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Nanotechnology

Position your magnifying glass on the topic of nanotechnology, which describes technologies involving very, very small parts—perhaps measuring just a few atomic diameters, or a millionth of a millimeter. The general goal of nanotechnology research programs is to reduce complex and sophisticated machinery into very small operational units.

Nanotechnology involves the development of techniques to build machines from atoms and molecules. The name comes from nanometer, which is a length equal to one-billionth of a meter. It involves the development of new electrical devices that depend on quantum effects that arise when the dimension of a structure is only a few atoms across. Because the techniques best suited for fabricating devices on the submicron scale originated in semiconductor processing technology for the production of integrated circuits, nanoscale devices are all based on semiconductors.

Nanotechnology is a relatively new field, first conceptualized by K. Eric Drexler in 1971. The doorway to nanotechnology was opened in 1985 when Richard Errett Smalley produced a third form of carbon, named the “buckyball,” that led to the creation of long cylindrical strings of buckyballs called buckytubes or nanotubes. Many scientists think nanotubes are a fundamental unit for building countless other nanodevices. Nanotubes can be flexed and woven; for example, nanotubes are being woven into experimental fibers for use in ultralight bulletproof vests. Nanotubes are also perfect conductors, and they may be used to construct atomically precise electronic circuitry for more advanced computers and flat-panel displays. They’re important to the emerging field of molecular nanotechnology (MNT).

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Nanotechnology Resources

Gale provides scholarly nanotechnology databases and nanotechnology eBooks.

Databases

Gale databases offer researchers access to credible, up-to-date nanotechnology publications for research.

Gale eBooks

Gale offers a variety of eBooks covering a wide range of topics, including nanomaterials, environmental management, nanomedicine, nanoparticles, nano foods, and more. Users can add Gale eBooks to a customized collection and cross-search to pinpoint relevant content. Workflow tools help users easily share, save, and download content.

  • Governing Nano Foods: Principles-Based Responsive Regulation, 1st Edition

    Governing Nano Foods: Principles-Based Responsive Regulation, 1st Edition

    Elsevier Science | 2013 | ISBN-13: 9780124202146

    Food that nanotechnology has impacted or to which nanotechnology is applied is referred to as nano food. From treatment of the soil in which a crop plant is grown to the caring of a food, nanotechnology is a growing factor in the food supply. At this point, however, there is no definitive, effective global method for regulating the use of nanotechnology as it relates to the food supply. Legislation on nanotechnologies is evolving, as is understanding what data is needed for effective, efficient, and appropriate risk assessment associated with nanotechnology-impacted foods. Due to the emerging nature of nanotechnology and its role in the food supply, case-by-case studies are the current norm, but the need for wide-scale testing and broad-based regulatory standards is urgent. This project is based on a European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) study designed to provide a comparative study of nano food regulations in order to guide regulation development in this rapidly expanding market.

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  • Light-Sensitive Polymeric Nanoparticles Based on Photo-Cleavable Chromophores, 1st Edition

    Light-Sensitive Polymeric Nanoparticles Based on Photo-Cleavable Chromophores, 1st Edition

    Springer | 2013 | ISBN-13: 9783319004464

    The triggered release of functional compounds from such polymeric carriers as micelles, nanoparticles, or nanogels is a rapidly developing and highly versatile concept that’s expected to be one of the key approaches to future therapeutics. In his thesis, Daniel Klinger highlights the approach of stimuli-responsive microgels for such applications and discusses why especially light as a trigger has an outstanding position amongst the family of conventional stimuli. Based on these considerations, the author focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel photosensitive microgels and nanoparticles as potential materials for the loading and light-triggered release/accessibility of functional compounds. Starting from the synthesis of photo-cleavable organic building blocks and their use in the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles, continuing to the examination of their loading and release profiles, and concluding with biological in vitro studies of the final materials, Daniel Klinger’s work is an excellent example of the multidisciplinary research needed for the successful development of new materials in this field and has led to a number of further publications in respected international journals.

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  • Nano Comes to Life: How Nanotechnology Is Transforming Medicine and the Future of Biology, 1st Edition

    Nano Comes to Life: How Nanotechnology Is Transforming Medicine and the Future of Biology, 1st Edition

    Princeton University Press | 2019 | ISBN-13: 9780691189284

    This book describes the nanotechnology revolution that will transform human health and longevity. It opens a window onto the nanoscale—the infinitesimal realm of proteins and DNA where physics and cellular and molecular biology meet—and introduces readers to the rapidly evolving nanotechnologies that are allowing us to manipulate the very building blocks of life. The author gives an insider’s perspective, revealing how nanotechnology enables a new kind of multidisciplinary science that’s poised to give us control over our own biology, health, and lives. As one of today’s leading researchers in the field, she describes the exciting ways in which nanotechnology makes it possible to understand, interact with, and manipulate biology. In turn, nanotechnology is revolutionizing medicine in ways that will have profound effects on our health and longevity. The book offers insight and hope that we may all share in the benefits of this revolutionary research.

