Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Week 8: Nanotechnology and Art

This week we learned about the history and development of nanotechnology and how it affects our every day lives. I remember early in my undergraduate career, UCLA held a nanotechnology fair in the Court of Sciences. I was asked to build a tower of blocks while wearing extremely large and bulky gloves. Needless to say, it was extremely difficult. After the activity, I was told that the activity was an analogy for how difficult it is for nanoscientists to build nano-sized structures with modern machines.

A nanotech motor
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I was most intrigued by how nanotechnology is being utilized in the medical field, as its applications are far-reaching and incredibly important for the future of humanity. Currently, nanotechnology is used to deliver drugs, heat, light, or other substances to specific cells in the body. This is a method that is currently being used in the fight against cancer; nanoparticles are being used to deliver drugs directly to cancer cells.

Nano-processors attacking specific cells in the body
<http://media.mehrnews.com/d/2015/08/15/3/1795565.jpg?ts=1458370831520>

As covered in lecture, a few of these drugs are currently available to cancer patients, such as Abraxane, Doxil, and Emendo. Because these drugs target specific cancer cells instead of all the cells of the body, their side-effects are far less dangerous for patients. Additionally, the drugs are more effective at ridding patients of their cancer altogether.


Aside from cancer therapy, nanoparticles are being used to control appetite and cholesterol, to develop better drugs, to replace bones, and far, far more. The future of nanotechnology with respect to medicine is truly astounding. With this technology, we may be able to rid people of debilitating diseases quickly and efficiently. The future is bright.

References:

Gimzewski. "Nanotech for Artists, Part 4." UCLA. Los Angeles, CA. 10 May 2016. Web. 17 May 2016.

Gimzewski. "Nanotech for Artists, Part 5." UCLA. Los Angeles, CA. 10 May 2016. Web. 17 May 2016.

 "Nanotechnology Project." PEN News. Web. 18 May 2016.
<http://www.nanotechproject.org/inventories/medicine/apps/cancer/>

"Nanotechnology in Medicine - Nanomedicine." Nanotechnology in Medicine. Web. 18 May 2016. <http://www.understandingnano.com/medicine.html>.

"Nanotechnology in Medicine (Nanomedicine)." Nanowerk. Web. 18 May 2016. <http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-in-medicine.php>. 
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3 comments:

  1. UnknownMay 22, 2016 at 12:50 PM

    I always enjoy reading your posts because they tend to contain some form of anecdotal or personal experience that provides greater insight on the subject matter. That was true this week as well with your experience at the nanotech fair. I had never thought about it that way, but that activity does indeed put it into perspective how hard it must be for scientists to develop such structures with modern machines and one of the bigger reasons why nanotech is so important.

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  2. UnknownMay 23, 2016 at 11:00 AM

    I think that is is awesome that you had a personal experience regarding nanotechnology. The fact that you got to be apart of a hands on experience must have made this weeks lectures interesting. I think you did a good job showing the correlation of nanotechnology to art!

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  3. Shelly LiMay 25, 2016 at 9:14 PM

    I really enjoyed reading your blog this week! I liked the examples you gave, especially the experience of realizing the difficulty of projects involving nanotechnology. With the increasing popularity of nanotechnology, what future developments do you foresee?

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