim was to create
a system that can directly influence a
building’s climate without expending any
fuel or electricity for its own operation. The
system is called SmartScreen, and the next
SmartScreen prototype is expected to be
developed for Spring 2011.

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US Energy Flow: Supply & Use US Electricity Flow: Supply & Use
Quadrillion BTU Values Quadrillion BTU Values

Rotaxane molecules consist of two main molecular

components: a ring and a shaft. When excited by
electricity or light, an electron jumps back and forth
along the shaft while the ring follows it.

We designed a novel molecular machine with two

rotaxannes, joined end to end. These rotaxannes bend
molecular beams to serve as autonomous artificial
nanomuscles for a small nanorobotic device.

The rotaxanne muscles are covered by a thin, flexible

skin of conductive graphene. Just one carbon atom
thick, the graphene distributes and delivers energy to
the array of rotaxanne muscles below.

Each nBot has four arms that are covered with carbon
nanotubes. Van der Waals forces generated in the
nanotubes enable the nBots to stick to each other, like
the fine spatulae of a gecko’s foot.

nBots
Individually, the nBots would be too small to be seen.
However they can self-assemble into larger structures,
creating objects and environments that can change
their form and density on demand.

Following on the SmartScreen project,
interest has grown in developing a brise-
soleil shading system that would be
installed on the exterior of building facades
and could change its configuration to
permit/deny solar heat gain. This projects is
currently being worked on, and it relies on
artificial muscles (electroactive polymers)
that move and serve as the ribbons of the
brise-soleil.
There are a number of different types of
dielectric EAPs that could work, but the
company was interested in looking at how
nanotubes might provide a thin, flexible
material that is not metal but could serve as
an electrode. Since starting the
development of conductive buckypapers the
company has had had some success in
creating thin (50-100µm) sheets from single-
walled nanotubes that have low resistance.
During the next eight months or so, work
will focus on assembling a variety of
artificial muscle prototypes that use the
buckypapers and other materials (e.g.,
elastomers and ionomeric polymers).
The aim is to also try to make a stretchable,
conductive fabric that is impregnated with
nanotubes, as the buckypapers can bend
but do not stretch, which limits what can be
done with them.
New Challenges – New Solutions
Given the challenges of architecture in the
21st century in meeting goals of sustainability,
new materials and new approaches are
needed in order to find new solutions problems.
As a small young office, Decker Yeadon are
committed to developing applications for
novel materials, so there are many
challenges in advancing this kind of work. It
is also highly unusual for architects to be
involved in leading edge research and
development. Conventional architecture
practices routinely specify new materials
and products for their projects, but are
rarely involved in developing those
technologies. This is slowly changing, for a
variety of reasons, and a new generation of
architects and designers could usefully
contribute to the debate surrounding the
promise and problems of nanotech. n
Decker Yeadon are an architectural
company which is focusing on how new
material technologies can enable the
significant problems of our time to be
addressed. In particular, design applications
for smart materials and nanotechnology that
can offer innovative solutions to a variety of
problems, including: water conservation and
quality, energy conservation, health and
safety, and security are being pursued.
The firm’s founding partners, Martina
Decker and Peter Yeadon, are committed to
balancing research and practice. Although
both trained as architects, the scope of their
works – from art installations and consumer
products, to civic memorials and buildings –
represents a penchant for interdisciplinary
work that extends the conventional
boundaries of architectural practice.

019
 E
TUR
A
FE

NanoBio
Professor Bharat Bhushan is the Director of the Nanoprobe
Laboratory for Bio- & Nanotechnology and Biomimetics at The
Ohio State University. His research is focussed on scanning probe
techniques in the interdisciplinary areas of bio/nanotribology/
nanomechanics and nanomaterials characterization in
bio/nanotechnology and biomimetics. Here he gives us a
guide to the way nature's successes are being adapted to
bring new properties to commercial products.
www.mecheng.osu.edu/nlbb/content/bhushan
bhushan.2@osu.edu

020

mimetics
Turning ature has evolved over the 3.8
N billion years since life is estim-
ated to have first appeared on
earth. By gaining an understanding of how
Nature’s the natural world works, we can imitate
nature to produce new and better
materials, devices and processes.
Nature-inspired design is referred to as
Successes biomimetics. The word was coined by
polymath Otto Schmitt in 1957, who, in his
doctoral research, developed a physical
device that mimicked the electrical action
into Gold of a nerve.
The field of biomimetics is highly
interdisciplinary. It involves the
understanding and analysis of the biological
function, structure, and principles of
operation of the natural world. To acquire
and utilize this knowledge in the design and
fabrication of materials and devices of
commercial interest requires input from
many disciplines, including biologists,
physicists, chemists, and material scientists.
The word biomimetics first appeared in
Webster’s dictionary in 1974 and is defined
as “the study of the formation, structure or
function of biologically produced
substances and materials (as enzymes or
silk) and biological mechanisms and
processes (as protein synthesis or
photosynthesis) especially for the purpose
of synthesizing similar products by artificial
mechanisms which mimic natural ones.”
Biological materials are highly organized
from the molecular to the nano, micro, and
macroscales, often in an hierarchical
manner with an intricate nanoarchitecture
that ultimately leads to a myriad of different
functional elements. Nature creates the
materials and functions it needs through a
complex interplay between surface
structure and morphology, and physical and
chemical properties, using commonly found
materials. Many materials, surfaces, and
devices produced by nature are
multifunctional. Molecular scale devices,
superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning, drag
reduction in fluid flow, energy conversion
and conservation, reversible adhesion,
aerodynamic lift, materials and fibers with
(a) Lotus effect
Bhushan et al
high mechanical strength, biological self-
◊nano
assembly, anti-reflection, structural
colouration, thermal insulation, self-healing
and sensory aid mechanisms, are some of
the examples found in nature which are of
commercial interest.
The emphasis on nanoscience and
nanotechnology since the early 1990s has
provided a significant impetus in mimicking
nature, using nanofabrication techniques for
commercial applications. Biomimetics has
spurred interest across many disciplines. It is
estimated that the 100 most important
products based on biomimetics has
generated about US $1.5billion over 2005-
2008. Annual sales and product diversity are
expected to continue to increase dramatically.
Lessons from Nature and
Their Applications
Many life forms, including bacteria, plants,
land and aquatic animals, have properties
of commercial interest. Some examples
from nature, which serve as the inspiration
for various technological developments are
shown throughout this article.
Roughness-induced superhydrophobic
and self-cleaning surfaces are of interest
in various applications, including self-
cleaning windows, car windshields,
exterior paints for buildings, boats, ships
and aircraft, utensils, roof tiles, textiles,
solar panels, and applications requiring
antifouling and a reduction of drag in
fluid flow, e.g., in micro/nanofluidics,
and for boats, ships, and aircraft.
Superhydrophobic surfaces can also
be used for energy conversion and
conservation. Nonwetting surfaces
also reduce stiction at contact interfaces
in machinery.
Self-Cleaning
A model surface for superhydrophobicity
and self-cleaning is provided by the leaves
of the Lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera)
Fig (a). The so-called papillose epidermal
cells form asperities or papillae and
provide roughness on the microscale. The
surface of the leaves is usually covered with
waxes made from a mixture of long-chain
hydrocarbon compounds that are strongly
hydrophobic. Sub-micron sized asperities
021
(b) pond skater walking
on water
Gao and Jiang
composed of 3-D epicuticular waxes are
superimposed over microscale roughness,
creating an hierarchical structure. The wax
asperities consist of different morphologies,
they are tubular on Lotus leaves, and
platelet-shaped on Colocasia leaves.
Water droplets on these surfaces readily sit
on the apex of the wax nanostructures, and
remove any contaminant particles from
their surfaces when they roll off, leading to
self-cleaning.
Water striders (Gerris remigis) are insects
which live on the surfaces of ponds, slow
streams, and quiet waters. A water strider
has the ability to stand and walk upon water
surface without getting wet, Fig (b). Even
the impact of rain droplets of a size greater
than the strider’s size does not make it
immerse into water. The special hierarchical
structure of strider legs, which are covered
by large numbers of oriented tiny hairs
(microsetae) with fine nanogrooves and
covered with cuticle wax, makes the leg
surfaces superhydrophobic and is
responsible for the water resistance and
enables them to stand and walk quickly on
the water surface. The setae on the water
strider’s legs are needle-shaped hairs with
diameters ranging from 3µm down to
several hundred nm. Most setae are roughly
50µm in length and arranged at an inclined
angle of about 20° from the surface of the
leg. Elaborate nanoscale grooves have been
found on each microseta, and these form an
unique hierarchical micro- and
nanostructuring on the leg’s surface which
seems to be responsible for its water
resistance and the strong supporting force.
Remarkably, a leg does not pierce the water
surface until a dimple of 4.4 mm depth is
formed, and the maximum supporting force
of a single leg is 1.52mN, or about 15 times
the total body weight of the insect. The
corresponding volume of water ejected is
roughly 300 times that of the leg itself.
Stickiness
Several animals, including many insects (e.g.,
022
(c) Gecko foot exhibiting
reversible adhesion
Gao et al
beetles and flies), spiders, and lizards (e.g.,
geckos), are capable of attaching to a variety
of surfaces and can travel even on vertical
walls or across ceilings. Biological evolution
over a long period of time has led to the
optimization of their attachment systems. This
dynamic attachment ability is referred to as
reversible adhesion or smart adhesion.
Attachment systems in insects, spiders, and
lizards have similar structures. As the weight
of a creature increases, the radius of the
terminal attachment elements decreases.
This allows a greater number of setae to be
packed into an area, hence increasing the
linear dimension of contact and adhesion
strength. Flies and beetles have the largest
attachment pads and the lowest density of
terminal attachment elements. Spiders have
highly refined attachment elements that cover
their legs. Geckos have both the highest
body mass and greatest density of terminal
elements (spatula). Spiders and geckos can
generate high dry adhesion, whereas beetles
and flies increase adhesion by secreting
liquids at the contacting interface.
The gecko is the largest animal that can
produce high (dry) adhesion to support its
weight, with a high factor of safety. As
shown in Fig (c), the gecko skin consists of
an intricate hierarchy of structures
beginning with lamellae, soft ridges that are
1-2mm in length, that are located on the
attachment pads (toes) and that compress
easily so that contact can be made with
rough, bumpy surfaces. Tiny curved hairs
known as setae extend from the lamellae
with a density of approximately 14,000 per
square millimeter. These setae are typically
30-130µm in length and 5-10µm in diameter
and are composed primarily of β-keratin
with some α-keratin component.
At the end of each seta, 100-1000 spatulae
with a diameter of 0.1-0.2µm each, branch
out and form the points of contact with the
surface. The tip of each spatula is
approximately 0.2-0.3µm in width, 0.5µm
in length, and 0.01µm in thickness, and gets
its name from their resemblance
to a spatula.
The attachment pads on two feet of the
Tokay gecko have an area of about 220mm2.
About three million setae on their toes can
produce a clinging ability of about 20N
(vertical force required to pull a lizard down
a nearly vertical (85º) surface) and allow
them to climb vertical surfaces at speeds of
over 1m/s with the capability to attach or
detach their toes in milliseconds. It should
be noted that a three-level hierarchical
structure allows adaptability to surfaces with
different magnitudes of roughness. The
gecko uses a peeling action to unstick itself.
Replication of the structure of gecko feet
would enable the development of a
superadhesive polymer tape capable of
clean, dry adhesion, which is reversible.
(It should be noted that common man-made
adhesives such as tape or glue involve the
use of wet adhesives that permanently
attach two surfaces.) Reusable, gecko-
inspired adhesives have potential for use in
stickytape, fasteners, toys, and in high
technology such as microelectronic and
space applications. Replication of the
dynamic climbing and peeling ability of
geckos could find use in the treads of
wall-climbing robots.
 ◊nano

