New Breakthroughs in Nanotechnology

This technology has the power to transform the world in an incredibly short period of time. The possibilities of Nanotech seem virtually limitless. This is actually building functional tools by manipulating individual atoms.

Nanotechnology is the creation of functional materials, devices and systems through control of matter on the nanometer length scale (1-100 nanometers), and exploitation of novel phenomena and properties (physical, chemical, biological, mechanical, electrical...) at that length scale. For comparison, 10 nanometers is 1000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. A scientific and technical revolution has just begun based upon the ability to systematically organize and manipulate matter at nanoscale.

~ http://www.ipt.arc.nasa.gov/nanotechnology.html 

Scientists Create Nano Nose with Aim of Sniffing Out Diseased Cells – (UMass Amherst – April 25, 2007)
http://www.umass.edu/loop/talkingpoints/articles/51538.php
A team of scientists has created a kind of molecular nose that uses nanoparticle-based sensors to sniff out and identify proteins. The sensors, which can be trained to detect a wide variety of proteins, could eventually serve as a medical diagnostic tool by sniffing out the proteins made by sickly cells. The chemical nose approach has the potential to be more reliable and cheaper than current technology. The research team is currently focusing on sensors for detecting the malformed proteins produced by cancer cells, but the technique holds promise as a means for detecting a wide variety of diseases.

Scientists Create First Non-Carbon Material with Near-Diamond Hardness -- (Physorg -- March 28, 2007)
http://www.physorg.com/news94293433.html
Research scientists have created the first non-carbon-based material with a hardness approaching that of diamond. Their work could have a significant impact on technologies and industries that rely on diamond as a cutting and drilling tool and abrasive. The material is a boron nitride “nanocomposite.” This means that, rather than consisting of one large continuous crystal, it is made of crystalline boron-nitride grains that are each a few to several nanometers in size.

Nano-propulsion Technology for Space Exploration -- (Nanowerk -- March 26, 2007)
http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=1668.php
A new electrostatic thruster technology is under development using nanoparticles as propellant with micro- and nano-electromechanical systems. Termed the nanoparticle field extraction thruster - nanoFET - this highly integrated propulsion concept is a high efficiency, variable specific impulse engine type that can be readily scalable for a large range of future space science and exploration missions.

Antiviral Coating May Help Fight Epidemics -- (New Scientist -- April 14, 2006)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9003-antiviral-coating-may-help-fight-epidemics.html
Banknotes, vending machines, and photocopiers could help fight off future epidemics if a novel antiviral coating can be made to work safely. Researchers have discovered a raft of metal, metal oxide and ceramic nanoparticles that have strong antiviral properties. They hope to create a face mask impregnated with the particles to destroy certain airborne viruses before people breathe them in.

Nanopore Will Make for Speedy DNA Sequencing -- (New Scientist -- April 10, 2006)
http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn8977-nanopore-will-make-for-speedy-dna-sequencing.html
A new technique harnessing a "nanopore" to detect electrical changes as a strand of DNA is passed through it could speed up DNA sequencing more than 200 times. The system could process the human genome in hours, researchers claim, compared with the 6 months it would take in today's best labs.

World's Smallest Car Gets Microscopic Motor -- (Live Science -- April 13, 2006)
http://www.livescience.com/technology/060413_nanocar_motor.html
Last year scientists announced they had made the smallest car ever, a molecule-sized vehicle that rolled on tiny wheels. But what good is a car without a motor? In another feat in the effort to truly downsize Detroit, the researchers have now installed a miniature, light-powered motor in their diminutive automobile. The nanocar is about as wide as a strand of DNA. Roughly 20,000 of them could park side-by-side in a lot no wider than a human hair.

Nanoparticles Effective in Killing Cancer with One-Two Punch of Chemotherapeutics -- (PhysOrg -- April 10, 2006)
http://physorg.com/news63902953.html
Research studies demonstrate that biodegradable nano-particles containing two potent cancer-fighting drugs are effective in killing human breast tumors. The new approach "provides a number of advantages over other Trojan horse-style drug delivery system, and should prove a useful tool in fighting a number of diseases" according to one scientist.

DNA Art: Origami Goes Nano -- (Live Science -- March 15, 2006)
http://livescience.com/othernews/060315_dna_origami.html
The software of life has now been woven into smiley faces, snowflakes and stars. Caltech researcher Paul Rothemund calls his new technique "DNA origami," and he can weave any two-dimensional shape or pattern using DNA molecules. The technology could one day be used to construct tiny chemical factories or molecular electronics by attaching proteins and inorganic components to DNA circuit boards.

'Nano-Skin' Could Create Super-Bendy Screens -- (New Scientist -- March 3, 2006)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8801.html
A flexible polymer infused with billions of carbon nanotubes could be used to make incredibly bendy displays and other novel electronic devices, researchers say. Nanotubes are excellent electrical conductors and group member Swastik Kar says the material may well be used to build highly efficient electronic parts for highly flexible electronic displays.

NANOCOATING COULD ELIMINATE FOGGY WINDOWS AND LENSES -- (Science Daily -- August 30, 2005)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/08/050830071452.htm
Researchers have developed a unique polymer coating made of silica nanoparticles that they say can create surfaces that never fog. The transparent coating can be applied to eyeglasses, camera lenses, ski goggles even bathroom mirrors.

NANOGLUE STICKIER THAN GECKO TOES -- (Wired -- August 31, 2005)
http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,68639,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_6
Researchers have used their knowledge of what makes geckos stick to create a carpet of super-sticky carbon nanotubes that could form the basis for future types of adhesives. In this case, science has even surpassed nature by producing bundles of nanotubes with an adhesive power 200 times greater than that of the gecko foot hairs.

NANO-MATERIAL HARDER THAN DIAMONDS -- (New Scientist -- August 30, 2005)
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7926
A material that is harder than diamond has been created in the lab, by packing together tiny "nanorods" of carbon. The new material, known as aggregated carbon nanorods (ACNR), was created by compressing and heating super-strong carbon molecules called buckyballs or carbon-60. These molecules consist of 60 atoms that interlock in hexagonal or pentagonal shapes and resemble tiny soccer balls.