What’s hapening with nanofoods
An overview of what nanotechnology applications are being researched, tested and in some cases already applied in food technology.
Nanowerk Spotlight: 2 February 2012
Nanotechnology and the fight against cancer
From diagnostics to drug delivery, clinicians want to take selective aim at tumour cells
The Guardian: 31 January 2012
The holy grail of molecule-making
Nanoscientists are making slow but sure progress towards their goal to make nanotools commonplace in manufacturing.
Guardian Science: 26 January 2012
Nano Form of Titanium Dioxide Can Be Toxic to Marine Organisms
The nanoparticulate form of titanium dioxide ( TiO2) exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can be toxic to marine organisms.
Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University California SB: 20 January 2012
Breast cancer cells targeted, then burned, by gold-filled silicon wafers
Infrared light shone on nano-sized, gold-filled silicon wafers will target and burn breast cancer cells providing a potential non-invasive alternative to surgery.
Nanowerk: 18 January 2012
Researchers Develop “Smart” Nanotherapeutics that Deliver Drugs Directly to Pancreas
New technology could potentially lead to new therapeutics for Type I diabetes with improved efficacy and reduced side effects
Wyss Institute, 12 January 2012
Drew Berry: Animations of unseeable biology
TEDxSydney. Drew Berry shows his scientifically accurate (and entertaining!) animations that reveal the unseeable cellular processes.
TEDxSydney – Jan 2012
Smaller Magnetic Materials Push Boundaries of Nanotechnology
Researchers have stored and retrieved digital 1s and 0s from an array of just 12 atoms, pushing the boundaries of the magnetic storage of information to the edge of what is possible.
New York Times: 12 January 2012
And the New Scientist version
Why sunscreens are in the nanotechnology safety spotlight
With the inevitable march of technology, and recent forays into the field of nanotechnology, is all sunscreen safe?
The Guardian: 12 December 2011
TechNyou
The Friends of the Earth have released their 2011-12 Sunscreen guide this week. TechNyou has commented previously on some of the media and research related to nano sunscreens and the Education Unions decision to recommend that school not use sunscreens with nanoparticles. I will be posting some more details this week about what the latest research findings are on this topic, though I have just come from a seminar outlining some of this research and in a nutshell there is no evidence that the nanoparticles in sunscreen penetrate below the skin layer to be in contact with living cells. THe small amounts that do (at least for the research done with Zinc Oxide) are in quantities about 1000 less than what is naturally found in the body. The caveat here is that it applies to healthy and intact skin. More on this later
Previous commentary
Laser imaging assesses nanoparticles in sunscreen
Education Union and sunscreens
Jason, TechNyou
Nanoparticle mimics virus, offers new route to gene therapy
US researchers synthesized a new family of polymers to make a safe and efficient nanoparticle that can deliver genes into cells to kill them or treat disease.