(d) Scale structure of shark

reducing drag
Reif

THE VERY SMALL INDIVIDUAL TOOTH-LIKE SCALES

OF SHARK SKIN, CALLED DERMAL DENTICLES,
ARE RIBBED WITH LONGITUDINAL GROOVES ALIGNED
PARALLEL TO THE LOCAL FLOW DIRECTION OF THE
WATER, WHICH RESULT IN WATER MOVING VERY
EFFICIENTLY OVER THEIR SURFACE

Drag Minimisation Due to the relatively high Reynolds number transverse flow. Thin, vertical scales result
Many aquatic animals, such as sharks, can of a swimming shark, turbulent flow occurs. in low transverse flow and low drag, and the
move through water at high speeds with a Longitudinal scales on the skin surface ratio of the scale height to tip-to-tip spacing
low energy input. Drag is a major hindrance result in a lower wall shear stress, than if the of 0.5 is the optimum value for low drag.
to movement. Through its ingenious design, surface was smooth surface. They enable
the skin of a shark turns out to be an the water to move more efficiently over the In addition to reduction of drag, the shark
essential aid by reducing drag by 5 to 10% surface than if the shark scales were skin surface prevents marine organisms
and auto-cleaning ecto-parasites from their completely featureless. Over smooth from adhering to it. It is not because of the
surface. The very small individual tooth-like surfaces, fast-moving water begins to break Lotus effect, as the shark skin is hydrophilic
scales of shark skin, called dermal denticles, up into turbulent vortices, or eddies, in part and wets with water. There are three factors
are ribbed with longitudinal grooves aligned because the water flowing at the surface of which appear to keep the surface clean:
parallel to the local flow direction of the an object moves slower than water flowing
water, which result in water moving very further away from the object with so-called 1) the accelerated water flow at a shark’s
efficiently over their surface. An example of low boundary slip. This difference in water surface reduces the contact time of fouling
the scale structure on the right front of a speed causes the faster water to get organisms,
Galapagos shark is shown in Fig.(d). The “tripped up” by the adjacent layer of slower
scales are present over most of the shark’s water flowing around an object, just as 2) the roughened nanotexture of shark skin
body, and are upstream swirls form along riverbanks. The reduces the available surface area for
V-shaped, about 200-500µm in height, and grooves in a shark’s scales simultaneously adhering organisms, and
regularly spaced (100-300µm). reduce eddy formation in a surprising
number of ways: 3) the dermal scales themselves perpetually
realign or flex in response to changes in
1) the grooves reinforce the direction of flow internal and external pressure as the shark
Reynolds Number by channeling it moves through water, creating a “moving
The most important dimensionless target” for fouling organisms.
number in fluid dynamics, Reynolds 2) they speed up the slower water at the
number (Re) is the ratio of inertial forces to shark’s surface (as the same volume of Emulating the skin of a shark, Speedo
viscous forces and is given by the formula: water going through a narrower channel created a wholebody swimsuit called the
increases in speed), reducing the difference Fastskin Bodysuit in 2006 for elite swimmers.
Re = ρVD/μ in speed of this surface flow and the water The suit is made of polyurethane woven
where just beyond the shark’s surface fabric with a texture based on shark scales.
ρ = density of the fluid, In the 2008 Summer Olympics, two thirds of
V = velocity, 3) conversely, they pull faster water towards the swimmers wore Speedo swim suits, and
D = pipe diameter, the shark’s surface so that it mixes with the a large number of world records were
and μ = fluid viscosity. slower water, reducing this speed broken. Boats, ships and aircraft
differential, and finally, manufacturers are also trying to mimic the
Reynolds number is used to determine structure of shark skin to reduce friction
whether a flow will be laminar or 4) they divide up the sheet of water flowing drag and minimize the attachment of
turbulent. If Re is high (>2100), inertial over the shark’s surface so that any organisms on their bodies. One possibility is
forces dominate viscous forces and the turbulence created results in smaller, rather to create riblets on the surface by painting
flow is turbulent; if Re number is low than larger, vortices. or attaching a film (3M). Skin friction
(<1100), viscous forces dominate and contributes about half of the total drag
the flow is laminar. It is named after the It is also reported that longitudinal scales between a solid surface and air in an
British physicist and engineer Osborne influence the fluid flow in the transverse aircraft, and transparent sheets with a
Reynolds (1842–1912), of the University direction by limiting the degree of ribbed structure in the longitudinal direction
of Manchester who discovered it in 1883. momentum transfer. It is the difference have been used on the commercial Airbus
in the protrusion height in the longitudinal 340 aircrafts. It is expected that a riblet film
Source: Internet Encyclopaedia of Science and transverse directions which govern on the body of an aircraft can reduce drag
how much the scales impede the in the order of 10%.

023
(e) antireflective moth’s eye
Genzer & Efimenko
Antireflectivity
Optical reflection and anti-reflection is
achieved in nature by using nanoscale
architecture. The eyes of moths are
antireflective to visible light, and the
so-called ‘moth-eye effect’ was
discovered in the 1960s. For nocturnal
insects, it is important not to reflect the
light, since the reflection makes the
insect vulnerable to predators.
The eyes of moths consist of hundreds of
hexagonally organized nanoscopic pillars,
each about 200nm in diameter and height
that result in a very low reflectance for
visible light, Fig (e). These nanostructures’
optical surfaces make the eye surface
nearly antireflective in any direction.
Light reflection is avoided by a
continuously increasing refractive index
of the optical medium. Little protuberances
on the surface of the moth’s cornea
increase the refractive index. These
protuberances are very small microtrichia
(about 200 nm in diameter). For an
increase in transmission and reduced
reflection, a continuous matching of the
refraction index at the boundary of the
adjacent materials (cornea and air) is
required. If the periodicity of the surface
pattern is smaller than the light wavelength,
the light is not reflected. If this condition is
satisfied, it may be assumed that, at any
depth, the effective refraction index is the
mean of that of air and the bulk material,
weighted in proportion to the amount of
material present at that depth. For a moth
eye surface with a protuberance height
of h and spacing of d, it is expected that
the reflectance is very low for wavelengths
less than about 2.5h, and greater than
d at normal incidence, and for
wavelengths greater than 2d for oblique
incidence. For protuberances with 220nm
depth and the same spacing (typical values
for the moth eye), a very low reflectance is
expected for the wavelengths between 440
and 550nm.
024
THE EYES OF MOTHS CONSIST OF HUNDREDS OF
HEXAGONALLY ORGANIZED NANOSCOPIC PILLARS,
EACH ABOUT 200NM IN DIAMETER AND HEIGHT THAT
RESULT IN A VERY LOW REFLECTANCE FOR VISIBLE
LIGHT. THESE NANOSTRUCTURES’ OPTICAL
SURFACES MAKE THE EYE SURFACE NEARLY
ANTIREFLECTIVE IN ANY DIRECTION.
This moth eye effect should not be confused Outlook
with reduction of the specular reflectance by The emerging field of biomimetics is
roughening of a surface. Roughness merely already gaining a strong foothold in the
redistributes the reflected light as diffuse scientific and technical arena. It is clear that
scattering. In the case of the moth eye there nature has evolved and optimized a large
is no increase in diffuse scattering, the number of materials and structured
transmitted wavefront is not degraded, and surfaces with unique characteristics. As we
the reduction in reflection gives rise to a understand the underlying molecular
corresponding increase in transmission. mechanisms, we can begin to exploit them
for commercial applications. These
Attempts are being made to incorporate applications include superhydrophobic
microscopic corrugations in solar panels to self-cleaning and/or low drag surfaces,
reduce light reflection. Attempts are also surfaces for energy conversion and
being made to produce a glare-free computer conservation, superadhesives, robotics,
screen by creating facets on a photosensitive objects which provide aerodynamic lift,
lacquer using lasers. Some 25 thousand materials and fibers with high mechanical
dots of texture per square mm can essentially strength, anti-reflective surfaces and
eliminate the glare on the screen. Patterned surfaces with hues, artificial furs and
silicon surfaces with 300nm periodicity and textiles, various biomedical devices and
depth up to 190nm have been made, which implants, self-healing materials, and
offer a significant reduction in reflectivity, sensory aid devices - to name but a
partially due to the moth-eye-effect. Epoxy very few! n
and resin has been used to replicate the
antireflective surface of a cicada’s eye. It is
also possible to create transparent surfaces
using the moth-eye-effect.
Hierarchical Organization
in Biomaterials
Nature develops by means of a biologically-
controlled, self-assembly technique,
adapted to environmental conditions and
using the most commonly found materials.
Biological materials are developed by using
the recipes contained in the genetic code.
These biological materials and tissues are
created by hierarchical structuring at all
levels, adapting form and structure to
function, and materials optimization at each
level. They have the capability of adapting
to changing conditions and are self-healing.
Nature uses hierarchical structures,
consisting of nanostructures in many cases,
to achieve the required performance.
Understanding the role of these hierarchical
structures would facilitate the development
of low cost and flexible fabrication
techniques with commercial applications.
 ◊nano

