Nanotechnology is a 'catch-all' description of activities at the level of atoms and molecules that have applications in the real world. A manometer is a billionth of a meter, about 1/80,000 of the diameter of a human hair, or 10 times the diameter of a hydrogen atom. Nanotechnology is now used in precision engineering, new materials development as well as in electronics; electromechanical systems as well as mainstream biomedical applications in areas such as gene therapy, drug delivery and novel drug discovery techniques. This book presents the latest research in this frontier field.

Advances in physics, molecular biology, and computer science are converging on the capacity to control, with molecular precision, the structure and function of matter. These twenty original contributions provide the first broad-based multidisciplinary definition and examination of the revolutionary new discipline of molecular engineering, or nanotechnology. They address both the promise as well as the economic, environmental, and cultural challenges of this emerging atomic-scale technology. Leaders in their field describe current technologies that feed into nanotechnology - atomic imaging and positioning, protein engineering, and the de novo, design and synthesis of self-assembling molecular structures. They present development strategies for coordinating recent work in chemistry, biotechnology, and scanning-probe microscopy in order to successfully design and engineer molecular systems. They also explore advances in molecular and quantum electronics as well as reversible computational systems and the fundamental physical constraints on computation. Additional chapters discuss research efforts in Japan and present the prospects of nanotechnology as seen from the perspective of a microtechnologist. The final section looks at the implications of success, including the prospects of enormous computational power and the radical consequences of molecular mechanical systems in the fields of medicine and life extension. Contributors Robert Birge. Federico Capasso. BC Crandall. K. Eric Drexler. Gregory Fahy. Richard Feynman. John Foster. Tracy Handel. Bill Joy. Arthur Kantrowitz. Joseph Mallon. Norman Margolus. Ralph Merkle. Lester Milbrath. Gordon Tullock. Hiroyuki Sasabe. Michael Ward

As long as humans have existed on the planet, they have looked at the world around them and wondered about much of what they saw. This book covers 21 different phenomena that have been observed in nature and puzzled about for decades.Only recently, with the development of the microscopes and other tools that allow us to study, evaluate, and test these observed phenomena at the molecular and atomic scale, have researchers been able to understand the science behind these observations. From the strength of a marine sponge found at the depths of the oceans, to the insect-hydroplaning surface of the edge of a plant, to the intricacies of the eyes of a moth, nanotechnology has allowed science to define and understand these amazing capabilities. In many cases, this new understanding has been applied to products and applications that benefit humans and the environment. For each of the five ecosystems— the ocean, insects, flora, fauna, and humans—the observations, study and understanding, and applications will be covered. The relationship between the more easily observed macro level and understanding what is found at the nanoscale will also be discussed.

Nanotechnology in biology and medicine: Research advancements & future perspectives is focused to provide an interdisciplinary, integrative overview on the developments made in nanotechnology till date along with the ongoing trends and the future prospects. It presents the basics, fundamental results/current applications and latest achievements on nanobiotechnological researches worldwide scientific era. One of the major goals of this book is to highlight the multifaceted issues on or surrounding of nanotechnology on the basis of case studies, academic and theoretical articles, technology transfer (patents and copyrights), innovation, economics and policy management. Moreover, a large variety of nanobio-analytical methods are presented as a core asset to the early career researchers. This book has been designed for scientists, academician, students and entrepreneurs engaged in nanotechnology research and development. Nonetheless, it should be of interest to a variety of scientific disciplines including agriculture, medicine, drug and food material sciences and consumer products. Features It provides a thoroughly comprehensive overview of all major aspects of nanobiotechnology, considering the technology, applications, and socio-economic context It integrates physics, biology, and chemistry of nanosystems It reflects the state-of-the-art in nanotechnological research (biomedical, food, agriculture) It presents the application of nanotechnology in biomedical field including diagnostics and therapeutics (drug discovery, screening and delivery) It also discusses research involving gene therapy, cancer nanotheranostics, nano sensors, lab-on-a-chip techniques, etc. It provides the information about health risks of nanotechnology and potential remedies. It offers a timely forum for peer-reviewed research with extensive references within each chapter

Most of the policy discussion about stimulating innovation has focused on the federal level. This study focuses on the significant activity at the state level, with the goal of improving the public's understanding of key policy strategies and exemplary practices. Based on a series of workshops and conferences that brought together policymakers along with leaders of industry and academia in a select number of states, the study highlights a rich variety of policy initiatives underway at the state and regional level to foster knowledge based growth and employment. Perhaps what distinguishes this effort at the state level is most of all the high degree of pragmatism. Operating out of necessity, innovation policies at the state level often involve taking advantage of existing resources and recombining them in new ways, forging innovative partnerships among universities, industry and government organizations, growing the skill base, and investing in the infrastructure to develop new technologies and new industries. Many of these initiatives are being guided by leaders from the private sector and universities. The objective of Best Practices in State and Regional Innovation Initiatives: Competing in the 21st Century is not to do an empirical review of the inputs and outputs of various state programs. Nor is it to evaluate which programs are superior. Indeed, some of the notable successes, such as the Albany nanotechnology cluster, represent a leap of leadership, investment, and sustained commitment that has had remarkable results in an industry that is actively pursued by many countries. The study's goal is to illustrate the approaches taken by a variety of highly diverse states as they confront the increasing challenges of global competition for the industries and jobs of today and tomorrow.

This new volume presents a wealth of practical experience and research on new methodologies and important applications in chemical nanotechnology. It also includes small-scale nanotechnology-related projects that have potential applications in several disciplines of chemistry and nanotechnology. In this book, contributions range from new methods to novel applications of existing methods to gain understanding of the material and/or structural behavior of new and advanced systems. Topics cover computational methods in chemical engineering and chemoinformatics, studies of some of physico-chemical properties of several important nanoalloy clusters, the use of 3D reconstruction of nanofibrous membranes, nanotechnology research for green engineering and sustainability, nanofiltration and carbon nanotubes applications in water treatment, and much more.

"Part of this book adapted from "Introduction aux nanosciences et aux nanotechnologies" published in France by Hermes Science/Lavoisier in 2006."