It is the study and development of systems on a nanometric scale, nanotechnology is responsible for studying matter from a measurement that ranges from 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanotechnology is used to define techniques that are applied at the nanoscale level, that is, extremely small measurements that allow working and manipulating molecular structures and their atoms.
nanoscience-nanotechnology-itaiThe word “nano” comes from the Greek “νάνος” which means dwarf. It is a prefix of the International System of Units equivalent to a factor of 10 -9, which, applied to units of length, corresponds to one billionth of a meter (10 -9 meters), that is, 1 Nanometer.
To put it in perspective, the measurement of an atom is less than 1 nanometer, while that of a molecule can be greater. It is at this scale that totally new phenomena can be observed that serve to discover properties that are governed under the laws of Quantum Mechanics, used by researchers to create new materials or technological devices, this generates the possibility of manufacturing nanomaterials and nanomachines to starting from the rearrangement of atoms and molecules.
All these advances have the potential to provide solutions to multiple problems facing humanity today, among which energy, environmental and health stand out, however their application could become unlimited.
History of Nanotechnology
| Brief Timeline | |
| 1936 | Erwin Müller at Siemens invented the field emission microscope, which made it possible to achieve near-atomic resolution images of materials. |
| 1940 | Von Neuman is studying the possibility of creating systems that reproduce themselves as a way to reduce costs. |
| 1956 | Arthur von Hippel at MIT coined the term "molecular engineering." |
| 1958 | Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments designs and builds the first integrated circuit, for which he would later receive the Nobel Prize in 2000. |
| 1959 | Richard Feynman (1965 Nobel Prize in Physics) speaks at a conference on the future of scientific research: "In my view, the principles of physics do not speak out against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom". He made great contributions to Quantum Mechanics and Particle Physics. |
| 1974 | Norio Taniguchi of the Tokyo University of Sciences coined the term nanotechnology in the dimensional framework at the atomic scale. |
| 1985 | Buckminsterfullerenes (family of fullerenes or footballlerenes) are first discovered by Harold Koto, James Heath, Sean O'Brien, Robert Curl and Richard Smalley at Rice University. |
| nineteen ninety six | Harry Kroto (along with other colleagues) wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering fullerenes |
| 1997 | Researchers at Cornell University make the smallest guitar in the world. It is about the size of a red blood cell. |
| 1998 | It is possible to convert a carbon nanotube into a nanopencil that was able to write in a space of 2 × 2 nanometers. |
| 1999 | Consumer products that make use of nanotechnology are beginning to appear on the market:
• Dent and scratch resistant car bumpers • Golf balls flying straight • Tennis rackets that are stiffer • Baseball bats with better flexibility • Antibacterial nano-silver socks • Transparent sunscreens • Wrinkle-free and stain-resistant clothing • Deep penetrating therapeutic cosmetics • Scratch resistant glass liners • Faster recharging batteries for cordless power tools • Screen enhancements for televisions, cell phones and digital cameras |
| 2001 | James Gimzewski enters the Guinness Book of Records for having invented the smallest calculator in the world. |
| Main Advances in Research | |
| 2003 | Naomi Halas, Jennifer West, Rebeca Drezek, and Renata Pasqualin at Rice University develop gold nanocapsules, which when "tuned" in size to absorb near-infrared light, serve as a platform for integrated cancer discovery, diagnosis, and treatment without invasive biopsies, surgery or destructive systemic radiation or chemotherapy. |
| 2006 | James Tour and his colleagues at Rice University build a nanoscale "car" made of oligo (ethynylene phenylene) with alkynyl axles and four spherical C60 fullerene wheels (buckyball). In response to increases in temperature, the nanocar was moving on a gold surface as a result of the wheels - buckyball, like a conventional car moves. At temperatures above 300 ° C it was moving too fast for chemists to keep track of it. |
| 2007 | Angela Belcher and colleagues are building a lithium-ion battery at MIT with a type of virus that is not harmful to humans, using a low-cost and environmentally benign procedure. Batteries have the same energy capacity and energy performance as state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries (hybrid cars, personal electronic devices). |
| 2009 | Nadrian Seeman and colleagues at New York University create several nanoscale devices with a robotic assembly of DNA, through a process of creating 3D DNA structures using synthetic sequences of DNA crystals that can be programmed for self-assembly using ends. sticky and placement in a set order and orientation.
