‘Nanotechnology can cure cancer’

HYDERABAD: A genetic research specialist from the twin cities Rao Papineni, working with Carestream Health Inc, USA, along with other top researchers has devised a method to treat cancer cells by using nanotechnology.

The researcher who is here to take part in the upcoming BioAsia-09 said that the ‘invention’ is in U.S. patent process. It’s a known fact that nanotechnology can be used to develop ways to kill cancer cells in the body without damaging the healthy cells. “We have developed image-guided targeted cancer-cell killers. The unique aspect is that we can deliver large loads of drugs to the cancerous region without actually affecting the healthy cells,” Dr. Papineni said.

The researcher is in the process of meeting local scientific and research community in India and discuss about the invention. “We are hoping that people back home here will notice such developments during the BioAsia 2009. I have already presented a paper on the same subject in Nanobio-2009 held recently in Kochi,” he said.

Along with a research team consisting of Dr. Alan Pollock and Dr. Mansoor Ahmed at University of Miami, Florida, plans are afoot to use the cancer killer nanoparticles in curing prostrate cancer. “It’s not just prostrate cancer; other cancers can also be cured.” Dr. Rao is also working on a process to make nanoparticles carry large doses of Curcumin (Haldi), which has anti-cancer properties, with another Indian researcher Bharat Agarwal. “Apart from its known use in plastics, energy, and aerospace industry, nanotechnology is beginning to grow rapidly in medical imaging and therapeutics,” he said.

Dr. Rao Papineni is the Chief Scientist and senior Principal Investigator at Carestream Health Inc, USA. (He can be reached at rao.papineni1@ carestreamhealth.com).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Filed under: books, events, nanotechnology, Sciences, conference, Medicine, Nanosystems, nanotechnology, news, Research, scanning tunneling microscope

Multitasking Nanotechnology

Confocal microscope image of a self-assembled monolayer of a polychlorotriphenyl methyl radical patterned on a quartz surface. This multifunctional molecule behaves as an electroactive switch with optical and magnetic response.

Tiny electronically active chemicals can be made to form ordered layers on a surface, thanks to research supported by the European Science Foundation (ESF) through the EUROCORES programme SONS 2 (Self-Organised NanoStructures).

These nanostructured layers may one day be used to build the components of electronics devices, such as transistors and switches, for a future generation of powerful computers based on molecules rather than silicon chips.

Speaking at the European Materials Research Society (EMRS) meeting in Strasbourg, SONS II scientist Marta Mas-Torrent explained the potential of nanotechnology: “Currently, there is a great interest in employing functional molecules as building blocks for preparing devices since this will facilitate the move towards device miniaturization.”

On this scale, manipulating nanoscopic components requires skill and determination but by exploiting molecular self assembly, the researchers hope to build ordered layers just a single molecule thick using microcontact printing techniques borrowed from the electronics industry.

They are now creating different arrangements of monolayers on gold, silica, and other materials.

Source: European Science Foundation

Filed under: electronics, Sciences, devices, electronics, EMRS, nanotechnology, SONS 2

EMSI Conference brings forth the new trends

EMSI Conference brings forth the new trends
Paves way for greater research in Nano science

Inauguration of National Conference on Electron Microscopy and Allied Fields at Bundelkhan University, Jhansi

Scientific Exhibition at the Conference

The National Conference of Electron Microscope Society of India (EMSI – 2009) was held at Bundelkhand University in Jhansi from January 17-19, 2009. This annual conference promoted interdisciplinary research, bridging various scientific and technical disciplines. The conference brought various scientists from across the country to work in different disciplines to discuss the various aspects of microscopy.

Dr Peter Koshy, outgoing president of EMSI, mentioned that, “Electron Miscroscopy has paved way to the birth nanotechnology, but this has not really got its due importance in the country for various reasons. Thanks to major push in nanotechnology by the government and private organizations, this field is now looked forward.”

The electron microscope needs no introduction. It has been hailed as one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. Since it was first unveiled, the electron microscope has undergone many technical improvements and seen the incorporation of new designs, among them the scanning tunneling electron microscope. But nonetheless, the pioneering attempt of Ernst Ruska was rewarded with one half of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics for his fundamental work in electron optics and for the design of the first electron microscope. The other half went jointly to Dr Gerd Binnig and Dr Heinrich Rohrer for their design of the scanning tunneling microscope. Today almost no branch of science can do without electron microscope, which has been the tool to reveal many of nature’s mysteries.

The conference discussed advances in the electron microscopy techniques as also the understanding of new and exotic materials and their consequent applications of relevance to the society. More importantly, the new nanoscale analytical techniques have made it possible to understand and also help create matter on a nanoscale and thus have ushered in an era of what is now popularly called nano science and nanotechnology.

Explaining about the importance newly appointed president of EMSI R P Tandon says, “Today our country is being recognized for its large pool of excellent human resources in science and technology and it is high time they are brought to the lime light. In view of encouraging our scientists, academicians, and young researchers for the future, this is the purpose of the conference.”

EMSI found one of its missions to identify the scientific brilliance in the country, recognize their scientific contributions and honour them with different prestigious awards during the annual meeting. Dr Srikumar Banerjee, director of Baba Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai was presented with Lifetime Achievement Award for 2008-09 while Dr PD Gupta of CCMB was given the same award in Biological Sciences category. For the first time the Society has instituted Fellow of EMSI and has given this honour to 10 prominent people: Prof K Chattopadhyay, Dr MS Rao, Dr Fazil Marickar, Prof RP Tandon, Dr G K Dey, Dr Sudip Dey, Dr Sabu Thomas, Dr Indradev Samajdar, Dr P Prabhakar Rao and Dr Prakash Kumar.

Apart from the conference, there was a scientific exhibition with various corporate players displaying their newest products and technologies. Major players participated in this much awaited exhibition: Icon Analytical, Gatan, Jeol, Blue Star, Carl Zeiss, Forevision Instruments, Oxford Instruments, Camscan, Mars Scientific & Bruker Miscroanalysis, Tinsley-Wayne Kerr, Sree Analytical, Labindia Instruments, Ants Ceramics, Metrex and Advance Scientific & Tescan.

Nano India magazine took this opportunity to meet and inform about the impending launch of the magazine. Flyers were distributed to all the participants of the conference generating curiosity to know about the magazine.

Filed under: events, Sciences, conference, electron microscope, electron optics, EMSI, events, nanotechnology, scanning tunneling microscope