What is Bionanotechnology?

Question

I would like to know any background information, uses, benefits, and dangers of bionanotechnology. Any information will be appreciated.

Answer 1

A bastardized buzz word that can be used to describe nearly every area of scientific research and development.

Answer 2

Bionanotechnology encompasses the study, creation, and illumination of the connections between structural molecular biology and molecular nanotechnology, since the development of nanomachinery might be guided by studying the structure and function of the natural nanomachines found in living cells

Answer 3

Bionanotechnology is a multi-disciplinary area that sits at the interface between engineering and the biological and physical sciences. The subject involves the exploitation of biomaterials, devices or methodologies in which critical dimensions of functional components typically lie between molecular lengths and the wavelength of visible light (i.e. between ca. 0.1 and 500 nm).

The range of topics within the subject is broad and includes examples in which biological components may be used to facilitate new technologies (e.g. the re-construction of biomolecular systems as machines or motors), as well as those in which new technologies are used in the study of biological systems (e.g. the development of sensors and instruments to explore biology at the nanoscale).

There is also a considerable interest within the field in developing underpinning technologies as toolkits for biology including the development or application of molecular patterning and self-assembly; device fabrication using both soft and hard lithography; fluidics in and around biological nanostructures; and molecular manipulation using optical and electrical fields.

Often associated with the field of bionanotechnology is the topic of lab-on-a-chip. In the context of EBS there is an interest in exploring how such microsystems methods may be used to package what are otherwise nanoscale technologies, providing a functional user-interface.

Areas of interest include:

- The development or reconstruction of both 2-D and 3-D nanoscale systems to mimic the biological environment, taking into account molecular structure, function and orientation.

- The understanding of how biology can be interfaced with electronic, mechanical and optical systems to create devices with applications, for example, in drug delivery and tissue engineering.

- The development of new instrumentation or techniques to answer fundamental and applied questions concerning new biological measurement regimes (especially with high spatial and-or temporal resolution).

- Theoretical and modelling studies of bionanotechnology systems

Answer 4

Bio=biology / nano=very small / technology=advancing science
ONE of the things they are working on right now is making tiny little robots (nanobots) that can be injected into the human body that will seek out and repair damaged tissues or attack invaders( cancer cells, viruses, bacteria). This could eliminate certain medications or surgeries.
Also they are trying to make self-replicating nanobots. Nanobots that will reproduce without further help from us. This would be the next best thing to synthetic life forms. Can you imagine if these nanobots got out of control and developed their own intelligence (quite possible). That is scary.

Answer 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bionanotechnology