Week 8 Nanotechnology + Art

             Nanotechnology can improve people’s lives through medicine, such as nanocages, which can deliver drugs to cells at the molecular level (Jagadish). However, when it comes to novel drug delivery mechanisms, we can think of means to target cells instead of risking someone’s healthy cells. For instance, research is being studied on nanotechnology on nerve cells to stimulate growth (Quelle). Imagine being able to repair the nervous system and give someone back their feeling of touch and motor function.

Although the field looks optimistic, the articles I cited have always cautioned that scholars are still researching these technologies. Those significant products seem to pertain to optimizing surfaces (Nanotechnology Engineering Products & Developments), including stronger body armor for police and military use and more pacifist uses (special coating for stronger glass.)

            The nanometer scale is so tiny that it is “invisible” and a very abstract concept for most people to comprehend—for example, human hair thickness is nearly 50,000 nanometers (nm). A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. The creation of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) in the 1980s provided the technology to see atoms and work on a nanoscale to create nanoparticles. The most remarkable discovery about nanosizing materials is that the new nanoparticles can take on different characteristics from the original product. For instance, the nanoparticles of something opaque may become transparent as with titanium and zinc dioxide used in sunscreens, or the nanoparticles may have unique qualities as with silver nanoparticles, which contain antimicrobial properties. Ultimately, the discovery of nanoparticles has led to innovative materials being studied and used in medicine, cosmetics, clothing, construction, electronics, sports equipment, art, and even food production.

Works Cited

Berger, Michael. “Nanotechnology in Food.” Nanotechnology, 1 Nov. 2021, https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-in-food.php. 

Hayes, Author(s): A. Wallace. “Nanotechnology in the Food Industry: A Short Review.” Food Safety RSS, Food Safety, 8 Feb. 2017, https://www.food-safety.com/articles/5193-nanotechnology-in-the-food-industry-a-short-review. 

“Nanotechnology in Sports Equipment: The Game Changer.” Nanotechnology, 27 May 2013, https://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=30661.php. 

“Nanotechnology Engineering Products & Developments.” What Is Nanotechnology Engineering?, Ohio University, 22 July 2020, https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/nanotechnology-engineering/. 

“Nanotechnology.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 27 Mar. 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/default.html#:~:text=Nanotechnology%20is%20the%20manipulation%20of,%2C%20energy%2C%20materials%20and%20manufacturing.