AN OVERVIEW OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
By
Prof Dr KALAVATHY PONNIRAIVAN B.Sc M.D
PROF & HEAD
DEPT OF BIOCHEMISTRY
CHENNAI MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL & RESEARCH
CENTER
IRUNGALUR, TRICHY, TAMIL NADU
ABOUT YOUR SPEAKER
 Prof
Kalavathy Ponniraivan
 FORMER
DEAN- MADRAS MEDICAL COLLEGE
AND GOVERNMENT GENERAL HOSPITALCHENNAI
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
UG
Level: 31 yrs.
PG
Level: 27 yrs.
AREA OF INTEREST
Molecular
Cancer
Biology
Biology
CURRENT AREA OF INTEREST:
Nanobiotechnology
Integrated
Medical
& Holistic Medicine
Education & Human Ethics
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
APJ ABDUL KALAM – HONOURABLE FORMER
PRESIDENT OF INDIA
DEDICATION
PROF Dr G SULOCHONA M.D
- FORMER PROF OF BIOCHEMISTRY
THANJAVUR MEDICAL COLLEGE,
THANJAVUR, TAMIL NADU
- ALSO DEDICATED TO PAST AND PRESENT STUDENTS
LECTURE PLAN
Evolution of Human life
 History of Modern Science & Technology
 Certain Terms and Scale used in
Nanotechnology
 Definitions of Bionanotechnology- &
Misconceptions about it
 About Men- who tried to define ‘Matter,
Space & Time Relationship’

LECTURE PLAN…CONTD
Nanomaterials, Nanocomposites and
Biomimetics
 Nanotoxicology
 Future Technology
 Contemporary advancement
 Relevance of Nanobiotechnology in Medical
Education

HUMAN EVOLUTION
• Earth 4.5 Billion years old The only planet that
supports life
• Evolution of life: Big Bang theory. Elements like
C N H O
Reacted to form H20, N2 NH3 O2 CO2
Amino acid
Simple sugars
Bases
Catalyst: Minerals on the earth crest (Fe, Co,Mn, Ni tin
etc)
Energy: Lightning/Sunlight
POLYMERIZATION: SIMPLE TO COMPLEX
MOLECULES
Sugars
Proteins
Nucleic acids
Fatty acids
Pre Biotic world: RNA world
Present world: Evolution of membrane, Unicellular,
Multicellular, Simple to complex
organism including man
Life started in water (proof – ECW composition)
Plants & Animals: 20%
Microbes:
80%
•
•
•
•
POLYMERIZATION: SIMPLE TO COMPLEX
MOLECULES
•
Direction of evolution – Not known
- Diversity sustains
- Similar forms Perish
- Expansion – Explode?
- Contract – Shrink?
Sucked into dark Energy?
BIG BANG 2
LHC – LARGE HADRON COLLIDER
2 Proton beams were allowed to collide with
great speed at an underground facility built
across 3 countries.
 OBJECTIVE: To recreate the condition
equivalent to the TIME at the birth of Universe.

HAWKINGS

A renowned theoretical physicist, who
predicted that ‘Black Hole’ emits radiation.
ATOM, SUBATOMIC PARTICLES & INTERACTIONS
Smallest unit of Matter that could not be
divided further- Fundamental particle
 Nucleus: Central part of atom
 Proton (+)
 Neutron (0)
 Electron (-)
 Quark- basic building block of matter
Up Quark
Join to form proton and neutron
Down Quark

Gluon: The carrier particle of the strong
interaction
 Strong Interaction: That binds quark and gluon
to make HADRON
 HADRON: sub atomic particle composed of
quarks and take part in strong interactions
(gluon)


Neutrino: A fundamental particle with
neutral charge and zero mass produced in
massive numbers during nuclear reactions
in stars- Dark Matter?