An Overview of
Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology
in Brazil
J. D’ALBUQUERQUE E CASTRO, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO DE JANEIRO
GIVES A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF NANOSCIENCE AND
NANOTECHNOLOGY IN BRAZIL, THE CHALLENGES THEY HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT
AND HOW THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN DEALING WITH THEM.

n 2001, the first Federal initiative focused formulation and implementation of the which had been created in 2001, were

I on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

(N&N) was taken by the National
Council for Development of Science and
“Nanotechnology National Program” (PNN).
It followed the launching of the Industrial,
Technological and Foreign Trade Policy
replaced by the Program “National Institutes
for Science and Technology”, with a budget
of about R$ 609 millions.
Technology (Conselho Nancional de (PITCE) and the creation of nanotechnology
Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – transverse actions from Sectoral Funds(*), The 2007 Action Plan for Science, Technology
CNPq), a funding agency of the Ministry of which significantly raised the amount of and Innovation for National Development – a
Science and Technology of Brazil (Ministério money allocated to the field (see Table 1). landmark for technological progress in Brazil.
da Ciência e Tecnologia - MCT). It created
four national research networks, involving As a consequence, since 2005, the following In November 2007, the Ministry of Science
about 300 scientists from different research advances related to N&N in Brazil took and Technology of Brazil (Ministério da
institutes and universities in Brazil, and 13 place. The initial four research networks Ciência e Tecnologia - MCT) launched the
companies. In the period 2002-2005, the four were replaced by 10 new ones. Investments Action Plan 2007-2010 “Science, Technology
networks published a total of more than 1000 in the laboratory facilities have been made and Innovation for National Development”
scientific articles and were granted more since then, particularly in the National (C,T&I Plan), aiming at stimulating
than 90 patents. Synchrotron Laboratory (LNLS), the National technological innovation in the industrial
Institute for Metrology, Normalization and sector, and at consolidating the National
In 2004, counting on additional funds from the Industrial Quality (Instituto Nacional de Science, Technology and Innovation System.
“Program for Accelerated Growth” of the Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade The Plan integrated the Industrial,
Federal Government, the MCT launched the Industrial - Inmetro), the Brazilian Center for Technological and Foreign Trade Policy, which
“Program for the Development of Nanoscience Research in Physics (Centro Brasileiro de was conducted by both the MCT and the
and Nanotechnology”. Its aim was to support Pesquisas Físicas – CBPF), the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and the
both basic and technological research Agricultural Research Corporation (Empresa Foreign Trade (Ministério do Desenvolvimento,
activities in these fields, involving groups Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária - Indústria e Comércio Exterior - MDIC).
from both academia and industry. EMBRAPA), the Northeastern Center
Strategic Technologies (Centro de The Action Plan comprises four Strategic
The next step towards promoting the Tecnologias Estratégicas do Nordeste - Priorities, distributed along 21 Lines of Action.
development of nanotechnology in Brazil CETENE), and the Nanotechnology Cesar The 7th Line establishes Biotechnology and
was taken by the MCT in 2005, with the Lattes (C2Nano). The Millennium Institutes, Nanotechnology as “future bearing areas”.

025
 LD
OR
W
Indeed, both have received special attention
not just from the MCT and MDIC, but also
from other Ministries, such as those of Health
(MS), Education (MEC), Agriculture,
Stockbreeding and Supply (MAPA), Defence
(MD), and Mines and Energy (MME).
The launching of the C,T&I Plan, in 2007 and
the creation of the transverse actions,
together with approval and regulation by the
Brazilian Congress of the Innovation Bill (Lei
da Inovação) and the so-called “Goodness
Bill” (Lei do Bem), have made it possible for
the Government to share with private
companies the costs of research and
development activities, representing
landmarks in the process of establishing
conditions for the scientific and technological
progress in the country.
The actions carried out by the MCT
Financing Agency for Studies and Projects
(Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos –
FNEP), aiming at supporting joint projects
involving industrial companies and research
institutes have significantly contributed to
the introduction of nanotechnology in the
industrial sector. Approximately 29 % of the
projects so far approved by the agency
involve nanotechnology.
Table 1: Investment on Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology from MCT
Year TOTAL (Brazilian Reais)
2001-2003 23,577,528.84
2004 9,230,674.38
2005 50,315,650.51
2006 26,118,219.44
2007 54,069,343.12
2008 (1) 173,987,066.44
2009 7,779,812.06
2010 (2) 15,000,000.00
(1) Including R$ 70 millions from the Ministry of
Education Agency CAPES.
(2) Partial
Accelerating Brazil’s Scientific
Development through its People
One of the main points in the promotion of
the scientific and technological development
is the availability of well-qualified human
026
resources. Research activities in Brazil
started quite late, even when compared to
other Latin American countries. In the first
half of last century, the number of scientists
in the country was still very small. In the
1950s Brazil started sending students abroad
to get their PhDs, and in the 1960s, the first
graduate courses were created. In the
following decades, the system expanded
and became highly successful. The
following figures clearly demonstrate this.
In 2009, Brazil produced 38,800 MScs and
11,400 PhDs. In 2001, the corresponding
figures were 20,000 and 6,000 respectively.
The amount of money expended on graduate
scholarships went from R$ 813 millions in
2001 to R$ 2 billions in 2009!
Brazil has now succeeded in building up a
strong presence in science and technology
research and development. Nowadays, the
country counts on more than 100,000 active
scientists, who have produced in 2009 about
32,100 indexed scientific articles, which
corresponds to 2.69 % of the world production.
For the sake of comparison, in 2001 the
corresponding figures were 11,581 and 1.45 %,
respectively. According to the Thomson
Reuters database, Brazil ranks thirteenth in the
world in terms of scientific publications, ahead
of countries such as Russia and Holland.
As regards Nanocience and
Nanotechnology, in the period from 1990 to
2006, Brazil was responsible for 1.2 % of the
world publications [Kay and Shapira, J.
Nanopart. Res. 11, 259 (2009)], twice as
much as Mexico, ranked second in Latin
America. In that period, the number of
papers on N&N published by Brazil
corresponded to almost half (50.2 %) of the
total Latin America production.
Brazil has given special attention to the
establishment of scientific and technological
cooperation programs with other countries,
including traditional partners (United States
and several European countries), as well as
more recently India, South Africa, China,
Russia, and others in Latin America.
International Co-operation and the
Brazilian-Argentinean Centre for
Nanotechnology
Regarding international cooperation in
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, an
important fact was the creation, in 2005, of
the Brazilian-Argentinean Centre for
Nanotechnology (Centro Brasileiro-Argentino
de Nanotecnologia – CBAN). The Centre has
as its mission to stimulate the development of
joint research projects and to help improving
the formation of human resources in the two
countries. In this regard, the Centre regularly
organizes topic schools directed to PhD
students and post-doctors, from distinct
areas, such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology,
Medicine and Material Sciences. The
Centre’s activities are supported, on equal
basis, by the Ministries of Science and
Technology of Brazil and Argentina.
Negotiations between the Brazilian
Government and those of Chile and Mexico,
aiming at establishing similar centres with
these two countries are on the way.
Moving Ahead
Building a science and technology system
that could enable the country to advance its
social and economical progress, against the
face of international competitivity is a rather
complex task. In the case of Brazil, it
required to overcome many difficulties, such
as the lack of experience of its scientific and
technological communities, the absence of
an innovation culture, steady science and
technology policies, and substantial
investment. Despite all these problems,
Brazil has succeeded in making significant
scientific and technological progress. n
(*) The first Sectoral Funds were created in 1999.
Their purpose is to finance research,
development and innovation projects in the
country. Their budgets are composed, as for
example, from contributions coming from result
of exploitation natural resources belonging to the
Union and the taxation on certain industrialized
products. At the moment, there are 16 Sectoral
Funds. The transverse actions are devoted to
supporting strategic programs, with emphasis
on the PITCE, and are composed from
contributions from different Sectoral Funds.
 IN
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◊nanoRV
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AN INTERVIEW WITH…

GEORGE
WHITESIDES
IN SEARCH OF ZERO-COST HEALTHCARE
FOR SOCIETY’S POOR, GEORGE
WHITESIDES’ WORK HAS SOME PROFOUND
AND SURPRISING IMPLICATIONS FOR THE
WEALTHIER ECONOMIES - GIVEN THE
ESCALATING AND UNSUSTAINABLE COSTS
OF MEDICAL TREATMENTS TODAY.

