Researchers Engineer Nanomaterials for Safer, Effective Use
Working with nanomaterials to make them safe for use is the focus of research funded by NNI agencies. Three recent articles spotlighted significant findings by laboratories conducting basic research.
Scientists at the DOE-supported Molecular Foundry at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, California, have coated carbon nanotubes with mucin-mimic polymers. These polymers have been found to be nontoxic to cells, potentially allowing the use of carbon nanototubes for medical diagnostics and treatments.
In other research from Berkeley Lab, nano-sized florescent probes coated with quantum dots have been found to affect only 0.2 percent of the human genome, resulting in minimal impact to cells. This would give biologists a clear view of processes spanning several hours or days, such as DNA replication, genomic alterations, and cell cycle control.
Semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have great potential for biomedical imaging, but directing LED brightness is crucial. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have found a way to make LEDs more than seven times brighter by etching nanoscale grooves in a surrounding cavity to guide scattered light in one direction. While LEDs typically emit 2 percent of the light in a desired direction, this technique would boost useful LED emissions to about 41 percent.