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  • Nanomaterials in Tissue Engineering, 1st Edition

    Nanomaterials in Tissue Engineering, 1st Edition

    Elsevier Science | 2013 | ISBN-13: 9780857097231

    Nanomaterial technologies can be used to fabricate high-performance biomaterials with tailored physical, chemical, and biological properties. They’re therefore an area of interest for emerging biomedical technologies such as scaffolding, tissue regeneration, and controlled drug delivery. Nanomaterials in tissue engineering explores the fabrication of a variety of nanomaterials and the use of these materials across a range of tissue engineering applications. Part one focuses on the fabrication of nanomaterials for tissue engineering applications and includes chapters on engineering nanoporous biomaterials, layer-by-layer self-assembly techniques for nanostructured devices, and the synthesis of carbon-based nanomaterials. Part two highlights the application of nanomaterials in soft tissue engineering and includes chapters on cardiac, neural, and cartilage tissue engineering. Finally, the use of nanomaterials in hard tissue engineering applications, including bone, dental, and craniofacial tissue engineering, is discussed in part three. Nanomaterials in tissue engineering is a standard reference for researchers and tissue engineers with an interest in nanomaterials, laboratories investigating biomaterials, and academics interested in materials science, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, and biological sciences.

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  • Nanomedicine, 1st Edition

    Nanomedicine, 1st Edition

    Elsevier Science | 2013 | ISBN-13: 9780080983417

    The application of nanotechnology to medicine is revolutionizing health care. This book focuses on the science and engineering driving this revolution, the fabrication of nanostructures for diagnosis and therapy, advanced imaging at the molecular scale, and the application of nanoscale physics to bring novel solutions to the detection and treatment of disease. Particular emphasis is placed on hard nanotechnology (e.g., quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, silica) rather than the soft nanotechnology of molecular chemistry.

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  • Nanomedicine in Drug Delivery, 1st Edition

    Nanomedicine in Drug Delivery, 1st Edition

    CRC Press | 2013 | ISBN-13: 9781466506176

    There’s a clear need for innovative technologies to improve the delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents in the body. Recent breakthroughs in nanomedicine are now making it possible to deliver drugs and therapeutic proteins to local areas of disease or tumors to maximize clinical benefits while limiting unwanted side effects. Nanomedicine in Drug Delivery gives an overview of aspects of nanomedicine to help readers design and develop novel drug delivery systems and devices that build on nanoscale technologies.

    With its practical focus on the design, synthesis, and application of nanomedicine in drug delivery, this book is a valuable resource for clinical researchers and anyone working on the challenges of delivering drugs in a more targeted and efficient manner. It explores a wide range of promising approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases using cutting-edge nanotechnologies.

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  • Nanotechnology Applications for Improvements in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Management, 1st Edition

    Nanotechnology Applications for Improvements in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Management, 1st Edition

    Information Science Reference | 2014 | ISBN-13: 9781466663053

    As nanoscale research continues to advance, scientists and engineers are developing new applications for many different disciplines, including environmental remediation and energy optimization. This book combines up-to-date technical research findings and relevant theoretical frameworks on the subject of microscale technologies being used to promote environmental sustainability. Highlighting the impact this technology has on energy production and remediation, this book is an all-inclusive reference source for professionals and researchers interested in understanding the multidisciplinary applications of nanotechnology and nanoscience.

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  • Selected Topics in Nanomedicine, 1st Edition

    Selected Topics in Nanomedicine, 1st Edition

    World Scientific Publishing Company | 2013 | ISBN-13: 9789814472869

    Nanomedicine consists of the use of nanotechnology and nanobiotechnology in medicine. There have been extensive developments in the area of nanomedicine. The scope of this book is first to discuss the origin of nanomedicine, followed by 24 detailed chapters on selected topics of important areas in nanomedicine. Authors are selected from around the world to give a representative and international view of the activities in the area of nanomedicine.

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  • Tissue Regeneration: Where Nano-Structure Meets Biology, 1st Edition

    Tissue Regeneration: Where Nano-Structure Meets Biology, 1st Edition

    World Scientific Publishing Company | 2014 | ISBN-13: 9789814494847

    This unique volume presents the recent advances in tissue regeneration. The authors are all active researchers with extensive experience in their respective fields. The focus of the book is on the use of stem cells and nanostructured biomaterials for tissue regeneration/tissue engineering. It includes the use of stem cells, naturally derived extracellular matrix (ECM), synthetic biomimetic nano fibers, synthetic nanostructured ceramics, and synthetic nanostructured polymer/ceramic composites that can help tissue regeneration. Methods on how to produce these nanostructured biomaterials and future challenges and perspectives in the field of regenerative medicine (tissue regeneration) are also discussed.

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  • Transmission Electron Microscopy Characterization of Nanomaterials, 1st Edition

    Transmission Electron Microscopy Characterization of Nanomaterials, 1st Edition

    Springer | 2014 | ISBN-13: 9783642389344

    This third volume of a 40-volume series on nanoscience and nanotechnology, edited by renowned scientist Challa S.S.R. Kumar, gives a comprehensive overview about transmission electron microscopy characterization of nanomaterials. Modern applications and state-of-the-art techniques are covered and make this volume essential reading for research scientists in academia and industry.

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