027
 Professor Whitesides is a co-founder of ‘Diagnostics for All’,
a not-for-profit company that aims to provide diagnostic
devices at very low cost, to provide healthcare support for
the developing world. The diagnostic technique is simple
and reliable, and based on the same technique used for
printing comics.

The technique is paper-based and provides diagnostic

information by changing colour when exposed to a fluid such
as urine, giving information on glucose or protein levels for
example. Professor Whitesides’ aim is to distribute these
simple and cheap diagnostic systems in developing
countries, where people can administer the tests, given only
very basic training, and transmit the results easily to medical
centres using mobile camera phone technology.

eorge Whitesides, Professor Whitesides, would you be black). When I went to college, I thought I

G acknowledged multifaceted
scientific genius, is one of
nanotechnology’s elder statesmen. He is
not only successful as an academic, but
is also named on over 50 patents. A
lifetime of knowledge and experience
has led him to a profound understanding
of what society needs from science.
Where science thrives on complexity,
and unexpected outcomes, society
needs simplicity allied to function, and at
low cost. And once given the ‘tools’ that
meet this definition, Professor
Whitesides predicts “People will build
stuff you cannot begin to imagine”.
At present, one of his interests focuses on the
delivery of healthcare in the developing world,
at close to zero cost. Professor Whitesides
clearly understands that paradoxically these
low cost solutions also represent major
opportunities in combating the spiralling and
unsustainable costs of healthcare in the
developed world. Perhaps it has never been
quite so clear before, that the lessons learned
from addressing the needs of the poor and
disadvantaged can also have unexpectedly
large and beneficial repercussions in the
world of the rich and privileged!
George Whitesides looks back on what
shaped his life, and discusses some of his
current aspirations with Ottilia Saxl.
so kind as to tell our readers a little
bit about you, as a young person.
What interested you as you grew up?
might become a mathematician, but I had no
talent for it. Another possibility was English,
but it seemed doubtful from the point of view
Were you keen on sports? was it of income. Chemistry was a fall-back
nature that inspired you? were you a position: it was (or at least washing dishes
bookish child? - and was school the and measuring melt viscosity were) one of
exciting and stimulating environment the few things in which I had any special
that set you on the ladder of talent. But I’m very glad I did become a
subsequent high achievement? chemist. Chemistry is the most fundamental
of the scientific disciplines that deals with the
I was born in 1939. It was not just a different perceptible world. Everywhere you look,
century, it was a different world. No what you see is chemistry in operation. And
computers, a rotary-dial party line for a most of the big questions – What is life? How
telephone, polio, no TV, propellers on does the mind think? How does climate
airplanes. Children were less attentively work? What can be done with carbon
managed than now. Any memories of that dioxide? How best to provide for the
time that I have now are completely suspect: machinery that makes the world run – from
revisionism is what it is. But I do remember drugs to water and energy? What is
that I read all the time, I was enthusiastic photosynthesis? How does the quantum
about sports but not at all good, and mostly world with all its weirdnesses become
I was left to my own devices. Schools were, I “ordinary” reality? – are now ones that are
think, pretty bad until I went to high-school. exclusively or largely about chemistry. It’s
endlessly interesting.
Why did you choose to become a
chemist? In retrospect, are you pleased You are a leading figure in the
with the choice you made? academic world, with many scientific
papers and awards to your credit, but
My father was a chemical engineer: he made you have not neglected the commercial
additives and coatings for concrete and other potential of your work. Was it obvious
materials in a small company in Kentucky. to you from the early days that science
My first jobs were as a laboratory technician should have outcomes that were
in his company (washing dishes, and applicable in the real world? What was
measuring the melt viscosity of coal-tar your thinking on this?

028

I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE THREE
SEPARATE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES IN THE
TECHNICAL ENTERPRISE: THERE IS SCIENCE,
WHICH ASKS “HOW DOES IT WORK?”; THERE IS
ENGINEERING, WHICH ASKS “HOW DO I USE
IT?”; AND THERE IS INVENTION, WHICH STARTS
WITH “SUPPOSE I DO THIS AND THAT?”
In universities, we are extraordinarily
fortunate: we can do more or less what we
want. I believe that there are three separate
types of activities in the technical
enterprise: there is science, which asks
“How does it work?”; there is engineering,
which asks “How do I use it?”; and there is
invention, which starts with “Suppose I do
this and that…? Maybe something might
come of it that would be
interesting/useful/amusing somehow?” It’s
more interesting to do all three than just
one, and each has a separate charm. That’s
all fine, if a little self-indulgent. But it’s also
good to remember that the money that we
use to pursue these various activities
comes largely from our fellow citizens,
acting in their reluctant role as taxpayers,
and they expect something in return. Our
students also expect (or should expect) to
be given a guided tour of the whole circus:
who knows, when they start, where their
talents lie?
Interestingly, it is also difficult (in my
experience) to carry a project through to the
point that that it has real influence on other
scientists, and even more difficult to try to
use it to make some contribution to solving a
problem in the real world. It’s interesting to
try to learn the whole process—from
invention, through science, through
engineering, and into a solution to a problem.
The curiosity that goes into the early stages
is different than the financial management
that is so important in the later stages. Also,
our students will variously work on all
aspects of this string of styles, and it’s
helpful to them to see as much of it as
possible while it is still easy for them to learn
different ways of thinking about problems.
Just now you seem to be highly focused
on providing solutions to the healthcare
problems of the developing world. When
and why did you think this might be a
good use of your time and knowledge?
What inspired you to ‘get involved’?
Your statement is only partly correct: we are,
at any given time, highly focused on three or
four things, and loosely focused on a dozen
others. “Zero-cost diagnostics” is one of the
high-focus ones.
There are at least five reasons for being
interested in this problem.
1) Contributing to the health of people –
especially children – is an ethical obligation,
and science can help. It is simply not right
for the developed world not to share its
expertise in healthcare.
2) It is an issue in national security. To the
extent there are very large disparities
between the standard of living in different
societies, those with less are more motivated
◊nano
to tolerate activities that could cause harm to
those with more.
3) The technical constraints in diagnostics in
the developing world are similar to those in
many other areas – military operations,
environmental monitoring, food and water
testing, home and point-of-care biomedical
analysis, agricultural testing – where
simplicity and cost are important.
4) The basic idea of reducing costs in
healthcare has to be a theme for the future of
biomedical technology in the developed
world: we simply spend too much money on
healthcare, and the benefits are too limited
for what we spend. Healthcare is a great
success in a capitalist model of a society, but
not in a social model. The problem of low-
cost biomedical analysis is a test problem
that is letting us ask if it might be possible to
reduce cost in biomedical analysis
dramatically, while maintaining quality.
5) It’s simply fun to do. It’s more difficult
scientifically than one might think to develop
technology that works so well that it is almost
free, and transparently simple.
Occasionally you bemoan the fact that, if
a solution to a societal problem is not
viewed as a way to bring in profits, there
will be no interest in its development.
Where do you see the main need for
non-profit based action? Do you see any
way forward in solving this dilemma?
It is expensive to develop a technology fully. It
is expensive to go through regulatory
processes, and to do quality control, and to
establish manufacturing. Making a fully
developed new technology is simply
expensive, any way you go about it, and the
part that involves university science is usually
the least expensive part. Capitalism is a great
way of generating capital to use in the
expensive parts of product development,
regulatory clearance, manufacturing, and so
on, but capitalism is by definition part of a for-
profit system. And if one is interested in
making a product that is as low-cost as
possible, then it isn’t clear how one makes a
return on investment.
In healthcare, in principle, I think the problem
is less than elsewhere, since health is
important to everyone, and since our medical
system has many inefficiencies that can be
taken out with simultaneous improvements in
029
 MOST OF THE WORLD IS
SELF-ASSEMBLY. WE ARE
SELF-ASSEMBLED SYSTEMS

its benefits and reductions in its cost. For We’ll see if this business model works - all interested in understanding how things
example, in the medical system that we are signs are favourable so far - but it requires worked: that is, in scientific scholarship.
familiar with, we pay to generate biomedical thinking about a structure that combines public Now, the whole range of activities - invention,
information (clinical analyses, x-rays, and so and private capital to achieve an objective that science, engineering, transition to reality
on). One could, however, imagine a system will have both social and financial components. (which usually involves commercialization,
more on the public health model in which but, as in the case of DfA, may follow some
generating the information was done at very My point in this lengthy answer is that other path) - is interesting. I am not involved
low cost, and the value came in manipulating accomplishing the task of getting something in the down-stream activities, product
and storing and applying that information. new to work - from picking the technical engineering, regulatory trials, manufacturing,
approach and inventing the prototype to and such, because these are not areas I
But even in biomedical information—in our putting a validated product into the hands of know enough about to be useful. But
case, low-cost diagnostics--the availability of users - is actually a very challenging and everything has to work to get a new
capital is a constant concern. We are working interesting problem, one with many parts, technology into society.
with a model in which we try to break up the that requires thinking about funding, and
job of developing the technology we are about the range of human skills required, One might say you are a scientist
concerned with - paper-based diagnostics; and about intellectual property, in a way that working on scientific research for
what we call, optimistically, “Zero-cost takes into account the fact that there are philanthropic outcomes. People don’t
diagnostics” - into parts. At Harvard, we do many moving parts to the problem. view science as a route to philanthropy
invention and basic science - microfluidics, in general. Should more be made of
electrochemistry, microfabrication - well. The You complained recently about the science as a career route for individuals
Gates Foundation and DARPA pay for most of rejection of a paper that proposed keen to use their lives to benefit society?
this research: so, here we are using the a simple and cheap solution to centr-
Foundation and government money to ifuging blood by using an eggbeater. Many of the world’s problems - healthcare,
accomplish the earliest phases of the work. Would you like to make some comment global stewardship, commodity
For the next step - engineering development of on attitudes to scientific research by infrastructure (energy, water, waste),
products - we have established a not-for-profit the ‘scientific establishment’? education, creation of jobs, and on and on -
Foundation. This foundation - Diagnostics for will require science and technology for at
All (DfA) - has as its CEO a very Sometimes academic science makes the least some part of their solution. Of course
accomplished biologist and entrepreneur - assumption that an idea that is simple and people who are interested in benefitting
Una Ryan - who understands the development workable must also be trivial. Sometimes society should consider science and
of products as I never will. DfA will hold most that may be true; at others it is not. The
of the intellectual property. It is also relying on “Eggbeater as Centrifuge” problem was not
Foundation and public funds and on donations a great new concept, but it has led -
from individuals, while it is starting. But it will because it required us to think along a
cooperate in various ways with for-profit different set of lines - to very interesting new
organizations (some of which know science. Academic science should be
enormously more about diagnostics than we careful not to wall itself off from society.
do; and albeit less, perhaps, about low-cost,
paper diagnostics). DfA will eventually, in our What were your views originally on the
current plan, become self-sustaining objectives of scientific research? Have
financially by licensing technology for uses in you changed your views over time?
the developed world that are not competitive
with our real objectives of providing When I started my career I was an assistant
technology for the developing world. professor at M.I.T, and I was primarily