Seeman and colleagues from China's Nanjing University create a "DNA assembly line." |
| 2010 | IBM uses a silicon tip that measures only a few nanometers at its apex (similar to the tips used in atomic force microscopes) to chisel material from a substrate and create a complete 3D nanoscale map of the world (about the size of one thousandth part of a grain of salt) in just 2 minutes and 23 seconds.
This activity demonstrates a powerful methodology to generate patterns and structures at the nanoscale (15 nanometers) with a great reduction in costs, opening new perspectives in fields such as • Electronics • Optoelectronics Medicine. |
| 2013 | Researchers at Stanford University develop the first set of carbon nanotubes. |
Development of Nanotechnology
The development of the discipline of Nanotechnology takes place from the proposals of Richard Feynman (from the year 1959).
The use and design of materials at an atomic scale (between 1 nanometer and 1 micrometer) is known as the art of the small, which currently has an enormous impact in extremely varied fields of study. A fundamental component of this is multidisciplinarity, since it requires the integration of various sciences to generate new tools and technologies.
Nanoscience
It is an area that deals with the study of materials of very small dimensions, which is why it differs from chemistry, physics or biology because this field is being studied from an extremely small dimension for a better understanding of the world and the universe, that is,, studies objects of sizes ranging from tenths to hundreds of nanometers.
Scales
1 nanometer = 0.000000001 meters (one billionth of a meter). 1 millimeter = 1,000,000 nanometers.
Its importance in the scientific field lies in the creation of new instruments capable of analyzing the natural physical, chemical and biological phenomena of matter on a microscopic scale.
The origin of these studies dates back to the beginning of the eighties, when one of the microscopes capable of observing atoms was invented in Switzerland. Later the Atomic Force Microscope was invented, which was able to see and analyze different types of materials that could be investigated. Currently there are an infinity of instruments that facilitate research in different fields at the atomic level. For some years now, most countries have created initiatives to promote nanoscience and nanotechnology, through universities and the creation of specialized laboratories.
Nanomaterials
They are all those materials developed with at least one dimension on the nanometric scale. When this length is also of the order or less than some critical physical length, such as the Fermi Level, or a magnetic domain 4, new properties appear that allow the development of materials and devices with completely new functionalities and characteristics.
This area includes
- Atomic aggregates (clusters) Particles up to 100 nanometers in diameter Fibers with diameters less than 100 nanometers Sheets with a thickness of less than 100 nanometers Nanopores less than 100 nanometers (created by proteins or materials) Composite materials containing some of these elements
The composition of nanomaterials can be diverse, although among the most important are carbides, nitrides, silicates, oxides, tellides, sulfides, borides, selenides, halides, metal alloys, metals, organic polymers and composite materials.
| Silicates | Carbides | Nitrides | Oxides | Borides | Selenides | |||||
| Telluriums | Sulfides | Metal alloys | Metals | Organic polymers | Composite materials |
Importance
The integration of nanomaterials is horizontal in nature, since it has the ability to influence all socioeconomic sectors, since its application is only limited by the resources that can be allocated to research. The application of these can occur in the sectors of health and health, electrical energy, textile industry, information and communication technologies (ICT), security and transport, with enormous economic potential.
The National Science Foundation of the United States estimates that nanotechnology moved one billion dollars in the world in 2015 ($ 1.012 million), the nanomaterials segment representing 31% of the total.
