1. Bio-nanotechnology calls…
…. Towards a new era..!
Initially, medical sciences were found not enough for application in daily use. The
collaboration of life sciences with the physical sciences, including physics,
chemistry and mathematics, led to the development of a new trade, which we now
know as biotechnology. It is a very vast field, and as in present scenario, has
already established itself in our daily life.
Biotechnology includes bioinformatics, which has been helping in drug
discoveries, drug delivery (about 58% of the patent filings worldwide include drug
delivery), immunology, microbiology, medical biotechnology, genetic engineering
and Bio nanotechnology.
For example Nanotechnology, as we know, is the science of materials ranging
from the sizes 1-100nm. It is fascinating how such inconceivably small entities can
bring about big changes. Nanotechnology has buried its claws very deep into the
scientific world. It has now been employed in various fields since almost two
decades. It has been integrated to medicine, electronics, aviation, construction, IT,
and several other sciences. It is a budding field that requires brain and manpower
along with the existing resources for betterment of the society. Also, it has the
potential of providing a better life to the society by developing several commercial
products like glass cleaners, ointments, cosmetic creams, and in surgical tools,
bandages for wound dressings, implantable devices and catheters. Another
fascinating product is nanofibres, which have very small pores that do not allow
dust particles to settle on them. Imagine never having to wash your clothes again!
The integration of nanotechnology in almost all the engineering and medical fields
has opened doors to extensive researches. So there is a need of public awareness
about the importance and potentials of bio nanotechnology. Different governments
are already spending millions of dollars, euros, and yens on Nano-researches.
The alliance of nanotechnology and medicine has opened up new vistas in field of
medicine with many potential applications. Imagine artificial RBCs (Red Blood
Cells) and WBCs (White Blood Cells) viz. Respirocytes and Microbivores with
increased efficacy. It is found that the supply of oxygen by respirocyte is 236x of

2. natural RBC- Unbelievable but true..! Even the most common Nanoparticles like
C-60 (fullerenes) have revolutionized the medical trends. Nano encapsulation of
anti-cancer drugs in Bucky balls has not only improved drug delivery to target
areas but also minimized the side effects. Similarly nanotubes have emerged as
potential carrier for drugs. Nano drugs owing to their high surface area/volume
ratio and simplicity in formulation have reduced amount and cost of otherwise
bulky drugs. Also the treatments of neurological diseases have been cumbersome
due to blood brain barrier but the zero dimensional NPs have provided new hopes.
Quantum dots (0 dimension NPs) have been very effective in detection and
tracking of tumors. The present day status of Nanomedicne is only a milestone on
the road to introducing truly innovative technology.
You've just come up with an idea. What to do next? There is no exact order of
what you should be doing. But we like to suggest two broad areas for inventors to
embark on. First, learn all you can about running a business. Second, write a
business plan (and that's actually a rarity among the successful inventors) but you'll
still need to have a plan.
For the commercialization of any new technology the first requirement is to
develop a product. The research policies of bio nanotechnology are a complete
plan in itself. Since nanotechnology is the shadow of nature, the development
processes are usually cheap, ecofriendly, and effective.
Whenever a patented Nano product is to be launched in a market, the first
requirement is to find a company with a good market value. Another important
need is to ensure that the company understands the value of your product. (Any
Nano product will have its advantages; all you need to do is to explain that to the
buyer.) Another thing to be kept in mind is to build a symbiotic relationship
between the two parties. The Nano product should be cheap and affordable by
common people, and profitable for the company at the same time. It should be
more efficient than the existing products of the same family, and also the
development processes should be less cumbersome than the conventional methods.
Commercialization of the product should be done in a way so that it directly targets
the public mind and develops an understanding of the potential and efficacy of the
product.

3. Since the technology is very young and it still has to reach the peak of its potential,
we still lack the understanding of its potential risks. Another issue is that the
scientists are more interested in publishing their work rather than commercializing
it.
It is inevitable and obvious that nanotechnology will be one of the major deciding
factors in a country’s revolutionary development. Need of hour is to find ways to
overcome the shortcomings and encourage young brains of our nation to excel in
the technology, and take pains not only to publish but commercialize their
researches. Also the marketing sector should be made flexible enough to trust the
new researches and invest in the innovative products.
Let’s encourage our coming generations to work extensively in bio-
nanotechnology to help pave a way towards a new era.
“Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions.”-Albert Einstein
By:
Dr. Komal Saluja Er Nasreen Ahmad
(MBBS, JNMC, AMU) (Adv PG Diploma in Nanotechnology
Deptt of Applied Physics, AMU)
Email id: koms_algh14@yahoo.co.in Email id: anju.123.nas@gmail.com