Nanotechnologie

[earthling]

(Bio-)Nano-Chips / Nanomedibots
http://www.wissenschaft-im-dialog.de/
http://science.orf.at/science/news/16062
http://www.velbionanotech.com/
http://www.bioethicsanddisability.org/biochip.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18322066
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-first-nanochips

Many human illnesses and injuries have their origins in nanoscale processes.  Accordingly, commercialization of nanotechnology to the practice of medicine and biomedical research initiates up innovative opportunities to treat illnesses, repair injuries, and enhance human functioning beyond what is possible with macro-scale techniques.  At the nano-scale stage, the distinctions between mechanical and biological processes fuse.  Nanoparticles can attach to certain cells or tissues and provide healing likenesses of their location and structure.  Hollow nanocapsules with pharmaceutical contents can attach to cancer cells and release their payloads into them – maximizing targeted delivery and minimizing systemic side effects.  Nanomedibots may repair vital tissue damanged by injury or illness, or destroy cancerous tissue that has gone awry, without invasive surgery.  http://www.nanoimplants.com/

siehe auch:
http://nanoindia.blogspot.com/
http://www.nanomedibot.com/
http://www.nanomedicalsystems.com/

TARGETTED DRUG DELIVERY-ROLE OF NANOCAPSULES

•   Nanocapsule, means sandy nanoparticle that consists of a shell and a space, in which desired substances may be placed. Drug-filled nanocapsules can be covered with antibodies or cell-surface receptors that bind to cancer or various cells and release their biological compound on contact with that tissue. Nanocapsules have been made using molecules called phospholipids, which are hydrophobic (water-repellant) on one end and hydrophilic (water-loving) on the other. When such molecules are placed in an aqueous environment, they can spontaneously form capsules in which the hydrophobic portions are inside (3), protecting them from contact with water.The walls of our cells are in fact made up of a double layer of such molecules. Inside the cells, similar capsules, called liposomes (literally, fat bodies), are used to transport material.

BIOSENSOR CHIPS

•   Nanotechnology chips with biosensors can find genes, guide drug discovery, monitor body functioning, and identify biologic and chemical pathogens. As nanotechnology and genetics advance, medibots and engineered beneficial microorganisms may be integrated into nanomedibots. Nanomedibots will be used to diagnosis and treat healing conditions that resist diagnosis and curing by current biomedical research. Medibots are robots or robotic systems that provide physicians with greater flexibility, precision of motion, and/or remote procedure capability in the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Concerning macro-scale medibots (4), improvements in the conveyance of visual and directional information with sophisticated consoles and remote-controlled hardware are already enabling surgeons to conduct an increasing array of surgical procedures in a minimally invasive manner.

http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Nanomedicine

[earthling]

Umweltbundesamt warnt vor Nanotechnologie 21.10.2009
Das Umweltbundesamt (UBA) warnt angesichts unerforschter Risiken vor einer sorglosen Verwendung von Nanoteilchen in Nahrungsmitteln, Kleidung, Kosmetika und anderen Produkten.

Die Nanotechnik biete erhebliche Potenziale für ökologische Produkte, aber auch Risiken für die Umwelt und die Gesundheit. „Hier bestehen noch gravierende Wissenslücken“, erklärte die Behörde am Mittwoch in Dessau-Roßlau in einer Mitteilung. Verbraucherschützer sehen allerdings im Moment keinen Grund zur Panik. „Derzeit besteht kein Anlass, richtig Angst zu haben“, sagte der Umweltexperte der Verbraucherzentrale Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rolf Buschmann, dem Sender MDR Info.
Mehr als 800 Unternehmen arbeiteten in Deutschland bereits im Bereich Nanotechnik. Das Bundesamt fordert ein Register für Produkte mit Nanomaterialien sowie einen rechtlichen Rahmen für die sichere Anwendung der Nanotechnik. Nach Angaben des Verbraucherschützers werden Nano-Partikel in Europa bislang nur in kratzfestem Autolack und Sonnenmilch verwendet. Es sei sehr gut nachgewiesen, dass dabei keine Gefährdung bestehe.

http://www.focus.de/panorama/welt/gesundheit-umweltbundesamt-warnt-vor-nanotechnologie_aid_446661.html

[zoe]

Nanopartikel schädigen DNA
Zellschäden auch hinter vermeintlich schützenden Gewebebarrieren
Medizinisch eingesetzte Nanopartikel können die DNA schädigen, ohne dafür in die Zellen eindringen zu müssen. Das zeigt eine jetzt in „Nature Nanotechnology“ veröffentlichte Studie an in Kultur gehaltenen Zellen. Sie entlarvte vermeintlich schützende, körpereigene Gewebebarrieren dabei sogar als entscheidende „Mittäter“ bei diesen Schädigungen.[...]