The importance of Nanomaterials is that it gives rise to new properties in materials as well as improving existing ones. These materials also have the potential to give rise to technologies that replace existing ones with much lower costs, both in raw materials and in production.
Nanobiotechnology
Nanobiotechnology combines numerous scientific disciplines such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, chemistry, nanomaterials, and systems engineering.
Nanotechnology offers life sciences new materials and tools that may have new and better features or that can significantly improve their current operation. Seen from another point of view, biology offers nanotechnology unimaginable opportunities to explore, learn, and use functional nanostructures that are inherent in living things.
Therefore nanobiotechnology is
much more than the convergence between nanotechnology and biotechnology and covers two major areas of action:
- The application of tools, components and processes of Nanotechnology to biological systems (nanomedicine), developing tools to prevent and treat diseases in initial stages. The use of biological systems as a guide for the development of new products (nanodevices).
These areas are emerging to generate a great impact in the near future due to their important applications, especially in the generation of diagnoses and the creation of specialized therapies.
There are currently great advances in the early detection of deadly diseases such as cancer, which will be mentioned later, this will allow to give rise to new diagnostic systems, so its early treatment at the cellular level, therapies of greater efficacy than existing ones and less invasive diseases, as well as the subsequent monitoring of their evolution, will be possible in the near future thanks to the application of nanobiotechnological tools under development, which would translate into a better quality of life.
Challenges
There are great challenges to solve today, those that are seen as a necessity in the biological and health areas at the moment are:
| Disease detection | Tissue regeneration |
The ability to detect early the presence of diseases, whether congenital or developed, external factors and genetic defects.
The ability to regenerate damaged organs and tissues within the human body.
Finding an effective, inexpensive solution without long-term side effects or repercussions for these challenges would have a great impact on humanity's quality of life.
It is not a secret that there is an increase in the rate of chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes or hypertension and in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and arrhythmias, as well as cancer of different types. However, in the same way there is an increase in life expectancy but with a higher incidence of diseases.
This should be an impetus for the search for new diagnostic and therapeutic methods that are faster and more efficient than the current ones and that also reduce the costs of analyzes and services to the maximum, while at the same time being less invasive for patients..
Nanomedicine
Nanotechnology is used to control and manipulate matter on a nanometric scale (at the level of atoms and molecules). Among its research and applications it can focus on the area of health, this is called nanomedicine and it is one of the most promising aspects for the advancement of medical research, seeking the possibility of detecting and curing diseases from a cellular level approach. So the goal of nanomedicine is to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases when they are in little advanced stages.
Nanoscale tools and techniques allow the design of nanomaterials with new and improved characteristics. This should make possible the understanding and manipulation of living cells and biological components, so it is opening a potential way to obtain new biosensors, nano-tools or targeted drug delivery systems.
These advances are generated by the integration of nanotechnology, biology and medicine.
Nanobiosensors
These nano-tools are used to detect diseases and have great potential for the development of non-invasive therapies.
| Carbon nanotubes | Micro levers | Photonic resonators | ||
| Quantum dots | Nanointerferometer | Photonic crystals |
- Carbon nanotubes Microlevers Photonic resonators Quantum dots Nanointerferometer Photonic crystals
Investigation
| Administration of
medicines |
New materials for grafts |
Administering drugs in a more direct and efficient way and the development of new materials for grafts, among others, are some of the advances currently being worked on in many laboratories in nanotechnology centers around the world.
- The possibility of designing sensors that are activated when certain biological constants change. For example, diabetic patients could benefit from receiving insulin encapsulated in artificial cells, which let it out when blood glucose rises. This also makes examinations very easy, even at home for self-diagnosis. Biosensors have been used for many applications, for example, to detect the presence of anthrax. Porous silicone can also be used as a smart drug delivery system. Unlike the traditional one, it is biocompatible and has no toxic effects. The porous characteristic was created with nanotechnology, and grafts can also be made with it. "It is a spectacular platform, very useful and also silicone is cheap",affirms Ford…. Other vehicles are dendrimers which consist of branched polymers. Each rope can have different properties. Dendrimers could be swallowed and perform a number of rather complicated functions, such as looking for damage within the body and repairing it. (Picked up at the German Clinic).
