a blog by the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology
This post is part of our ongoing series of public-friendly summaries describing research articles that have been published by members of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. Marco Torelli, a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, was the first author on this paper and collaborated on the study with CSN researchers at the University …
Continue reading "How Many Molecules Can Fit On the Surface of a Round Nanoparticle?"
Designing non-toxic nanomaterials requires that we understand how those nanomaterials interact with biological systems. Systems such as you me, and all other organisms, contain a “biological soup” of chemical compounds, known as biomolecules. So the question becomes…how do nanomaterials transform once they come into contact with these biomolecules? This question has become increasingly important, especially …
Continue reading "How I Study Nanoparticles’ Interactions with Biological Soup"
Half a century ago, a Soviet scientist was tucked away in a top-secret facility. The results of his experiments are critical to our work here the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. Find it hard to believe? Read on!Why We Use NanodiamondsOne of the materials that we are using in our research is nano-sized diamond. We also …
Continue reading "Nuclear Proliferation & Sustainability: the History of Nanodiamonds"
The last time I played with Google Street View, I saw my car in the driveway and could practically count the teeth on a jack o’ lantern on my porch. I thought, wouldn’t it be amazing if I could drop-land on the surface of a nanoparticle and take a look around the scenery? What about …
Continue reading "The Mystery of the Surface: Your Kitchen Table is Far From Simple"
This amazing movie was made using a microscope that can visualize atoms at 100 million times magnification. This microscope, known as a scanning tunneling microscope, can also move atoms around. For more, see Bob's post about Heinrich Rohrer, the late nobel prize winner who helped design the scanning tunneling microscope. Using this type of microscope, scientists …
Continue reading "A Boy and His Atom: The World’s Smallest Movie – Friday Video"
Only over the past 20 years have we begun to harness the unique properties of nano-scale materials, while nature has been using nano- “technology” since the beginning of time to prevent infections, repel water, create colors, and climb vertical surfaces. Inspired by nature’s advances, scientists and engineers are generating biomimetic applications for nanotechnology in today’s …
Awesome video, no further comments necessary. Happy Friday! 🙂
Inside the nano zone, gravity doesn't really matter!
I present to you my cat, Graboid. She has nanoparticles coursing through her veins, and those nanoparticles may save her life. Grabby is 14 years old. She was not featured at the Internet Cat Video Film Festival at the Minnesota State Fair, but I still think she’s pretty great. Unfortunately, Grabby has oral squamous cell …
Continue reading "Nanomedicine Explainer – My Cat is in a Clinical Trial"
Many of us couldn’t make it through a day without a cup or two of our favorite caffeinated beverage. I usually start my day with a warm cup of coffee or tea. In fact, more than 50% of adults in America drink coffee on a daily basis, averaging about 3 cups a day. In the US, …
Continue reading "Nanoparticles With Your Coffee? A Java-Infused Science Experiment!"
Sustainable Nano 