030

engineering! (And there are many ways of
benefitting society; capitalism works
wonders when it is applicable, but it is not
always the best or only solution). Almost
always, someone has to make money for
something to get done. It’s just a question of
how to do it. After all, even philanthropic
giving is based on past financial success.
In the case of DfA and paper diagnostics,
I simply would like to try to contribute
to solving what I think is an important
problem (medical diagnosis in the
developing world). If I could do it within
the usual for-profit structure, I certainly
would, it would be a lot easier. But if one
approach does not work, then one has to
try a second.
You are now working on one aspect of
healthcare for the developing world,
namely diagnostics. It could be said
cynically, you can find out what is
wrong, but you can’t do anything about
it. How do you think the ‘doing
something about it’ can be achieved?
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”
(An old business school adage.) There are
many problems in healthcare in which clinical
IN
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analysis is essential; I don’t think its value is
really in doubt. One gives a malaria patient George Whitesides is professor of chemistry
antimalarials, but not an AIDS patient - at Harvard University. He is best known for his
antimalarials are not useful to patients with work in the areas of NMR spectroscopy,
AIDS. And the type of antimalarial depends on organometallic chemistry, molecular self-
the type of malaria. Many of the illnesses in assembly, soft lithography, microfabrication,
the developing world are due to infectious microfluidics and nanotechnology.
disease. Clinical analysis is particularly
important there. Yes, there are diseases in
which a diagnosis is not useful, but healthcare
(as almost every other activity) depends on
understanding what is happening, and that
requires information derived from analyses
and observation.
Finally, what outcome of your life’s
work has given you the most pleasure?
There are so many! Being alive is
thoroughly amusing. Science and teaching
(that is, working with students) combine to
make an excellent way of spending a life; I
wholeheartedly recommend it.
What challenge do you most look
forward to solving in the future?
I’m not good at picking favourites! The
answer usually depends on when I had my
last cup of coffee - or glass of wine… n
MANY OF THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS -
HEALTHCARE, GLOBAL STEWARDSHIP,
COMMODITY INFRASTRUCTURE (ENERGY,
WATER, WASTE), EDUCATION, CREATION OF
JOBS, AND ON AND ON - WILL REQUIRE
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR AT LEAST
SOME PART OF THEIR SOLUTION.
031
 E
TUR
A
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Students playing Role play:

Nanotechnology Teachers simulating
memory games Stakeholders role on
a nanotechnology
dilemma

Introducing nanotechnology
to the classroom:
THE NANOYOU
PROJECT
FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOP IN THE FUTURE IT IS
CLEAR THAT THE YOUNGER GENERATION MUST BE ENGAGED
AND INFORMED ABOUT THE SCIENCE, ONE PROJECT IS NOW
BRINGING NANOTECH TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
YOEL ROTHSCHILD, PROJECT COORDINATOR, AND
DOV KIPPERMAN, INSTRUCTION DESIGNER OF ORT ISRAEL
DESCRIBE THEIR WORK ON THE NANOYOU PROJECT.

anoscience and nanotechnologies NANOYOU partners

N are widely seen as having huge

potential to bring benefits to many
areas of research and application, and are
The project is being led by ORT Israel and financed by the European Union,
with 9 bodies from 7 European countries.

attracting rapidly increasing investments

1 ORT Israel (Coordinator) ORT Israel
from Governments and from businesses
in many parts of the world. At the same 2 EUN Partnership AISBL EUN Belgium
time, it is recognized that their application (European Schoolnet)
may raise new challenges in the safety,
regulatory or ethical domains that will 3 The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars UCAM-DENG UK
require societal debate. Therefore, of the University of Cambridge
increasing young people’s basic 4 Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center iNANO-AU Denmark
understanding of nanotechnologies at the University of Aarhus
and engaging them in the dialogue
about its ethical, legal and social aspects 5 Barcelona Science Park PCB Spain
is needed.
6 The Centre for Social Innovation ZSI Austria
NANOYOU (Nano for Youth) is a project 7 Centre de Culture Scientifique CCSTI Grenoble France
funded by the European Commission's Technique et Industrielle de Grenoble
Seventh Framework Programme that aims to
increase young people’s basic 8 La Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie CSI France
understanding of nanotechnologies (NT)
9 Halevi Dweck & Co. ART Israel
and to engage in the dialogue about its
ARTTIC Israel Company Ltd
ethical, legal and social aspects (ELSA).

032

The Project is scheduled to last 27 months.
The Project involves developing an online
survey and teaching-learning materials
(computer games, video, posters, hand on
activities, exhibitions) to raise awareness and
promote a dialogue around ELSA (Ethical,
Legal, Social, Aspects) of nanotechnology.
Who is it for?
NANOYOU's target audience is composed of
young people in the 11-25 age group. At
least 400 schools are meant to participate,
with programmes reaching more than 25,000
students. The science centres programme is
expected to reach an initial 4,000 young
adults, followed by many more as more
science centres adopt the programme.
The activities of NANOYOU will be based on
three main areas related to the theme:
Medicine, the Environment and Energy, and
ICT. These fields have been highlighted
because they generate a high level of public
concern, are relevant to young people’s
interests and are of great social importance.
The activities will be divided into two different
age groups, one dealing with 11 to 13-year-
olds, the other with the 14 to 18-year-olds.
The whole picture
Below presents an overview of NANOYOU
project program and its target audiences:
NanoYou Program
Information Provision
NT Basic Knowledge
• Video, Presentation, Posters
• What is NT Workshop
• Virtual Exhibition
• NT time machine virtual game
Promotion of Dialogue
ELSA of NT for Science Centres
• Role Play Workshop
• NT Virtual Dialogue
Promotion of Dialogue
ELSA of NT for Science Centres
• NT Daily Environment Investigation
• Real sized NT Experiment
• NT User’s Conference
• Travelling Exhibition
The survey
The project started with an online survey that
was carried out from June to November 2009,
receiving inputs from 2.400 respondents in
25 European Member and Associated States.
Results show that:
Their interest in nanotechnology is bigger
than their knowledge
Television, radio and press are the main
sources of information, while the internet
is used for more in depth search.
Health, ICT, sustainability score higher in
the hit parade of application areas which
raise enthusiasm.
When properly informed, adults and
young people show criticism and respect
the potential risks and societal impacts
on privacy, consumer protection,
environment and health.
Gender difference is apparent: females
are more interested in health applications,
albeit showing more concerns for safety,
while males prefer ICT applications.
Finally, young people clearly ask for
setting up independent regulation and
control agencies.
Teaching-learning materials
Schools that take part in the project will
benefit from many creative and interesting
activities and materials for the whole
classroom, namely:
An introductory video, (about the effects
of nanoscience and nanotechnology and
their fields of application) and a poster. schools are based in Austria, Belgium,
A virtual lab that will present current
research through virtual experiments.
A nanotechnology time machine game
Schools
Level A
11 - 13
v el A
Le
Le
ve l
B
Level B 14 - 18
Science Centres
19 - 25
(this game will take students on a “time- information on nanotechnologies and to
tour” of human needs and show their past, discover the opportunities and risks of this
present and possible future solutions) – discipline for present and future scientific
age group 10-15.
A workshop: “What is nanotechnology?”
This workshop will introduce
nanotechnology through games like nano
jigsaw puzzle among others. A user
guide will be provided for this workshop.
A role play workshop: This role play
game will present different dilemmas, in
which students will choose the role of a
◊nano
stakeholder (e.g., worker, consumer,
politician, journalist, environmental
protection advocate).
A virtual dialogue: This online platform
will enhance students’ discussions on
topics related to nanotechnology and they
will be able to respond to each other
through a forum on the project website.
A blog: All schools results can be
uploaded in the NANOYOU blog.
The project portal
Teachers are provided with training
materials and guides for all the activities.
Materials are mainly online and free to
download from the portal. These materials
have been translated into 10 languages.
www.nanoyou.eu
Teacher training
On January 2010, teachers from selected
schools took part in two days training
workshop in Brussels. 24 pilot schools have
been selected as the first to launch
NANOYOU into the classroom. These
Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania,
UK(Scotland), Slovakia, and Spain.
Those training days was the first step for
implementation of the NANOYOU project in
their schools, starting from March 2010.
The teachers that participated in the
training days will serve as leaders that will
pass on these activities to other teachers in
their countries.
School outreach across EU
During the 2009-2010 academic year 25 pilot
schools and many other followers have been
teaching nanotechnologies in their classrooms
with a wide range of materials, including
videos, online animations, games, workshops,
virtual dialogues, and virtual experiments.
NANOYOU offers schools the opportunity to
address European citizen’s lack of
understanding nanotechnologies as shown
in recent survey. It is a great chance for
schools and teachers to receive first hand
and technological development. n
Become a NANOYOU school
We are now looking for the next generation
of NANOYOU schools. Any interested schools
are invited to register.
To become a NANOYOU school you can
register online www.nanoyou.eu
033
 N
NIO
I
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Does nanomedicine
really belong to the field
of nanotechnology?
AMARNATH MAITRA ARGUES THAT NANOMEDICINE SHOULD BE DIVORCED
OF ITS ASSOCIATION WITH NANOTECHNOLOGY.
anomedicine is a branch of
N science which involves delivery of
drugs or other biochemicals to
specific cell types through endocytosis
either in the form of nanocrystals or
loaded in a nano-sized carrier of size
range 10-100nm diameter. These drugs or
chemicals can then be released inside the
cell to perform a range of functions
including therapy, diagnosis and imaging,
ex-vivo or in-vivo. Since it is primarily
relevant to the cell uptake process,
nanomedicine belongs to the area of cell
biology and not nanotechnology because
the field of nanotechnology deals only
with the science and technology of
entities dominated by surface atoms.
Nanomedicine is a unique therapeutic
approach where the dosage is reduced by a
couple of thousand times or even more than
034
that required in a normal drug therapy. As a
result, much less drug is needed and the
side effect of the drug may be significantly
diminished. The unique properties of
nanodrug therapy have attracted the
attention of scientists world-wide.
Nanomedicine research is now translating
efforts made around the world into
commercial reality, and as a result, in many
countries the number of patents available on
nanomedicine is more than the number of
publications. Globally, more scientists are
also involved in research involving
nanomaterials in healthcare compared to
that in other areas of research like
nanomaterials applications in energy,
electronics, communication, drinking water,
agriculture and defence.
Taking a closer look at the different aspects
of nanomedicine research, it is better if one
starts with its definition, keeping in mind
that a uniform international definition of
nanomedicine does not currently exist.
International conferences, articles, journal
editorials and unpublished public talks
define nanomedicine in such a diversified
way, which is mostly controversial and
confusing. This is really problematic for
those who want to understand the meaning
of the field.
Nanobiotechnology
vs. Nanotechnology
Most of the time nanobiotechnology,
including that which involves cellular uptake
of nanosized materials such as drugs and
other healthcare chemicals used in
nanomedicine, is thought to be derived from
nanotechnology, which is not true. The study
of physical properties such as electrical,
optical, magnetic, mechanical and thermal
 ◊nano

