For this week's lecture, Professor Vesna had guest speaker Dr. Gimzewski lecture on the idea of nanotechnology. Although the field of nanotechology is hard to visualize with the human eye, Dr. Gimzewski stresses the potential it has to change the world through the endless possibilities it opens up.
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| Abraxane has been a very effecive anticancer drug and does not have many potential detrimental effects. |
Nanoparticles, also known as quantum dots, can be used in several different applications and one example is in the field of nanomedicine. Cancer is widely recognized as a very serious and sometimes difficult disease to treat. Anticancer drugs such as Taxel, include toxic chemicals which are detrimental to one's health. However, incorporating nanotechnology has allowed us to reduce the toxicity of anti-cancer treatments. Take for instance, the nanodrug, Abraxane which helps to fight breast cancer. The idea is to make nanosized particles and coat them with the protein albumin which will make the particles soluble, decreasing the toxicity. Furthermore, quantum dots can also be used as markers to illuminate certain diseases.
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| The cosmetic industry has become such a booming industry that the idea of creating safe products has become more and more important. |
We see more incorporation of nanotechnology in the cosmetic industry. Many cosmetic companies have begun to look towards nanotechnology as a viable and safer method of creating their products. Many cosmetic products today contain potential carcinogens, cancer causing chemicals. However, with nanoparticles, there is a way around this. Quantum dots have a very unique property of being a semiconductor. Due to this, when enlarged, the dots appear as black, however, as the dots become smaller, they begin to produce different colors. Adjusting the size of the nanoparticle produces different colors, meaning that we can obtain every color just by adjusting the size. These quantum dots could possibly become a replacement for cosmetic products today, and essentially revolutionize the industry. Quantum dots can also be used as markers to tag particular proteins.
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| Quantum dots are able to turn into any color on the spectrum. |
As we have discussed, the possibilities that come with nanotechnology are endless. Nanoparticles have not only made an impact in changing medicine and skincare, but also they are slowly being more and more integrated into these industries. While it has made such a big impact worldwide, there are opponents who elucidate the fact that nanoparticles may possibly have detrimental effects on the ecosystem. However, regardless of what people may say, nanotechnology has advanced significantly throughout the years, and will continue to integrate itself into the world, affecting not only artworks but also in medicine, and other industry.
Abraxane. Drugs.com. N.p., N.d. Web.
https://www.drugs.com/abraxane.html
Gimzewski, K. Jim. Nanotech Jim pt1. Youtube. Youtube. 21 May. 2012. Web. 28 May. 2017.
Gimzewski, K. Jim. Nanotech Jim pt4. Youtube. Youtube. 21 May. 2012. Web. 28 May. 2017.
Gimzewski, K. Jim. Nanotech Jim pt6. Youtube. Youtube. 21 May. 2012. Web. 28 May. 2017.
Quantum Dots. nanosys. N.p., N.d. Web.
http://www.nanosysinc.com/what-we-do/quantum-dots/
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