Photon (Light): ‘Matter’ in Light
Electromagnetic particles
existing as packets of energy
Types: Visible, X ray, γ ray
Low energy forms: UV, IR and Radiowaves
HISTORY OF MODERN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

10000 BC – 5000 BC= STONE AGE
0
– 1000 AD= BRONZE AGE
1500-
1800 AD= IRON AGE
1900-
2000= CHEMICALS, PLASTICS,
MATERIALS, NUCLEAR & BIOTECHNOLOGY
AGE
2000-
2020= INFORMATION &
NANOTECHNOLOGY AGE
BIO TECHNOLOGY & MOLECULAR
NANOTECHNOLOGY
The
contemporary
Nanotechnology
branches
of
WHAT IS NANO?
•
•
•
ORIGIN is from GREEK Nano, Little old man, Dwarf
Extremely small, one billionth of scale
1 Nanometer = 10-9 meter
10nm Transistor
Bacterophage
Lambda DNA
10nm Gold
Nano particle
in drug delivery
NANOSCALE
Nanosecond- 1 /1000th of 1 millionth of a
second
 Second: 9192631770 times (periods) of the
radiation corresponding to the transition
between 2 hyperfine levels of the ground
state of cesium atom
 Glucose: 1nm
 Human Hair: 75000nm
 10 Hydrogen atoms lined end to end- 1nm

1
1
1
1
1
1

Yocometer
Picometer
Nanometer
Micrometer
Millimeter
Meter
10 -24
10 -12
10 -9
10 -6
10 -3
10 3= 1000mm
WHY TO STUDY NANO PARTICLES / MATERIALS
Unique properties for exceptional applications
(Agriculture, Industries, Engineering, Medicine)
• Develop better manufacturing and characterization
technique
• Renewable energy source
• Environmental remediation (Water & Air)
BIONANOTECHNOLOGY :
• Enabling Technology
• Emerging Technology
• Evolving Technology
• Converging Technology
• Truly Interdisciplinary
•
NANOTECHNOLOGY IN NATURE
•
Nano Technology is not something new but a
tool of nature from time immemorial
– The sea shells, pigments on the wings of
butterfly, wonderful shades of fresh roses and
other flowers are manifestations of Nano
Technology in nature
WHY TO STUDY NANO PARTICLES / MATERIALS
(CONTD..)
•
Man – ultimate machine with incomprehensible
Nano molecules, structures operating in a highly
ordered fashion
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Food digestion
Signal transduction
Embryogenesis
Ion transport across membrane
Nerve conduction
Muscle contraction
DNA & RNA (Transcription, Translation & Gene
Expression)
DEFINITION
Science
and Engineering involved in the
design, synthesis, characterization and
application of materials and devices whose
smallest functional unit is in the nanoscale
i.e., 10-9
Nano
Technology is not in itself a single
emerging scientific principle but rather a
meeting of traditional sciences with
technology
Multidisciplinary
field
CONTRIBUTION OF SCIENTISTS
SIR ALBERT EINSTEIN
 1879 – 1956
 “MATTER AND ENERGY ARE DIFFERENT FORMS
OF THE SAME THING”
 THEORY OF RELATIVITY
E=mc2

S N BOSE

“LIGHT IS A GAS OF MASSLESS PARTICLES
THAT COME IN SMALL DISCRETE PACKAGES”
- (PHOTON)
SIR RICHARD FEYNMANN
1948- 1988
 “THERE’S PLENTY OF ROOM AT THE
BOTTOM”

ERIC DREXLER

“MOLECULAR NANOTECHNOLOGY”
- Engulfs engineering of all complex
mechanical devices constructed from
molecular level.
NANO MATERIALS, NANO COMPOSITES &
BIOMIMETICS
Nanotubes: CARBON NANOTUBES (CNT)
 C60
Discovered by scientists while studying particles
emitted by distant stars

Lighter and the strongest element on earth
SWCNT and MWCNT
NANOPARTICLES
•
3 Major Groups
– Natural Nanoparticles
Volcanic Ash
Magnetotactic bacteria
Mineral composites
– Industrial Nanoparticles
–
Engineered Nanoparticle
Manufactured by man- synthesis, processing
of
Nanomaterial (C Nano tubes. Quantum
Dots, Zerovalent Iron etc.,)
GOLD NANO PARTICLE