Do you agree?
Join the discussion on
www.nanomagazine.co.uk
Amarnath Maitra
Prof. Maitra was a Professor in Chemistry at the University of Delhi
until recently; presently he is working as an honorary adviser to the
Vice Chancellor of Delhi University on Nano-science and
Nanotechnology. He has recently developed a nano-formulation of
methylglyoxal in collaboration with IACS, Kolkata which is going for
clinical studies through a Gurgaon based company. His current
interest is oral chemotherapy and cancer nanotechnology, nano-
formulations of herbal drugs, gene delivery and DNA vaccines. He
is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and the
recipient of MRSI and several other awards.
amarnathmaitra@yahoo.com

characteristics of an entity in which the
surface atoms dominate over the bulk atoms
is called nanotechnology. Incidentally, an
entity dominated by surface atoms and
depleted by bulk atoms automatically
assumes nano-size in one, two or all the
three dimensions of the material. Therefore
nanotechnology is the science and
technology of surface atoms. Because of the
size restriction of these surface atom-
dominated entities, the mobile electrons are
confined either in quantum wells, quantum
wires or in quantum dots.
Nanobiotechnology is the science and
technology of the modulation of cell function
on the engulfment of a nano-sized entity by
the cell. Therefore, the more a cell uptakes
nano-sized entities, the more will be
manifest by the cell. When an entity is taken
up by the cell through the endosomal
pathway, the size of the entity is restricted to
10nm to 100nm. Atomic or molecular sized
particles do not need to be endocytosed
into the cell. Rather, these can readily
diffuse through the cell membranes in a
reversible way. Larger sized particles are
taken up only by the macrophages or by the
nutraphils to be phagocytosed and are
unlikely to be taken up by the other living
cells through endocytosis. These large
sized particles (>200nm) sometimes
disrupt the structure of cell organelles and
thereby kill the cell through lysis.
Endocytosis is a one-way traffic and hence,
an entity entering the cell through
endosomal pathways cannot come out of
the cell. As a result, unlike diffusional entry
of molecular sized drugs, endocytosis leads
to more cellular uptake of these particles.
The cell up-take of these nano-entities by
specific cell types can be further enhanced
if these entities are recognized by those
cells through chemical or biological means.
This is the targeted delivery of the nano-
entities to specific cell types.
Therefore, nanomedicine is a field of
science, which is based on cellular uptake
of targetable nano-sized materials and can
be used in drug delivery, imaging, and
diagnostic purposes, as biomarkers as well
as ex-vivo and in-vivo sensors. It has nothing
to do with physical properties of the surface
atoms although these physical character-
istics (like fluorescence, surface-plasmon
resonance, superparamagnetism etc) can
be utilized in nanomedicine research if
appropriate cellular uptake of these nano-
particles is taken care of. Hence nanobio-
technology or the science nanomedicine
derived from it is a part of cell biology and
under no circumstances can be said to be
an offshoot from nanotechnology.
Because of the targeted delivery of drug-
loaded nano-entities, the dosage form is
very small and large drug accumulation in
the diseased cells is possible. While in
regular drug therapy one often requires
milligram to gram quantities of drug per
dose, the dose is reduced to a couple of
micrograms when a nanomedicine
formulation is used. This results in
economization of the drug as well as
minimization of the side effects of the drug.
In a recent experiment on the anticancer
effect of methylglyoxal in nanomedicine
formulation, we have shown that by using
only 5 g of nanomethylglyoxal we can
achieve the same therapeutic effect as using
2mg of methylglyoxal. The nanomethylglyoxal
particles (of size 30-50nm diameter) are
endocytosed into the cancer cells and are
accumulated into the cells.
Therefore it can be concluded that
nanobiotechnology including nanomedicine
is not an offshoot from nanotechnology,
rather it is a part of cell biology.
Nanomedicine is primarily concerned with
the delivery of drug or other chemical to
specific cell types with the help of a nano-
sized carrier, which enters the cell through
endocytosis and releases the drug
molecules inside the cell. Nanomedicine
has nothing to do with surface atoms,
although the physical properties manifested
by a surface-atom dominated entity can be
utilized to study nanomedicine
n

035
 E
TUR
A
FE

A Guide to
Clarifying Ethical
Questions on
Nanotechnology
Marc Pavlopoulos, CEA-Larsim
and ObservatoryNano
hile discussions and media
ONE AREA OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY W coverage often focus exclusively
on toxicology and risk
assessment, the ethical debate on
WHERE ETHICAL nanotechnology poses a vast array of
questions. These could include issues such
CONCERNS SEEM OUT OF as our concept of nature, as opposed to
PLACE IS NANOMEDICINE. artefact; the possible redefinition of our
norms of health and disease; nanoICT-
A CURE FOR CANCER induced modifications in all aspects of
SEEMS MORE AND MORE communication; the validity of human
dignity in relation to technological
WITHIN OUR REACH; development; the likelihood of future
HOW CAN SUCH prophesies such as Transhumanism (which
forecasts that nanotechnology will radically
PROSPECTS BE transform our world, and even ourselves);
ETHICALLY QUESTIONED? the question of a fair distribution of the
benefits of nanotechnology; and the nature
and extent of the responsibility of scientists
for the consequences of technological
innovations. This is a large and complex
debate, and it very difficult to sort the right
questions out from bogus and superficial
ones; and it is unclear whether these
questions are specific to nanotechnology or
common to other emerging technologies.

Is Nanotechnology Doomed because

it Artificializes Everything?
The first step is to dispel bogus questions.
Take the intuitive difference we tend to make
between natural and artificial. Most of us

036

believe that what is natural is wholesome,
genuine and good for us, while artificial
products are likely to be dangerous,
hazardous and generally suspicious. But,
according to the scientific picture of nature,
this contrast does not make sense: if Nature
is whatever follows the laws of physics, then
every thing is natural - even artefacts! For
artefacts, too, obey the laws of physics. If one
really wants to understand the opposition
between Nature and Artefact, one has to go
deep into history and philosophy, back to
Aristotle’s notion of the natural, as the
character of what moves by itself, as opposed
to artefact, which is set into motion externally.
What does this talk of nature and Aristotle
have to do with the debate on
nanotechnology? Nanotechnology may blur
the distinction between nature and artefact.
Nanotechnology-enabled devices can enter
the bodies of living creatures, and interact
with their components at the nanoscale, to the
point where it may becomes impossible to
differentiate behaviour at the macroscopic
scale, according to whether it is caused by
the artificial devices, or by the “natural”
functioning of the body itself.
We sometimes want to apply our old
concepts to realities that do not support
them anymore. The very idea of something
natural, developing by itself and
autonomously, as opposed to artificial,
programmed from the outside, is doomed
by the development of nanotechnology, and
is therefore unsettling. We need concepts
other than “natural” and “artificial” to
appraise and assess this development.
Will Nanomedicine change Health?
The ethics of technology are not about
approving or regretting the development of
a technology: the technology is with us
anyway, and ethics takes this as fact. Rather,
the ethics is about understanding how the
introduction of a new technology changes
us, as individuals as well as a society, and
then trying to orient and influence these
changes for the better.
One area of nanotechnology where ethical
concerns seem out of place is nanomedicine.
A cure for cancer seems more and more
within our reach; nanomedicine also promises
new, cheap pharmaceuticals which could be
of great help for developing countries. How
can such prospects be ethically questioned?
Again, the point of the ethics of technology is
not to dispute that curing cancer and
providing cheap pharmaceuticals to poor
countries are good. Rather, regardless of
whether the new tools and methods of
nanomedicine are beneficial to us, we should
◊nano
look at the changes these tools and methods
will induce in our behaviour and thinking
about our health. Thanks to bio-sensors and
lab-on-a-chip, nanomedicine will make it
easier and easier to diagnose disease before
the symptoms even occur, and medicine will
increasingly become a science of probabilities.
This change asks new questions, such as:
how early will the probable development of a
disease need to be diagnosed in order to
trigger preventive treatment? Should the
decision to initiate treatment be left to doctors?
Or should each patient be able to make
her/his own choice? If the former,
nanomedicine may lead to a return to a
paternalistic type of medicine; if the latter
(which is more likely in liberal societies such
as ours) then health and disease as such will
tend to become a matter of individual beliefs
and definitions.
Imagine that Jane and Judy independently
learn that they each have a 40% chance of
developing breast cancer within the next 5
years. At first Jane becomes quite panicked;
then she reflects that breast cancer
treatment has recently considerably
progressed, and that she still has 60%
chance not to develop the disease: so she
decides to do nothing. But Judy is
concerned, reflects that a long-lasting
disease within the next 5 years will be
037
detrimental to her career, that she is still
attractive to men but doesn’t plan to seduce
anyone but her husband, and so decides to
go for immediate surgery.

