Nanoparticles Blog

As a reader of this blog, this picture may remind you of a recent article about an Android game.

However, this time it shows real nanoparticles: as Nanowerk explained last month, core-shell nanoparticles with specific elements are capable of light upconversion, meaning that they can emit a new range of colors that are more energetic than the light that they absorb.

Upconverted emission from new activator-doped core-shell nanoparticles (© 2011 NPG)

Link to the article by Nanowerk:  http://bit.ly/JMJCv6
Direct link to Nature Materials:  http://bit.ly/IzvgL1

A recent blog article by the Scientific American comments on current developments that use nano-gold for cancer treatments.

The key to the possible breakthrough is a multi-conjugation of nanoparticles:

If they can be loaded with different functional molecules at the same time, these nanoparticles could:

• carry an anti-cancer drug and
• bind specifically to cancer cells to release the drug locally.

This is the principle of nanoparticle-based drug targeting, which, however, has never been successfully applied to cancers in humans.

Now, first clinical trials with such an anti-cancer nanoparticle compound (after previous positive results in mice and monkeys) have been concluded and may be good news for mankind: in many cases, the nano-drug actually stopped the growth or even reduced the tumors.

Blog article by Katherine Harmon:
http://bit.ly/IsrZxH

Link to a related article by AZoNano:
http://azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=24629

Publication in Science Translational Medicine:
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/4/128/128ra39

The R&D News portal PhysOrg - already presented here in November - has moved from physorg.com to the simpler address phys.org and carries a new logo.

The Nanomaterials homepage is now available at:
http://phys.org/nanotech-news/nano-materials/

Nanotechnology homepage for mobile phones:
http://m.phys.org/nanotech-news/

The “Scientific American” has published an article about the potential of bacteria as customized vehicles for nanoparticles and drugs - one of the topics discussed at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting in March 2012.

This is another example for the growing relevance of nanoparticle conjugation techniques: whenever an antibody can be attached tightly to a specific nanoparticle surface, this enables a bunch of new applications in biotechnology.

Direct link to the article:  http://bit.ly/HkLO8e

“Nanotechnology world” (issued by the Guardian and NANO Channels) has published a “guide to nanotechnology” for consumers.

The small “guide” is available as a colorful PDF that is printable as a landscape format poster. It summarizes and touches on various relevant topics in the context of nanotechnology and, creditably, emphasizes that “nanotechnology” can never be lumped together as either a desirable or a dangerous topic.

Direct link to the poster PDF: http://bit.ly/HxXhUv
Text version on the website: http://bit.ly/H9SJV6

The Kavli Foundation (Oxnard, California), that aims at the support of life sciences, has recently published a summary of a teleconference with four American pioneers in cancer nanotechnologies about the relevance of nanotechnology for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

The experts provide an insight into one of the most challenging application fields for different kinds of nanoparticles and nanodevices, about which new achievements are being reported every day.

Direct link to the article:  http://bit.ly/yduhg5

The world’s largest industry trade show, Hannover Messe, will take place again from April 23 to 27, 2012.

In Hall 2 (Research & Technology), the fair will host the joint stand “World of Nano” (D-50). Particular GmbH invites everyone with interest in nanotechnology to visit Hannover Messe for free and see the booth of Particular at the “World of Nano”.

Link to the English “World of Nano” homepage:
http://bit.ly/zzVk0J

Link to Particular GmbH at Hannover Messe:
http://bit.ly/wOCqiE

Direct link to free entrance cards by Particular:
http://particular.eu/hannover-messe-tickets.html

In February, the Japanese newspaper “The Daily Yomiuri” announced plans of a major construction company from Tokyo to build an elevator to a space station 36,000 kilometers above the earth - based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the nanomaterial with the highest strength known.

Since the discovery of CNTs, scientists have always dreamed of such an application. However, the available length of CNTs is still restricted to centimeters.

