Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Nanotechnology is continuing to show that it is an evolving technology
that has influenced various areas of research and industry. It has shown a trend
toward a pivotal role in various industry segments in the coming years. The
economic activities from nanotech are wide in scope and are anticipated to have
a huge impact on nearly all-industrial sectors and will enter the consumer mar-
ket in large quantities.
1
The convergence of nanotechnology and biotechnology
has given rise to various prospective biomedical applications.
1
The nanoscale
nature of NMs and nanodevices allows applications at the subcellular scales
with higher accuracy in targeting cellular and tissue-specific clinical applica-
tions that can yield maximum therapeutic effects with minimal or no bad effects.
In the last 10 years, increase in awareness and understanding of the factors
that govern growth and properties of NMs has led to a number of novel struc-
tures and functionalities.
2-9
These nanostructures include nanofibers, nanotubes,
amphiphilic protein scaffolds, and nanowires that have potential applications
in the electronic industry, biomedical field, computer information technology,
etc.
2-17
Knowing the potential economic impact of NMs, various governments
worldwide showed support for nanotechnology. In 2004, support for nanotech-
nology was $989 M from US (federal), $815 from Japan, $402 from EU, $318
M from Germany, $205M from France, $114 from the UK, $$90 M from China,
$188M from South Korea, and $3.9M from India.
18
In the US, the NNI is the body coordinating Federal programs and investment
in research and development (R&D) activities in nanoscale science, engineering,
technology, and related efforts across 25 agencies and programs.
19
The NNI is
regularly reviewed by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Tech-
nology (PCAST) since the council was designated in 2004. Based on the NNI
PCAST review report,
20
the US Federal Government has proposed a budget of
$1.8 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2013 for 15 agencies with budgets dedicated to
nanotechnology R&D.
20
This 2013 budget request represents a total funding of
$18 billion from 2004 to 2013.
According to a newly released report by the RNCOS industry Research
Solutions in April 2012,
21
the US nanotechnology market has significant R&D
activities on the initial phase of emerging products. Based on this report,
1
the
leading areas of development are in nanobio, NMs, surfaces, electronics, and
IT and instrumentation. The NM segment is by far the most lucrative and mar-
ketable segment in the US especially in California and Massachusetts where
a well-established nanotechnology community exists. This growth is sup-
ported by the NNI that proposed an investment around US$ 2.13 billion in
nanotechnology.
21
As has been predicted by various experts, the past few years have seen a sig-
nificant growth rate in global nanotechnology market that created new oppor-
tunities for improving the characterization of NMs, monitoring capabilities,
minimizing contaminations in the environment, emergence of new NMs, and
many more. The RNCOS report predicts that the US and Europe will likely
remain as the major geographic markets for nanotechnology until 2014
1
and