http://www.scinexx.de/wissen-aktuell-10774-2009-11-09.html

[earthling]

Licht verbiegt Materie  20.03.2010
Unerwarteter Effekt wirkt selbst auf feste Strukturen im Mikrometer-Maßstab

Erst konnten es die Forscher selbst kaum glauben: Licht kann Materie verformen - und das nicht nur auf der Ebene der Atome und Moleküle, wie bisher gedacht, sondern auch bei größeren Strukturen. Durch Zufall entdeckten Wissenschaftler eines internationalen Teams, dass ganz normales Licht gerade Metallstränge von immerhin einigen Mikrometern Länge verdrehen und verkrümmen kann. Wie sie jetzt in „Science“ berichten, könnte dieser Effekt zu neuen Anwendungen im Nanobereich führen, wie beispielsweise einem U-Boot im Nanomaßstab....

Jetzt sind Wissenschaftler eines internationalen Forscherteams quasi durch Zufall auf einen solchen Fall gestoßen. Eigentlich wollten Nicholas Kotov, Professor für Materialforschung und biomedizinische Technik, und seine Kollegen so genannte superchirale Partikel erzeugen – Nano-Spiralen aus Metallmischungen, die das sichtbare Licht auf Flecken fokussieren, die kleiner sind als dessen Wellenlänge. Materialien mit einem solchen „negativen refraktorischen Index“ könnten theoretisch dazu genutzt werden, das Licht so um sich herum zu lenken, dass das Material wie eine „Tarnkappe“ wirkt: Alles, was darin eingehüllt ist wird unsichtbar.

Diesen Effekt wollten die Forscher erreichen, indem sie Cadmium-Tellurid-Partikel in eine wasserbasierte Lösung gaben, wo sie sich von selbst zu Strängen anordnen sollten. Nach 24 Stunden zeigte die Kontrolle per Mikroskop, dass in der Lösung tatsächlich ein bis vier Mikrometer lange abgeflachte Stränge entstanden waren. Die Lösung wurde weiter im beleuchteten Labor gehalten und nach 72 Stunden erneut überprüft. Der Anblick dabei war überraschend: Denn statt ordentlicher Fäden fanden die Forscher verkrümmte, zusammengeklumpte „Nanospaghetti“.

weiter/alles http://www.scinexx.de/wissen-aktuell-11387-2010-03-18.html

Nicholas Kotov
http://www.engin.umich.edu/dept/che/research/kotov/
http://www.nanooze.org/english/interviews/nicholaskotov.html
http://www.biomedexperts.com/Profile.bme/738950/Nicholas_A_Kotov
http://che.engin.umich.edu/

[harakiri]

FAO/WHO Expert meeting on the application of nanotechnologies in the food and agriculture sectors
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization Rome 2010

Processed nanostructures in food
A key area of application of nanotechnology in food processing involves the development of nanostructures (also termed nanotextures) in foodstuffs. The mechanisms commonly used for producing nanostructured food products include nano-emulsions, surfactant micelles, emulsion bilayers, double or multiple emulsions and reverse micelles (Weiss et al., 2006). Examples of nanotextured foodstuffs include spreads, mayonnaise, cream, yoghurts, ice creams, etc.
The nanotexturing of foodstuffs has been claimed to give new tastes, improved textures, consistency and stability of emulsions, compared with equivalent conventionally processed products. A typical benefit of this technology could be in the form of a low-fat nanotextured food product that is as “creamy” as the full-fat alternative, and hence offers a “healthy” option to the consumer. Currently, there is no clear example of a proclaimed nanostructured food product that is available commercially, although some products are believed to be at the R&D stage, and some may be nearing the market. One such example is a mayonnaise, which is an oil in water emulsion that contains nanodroplets of water inside the oil droplets. The mayonnaise may offer taste and texture attributes similar to the full-fat equivalent, but with a substantial reduction in fat intake by the consumer.3
Another area of application involves the use of nanosized or nano-encapsulated food additives. This type of application is expected to exploit a much larger segment of the health food sector, and encompasses colours, preservatives, flavourings and supplements. The main advantages claimed include better dispersion of water-insoluble additives in foodstuffs without the use of additional fat or surfactants, and enhanced tastes and flavours owing to the enlarged surface area of nanosized additives, compared with conventional forms. A number of consumer products containing nanosized additives are already available in some food sectors, including foods, health foods, supplements and nutraceuticals. These include minerals, antimicrobials, vitamins, antioxidants, etc. Virtually all of these products are claimed to have improved absorption and bioavailability in the body compared with their conventional equivalents.
Another example is the increasing trend towards nanomilling of functional herbs and other plants, such as in the manufacture of green tea and ginseng.