Gold at the Nano level exhibited an exciting
variety of altered physical, electrical,
chemical & optical properties

Revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry

Drug development, discovery, delivery

Cancer detection, treatment monitoring
Quantum Dots: Semiconductor nanocrystals
Zero dimensional
Electron confined in all
dimensions
 Quantum Well: 2D
 Quantum Wire: 1D
 Elements used: (CdSe)ZnS
 APPLICATIONS: Uses Diode lasers, amplifiers,
Biosensors, study of cell signaling, cellular
imaging, LCD, LED TV Panels

ZERO VALENT IRON (Fe0)
4fe+++ + 3bH4- + 9H20
4fe0
+3h2Bo3+12H+6H2
Use of Fe0 to reduce c2cl4 (Tetrachloroethene)
c2cl4 +4Fe0 c2H4(Ethene)+ 4 Fe++ +4cl
Rapid
Dechlorination is achieved
Simple
effective method
Used for soil and water purification
APPROACH TO NANOTECHNOLGY
•
•
TOP DOWN
Or
BOTTOM UP METHODS
• TOP DOWN Techniques
• Macroscopic materials into which small scale details
are incorporated
(Chemistry/Engineering)
•
Bottom Up
– Designing & Synthesising custom made
materials
– Self assembly of such micro / nano materials
to macrolevel
e.g., Biomineralisation
Growth of artificial bone
Biomimetics (Hydroxy apatite on
titanium structures, such as foils, meshes,
porous cylinders for ortho implants)
– Stem Cell research
– RBC like material to carry oxygen
pressure vessel – an on board remotely
programmable
TOOLS IN NANOTECHNOLOGY
•
Two tools for measurement at nano scale
–
STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscope)
–
AFM (Atomic Force Microscope)
BIONANOTECHNOLOGY DEVICE- DNA MICRO
ARRAY ON COMPUTER CHIPS
APPLICATIONS IN MEDICAL FIELD
INDIRECT:
 Food, Nutrition
 Cosmetics, Textiles
 Renewable energy source
 Environmental remediation
 Information and Communication Technology
 Space & Oceanic research
FOOD & NUTRITION
Nanotech Tools usedcultivation
production
processing
packing &
delivery
 Not GM Modified or Atomic Modified food


To produce Heat and Drought resistant crops

Interactive food- Nano Food
NANOTOXICOLOGY
•
Nano particles (Airborne) - nuisance dust may
evade macrophages and may cause damage to
cells (Cardiopulmonary morbidity / mortality)
•
May evade blood brain barrier – neuro toxicology
•
Easily absorbed through (cosmetics / sun screen
lotion) - Cause mutation)
BIOTERRORISM- Life may be wiped out
LOSS OF HUMAN CONTROL
COMPUTER SECURITY DEVICES DEACTIVATED
•
•
•
FUTURE PROSPECTS

Cancer - Detection, Targeting & Metastasis prevention

Clean Environment

Renewable energy source.

Artificial O2 carrier – Respirocytes

Nano technology driven cell

Nano food
CONTEMPORARY ADVANCEMENT
Non-optic Lithograpgy
 Supra Computers
 Space Research & Cosmology
 Bioinformatics & Computational Biology

RELEVANCE OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY IN
MEDICAL EDUCATION
 Preclinical- Biochemistry
 Paraclinical- Microbiology & Pharmacology
 Clinical- Application aspects in respective fields
(Ophthalmology, Radiology & Imaging Services,
Dental Sciences, Orthopedics, Clinical
Embryology, Medical Genetics & Regenerative
Medicine)
BENEFITS TO MANKIND
•
Early detection of viruses by nano sensors (Used in
bio-logical wars - Detection of anthrax)
•
Break through in cancer cell targeting, monitoring &
therapy
•
Control of AIDS
•
Targeted drug delivery
•
Clean environment
•
Cheap & renewable energy source
•
Peace and prosperity on earth
Thank you!
© 2009 Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute