Medlink 2004 Pathology Project Introduction and Background.

Medlink 2004Pathology

ProjectIntroduction

andBackground

The Tiny, Tiny, Tiny World of

Nanotechnology

… Size does matter!

Nanotechnology and Medicine Overview

What is this Nano ‘stuff’ all about

The Tiny, Tiny, Tiny World of Nanotechnology

Getting down to size

Nanotechnology now

Future Nanotechnology in Medicine

Your Research Report

Background: What is Nanotechnology?

Manipulating matter at the atomic scale

‘Nano’ – Greek word for midget

Nano means 10-9, a billionth part

3 atoms measure about 1 nanometre

Diameter of human hair is 200 000nmThe Tiny, Tiny, Tiny World of Nanotechnology

The Past Four Decades

1959 - Richard Feynman speech: “There’s plenty of room at the bottom”

1986 – Eric Drexler “Engines of Creation”

1990’s – “buckminsterfullerene”

known as “fullerene”

or “buckyballs”The Tiny, Tiny, Tiny World of Nanotechnology

Current work

Nanotubes – folded sheets of carbon atoms

100 times stronger than steel

One sixth the weight of steel


New technology – New Tools Atomic Force Microscope and

Laser Tweezers allow manipulationof individual atoms


Nanotechnology Now!

Technology and applications that are in production or that have been built

and demonstrated to show that the technology works.


The World’s Smallest MotorThe gadget, 250

times smaller than a human hair, in mid-

spin. A gold blade is

attached to an axle made from a carbon

nanotube. The ends are

anchored to two silicon dioxide

electrodes.The Tiny, Tiny, Tiny World of Nanotechnology

http://www.aps.org/

Nanotechnology Applications

• Nanoscale electronics

• Airbag trigger sensor

• Self-cleaning window


Nanotechnology versus Miniaturisation

Machines and computers becoming smaller

Nanotechnology is about building from atoms

NOT just chopping more bits off to make things smaller

Nanotechnology is going to try to copy Nature … so let us look briefly at NatureThe Tiny, Tiny, Tiny World of Nanotechnology


The Size of Things - metres


1.5 - 2 metresScale: mExample: humans


The Size of Things – 10 cm


10 centimetresScale: m x 10-1

Example: Lily and Bee

Copyright © 2000-04 by Bruce Bryson


The Size of Things – 1 cm


1 centimetreScale: m x 10-2

Example: Bee’s Head



The Size of Things – 1 mm


1 millimetreScale: m x 10-3

Example: Bee’s Eye



The Size of Things – 100 µm


100 microns (micrometres)

Scale: m x 10-4

Example: Pollen Grain





10 microns (micrometres)

Scale: m x 10-5

Example:Bacteria





1 micron (micrometre)

Scale: m x 10-6

Example: Virus on a

Bacterium Copyright © 2000-04 by Bruce Bryson


The Size of Things – 100 nm


100 nanometresScale: m x 10-7

Example: Single Virus





10 nanometresScale: m x 10-8

Example: DNA within

a Virus Copyright © 2000-04 by Bruce Bryson

Getting down to basics



1 nanometreScale: m x 10-9

Example: DNA Molecules


Building from very Tiny to Big

DNA 10 nm


A Virus 100 nmBacteria 1 000 nm

Amoeba 10 000 nm

Pollen grain 100 000 nmNematodes 1 000 000 nm

Insects 10 000 000 nmSmall mammals 100 000 000 nmLarge mammals 1 000 000 000

nm

Molecules 1 nm

Learning from Nature

Molecular machines Nature architecture – bottom up Simple building blocks – DNA Nature uses ‘weak’ bonds,

not the solid, covalent bonds of the chemist No mechanic in the cell

- molecular parts snap together


Nanotechnology and Medicine

What will happen in Human Medicine?

Come back for Part 2

Nanotechnology and Medicine

YOUR Project


Medlink 2004Pathology

ProjectNanotechnology inHuman Medicine

andYour Project

Future Nanotechnology

Proposals for future uses

of nanotechnology based

on known possibilities.


Cleaning up Oil Spills

Environmental clean-up is another imagined use for nanobots, with

‘fingers’ built from nanotubes but in

proportions 50,000 times as thin as a

human hair.


Nanotechnology in Medicine

Lots more miniaturisation using nanotechnology components Disease – malfunctioning at cell

level Post-surgery pain treatment Treatment of Diabetes Hybrid Electronic and

Biological SystemsThe Tiny, Tiny, Tiny World of Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology in Medicine

Targeted drugs using ‘biological’ computers to fight cancer Nano-microscope nano-lasers and

nano-‘fountain pens’! Nano-shells to blast cancer cells Nano-particles as homing devices Nano-shuttles – ‘medical posties’


The Research Project

Now it is YOUR turn!

Question:How can I carry out a sophisticated research project with no lab, no budget and limited time?

Answer:Do a Gedankenexperiment


Gedankenexperiment

Gedanken: German for thought, hence Thought Experiment

Mostly used in physics aThought Experiment aims to solve

theoretical problems throughreasoning based on known facts


The Research

Follow up from this lecture with your own research – e.g. Google

Starting with any of my suggestions, or those arising from your research propose your own nanotechnology developments and applications

No ‘Star Trek’ science permitted!

Feel free to explore ethical issuesThe Tiny, Tiny, Tiny World of Nanotechnology

The Research Report Use the Medlink site for follow-up

information

Details lecture slides, notes, references etc

How to submit: [email protected]

When to submit: by March 20 2005

Teamwork is good, expected, but not penalised

Format of paper & length of paper - template

Electronic publication details

Notice board for self-support and questions


The Research Report … and finally!

All details on website from January 10 2005

When to submit by: March 20 2005

Teamwork – collaborate between schools

Notice board for self-support and questions

Marked by June 2005 or earlier Best papers published by September 2005


Medlink 2004 Pathology Project Introduction and Background.

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Transcript of Medlink 2004 Pathology Project Introduction and Background.