NANOTECH INNOVATIONS

Introduction

Nanotechnology has been heralded as a new industrial revolution - as in the 18th and 19th centuries, nanotech has the potential to bring about drastic changes in the agricultural industry. The development of new nanotech-based tools and equipment may help to increase efficiency and overcome challenges faced by the agricultural industry.

Some of these challenges include the increasing threats to agricultural production and risks of plant-related diseases. The agricultural sector will benefit greatly from nanotech-based tools to detect diseases in a rapid manner, improve the ability of plants to absorb nutrients and promote molecular treatment of diseases.

Precision Farming

The process of maximizing crop yields and minimizing the usage of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides through efficient monitoring procedures is referred to as precision farming. Precision farming utilizes remote sensing devices, computers and global satellite positioning systems to analyze various environmental conditions in order to determine the growth of plants under these conditions and identify problems related to crops and their growing environments. Precision farming helps determine plant development, soil conditions, usage of water and chemicals, fertilizers and seeding and controls environmental pollution to a minimum extent by reducing agricultural waste.

The implementation of nanotechnology in the form of small sensors and monitoring devices will create a positive impact on the future use of precision farming methodologies. Nanotech-enabled systems help in increasing the use of autonomous sensors that are linked into GPS systems to provide efficient monitoring services focused on crop growth and soil conditions. The usage of smart sensors in precision farming will result in increased agricultural productivity by providing farmers with accurate information that will enable them to make accurate decisions related to plant growth and soil suitability.

Nano Delivery Systems

There are many regulatory restrictions placed on pesticides in agriculture today. Pesticides such as DDT, which have caused extreme environmental hazards, have increased public and regulatory awareness of the use of chemicals in farming, shifting the industry's focus on to the use of integrated pest management systems, combining smarter and more targeted use of chemicals with granular monitoring of plant health.

These agricultural systems can make excellent use of nanotech-enabled “smart” devices that can perform a dual role of being a preventive and early warning system. These devices can identify plant related health issues even before they become visible to the farmers and simultaneously provide remedial measures. These nanotech systems can also be used to monitor the delivery of chemicals.

User-friendly and eco-friendly nano delivery systems for nutrients and pesticides have started to find their place in the market. These can allow the use of pesticides with the absolute minimum risk of environmental damage. Companies have implemented nanoemulsions in commercial pesticide products.

Nanotechnology in Food

Nanotechnologists are hoping that nanotechnology will transform the entire food industry by bringing about changes in the production, processing, packaging, transportation and consumption of food. Usage of nanotechnology in these processes ensures safety of food products, creates a healthy food culture and enhances the nutritional quality of foods.

Smart food packaging systems can be developed using nanotechnology that in turn increases the shelf-life of food products by developing active antifungal and antimicrobic surfaces, improving heat-resistance and mechanical properties, modifying the permeation behavior of foils and detecting and signaling biochemical and microbiological changes.

A number of companies have started to develop Smart Packaging systems - one such company is Bayer Polymers, who developed the Durethan KU2-2601 packaging film whose key purpose is to prevent drying of food content and protect the food content from oxygen and moisture. This packaging film is made from a number of silicate nanoparticles.

Usage of nanotechnology in food processing is creating a tremendous impact on the development of interactive and functional foods that deliver nutrients and respond to the body’s requirements in an efficient manner. Nanocapsules are added into food products in order to deliver nutrients and nanoparticles when added to food increase the absorption of nutrients.

An increasing number of companies are researching on additives that can be easily absorbed by the body and increase product shelf life. Biodelivery Sciences International developed coiled nanoparticles called nanocochleates that deliver nutrients and omega fatty acids to cells without causing any changes to the taste and color of food.

Recent Developments

With nanotechnology gaining recognition in the agricultural and food sectors, scientists and experts in the scientific field have recently showcased their nanotechnology expertise to farmers in Africa. Three significant innovations were demonstrated:

The European Union’s Horizon 2020 research program has invested heavily in the development of nanotechnology products including other advanced technologies. A UN Food and Agriculture Organization conference also highlighted the benefits of using nanotechnology to secure food products in view of the growing population in the entire world.

Despite this urge to increase the usage of nanotechnology in food products, scientists behind a Swiss-funded study have highlighted the fact that the potential risks of using nanotechnology must be considered, as fertilizers and plant protection products containing nanoparticles may harm the earth’s biosystems. It is important that nano-enhanced products wich as these go through the same rigorous approval processes that are applied to conventional pesticides and fertilizers, and that care is taken in their use to minimize their release into groundwater.

