Videos are now up of the Nanomedicine event last week.

Check out my new feature…a 10 minute recap of the evening.

As always, you can watch snippets of the video on YouTube as well.

Nanotechnology is clearly booming with numerous research opportunities emerging over the past few years. However, the field remains dominated by men, with upwards of 90% male researchers. The below video from Nova ScienceNow, follows nanotech researcher Naomi Halas…especially her struggles as a woman scientist.

Our next speaker, Dr. Tejal Desai, will be discussing her experience in the male dominated world of nanotech and her mentoring of young women into science.

Naomi Halas is a pioneering nanotechnologist bent on seeing practical applications for her work—and soon.

watch the video clip via: QuickTime RealVideo high | low Windows Media high | low

In two weeks, we will discuss nanotechnology in medicine, an area of research that is BOOMing. Just thinking about it at a high level has me wonder, what the heck would that look like? How would it possibly work? And frankly why?

And apparently, 99% of most medicinal treatment don’t reach there designated targets. It’s like a giant game of darts.

Making a tiny device to navigate the bodies defenses to a specific target is hard to visualize. Luckily for us, someone took care of that problem.

About a year ago, Berkeley became the first city in the nation to regulate nanoparticles. The legislation requires any manufactured nanoparticle to be reported to the city. The law is aimed at small nanotechnology startups that are springing up all over the Bay Area. To be clear, this law only requires companies to report the development on nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are used in a myriad of products, everything from sunscreen to solar cells.

The motivation? Nanoparticles can pass directly into cells, with potential harmful effects.

How dangerous are these little particles? No one knows. Many studies are underway to understand the effect of continued nanoparticle exposure.

A recent study indicates nanoparticles of TiO2, a compound used in personal care and food products, generate oxygen free radicals when coming in contact with brain cells. Specifically, microglia cells, the brain’s cell protection against foreign pathogens, would release oxygen free radicals when coming in contact with the TiO2. The microglia cells were undamaged, but the free radical release could affect neuron in a way similar to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers. It is premature to say TiO2 damages the brain, but this study definitely brings up the possibility.

The federal government has responded by creating a list of research priorities around nanotoxicology. The US NNI established a research strategy to better understand nanotoxicology, including identification of nanomaterials at tissue, cellular, and molecular levels.

Takeaway
Our understanding of nanotoxicology is in its infancy. With hundreds of consumer products already using nanomaterials, it is good to hear the federal government stepping in. However, the research also indicates it’s time from more research, not necessarily time for policy right now. In that way, I believe strengthening legislation is ahead of the curve.

More Info
US NNI Nanotoxicology Research Strategy
Inventory of Nanomaterials in Consumer Products
Science report on TiO2 effects
Chronicle story of Berkeley Nano Regulation

QUEST never lets me down.

As a primer for the upcoming Nanomedicine discussion, check out this KQED piece on nanotechnology. Does an incredible job explaining the field at a high level.