Traditionally, health is conceive as a state of

organic well-functioning; but when Jane and
Judy deliberate about going or not going for
treatment, they consider, not simply their
organic functioning, but their future well-
being as a whole. As well-being is a very
subjective notion, every person is likely to
come up with a different answer to an
identical objective diagnosis.

Such little stories are likely to multiply in the

foreseeable future. It is likely that
nanomedicine will lead to an explosion in
preventive medicine and to the conflation of
the norm of organic well-functioning with that
of personal well-being. The consequence
should be an individualization of the norms of
health. Needless to say, this will have
momentous consequences for European
public health insurances, which have been
based on a quite negative vision of health as have very real effects. In their 2002 report tempted to use positive and negative hype
the “absence of disease”, since WWII. from the US National Science Foundation, strategies (e.g. by overemphasizing
Roco and Bainbridge listed the benefits to toxicological risks) to get attention or to attract
Nanoprophecies and Hype be expected from nanotechnology, funding to their research. What are the
The case of nanomedicine illustrates that predicting a new golden age: consequences of this use of hype for society
nanotechnology is likely to transform our ways “Technological convergence could become and for the research community? On the other
of life, beliefs and norms. Some even venture the framework for human convergence. The hand, can the scientist repel hype altogether,
that nanotechnology will transform not only the twenty-first century could end in world peace, at a time when research is more and more
way we live and think, but what we are. This is universal prosperity, and evolution to a oriented towards industrial applications, and
the prophecy upheld by Transhumanism, higher level of compassion and financed accordingly? There are several
which states “Humanity stands to be profoundly accomplishment. It is hard to find the right points of conflict between the needs of
affected by science and technology in the metaphor to see a century into the future, but industrial development and those of science.
future. [Transhumanism] envisions the it may be that humanity would become like a The attitude towards hype is one of them.
possibility of broadening human potential by single, distributed and interconnected
overcoming ageing, cognitive shortcomings, “brain”, based in new core pathways of Technology, our Modern Magic?
involuntary suffering, and our confinement to society.” Such statements seem to be sheer A recent European report on the public
planet Earth”. For the human species as a dreams but they were instrumental in perception of nanotech has shown that even
whole, transhumanists support human convincing the US government and after being given information about
enhancement as a way to progressively Congress to further fund the National nanotechnology, laypeople tend to react by
generate a new species. Nanotechnology Initiative at its inception. invoking ancient narratives and myths, such
Between 2002 and 2005, the NNI budget as Pandora’s box or the tale of the
What should we think of such radical and more than doubled – a quite unusual Sorcerer’s apprentice. There are many such
marvellous forecasts? Since the invention of increase for a publicly funded research examples. Why is the latest technology so
the wheel, technology has always transformed organization. The use of visionary language often appraised through the prism of time-
both Man and the world around him; and so to attract public attention is called hype. worn images, tales and sayings?
will nanotechnology. This is no surprise.
The claim of a “radical” change, a change Contrary to a certain image of science as Unless they fall within our professional
never seen before, is historically “morally neutral”, scientists do have their own, area of expertise, most of us don’t know how
unwarranted: each and every significant professional ethics. These ethics guide technological devices work. We approach
technological progress has brought about a scientists in their work, exchanges and them as if they were black boxes: we know
change “never seen before”, and was communication with one another. Tenets of the input we feed into them (say, pressing
largely unpredictable. This is no novelty! these scientific ethics are modesty, honesty, such-and-such a button) and we expect a
objectivity, truth… all values quite antagonist given output (taking a photograph or making
However, whether right or wrong, to hype. How then should the scientist reply to a phone call); but we don’t have a faintest
Transhumanist visions do not only fire our hype, should he support it, ignore it or try to clue as to what happens inside the device
imagination about nanotechnology; they refute it? On one hand, researchers are between input and output. We feel powerless,

038

MAGIC FILLS IN THE VOID OF IGNORANCE, AND
PAVES THE WAY TO IMAGINATION AND HOPE. THIS
IS THE ROOT REASON WHY, IN OUR SOCIETIES,
NANOTECHNOLOGY IS LOADED WITH SYMBOLIC
EXPECTATIONS AND IMAGINARY POWERS
sometimes even annoyed, when our
computers, cameras, TVs, etc., break down:
we cannot say what went wrong inside. In
such cases, many of us tend to deal with
machines as if they were intelligent or
sentient beings: we pray or curse them, we
endow them with will (“My computer just
won’t work”), emotions and moods (“My cell
phone is slow, it’s a bit grumpy today”) or
cognitive capacities (“Stupid machine!”).
This attitude is a typical of magic. Like rain
dancers invoking a god to make water pour
from the sky, we are ignorant of the
functioning of our environment. We appeal
to a soul in the machine as if it could make
the phone call go through, or a film finally
appear on the black screen. What is going
on here? Since we don’t know how the
device works inside, we project human,
anthropomorphic features onto it. Such a
projection appears purely irrational because enlightenment; but also work. Before they
we are fully aware that machines aren’t like
humans, but at the same time it is the only
way we can come into contact with their
internal structure and functioning. Magic
fills in the void of ignorance, and paves the
way to imagination and hope. This is the
root reason why, in our societies,
nanotechnology is loaded with symbolic
expectations and imaginary powers.
The only way to dispel magical and
eschatological visions of nanotechnology is
through education. But education always has
to start with what students know and think.
Although they typically know nothing about
the scientific content of nanotechnology,
laypeople tend to have a lot of things to say
about it. It comes without surprise that they
frequently refer to the wonderful world of
myths, tales or sci-fi rather than to the reality
of scientific laboratories. It is no surprise
either that people resist scientific
explanation and cling to their time-worn
narratives and images: it is always painful to
dispel magic and faith in mighty powers.
Still, a critical analysis of myths and
narratives reveals that magic is not always
irrational, but on the contrary framed by
subtle and powerful reasoning. Also, these
time-worn narratives paradoxically provide
good training for prospective analysis: by
plunging back to the imaginary world and
values created by societies and individuals
so remote from us in the past, we may
become more able to imagine the
behaviours and norms of future societies.
Take the Greek myth of Prometheus.
“Prometheus” means “with forethought”.
Prometheus was the wisest of all the Titans –
those wonderful and mighty beings who
reigned before the Olympian Gods are were
finally overrun by them. Prometheus stole
fire from the Gods of Mount Olympus.
Through fire, he is credited with bringing
mankind craftsmanship, knowledge,
had fire, Men used to be provided with all
they needed by the Gods. For acting against
the decree of the Gods, who wanted to keep
the power of fire to themselves, Prometheus
FE
AT
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E
was chained to a rock to have his liver eaten
out every day by an eagle. Every night his
liver would grow back. This was to be his
punishment for all of eternity.
What is the most striking in this myth is
certainly its end, Prometheus’ punishment. But
one should also note the ambivalent beginning.
By giving technology to Men, Prometheus
makes them a divine gift. At the same time, he
seems to give them a curse, for before tech-
nology, Men didn’t even have to work in order
to survive; they were provided with all they
needed by the Gods. The morale is clear: as
he receives technology, Man becomes the
keeper of himself. His fate is no more
guaranteed by the Gods, nor by Nature. The
Promethean project may therefore lead to the
better, or to the worse.
Why is Prometheus still with us? Because
the myth does well illustrate the ambiguous
relationship of our societies to technology: a
mixture of trust and fear. Technology is at
the same time the only path to progress and
human liberation, and a constant source
of anxiety.
Conclusion
The ethical debate on nanotechnology is
surprisingly broad. Who would have guessed
that the invention of nanoelectronics would
induce a redefinition of private and public
spheres, for instance? The answer is that,
whether or not sociologists might have
foreseen this consequence, no expert on
nanoelectronics would have. It is often said
that technological change induces social
change, but the reverse influence seems
even more important and true: social norms,
concepts and values shape the way a
society uses a new technology. In essence,
society determines the way it adopts
technology; this has nothing to do with the
technology nor with the science. n
CEA-Larsim, a research team based in Saclay
(France) and a partner in ObservatoryNano, has
just delivered a Toolkit for Ethical Reflection and
Communication aiming at clarifying the picture.
This Toolkit aims at providing the reader with the
means to frame his / her own vision of the debate
and to sharpen the ethical awareness of those
involved in the development of nanosciences and
nanotechnology. The June 2010 version of the
Toolkit can be downloaded at
http://www.observatorynano.eu/
project/catalogue/4ET/
039
Nanotechnology –
Cost and Efficiency
Benefits for an
Ageing Population
Ottilia Saxl explores how nanotechnology
could have beneficial implications for
every stage of the ageing process.
Beyond three score years and ten
With improved nutrition and healthcare, the
population dynamics in many developed
countries of the world indicates a trend
towards an increasing proportion of people
living well beyond their allotted ‘threescore
years and ten’. Healthcare is at a crossroads,
where there are increasing possibilities to
extend an individual’s lifespan, but at ever
increasing costs allied to decreasing
resources. For the extremely elderly and
sick, it is the law of diminishing returns; with
more and more money being spent with
less and less benefit. However, for
commercial health providers, it is very
much a law of increasing returns.
Prolonging life pays. However, not every
individual can afford private healthcare, or
the support of carers as they age, and then
it is up to the State. The State has a finite
budget, but is keen to offer the best it can
for the pot of money that is available.
There is a real tension between commercial
medical companies, whether in the
pharmaceutical or devices industries, and
State-sponsored healthcare. The former
grows and thrives on diagnosing and treating
disease and prolonging life for as long as
possible; the State on the other hand wishes
that its citizens would live healthy and
040
independent lives, at least until they become
pensioners, when hopefully they will drop
down dead quickly and with little fuss.
The questions this article addresses are -
how and where nanotechnology can be
applied to the maintenance of an
independent life for as long as possible, to
the reduction in the cost of healthcare at
different stages of the ageing process, and to
minimising the need for human intervention.
The Ageing Process and
Cost-Effective Interventions
For most individuals, old age is
pleasurable if they can retain their
faculties, and even more importantly, their
independence. From the economic point
of view, it is critical to examine how an
ageing population can be ‘managed’ in
order that this independence is maintained
(as that is the most cost-effective form of
healthcare), and what the role of
nanotechnology might be in this, so the
potentially explosively expensive burden of
support, both economic and physical can
be lessened at each stage.
If we consider the following four
main stages of ageing that require
external intervention:
Stage 1. ‘Low Level Medical Intervention’
Prolonging independence through cost-
effective medical intervention (cataract
surgery, hearing aids, hip replacement,
heart pacemakers and so on).
Stage 2. ‘High Level Medical Intervention’
Prolonging independence through
expensive medical intervention (organ -
heart, kidney etc – transplants, treatment
of certain cancers), requiring
convalescence support, but offering the
potential of future independence.
Stage 3. ‘Low Level
Mechanical Intervention’
Prolonging independence through cost-
effective technical intervention (electric
wheelchairs, sound or touch activated
gadgets, remote health monitoring).
Stage 4. ‘Life Support Intervention’
Prolonging life, but not independence,
through expensive medical intervention,
long term technical and personnel support
(drip feeding, surgical or therapeutic short
term fixes, intensive caring)
Given the bottomless pit that is healthcare
today, the imperative is to seek ways of
reducing the cost of each intervention,
 FE
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“UNTIL RELATIVELY RECENT TIMES, MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE WAS LIMITED, AS WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF
REMEDIAL EFFECT. THE DOCTOR HAD LITTLE TO SELL; DEATH WAS EARLY, INEVITABLE, AND
INEXPENSIVE”. J K GALBRAITH

