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Archive for category Bio & Medicine
Scientists investigate transport of nanoparticles in the human body
Posted by wideant in Bio & Medicine on March 20, 2010
The question of whether or not nanoparticles have an effect on the human body – and if so, how – is still largely unanswered. There is little information, for instance, on whether pregnant women exposed to these minute particles pass them on to their unborn babies. Scientists from Empa and the University Hospital Zurich (Switzerland) now show first results.
Nanotechnology is not only expected to help overcome existing challenges in the realms of medicine, energy supply and environmental protection; it is also considered one of the motors of innovation for the Swiss economy. This new technology will, however, only be able to establish itself in the long run if potential risks associated with it – such as those posed by free nanoparticles – are fully investigated and understood. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Nanofactories’: Stopping Bacterial Infections Without Antibiotics
Posted by wideant in Bio & Medicine on January 30, 2010
Many bacteria “talk” to each other by secreting and perceiving small molecules, a process called quorum sensing. Flagella and appendages that extend out of the cell walls can be produced in response to this signaling. When the cells sense that they have reached a certain quantity, an infection could be triggered. Disrupting this intercellular communication could prove to be a new way to fight infection or disease.
Nanofactories, tiny biochemical machines, can confuse bacteria and stop them from spreading, without the use of antibiotics. A paper about the research is featured in the current issue of Nature Nanotechnology. “Engineered biological nanofactories trigger quorum sensing response in targeted bacteria,”
Nanofactories first developed in 2007 made use of tiny magnetic bits to guide them to the infection site. The new nanofactories are self-guided and targeted and completely new, all-biological version. they’re capable of finding a specific kind of bacterium and inducing it to communicate, a much finer level of automation and control. Read the rest of this entry »