Conclusion

Nanotechnology will play a vital role in the development of the agricultural sector, as it is capable of being used in agricultural products that protect plants and monitor plant growth and detect diseases. Scientists have been working towards exploring new applications of nanotechnology in agriculture and the food industry - if these discoveries are applied sensibly, the environment, the agricultural sector and the food industry will indeed see tremendous changes for the better in the coming years.

What is nanotechnology:-

Nanotechnology is the branch of science which deals with the particles or things 100 nanometers in size. It is associated with the development of materials which are very small in size and it also discusses their properties and functions. The properties of nanoparticles are unique; they are not similar to the compounds made through different chemical processes. With biological point of view, nanotechnology deals with the particles at molecular level.

Applications:-

Nanotechnology has its applications in various fields of science like medicine, agriculture, and food industry.

Medicine:-

Nanotechnology has allowed the scientists to use nanoparticles for the biological and medical research purposes because nanoparticles have unique properties. They are very small in size and are easy to handle. Due to this reason, they can be used as therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer and also used in cell imaging. Biomedical nanotechnology and nanomedicine are given the names to nanotechnology for this purpose. Nanotechnology has made it easy to use nanoparticles along with the biological molecules to use them in research. As nanoparticles have the size similar to molecules therefore they can be used in both conditions that is in vivo as well as in vitro when doing research. This combination of nanomaterials and biological molecules has enabled the scientists to use them in making of analytical tools, diagnostic devices, drug delivery vehicles and therapeutic application.

Tissue Engineering:-

Tissue engineering is the new emerging field of science which makes use of nanotechnology to repair the damaged tissues. The cells can be artificially reproduced by using suitable nanomaterials scaffolds and other growth factors. This field is growing rapidly and there are chances that it will take the place of traditional methods for organ transplantation and other treatments. Tissue engineering is helpful for those patients whose organs are near failure and whose body does not contain the healthy cells which can be used for transplantation. For this purpose, scientists use pluripotent stem cells which are the ordinary cells of the human body. These cells are programmed in this way that they can be converted to the pluripotent level. The advantage of using patient's own body cells is that these cells cannot be rejected by the immune system.

Diagnostic Applications:-

The use of nanomaterials to diagnose different diseases is the most important achievement of medical field. Nanoparticles are attached to the antibody or they can be attached to the molecules to label or to see the structures of proteins in any organism. Scientists have developed gold nanoparticles which can be used as tags attached with small sequence of DNA to see or detect the genetic sequence in a sample. Similarly for the analysis of nucleic acids there is a technology of nanopore which converts nucleic acids directly into electronic signatures.

Drug Delivery Applications:-

Nanoparticles are of vital importance in the medical field because they are used to deliver drugs to the specific cells. By using nanotechnology, the side effects of any drug and their consumption can be decreased because nanoparticles reach their target efficiently. One more advantage is that they are not harmful for the human body.

Nanotechnology and Food:-

Food industry is also making use of the field of nanotechnology. It enables the scientists to identify bacteria, check the quality of food by using special biosensors and the bioactivation of food compounds can be done by nanoencapsulation. It can also be applied in the food industry to produce process and pack the food and it also makes the food safe from harmful microorganisms by placing on the surface of the food the antimicrobial agents. Now a day, new kinds of foods are being placed in the market in which there are certain nanoparticles which make the food safe. In other words, these foods are called as nano-foods.

Nanotechnology and Agriculture:-

Nanotechnology is beneficial for the agriculture also as it provides new ways for the production of crops provides methods for the food preservation and conservation processes are also changed and are in the favor of crops. Nanotechnology provides the ways to make use of barren land. In other words, it can be said that use of nanotechnology in any other field can be beneficial for both humans and animals. 

Man has gone so far in terms of coming up with ways to preserve human life. Although there are still diseases that remain an enigma to medical science, still, treating illnesses from simple to severe conditions has become a lot easier. Among the most notable medical triumphs of modern-day science is the evolutionary concept and application of medical nanotechnology.

Medical nanotechnology or nanomedicine is the medical aspect or application of nanotechnology using different approaches such as nanoelectronic biosensors, nanomaterials, and a very futuristic but underdeveloped molecular nanotechnology that includes molecular manufacturing. Medical nanotechnology aims to provide cheaper yet quality health and medical equipment, facilities, and treatment strategies through continuous researches and studies. A lot of pharmaceutical and medical companies all over the world have already adhered to medical nanotechnology because of its numerous benefits and practical uses.