Within medical research, it is considered that there are potential fields that could mean a revolution in specialized care and treatments, among which the following stand out:
| Prevention | Monitoring | Tissue repair | Control | |||||||||
| Systems defense | Diagnostics | Administration of
medicines |
||||||||||
- Health prevention Imaging monitoring Tissue repair and regeneration Control of disease progress Improvement and defense of human biological systems Generation of diagnoses, treatments and disease prevention Administration of medications at the cellular level.
Nanodiagnosis
Its objective is to identify the appearance of a disease in its early stages at the cellular level and ideally at the level of a single cell, through the use of nanoparticles and nanodevices such as nanobiosensors, DNA biochips, laboratories-on-a-chip, nano-clamps. or nanoprobes.
At present, the most widely used nanodevice are nanoparticles, structures of a few nanometers (1-10nm) that will emit light (of different colors) when illuminated with light of a certain wavelength, thus serving as biological markers.
These nanoparticles are being investigated for the diagnosis of tumors, since they could be designed so that they bind specifically to cancer cells and thus detect the tumor in vivo even earlier than could be done with the techniques currently used.
For this to be possible and to bind in a specific way, they carry on their surface antibodies against tumor proteins, and so that they are not detected and taken up by macrophages (the cells of the immune system that "eat" or phagocytose pathogens and other harmful molecules for our body) are coated with polyethylene glycol. This diagnostic method is still in the animal experimentation phase, but if it passes all the study phases, it can be used in humans, with all the social, health and economic impact that this entails.
The application of these tools would allow developing a faster response capacity to detect and treat diseases, repair or regrow damaged tissues and even human organs.
Nanosystems can be applied in-vitro or in-vivo. In in-vitro diagnostic applications, nanodevices are capable of detecting with great speed, precision and sensitivity the presence of pathogens or defects in DNA from samples of body fluids or tissues. In in-vivo diagnostic applications, biocompatible devices can be developed that, for example, can penetrate the human body to identify early stages of a disease, identify and quantify the presence of a certain molecule or cancer cells.
Nanomedicine thus becomes a fundamental branch of the promising applications of nanoscience. Probably one of the most powerful for humans. There are not a few who warn of non-negligible risks that may be linked to these advances.
Challenges of Nanomedicine
Nanomedicine faces the challenge of developing nanotherapies that specifically target diseased tissues and organs, thus avoiding damaging healthy cells that are in the perimeter of action.
One of the great areas of research is cancer, as there is a lot of long-term potential. The hope is to develop an anticancer therapy without major repercussions on the immune system. The National Cancer Institute of the United States has a program with the objective of eradicating cancer based on the following points:
- Diagnostic and imaging systems that allow detecting the onset of a cancerous process and that is capable of identifying the type of cancer.Multifunctional devices capable of avoiding biological barriers to transport multiple therapeutic agents directly to cancer cells and those tissues that play a role critical in cancer growth and metastasis Systems that provide real-time information on the therapeutic and / or surgical effects on the tumor site Agents that can predict molecular changes and prevent precancerous cells from becoming malignant.
Although one of the main drivers in the development of nanomedicine is to improve the diagnosis of diseases and their treatment, the opportunities of this branch can be extended to other areas:
| Drug design | Environmental monitoring | Cosmetics | ||||||
| Energies | electronics | |||||||
Nanomachines
The term nanomachines refers to the molecular manufacturing of assembly machines (assembler), micromachines, quantum machines or nanorobots, with which it is intended to minimize the costs of manufacturing, raw materials, energy and elements that intervene in their development, with a possible application in the area of nanomedicine (prevention and treatment of diseases, tissue repair, among others).
