About Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the investigation and design of materials and devices at the atomic and molecular levels. The engineering of materials and devices at the nanoscale is expected to unleash fundamental paradigm shifts in a range of different industries. Large multinational corporations are investing heavily in commercialization efforts and the federal government has authorized an aggregate of $3.7 billion for nanoscale science and engineering projects between 2005 and 2008. Already, nanomaterials are being used to make stain resistant and wrinkle free clothing, lighter and stronger baseball bats, and more durable epoxies and paints. Although nanotechnology is likely to impact virtually every industry ranging from textiles to aerospace, we believe that the most far-reaching impacts of nanoscience will be in medicine, electronics, and energy.

Nanotechnology is contributing to medical advances such as applications in drug development and delivery, diagnostics, stem cell therapeutics, and personalized medicine. Recent breakthroughs in life sciences such as the sequencing of the human genome, the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), and advances in stem cell techniques are enabling new understanding of diseases and approaches to treatments. Nanotechnology involves engineering on a molecular level; biological processes happen at the molecular scale. Nanotechnology combines the traditional disciplines of chemistry, materials science, physics and biology and enables the manipulation of matter in powerful new ways. Using the knowledge from all of these disciplines, medicines and diagnostic agents can be designed to interact with cells and tissues with a high degree of specificity and functionality.

The electronics industry is leveraging nanomaterials in devices that are faster, cheaper, more flexible, and consume less energy. Electronic materials and devices used over the past several decades have reached their performance limits. Additionally, because traditional electronic materials such as indium tin oxide, copper, aluminum, and silicon are mined, they are finite and subject to supply shortages. Nanomaterials are being used to enhance the performance of traditional electronic products and to address technological challenges encountered by existing electronics manufacturers.

In energy, nanotechnology is enabling the manufacture of new kinds of solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, and super capacitors. Existing solar cells based on crystalline silicon are bulky and expensive. If successfully developed, solar cells incorporating nanomaterials could be cheaper, lighter and more flexible. Similarly, nanomaterials could yield new light, emitting diodes that are brighter and consume less power than existing sources of lighting. Nanostructured materials promise to give rise to new batteries that last longer, have more energy, and are a fraction of the size of conventional batteries.