especially how to reduce the need for, and
cost of, support personnel at each stage.
What Nanotechnology Offers
Nano-enabled diagnostics are offering the
earlier and earlier detection of degenerative
diseases such cancer and coronary heart
disease, and this early detection can be one
of the keys to a long and healthy life. At a
very early stage, quick and effective
treatment becomes possible, minimising or
neutralising the potential effects of the
disease, and leading to a much improved
life expectancy, allied to good heath.
Stage 1. Apart from early diagnostics,
nanotechnology is already certainly leading
to many improvements that enable the
retention of faculties, such as hearing,
seeing, moving about and chewing.
Until recently, hearing aids were crude
devices, offering a poor quality transmission
of sound. Now, from being able to analyse
how the ear works at the nanoscale, the
developers of cochlear implants are able
to more closely mimic the ear’s natural
function, linking implants to the brain’s
sensory system much more effectively.
The ear and its connection to the brain is a
highly complex system, but the eye is
arguably even more so. Great strides have
been made in understanding the function of
the eye, and micro and nanoelectronics are
now offering the potential to miniaturise
imaging ‘chips’ and attach them to brain
neurones so effectively that in some
instances, individuals classified as blind
through some degeneration of the optical
system, can be reclassified as sighted.
Even the ‘everyday’ hip implant has had a
makeover due to nanotechnology. As we

041
 NANOTECHNOLOGY CAN BE APPLIED
TO THE MAINTENANCE OF AN
INDEPENDENT LIFE FOR AS LONG AS
POSSIBLE, TO THE REDUCTION IN THE
COST OF HEALTHCARE AT DIFFERENT
STAGES OF THE AGEING PROCESS, AND
TO MINIMISING THE NEED FOR COSTLY
LONG TERM HUMAN INTERVENTION

understand more and more about how the
cells of our body adhere, we can modify the
characteristics of an implant accordingly, to
make it more acceptable. For example, cells
like to adhere to a bone-like substrate, and
nanotechnology not only enables us to
analyse and reproduce the composition of
bone, but also enable us to imprint a
nanoscale pattern on the implant that mimics
the roughness of a real bone, encouraging
cells to settle and grow round the implant
structure. This means that hip implants last
longer and feel more comfortable.
Teeth are another issue, and we need to keep
our teeth in as good a shape as we can for as
long as possible. Nanotechnology inspired
toothpastes have active ingredients which fill
in cracks and cavities, ensuring teeth stay as
strong as possible for as long as possible.
Stage 2 occurs when some key organ begins
to fail. In the past this would be a death
sentence, but today, in an otherwise healthy
person, replacing an organ, such as a kidney,
is more and more routine. After the operation
and convalescence, the patient can generally
return to living an independent existence.
Although the replacement itself is more routine, comfortable temperature. Carpets and
there is an acute shortage of donor organs,
and there have been many scandals relating to
their unethical acquisition. Nanotechnology is
beginning to offer a way to break this log jam. risk from coronary or diabetic ‘episodes’ for
Today nanoscale scaffolds, sometime made of
carbon nanotubes, can be constructed. These
are formed into a structure into which
(normally undifferentiated) cells can be
seeded. These cells are then stimulated to
grow and hopefully differentiate into the
required organ tissue, such as kidney or liver.
There are many complexities to solve when
growing new tissue that is destined to
become an organ, differentiation is one, but
also ensuring that the new tissue links to the
body’s blood supply is another. Great
strides are being made in growing tissue to
replace part of a diseased organ.
More complex is the growth of tissue to
replace a failed organ totally. However, out
of experiments on tissue growth, growing
skin has been a great success, and new
skin can be generated from an individual’s
own tissue that can be grafted without the
spectre of rejection. This is useful for tissue
that has been destroyed by burns, the
ravages of diabetes or sores.
Stage 3. Elderly people can be
helped to maintain their independence
through the application of nanotechnology
in the home. Simple applications are in
basic household maintenance. Relatively
widespread is the use of nano-based stay-
clean antibacterial surfaces for kitchens
and bathrooms, as well as window glass.
Also some window glasses change colour
to reduce the amount of ultraviolet or infra
red light transmitted, maintaining a
clothes can also be made dirt repellent,
and low maintenance. In terms of health
monitoring, many elderly people who are at
example, require constant monitoring of
their blood pressure and / or sugar levels.
This can be undertaken remotely by
attaching nano enabled sensors to the
‘patient’ whose readings can be transmitted
wirelessly to a monitoring hub at some
central medical location. This allows the at-
risk person to stay out of hospital for as long
as possible.
Individuals who need ongoing therapeutic
intervention, say for hormone deficiency,
can be fitted with a small implanted device
which monitors the levels of hormone in the
body and elutes the required hormone over
a relatively period, as required, continuing
the possibility of independent living.
Stage 4. It is possible with medical care to
prolong life even though an individual has
virtually no independence whatsoever.
Advances in healthcare mean that the
functions of certain organs can be replaced
by machine, degeneration can be
temporarily halted and survival prolonged.
This can be the time of greatest cost to the
healthcare system, and high dependency on
the care of professionals. Nanotechnology
can substitute for human resources. For
example, as part of an online system that
measures vital signs, nanotechnology can
enable fine tuning of an appropriate
response to be taken, such as matching the
rhythm of an artificial lung with a comfortable
breathing pattern. External support for liver
or kidney function is also improved by the
application of nanotechnology, through better
filters and reduced biofouling, meaning that
time between the intervention of healthcare
professional can be increased. n
To discover more about nanotechnology and its
application to medicine in general, visit the EU’s
Cordis website,
www.cordis.europa.eu/nanotechnology
/nanomedicine.htm

042
NanoArt The Carl Zeiss Image contest
arl Zeiss is running its first Nano Image Contest
C and are inviting users of all Zeiss electron and ion
microscopes to submit their work.
“Fascinating electron microscope images are sitting around
in numerous archives without an opportunity for recognition.
With this competition, we want to give users of our systems an
innovative platform to present their images and the underlying
work to the public,” explains Dr. Peter Fruhstorfer, Member of
the Management Board of the Nano Technology Systems
Division at Carl Zeiss.
A picture says more than a thousand words. And images taken
with electron and Ion microscopes frequently provide unique
insights into the specimens and lead to new scientific-technical
knowledge. At the same time, these images often feature
outstanding aesthetic properties.
Here’s just a small selection of the images which have been sent
into the contest so far, entries are open until August 29, 2010.
Visit bit.ly/d5ggmy for more details on how to enter and vote.
043