At present it is treated looks like a futuristic field of investigation subject to the construction of assemblers. An assembler is a nano-sized construction machine that allows the manipulation of atoms to generate individual molecules.
Among the challenges of nanotechnology focused on this area, is the reproduction of an assembler from itself with the ability to reprogram itself. This would give it the ability to make a complete copy of itself from the raw materials and energy it has, mimicking the function of cell reproduction. MIT indicates that the possible solution is found in lithography, by means of nanoprinting (nanolithography).
The theoretical principle says that by obtaining a sufficient amount of assemblers available, the first nanomachines will have the mission of reprogramming themselves to produce something more useful, following the function of some bacteria that can be reprogrammed to perform genetic engineering tasks.
There are important advances in this area, managing to insert a particular protein into the genes of a bacterium. One of the first examples of this is the immune system hormone interferon..
There are three families of interferons
| White blood cells | Fibroblasts | Lymphocytes |
- Type a or interferon of leukocytes, are white blood cells. Type b or interferon of the fibroblast, are the cells of connective tissue. Type g or interferon of the lymphocyte, are the cells of the immune system.
Nanomachines could mean a new industrial revolution for humanity and the conception of a different life in a completely different environment. The social, business and political implications would be far-reaching.
farming
In an area as important as agriculture, nanotechnology can generate a solution for the treatment of plant diseases, the early detection of the pathogens that produce them, improvement of the assimilation of essential nutrients by plants and even the construction of nanobiosensors important in certain biological processes.
Its use can increase the effectiveness of commercial pesticides and insecticides by reducing their amount of application to the soil to significantly lower doses required for crops with the environmental improvement that this implies. Some studies estimate between 13 and 14% of total agricultural production is lost due to insects, pests and weeds.
Traditional strategies to reduce these losses are based on strategies such as crop rotation, the use of healthy and resistant plant varieties, changes in planting periods and integrated pest management, which implies biological control of them. however, they are only effective on a small scale.
The industrialization of agriculture has caused these techniques to be discarded in favor of other more effective but more aggressive with the environment. Synthetic chemicals have been used to control and reduce these losses. One of the problems of the massive use of these substances is that they also eliminated, together with insects and pests, their natural enemies. In addition, their abuse for many years has generated a selective pressure that today many species resistant to them have generated.
There are studies that confirm that metallic nanoparticles are effective against plant, insect and pest pathogens. In fact, nanoparticles can be used as new formulations of pesticides, insecticides and insect repellants through nanoemulsion or nanoencapsulation techniques.
The future of the agricultural industry can happen by using these materials as nanopesticides, nanofungicides and nanoherbicides.
Current Investigations
Molecular Computing
Work is being done on molecular computation based on the ability of DNA to store and process information, achieving a data encoding in DNA chains and using molecular biology techniques to carry out arithmetic and logical operations.
Cancer Diagnosis
Current research is focused on using nanotechnology to change the way cancer is diagnosed, understood, and treated. An example of this is carried out at the CIQA (Center for Research in Applied Chemistry) through the project "Nanotechnology against cancer, nanodevices" that has the purpose of developing nanodevices based on microemulsions to fight cancer.
A microemulsion is formulated by combining a surfactant, oil and water in suitable proportions. This research performs tests with essential oils such as peppermint, cinnamon and thyme, in the same way that with their derivatives, with vitamin E, and jojoba oil, all of which have anticancer properties.
Once the microemulsions are formed, they are loaded with drugs such as pactlitaxel or methotrexate, used for the treatment of cancer diseases and with the active curcumin. The nanodevice that the researchers form will be tested on various types of cancer cell lines such as the cervix, breast, prostate or leukemia to fight the disease and also determine the damage that is done to healthy cells.
Among the novelties presented by this technology is to enhance the anticancer activity of drugs with oils and eliminate side effects in patients such as dizziness, vomiting, hair loss, among others. It is also intended that these nanodevices are low cost to facilitate access to them by patients.
