Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
29.1 Introduction
Everybody.has.DNA.
Dr..Moira.Gunn,.June.2011
Host, TechNation and BioTechNation
This.simple,.direct.aphorism.and.the.molecule.it.cites.provides.a.powerful.unifying.theme.
for. two. converging. ields. of. scientiic. research. and. discovery:. nanotechnology. and. bio-
technology.. The. convergence. of. genetics,. molecular. biology,. and. biochemistry. with. the.
tools. and. techniques. for. manipulating. atomic-scale. structures. is. revolutionizing. our.
understanding. of. human. biology,. disease,. pharmacology,. diagnosis,. and. treatment.. In.
fact,.advancements.in.biology.at.the.nanoscale.will.lead.to.breakthroughs.in.our.knowl-
edge.of.topics.such.as.deoxyribonucleic.acid.(DNA),.the.blueprint.of.life,.which.is.shared.
by.all.living.creatures..These.advancements.create.a.potential.that.goes.far.beyond.human.
biology,. extending. to. agriculture,. ecology,. environmental. studies,. and. more.. Educating.
the.next.generation.of.nanobiotechnology-savvy.students.should.be.a.major.goal.for.insti-
tutions.of.higher.learning.and.science.and.technology.policy.makers.
Scientiically,. nanobiotechnology. is. located. at. the. intersection. of. the. physical. sciences.
(i.e.,.physics,.chemistry,.and.engineering).and.the.life.sciences.(i.e.,.biology,.medicine,.phar-
macology,. etc.).. In. order. to. differentiate. nanobiotechnology. from. other. interdisciplinary.
ields.such.as.bioengineering.or.biophysics,.it.is.desirable.to.provide.a.formal.deinition.
of.the.ield..One.such.deinition.comes.from.Vogel.and.Baird.in.a.2005.U.S..government.
report.entitled.
Nanobiotechnology
..The.authors.note.that.projects.are.considered.“nanobio-
technology”.by.the.National.Institutes.of.Health.(NIH).if.they
(a).use.nanotechnology.tools.and.concepts.to.study.biology.or.develop.medical.inter-
ventions,.(b).propose.to.engineer.biological.molecules.toward.functions.very.different.
from.those.they.have.in.nature,.or.(c).manipulate.biological.systems.using.nanotechnol-
ogy.tools.rather.than.synthetic.chemical.or.biochemical.approaches.that.have.been.used.
for.years.in.the.biology.research.community.(Vogel.and.Baird.2005:.p..4).
The. interdisciplinary. nature. of. nanobiotechnology. is. revealed. in. this. deinition..
Nanobiotechnologists.must.be.versed.in.biological,.chemical,.mathematical,.physical,.and.
engineering.principles.to.work.effectively.in.this.emerging.ield.
29.1.1 Motivation for investment in Nanobiotechnology
education and Workforce Development
Nanobiotechnology.is.an.area.of.emphasis.in.the.U.S..National.Nanotechnology.Initiative.
(NNI).(Kim.2007)..In.particular,.the.NNI.focuses.on.the.use.of.nanotechnology.to.under-
stand.biological.processes.to.design.nanoscale.materials.and.systems,.to.support.sustain-
able. development,. and. to. contribute. to. a. strong. understanding. of. the. environmental,.
health,.and.safety.issues.associated.with.nanoscale.research,.manufacturing,.and.products.
(Roco. 2010).. Scientiic. advancements. that. incorporate. nanobiotechnology. are. currently.
being.used.to.develop.medical.diagnostic.tools.such.as.biosensors.(Fahrenkopf.et.al..2010),.
pharmaceutical.treatment.innovations.(Marcato.and.Durán.2008),.and.regenerative.medi-
cal.techniques.(Tibbals.2010)..Advancements.in.nanobiotechnology.also.have.implications.
in.agriculture.and.public.health.with.the.development.of.the.food.and.nutrition.enhancers,.
food.safety.packaging,.water.puriication,.and.crop.management.(Sozer.and.Kokini.2009).