Nanodelivery systems based on encapsulation technology
Nano-encapsulation in the form of micelles, liposomes or biopolymer-based carrier systems has been used to develop delivery systems for additives and supplements for use in food and beverage products. Nano-encapsulation is the technological extension of   11 microencapsulation, which has been used by the industry for food ingredients and additives for many years. Nano-encapsulation offers benefits that are similar to, but better than, those of microencapsulation, in terms of preserving the ingredients and additives during processing and storage, masking unpleasant tastes and flavours, controlling the release of additives, better dispersion of water-insoluble food ingredients and additives, as well as improved uptake of the encapsulated nutrients and supplements. The modified optical characteristics of nanocarriers mean that they can be used in a wide range of products, such as clear beverages. The improved uptake and bioavailability alone has opened up a vast area of applications in food products that incorporate nanosized vitamins, nutraceuticals, antimicrobials, antioxidants, etc. After food packaging, nano- encapsulation is currently the largest area of nanotechnology application in the food sectors, and a growing number of products based on nanocarrier technology are already available on the market.
There is a variety of nanomicelle-based supplements and nutraceuticals that are available in some countries. Examples of these include a nanomicelle-based carrier system for the introduction of nutrients and supplements into food and beverage products. Other examples include nanostructured supplements based on self-assembled liquid structures. Acting as carriers for targeted compounds (e.g. nutraceuticals and drugs), these nanosized vehicles comprise expanded micelles in the size range of ~30 nm. An available example is a vegetable oil enriched in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Other technology is based on a nanocluster delivery system for food products. A number of products are available based on this system. One example is a slimming product based on cocoa nanoclusters, which are coated on the surface of an ENM to enhance the chocolate flavour through the increase in surface area that hits the taste buds. Self- assembled nanotubes from the hydrolysed milk protein α-lactalbumin, which show good stability, have recently been developed (Graveland-Bikker and de Kruif, 2006). α-Lactalbumin is already used as a food ingredient, mainly in infant formulas. These food-protein derived nanotubes may provide a new carrier for nano-encapsulation of nutrients, supplements and pharmaceuticals.

The concept of nanodelivery systems seems to have originated from research on the targeted delivery of drugs and therapeutics. While it can offer many benefits to the consumer from increased absorption, uptake and improved bioavailability of nutrients and supplements, it also has the potential to alter the distribution of the substances in the body. For example, certain water-soluble compounds (e.g. vitamin C) have been rendered fat dispersible through nanocarrier technology, and vice versa: fat-dispersible compounds (e.g. vitamin A) have been rendered water dispersible. If the nanocarrier is broken down and its contents released into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the encapsulated compounds will not differ from their conventional equivalents. However, if a nanocarrier is capable of delivering the substance to the bloodstream, its ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) characteristics may be different from the conventional forms. A significant change in bioavailability and/or tissue distribution of certain substances, compared with conventional bulk equivalents, may require a new risk assessment. These applications may also require investigations into the possible role of nanocarriers as a “Trojan Horse”, in terms of facilitating the translocation of encapsulated substances or other foreign materials to unintended parts of the body.

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241563932_eng.pdf

siehe dazu diesen kritischen Artikel (lesenswert)

Nanotechnology: Tracking food from farm to fork…and you right along with it July 12, 2011

Nano-chips will be used to supposedly make food taste more like food by enhancing the flavor and texture. Here again the obvious is avoided.  Natural food left uncontaminated by toxins, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and whatever else could be thrown in, tends to taste……like food.  You don’t need enhancers, or nanoparticles to stimulate your taste buds to fool your brain into thinking you actually just ate something nutritious and tasty.

Nanochips inserted as RFID is the last nail in the coffin of food freedom.  Having reduced the food supply and the available products to a substance that has to be enhanced or that has to be chemically pumped up to make you think it might really be food, is the problem.  And, it is an intentionally created system meant to eventually accommodate the insertion of RFID nanochips to detect not only what you are eating, but to extend surveillance of the individual.

http://ppjg.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/nanotechnology-tracking-food/

While some of what this committee addressed was the current use of organic nano technology which is said to be water soluble and which allows for greater absorption of nutrients, currently used in vitamins and supplements to some degree, and in some readily available food products, it is obvious the intent is to eventually track and control through nano-enabled RFID surveillance, the production and supply of food. Organic nano technology and RFID nano technology are two divergent aspects that are intentionally discussed as though they are one and the same. They are not.
http://www.whiteowlconspiracy.com/food-and-drink/diabolical-nano-rfid-chips-in-your-food/