What actually is Nanotechnology? - It is a technology for doing things on a very small scale.

What is that scale? - Definition includes anything smaller than 100 nanometers, where 1 nanometer (nm) is equal to one billionth of a meter.

Nanotechnology works by exploiting the unique properties of particles at the nano – scale and applying it at the desired place, using basically a bottom-up approach. This is really a vast domain. It can be either for physics, for chemistry, for biology, for materials, for medicine and so forth. The size dependent properties of nanomaterials make them unique and of great use in many areas of human activities. As a tool, nanotechnology has got an immense perceived potential for diverse fields of science. When we say science, let’s give our first consideration to, biology – ‘the study of life and living organisms’ because it is this ‘life’ that really distinguishes us from the dead, leaving philosophy apart. The most necessary requirement to prove one living is to possess an inherent ability to replicate. This property starts at the level of DNA. Hence, life starts with DNA coming into existence. What else, even the groundwork for nanotechnology was laid 50 years ago, when Nobel-prize winner physicist Richard Feynman talked about “the problem of manipulating and controlling things on a small scale”. He said he was inspired by biology, which showed that nature had mastered the art of compressing massive amounts of information in tiny molecules called DNA.

It has now been very well known by X ray diffraction methods and other analysis by scientists that a DNA chain is approximately 2.2 to 2.6 nm wide and its one nucleotide unit is 0.33 nm long. Even most of the proteins are of the order of 5 nm. In simpler terms, this size comparison indicates the ‘confluence of nano and bio’ where nano provides the tools and bio offers the inspiring model and also nanoparticles can very easily used as probes in monitoring the processes of living organisms without much interference. Just considering the simplest example here, the fact that nanoparticles share the size domain with proteins, makes them possible to be used in bio-labeling. Even nanoparticles are replacing the organic dyes in application that require high photo-stability. Now the major trend in further development of nanomaterials to apply in biological systems is to make them multifunctional and controllable by external signals or by local environment thus turning them into nano-devices. In medicine nanoparticles applications are highly concentrated on drug delivery and now nanotech strategy may help in creating new artificial organs for human bodies. Many such applications based on the property of nanoparticles are leading to the commercialization of the newly but rapidly emerging field of Nanobiotechnology. The applications of nanotechnology to biology will prove to be very crucial with advancements in this particular area of research, which is reflecting clearly in recent science policies around the globe. In the recent years there has been witnessed an increase in interest towards nanoparticles and their biological effects and applications. Other than cancer therapy and tissue engineering these now include bottom-up and molecular self-assembly, biological effects of naked nanoparticles and nano-safety, drug encapsulation and nanotherapeutics, and novel nanoparticles for use in microscopy, imaging and diagnostics. Hence, for this beneficial and demanding convergence, it becomes quite necessary to bring together the biologists and the nanotechnologists for better comprehension of nature, sustainable development and improving human performance.

It Holds a Great Promise

A workshop on Nanotechnology was organized and conducted at the center for the students of batch-06. It was a laudable joint effort from the director, coordinators and the faculty members that made it feasible to have such erudite personalities from the core fields of nanotechnology at the center.
The very aim of the workshop was to bestow students with knowledge allied to various disciplines of nanotechnology and carrier opportunities in the same.

What could have been a better onset of the session than such inspiring words from the director himself which was later carried forward by the guests. The workshop covered many significant aspects of nanotechnology embracing the introduction, inter-disciplinary face,industrial or corporate side and the carrier prospect also. The whole interaction supplemented the students with a moral boost and a clear picture of what nanotechnology comprises of, which will definitely assist them in the impending future.

Speakers from Carlsys Technologies:

Dr.Anish Priyadarshi (B.Tech IIT Kanpur, PhD NTU)

Dr. Anand Vairagar (M.Tech IIT Bombay, PhD NTU)

Dr. Amrit Pal Singh (M.Tech IIT Delhi, MBA, IMT Ghaziabad)

Dr. Sachin Jain (M.Tech IIT Roorkee)