To date, the project is in the preclinical studies stage, so it is estimated that it is 30% complete. The expectation is that in 5 years it will be possible to transfer knowledge for its production by pharmaceutical companies.
Nanotherapy
Within this branch is the localized release of drugs. This therapy would allow that by acting in a localized way, the doses of the drug could be reduced in addition to having a more personalized treatment, so that the secondary damages associated with the treatment would be less. The basis of this nanotherapy is similar to that of nanodiagnosis: the drug is inside a particle that has specific receptors on its surface so that it is directed directly to the place of interest and only there is the drug released. This method also prevents the drug from undergoing modifications and changes its properties until it reaches its target of action.
Vaccines
A research team from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (under the Chinese Academy of Sciences) has developed a flu vaccine using nanotechnology, this nanovaccine is administered through the nose and can attack a broad spectrum of flu viruses and induce a powerful immune response.
The study shows that an intranasal nanovaccine was effective against H1N1 and H9N2 virus infections in mice. The results suggest that the nanovaccine may work against multiple types of flu. The particularity of this method is that it is administered through the nose, avoiding the use of needles.
Coatings
The Technology Center for Components of Spain is working on a coating that prolongs the useful life of cement, marble and composite materials installed outdoors, making them more resistant to external agents such as water, light and abrasion.
These structural materials and fibers require a very elaborate design, in addition to finding a way to have a low cost to replace traditional structural materials.
Nano Solar Cells
A photovoltaic material is being developed that spreads like plastic or paint. It is expected that it can be integrated with other construction materials, in addition to having low production costs.
Tissue Engineering
Its mission is to replace traditional organ transplants. A method in which joints are injected with engineered mixtures of polymers, cells and growth stimulators that solidify and form healthy tissues is currently about to be implemented.
Tissue engineering evolved from the field of biomaterial development and refers to the practice of combining biologically active scaffolds, cells, and molecules to create functional tissues. The goal of tissue engineering is to collect ideas or theories that restore, maintain, or improve damaged tissues or entire organs. Artificial skin and cartilage are examples of engineered tissues that have been cleared by the FDA.
It currently plays a small role in treating patients. Supplemental bladders, small arteries, skin grafts, cartilage, and even a complete trachea have been implanted in patients, but the procedures are still experimental and very expensive. While the tissues of more complex organs such as the heart, lung and liver have been successfully recreated in the laboratory, there is still a long way to go before they are fully reproducible and ready to be implanted in a patient.
It is intended to achieve the regeneration of certain tissues damaged by different causes (burns or mutilations, for example).
Nanomedicine groups three fundamental research areas:
| Nanodiagnosis | Drug release | Regeneration |
- Nanodiagnosis develops analysis and imaging systems to detect a disease or cell malfunction in the earliest possible stages. Drug delivery nanosystems transport drugs only to cells or affected areas because this way the treatment will be more effective and with Fewer side effects Regenerative medicine aims to repair or replace damaged tissues and organs by applying nanobiotechnological tools.
Small-sized surgical tools and nano-clamps are already being developed that would make it possible to locate, destroy or repair damaged cells.
Investigations at NIBIB
Research supported by the NIBIB (National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering) includes the development of new scaffold materials and new tools to fabricate, image, monitor, and preserve engineered tissues.
Stem Cell Control
A way to control how stem cells turn into other types of cells is being sought, in the hope of creating new therapies. Two NIBIB researchers have grown pluripotent cells - stem cells that have the ability to turn into any class of cells - in different types of defined spaces and found that this confinement triggered very specific networks of genes that determined the ultimate fate for the cells.
The discovery that there is a biomechanical element to control how stem cells transform into other types of cells is an important piece of the puzzle.
