Definitions
- nanotechnology: the branch of technology that deals with the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules.
- nanotube: a cylinder molecule of fullerene
- A group of Canadian scientists have discovered a breakthrough in nanotechnology that could benefit medicine. These scientists at McGill Universities have began to develop a way to have nanotubes transfer medicine throughout the human body. The researchers said they made examples of DNA nanotubes that could hold and give off small cargo when a specific strand of DNA is introduced. Before, nanotubes could only be made into a simple cylinder, but now complex shapes that could be used to hold in material, or porous to let out material can be made. However, this is as far as the new discovery goes, but eventually, this can be used to have medicine that only begins to react in the presence of a certain virus or bacteria.
- This article interested me mainly because of nanotechnology. The fact that such small objects can be used in medicine is pretty amazing. Also, if this nanotech is improved on, we could develop types of medicines that would only activate when around certain illnesses. That means we could make all sorts of different vaccines or cures for diseases that we previously not possible.
- Could this technology be used to learn about the human body at an incredibly small scale?
- How would different shapes and designs of the nanotubes affect its ability to move in the human body?
- "Nano DNA system may deliver medicines." Science Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 Jan. 2011.
- http://www.xintek.com/images/nanotube.jpg
