Week 8 Blog

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 During the first lecture, Dr. Gimzewski notes that nanotechnology is a broad field, and is impacted by almost every aspect of science- including agriculture and medicine (Gimzewski, 2024). I was surprised to learn this, as I previously believed nanotechnology to be associated with solely technological advancements. I was surprised to learn about the nanotechnology involved in ancient materials, as I had previously associated nanotechnology as a very modern technology. In his article about the application of nanotechnology in stained glass, Chi Chan discusses how practical application of the technology preceded its scientific understanding. This is generally the opposite of how much technology works today, where we first understand the scientific processes and then apply that knowledge in practical cases (Chan, 2008). The image below is of European stained glass that uses nanotechnology, from the early 15th century.


(Chan, 2008)


In the second part of the lecture, I was especially surprised to learn that the most common nanoparticles are silver particles in our socks and underwear, and how it has an antimicrobial effect by the particles going into the bacteria and destroying them (Gimzewsk, 2024). The image below shows some of the applications and benefits of nanotechnology in clothing.  It was fascinating to see how something as advanced as nanotechnology is actually very common, appearing in everyday items that we use everyday–  such as our clothing.


(Bouargane, 2023).





In Part 3 of the lecture Dr Gimzewski discusses how disease and nanostructure are closely related, citing the structure of cervical cancer cells (Gimzewski 2024). I was interested to learn more about the role of nanotechnology in the treatment of cancer. Leigh Boerner discusses how nanoparticles are used to deliver toxic cancer treatment into tumors (Boerner, 2013).  In drugs such as Doxil, the drug's nanoparticles are able to evade the body's immune system, and the medicine is able to stay in the patient's body for longer (Boerner, 2013). Below is a microscopic image of a nanoparticle drug.

(Boerner, 2013).



References

Boerner, L. (2013, July 2). Nanoparticles Show Big Promise in Fight Against Cancer. PBS. Retrieved May 25, 2024, from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/nanoparticles-in-cancer-treatment/

Bouargane, A. (2023, February 2). Pros and Cons of Nanotechnology in Clothing. BBN Times. Retrieved May 25, 2024, from https://www.bbntimes.com/environment/pros-and-cons-of-nanotechnology-in-clothing

Chan, C. (2008, June 23). From Nanotech to Nanoscience. Science History Institute. Retrieved May 25, 2024, from https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/from-nanotech-to-nanoscience/

Gimzewski, J. (2024). Nanotech for Artists Part 1 [Lecture].

Gimzewski, J. (2024). Nanotech for Artists Part 2 [Lecture].

Gimzewski, J. (2024). Nanotech for Artists Part 3 [Lecture].

Comments

  1. Shane May-SuzukiMay 26, 2024 at 8:38 PM

    Hi Madison!
    Great blog, it was really awesome reading about the many things the lectures talked about in a digestible manner. I was also very fascinated by all of the many aspects that nanotechnology intersected with art, especially since I too associated nanotechnology only with modern times as well. The final image in your blog is stunning and further conveys how beautiful these things we can't see with our eyes alone can be.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Isabel CarsonMay 26, 2024 at 9:54 PM

    Hi Madison,
    Your blog was organized very well, with a flow on the different importance of nanotechnology. I also thought it was insane how much nanotechnology affects our everyday lives, from clothes to cures for cancer. I enjoyed the blog photos the most because they genuinely show how things that seem worlds apart all connect in one way. Nanotechnology is one of my favorite examples of how science and art work together, and you’re blog showed that.

    ReplyDelete

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