Liver implant
Human liver tissue has been manufactured for implantation in a mouse. The mouse also retains its own liver, and therefore its normal function, but the add-on piece of manufactured human liver can metabolize drugs in the same way that humans do. This allows researchers to test susceptibility to toxicity and demonstrate species-specific responses that would not typically appear until clinical trials.
Creation of Mature Bone Stem Cells
The first study was conducted that has made it possible to bring stem cells from their pluripotent state to mature bone grafts that could potentially be transplanted into a patient. Furthermore, the study concluded that when the bone was implanted in immunodeficient mice, no abnormal growths occurred afterwards.
Regeneration Of A New Kidney
Regeneration was developed by experimenting on rat, pig and human cells, first separating the cells from a donor organ and using the remainder of the collagen scaffold to help guide the growth of the new tissue. To regenerate viable kidney tissue, the researchers seeded the kidney scaffolds with epithelial and endothelial cells. The resulting organ tissue was able to clear metabolites, reabsorb nutrients, and produce urine in rats both in vitro and in vivo.
Textile Protection
For years there has been a pressure to innovate in the protection of textile finishes in order to comply with regulations, due to the large amounts of contaminants that are discarded. Nano-Care Deutschland has developed innovative coatings for textiles and other surfaces. In particular, the corporation accompanies private label clients on their path as surface coatings producers, chemical distributors or users of high-tech surface finishes.
Coppel
The Coppel department chain is an example of how to incorporate nanotechnology into its commercial offer. These coatings are easy to apply and are ideal for protecting fabrics whether in shoes, furniture, clothing, aprons, etc., in addition. In the case of objects that manage to get stained, the removal of dirt is facilitated.
According to data from the commercial chain, the first stage of testing for coatings based on nanotechnology will be available in a total of 17 demarcations of the national territory:
Culiacán, León, Gómez Palacio, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Azcapotzalco, Hermosillo, Puebla, Villahermosa, Iztapalapa, Cuautitlán, Ixtapaluca, Tecámac, Veracruz, Mérida, San Pedro Tlaquepaque and Toluca.
Carbon Nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes from other elements probably represent the most important by-product of fullerene research to date. Nanotubes are made up of one or more sheets of graphite or other material wrapped around themselves. Some nanotubes are closed by a fullerene half sphere, and others are not closed.
Applications
- Carbon nanotubes offer new gene therapy techniques Nanotube transistors Filter creation Bacteria elimination Dampen vibrations
Risks
Nanoparticles
A team of Mexican researchers has developed a unique catalog in the world. Through this catalog in which researchers can consult which nanomaterials or nanoparticles may be harmful. It is expected to set a global trend because, unlike those that exist in Europe, it encompasses information from all areas of knowledge that use nanotechnology.
With the aim of publicizing a list of nanomaterials or nanoparticles that could represent a risk to human health and the environment, a multidisciplinary group of more than 450 Mexican scientists are working on the development of the National System for Nanotoxicological Assessment (Sinanotox) in Mexico.
Sinanotox consists of developing a toxicological test battery system that allows researchers, government and industry to evaluate the occupational risks and performance of nanomaterials when exposed to different organisms, as well as related microbiological studies. Studies related to the simulation of living tissues when exposed to different nanometric materials are also included.
Some of the main risks of nanoparticles are related to the biological and chemical effects that human beings have, in addition to their circulation and concentration in the environment, which can represent a danger to organisms or ecosystems, he said. Luna Bárcenas.
Transgenic
From 1988 to 2017, the planting and distribution of transgenic products in Mexico has been increasing, refer data from the Center for Studies for Change in the Mexican Countryside (CECCAM). Between 2005 and 2017, only four states did not have permission to grow this type of product, which are Mexico City, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Tabasco. In addition, in the last 30 years, Mexico went from prohibition to the gradual apogee of the legal production and commercialization of transgenic products in much of its territory.
The problem with transgenic crops is that the consequences they produce in terms of health and environment are not known with certainty. According to CECCAM, most of the companies that promote this growing business are foreign, especially Bayer and Monsanto, the latter being the main beneficiary as of the PAN Vicente Fox's six-year term.
