Nano-biosystems is a field that includes both the use of nanotechnology in biological systems and utilization of biological or bio-mimetic techniques in nanotechnology. Nano-biotechnology shows a tremendous promise of improving the quality of life. For example, nano-vehicles might deliver drugs directly to targeted cells, nano-membranes may be used for development of cheap, effective water purification systems, or nano-chips that interface neurons with electronics may become common place. Additionally, Nano-Electro Mechanical Systems (NEMS) might use sensors and physical controls to stabilize individuals with heart, kidney or liver disease.
Impact of Nanotechnology on medicine
The impact of nanotechnology on cancer and other diseases depends on the design and
construction of devices to diagnose, treat, and monitor disease at all stages. In addition, new tools and devices are needed to understand the processes behind the development and
spread of a disease and to reverse or alter the progress of the disease.
Through a more comprehensive understanding of the bio-nano interface, nanomedicine will
mature into a higher-throughput and more predictable endeavor. This new branch of
medicine will revolutionize the way medicine is practiced, create a new pipeline of diagnostic
and therapeutic capabilities for the pharmaceutical industry, and catalyze extraordinary
advances in molecular and cell biology.
The most promising future nano science-based applications in medicine are
ultra sensitive and selective multiplexed diagnostics, drug delivery, targeted treatment of
cancer and other diseases, body imaging, tissue/organ regeneration, and gene therapy. All of
these applications combine engineering advances with improved strategies for manipulating
biological systems. New approaches for drug delivery, imaging, and diagnostics will be
refined and developed, and more sophisticated nano-therapeutics and diagnostics will
supplement those already in clinical use or in clinical trials. To facilitate this development, it
will be necessary to implement new manufacturing approaches. All new products must
address stringent safety and compatibility standards that are being challenged by the novel
properties of engineered nanomaterials and the potential that these may introduce new
biohazards.
Nanobiosystems design and applications
1. Functional nanomaterials
2. Inorganic/biologic hybrid composites and nanoparticles
3. Development of new technologies and tools for the detection, identification, quantification, and monitoring of molecules, cells and tissues of clinical and biomedical relevance.
Future Vision
Impact of Nanotechnology on medicine
The impact of nanotechnology on cancer and other diseases depends on the design and
construction of devices to diagnose, treat, and monitor disease at all stages. In addition, new tools and devices are needed to understand the processes behind the development and
spread of a disease and to reverse or alter the progress of the disease.
Through a more comprehensive understanding of the bio-nano interface, nanomedicine will
mature into a higher-throughput and more predictable endeavor. This new branch of
medicine will revolutionize the way medicine is practiced, create a new pipeline of diagnostic
and therapeutic capabilities for the pharmaceutical industry, and catalyze extraordinary
advances in molecular and cell biology.
The most promising future nano science-based applications in medicine are
ultra sensitive and selective multiplexed diagnostics, drug delivery, targeted treatment of
cancer and other diseases, body imaging, tissue/organ regeneration, and gene therapy. All of
these applications combine engineering advances with improved strategies for manipulating
biological systems. New approaches for drug delivery, imaging, and diagnostics will be
refined and developed, and more sophisticated nano-therapeutics and diagnostics will
supplement those already in clinical use or in clinical trials. To facilitate this development, it
will be necessary to implement new manufacturing approaches. All new products must
address stringent safety and compatibility standards that are being challenged by the novel
properties of engineered nanomaterials and the potential that these may introduce new
biohazards.
Nanobiosystems design and applications
1. Functional nanomaterials
2. Inorganic/biologic hybrid composites and nanoparticles
3. Development of new technologies and tools for the detection, identification, quantification, and monitoring of molecules, cells and tissues of clinical and biomedical relevance.
Future Vision
- Develop point-of-care nanodevices for early diagnosis and therapeutic response monitoring capable of using unprocessed bodily fluids with multiplexing and rapid analysis capabilities.
- Develop diagnostic and post-therapy monitoring nanodevices for the detection and interrogation of circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor initiating cells.
- Conduct successful clinical trials for nanoparticle delivery of siRNA molecules and other nucleic acid therapeutics.
- Demonstrate novel nanoparticle-based drug formulations with significant improvement in targeting therapeutic windows as compared to free drug delivery.
- Design particles to enable penetration of the blood-brain-barrier and enable more effective treatment of brain tumors.
- Leverage nanotechnology-based studies of cell migration and cell motility for the development of anti-metastatic drugs.
Research Focus
Activities include the development of new technologies and tools for the detection, identification, quantification, and monitoring of molecules, cells and tissues of clinical and biomedical relevance. Research focuses in:
- Micro-Nano systems for diagnosis.
- On-chip environmental health monitoring.
- Nano-Bio-Electronic Interfaces.
- NanoBioFuel cells.
- Nanobioelectrochemistry.