The Australian magazine “The Conversation” explains that this major challenge could be solved by “tethering these tubes together to form ropes, very much like the method used to make wool yarn.”

Link to The Daily Yomiuri:  http://bit.ly/zPVxw4
Link to The Conversation:  http://bit.ly/w5HLDi

This may become a must-have for nanoparticle experts:
the “Nanoparticles” game for Android smartphones!

In this simple game, you protect a green nanoparticle (yes, nanoparticles obviously have colors!) from aggregating with viole(n)t nanoparticles that keep attracting it by electrostatic and van-der-Waals forces.

To protect your particulate green friend, you can add repulsive (=ugly?) red nanoparticles or attractive (=pretty?) blue nanoparticles to the colloidal playing field.

The levels and participating particles keep increasing endlessly. For about a dozen levels, the game is quite entertaining. Then, try the Party Mode and enjoy about another twenty levels until, for example, you prefer working with real nanoparticles again.

The installation requires a module for physical calculations called Ministro that is downloaded and installed automatically before the first start.

Developer: http://dragly.org/source/nanoparticles/
Link to the Android Play Store: http://bit.ly/yiX06x

In recent articles, optics.org and AZoNano have summarized results from Montréal by Dr. Judith Baumgart and Prof. Michel Meunier about a new transfection method for cancer cells that employs gold nanoparticles and ultrashort laser pulses.

The laser was focused onto nano-gold on malignant melanoma cells. This opened up the cells and allowed to insert genetic material (a method called “lipofection”) without physically destroying them.

The demonstrated procedure could be the basis for numerous new therapeutic methods not only in oncology, whenever it is necessary to deposit material in cells without destroying them.

Link to optics.org:
http://optics.org/news/3/3/2

Link to AZoNano
(with automated translation to 23 languages):
http://azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=24316

Link to the original article in Biomaterials (March 2012):
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.11.062

To efficiently absorb UV light and, at the same time, keep skin lotions transparent, manufacturers of sunscreens often use active UV absorbers (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) in the form of nanoparticles.

There are widespread doubts about the safety of such nanoparticles in sunscreens: can they be hazardous?

In Australia, the country with the strongest sunlight exposure and the highest skin cancer rates, the topic is discussed most intensively. According to a study by the Australian Government from February 2012, 17 % of Australians were convinced that “not using sunscreen at all is less risky to my health than using sunscreens that include nanoparticles”.

Experts, however, are warning against too much reservation. After all, nanoparticles are purposely used in sunscreens to optimize their UV protection. Paul Wright, Australian toxicology professor at RMIT University, recently summarized results in an online interview:

“Toxicity from zinc oxide particles was only seen at extremely high doses that would not be achieved from sunscreen use. […] It is important to weigh up the known risk of skin damage from excessive UV exposure, with the diminishing perceived risk of using nano sunscreens.”

One year ago, the American Environmental Working Group (EWG) had already published sunscreen test results that compared nanoparticle-based products with those based on chemicals. The study also explicitly considered public reservations. Mother Nature Network (MNN) summarized them as follows:

“While there is some concern over the safety of nanoparticles in mineral sunscreens, the EWG believes that they’re safer than chemicals like oxybenzone, octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC), 4-Methylbenzlidene camphor (4-MCB) and padimate O.”

In Europe, the NANO-DERM project investigated a potential skin penetration of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. In their final report, the participating scientists concluded:

“Summing up, we do not expect any health effects for the topical application of sunscreens containing TiO2 nanoparticles (especially when coated) on healthy skin which are related to the particulate state.”

Everybody will need to weigh up by himself: can potential risks that have never been affirmed in toxicity studies legitimate an increased risk of skin cancer?
If so, we ought to use parasols.

Direct link to Australian survey: http://bit.ly/x6EIhH
Link to “The Conversation”: http://bit.ly/zEImLA
Advice by the EWG: http://bit.ly/xrRqIu
NANO-DERM project summary: http://bit.ly/y289Tc