The problem is that the genetic engineering applied to create transgenics modifies the genes without controlling where and how many are altered in the recipient organism and without knowing what side effects they can cause. In addition to this, the planting of transgenics in Mexico is carried out in protected natural areas, in centers of origin of food and in the best irrigated lands.
Between 2005 and August 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) authorized the release of transgenics in 24 states of the Republic: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatán and Zacatecas.
Between 2005 and 2017, the requests for the release of transgenics into the environment focused on the production and importation of seeds, and the commercialization of nine types of crops:
- Alfalfa (3 requests out of 13 approved) Cotton (308 requests approved out of 405) Canola (0 requests approved out of 2) Beans (1 request approved out of 1) Mexican Lemon (3 requests approved out of 6) Corn (194 requests approved out of 327) Orange Sweet (0 approved requests out of 3) Soy (43 requests approved out of 52) Wheat (43 requests approved out of 44)
In the specific case of corn, although there is a legal process that has canceled the cultivation of transgenics, however, import is allowed.
The granting of transgenic release permits started in three phases:
Phase 1. Experimental release with controls to avoid the contact of transgenics with the population and the environment.
Between 2005 and August 2017, 21 states of the Mexican Republic entered the experimental phase for the release of transgenics (Aguascalientes, Campeche, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz and Zacatecas).
Phase 2. Pilot programs that may or may not include such containment measures
Likewise, in that period, eight states entered the pilot phase (Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas and Veracruz).
Phase 3. Commercial release (permits with indefinite validity to produce and distribute transgenics among the population).
There are currently 15 states in the commercial phase of transgenics (Baja California, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Yucatán).
Thesis proposal
Proposal
Creation of laboratories focused on the study of nanotechnology at the National Technological Institute of Mexico to develop tools to improve the quality of life of citizens
Proposal 2
Develop nanobots that allow measuring the concentration of various substances in water and determine if it is ideal for human consumption.
Proposal 3
Creation of nanomachines that allow controlling different parameters in the water of aquaponic seeding systems, generating solutions in fish and plant diseases to ensure their quality for human consumption.
Proposal 4
Development of nanomachines that allow studying the behavior of HIV at different stages of the disease through the controlled application of various drugs.
conclusion
Nanotechnology is a discipline that allows humanity to develop tools to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of the world, as well as reduce the impact on the environment due to the various activities carried out.
The power to cure diseases that today torment a large part of the inhabitants of different nations does not seem far off. Studies can provide solutions not only to health problems, but also to serious problems such as the imminent spread of humanity by pollution, through the joint efforts of nations. In the same way, nanotechnology allows us to better understand the world and the processes that take place in it, this is of the utmost importance since we have not managed to replicate a large part of the cellular activities of our body and the physical and chemical phenomena of nature because they are extremely complex processes but it is certain that soon a way will be found to replicate them, this will bring solutions that are accessible to all.
Reference sources
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It is the minimum amount of material necessary for a nuclear chain reaction to be maintained. It depends on properties such as density, enrichment and fission cross section, shape and purity.
Top of the set of electron energy level at absolute zero temperature. At this temperature they are at the lowest level of energy available. This implies that the vast majority of electrons cannot receive energy from electrical and thermal processes. 4 It is a region within a magnetic material that has uniform magnetization. This means that the magnetic moments of the individual atoms are aligned with each other and point in the same direction.
Small group of atoms or molecules.
Nanometric robots the size of an atom are mostly in the research and development phase.
Printing technique that consists of tracing a drawing, a text or a photograph on a limestone or a metal plate.
They are glycoproteins that are secreted by virus-infected vertebrate cells. After binding to surface receptors on other cells, interferons turn into an antiviral state, which prevents the replication of a wide variety of RNA and DNA viruses.
Substance that is influenced by surface tension at the contact surface between two phases.
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