Nanobiotechnology merges nanotechnology and biotechnology to develop materials and devices for biological applications, providing opportunities in diagnostics, therapeutics, and tissue engineering. It utilizes nanoscale materials such as nanoparticles and liposomes for targeted drug delivery and disease treatment, while also raising ethical and safety concerns regarding their impact on health and the environment. Applications range from nanomedicine to molecular nanotechnology, aiming to advance the field of bioengineering significantly.

1. NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
Awais Ahmed
Khan Alam
Mohammad Saad
Hamza Khan
Waseem Sajjad
Mohammad Huzaifa
Khawar Khan
Trends in Biotechnology
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad

2. Contents
 Introduction
 Nano
 Nanoscale
 Nanoparticles & Nanomaterials
 Applications
 Biological pores
 Nanomedicine
 Diagnostic & Therapeutic Applications
 Nanoethics

3. Introduction
• Combination of two most progressive fields:
Nanotechnology and Biotechnology
• Nanobiotechnology is a division of nanotechnology
which uses (nanoscale) biological starting materials
• It uses tools of nano/microfabrication to build
devices for studying biological systems
• It keeps exciting opportunities to bring high-impact
advances in the field of bioengineering and medicine

4. Introduction
• Nanobiotechnology provides insight into the
structural features of biological systems such as cell or
tissue as well as to develop nanobiomaterials for
diagnostics, therapeutics and tissue regeneration
• It has applications in the field of biology and medical
sciences
• Ongoing work includes development of Nanoprobes
that can characterize the nanoscale structure and
function of cells

5. What is Nanobiotechnology?
• Nanobiotechnology is the creation of fundamental
materials, devices and systems, through the
understanding and control of matter at nanoscale (1-
100nm), where new functionalities and properties of
matter are observed and harnessed for a broad range of
applications

6. Introduction to NANO…
• Nano – A prefix meaning Dwarf
• Simply meaning One Billionth
 Nanometer: Billionth part of a meter
• Idea was presented by Richard Feynmen
• The average page is about 100,000 nm thick
• A very fine human hair is about 10,000 nanometers wide
1/1,000,000,000

7. The Nanoscale
• 1-100 nm: The Nanoscale
• Anything below 100nm is part of the Nanoscale

8. Why NANO..?
• NANO devices are small
enough to enter
 Most animal cells: 10,000 to
20,000nm in diameter
 Nanoscale devices can easily
enter cells and organelles to
interact with DNA and
proteins
 May also be able to enter and
monitor cells within a living
body

9. Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials
 Liposomes
• Liposomes are phospholipid vesicles (50–100 nm)
• They have a bilayer membrane structure similar to that
of biological membranes and an internal aqueous phase
• Liposomes show excellent circulation, penetration and
diffusion properties
 Dendrimers
• These are highly branched synthetic polymers (<15 nm)
• Show layered architectures constituted of a central core,
an internal region and numerous terminal groups
• Wide application in Drug Delivery System (DDS) and
gene delivery
Liposomes
Dendrimers

10. Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials
 Carbon nanotubes
• Formed of coaxial graphite sheets (<100 nm) rolled
up into cylinders
• Exhibit excellent strength and electrical properties
and are efficient heat conductors
• Due to semiconductor nature , used as biosensors
 Magnetic nanoparticles
• Spherical nanocrystals of 10–20 nm of size with a
Fe2+ and Fe3+ core surrounded by dextran or PEG
molecules
• Magnetic properties make them excellent agents to
label biomolecules in bioassays, as well as MRI
• Useful in targeted gene therapy
Carbon
nanotubes
Magnetic
nanoparticles

11. Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials
 Quantum Dots
• Colloidal fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals
(2–10 nm)
• Resistant to photobleaching & show exceptional
resistance to photo and chemical degradation
• Excellent contrast agents for imaging and labels for
bioassays
 Gold Nanoparticles
• Type of metallic nanoparticle of size <50 nm
• Prepared with different geometries, such as
nanospheres, nanoshells, nanorods or nanocages
• These are excellent labels for biosensors
Quantum
Dots
Gold
Nanoparticles

12. Applications of Nanobiotechnology
• Nanopore Technology
 Biological Pores
 Solid State pores
• Nanomedicine
• Molecular Nanotechnology
• Diagnostic Applications
• Therapeutic Applications
• Tissue Engineering

13. Nanopore Technology (Biological pores)
• Biological nanopore sequencing relies on the use of
transmembrane proteins, called porins
• To create size dependent porous surfaces- with
nanometer scale "holes" distributed across the
membranes
• Properties:
 Specificity
 Capability to be regulated
 3D structure on nanoscale

14. Nanopore Technology (Solid State)
• The biomolecular-nanopore detection technology to rapidly
discriminate between nearly identical strands of DNA
• Single molecule of DNA is drawn through 1-2nm in size pores
that serve as a sensitive detector
• This technology has the potential to detect DNA polyploidy and
DNA mutations

15. Nanomedicine
• Medical application of nanotechnology
• Detection, treatment and prevention of biological disorders
at the molecular level using engineered nanodevices and
nanostructures

16. Applications in Medicine
Diagnostic
- Imaging
- Quantum dots
- Microscopic sampling
- Detection of airway
Therapeutic
- Delivering medication to the
exact location
- Killing of bacteria, viruses &
cancer cells
- Repair of damaged tissues
- Oxygen transport
- Skin and dental care
- Augmentation of immune
system
- The clottocyte concept
- Brain enhancement

17. Diagnostic Applications
• Improved imaging of the human (or any) body
• Nanoprobes can attach themselves to particles in the
body (e.g., antibodies) and emit a magnetic field
• Probes that aren’t attached to anything don’t create a
detectable magnetic field
• Nano-tracking may be able to detect tumors that are a
few cells in size

18. A microscopic
machine roaming
through the
bloodstream,
injecting or taking
samples for
identification and
determining the
concentrations of
different compounds
Diagnostic Applications

19. A single inhaled
nanorobot reaches,
deeply inspired
into the lungs,
enters an alveolar
duct and attaches
to the tissue
surface.
Diagnostic Applications

20. Therapeutic Applications
• Nanobiotech is capable of delivering medication to the exact
location with lesser side effects
 Organic dendrimers - a type of artificial molecule
roughly the size of a protein- would be ideal for the job
of delivering medicine
 Hollow polymer capsules - gold-coated glass beads that
are near infrared light sensitive
• Destruction of harmful eukaryotic organisms / cancer cells
by interrupting their division process (Bc12 family of
proteins)
• Nanoprobe can be made to generate radiation, that could kill
bacteria, viruses and cancer cells

21. Mechanical
drilling of a
small tumor
mass by a
nanorobot
Therapeutic Applications

22. Therapeutic Applications
• Nanotechnology also theoretically allows the
mimicking of natural biological processes e.g., repair
of damaged tissues
 Using nanotech to build scaffolds of artificial
molecules that bone cells often adhere to and grow
bones on
 Broken bones would heal much faster
• Transport of oxygen within the body by creating an
artificial red blood cell

23. Therapeutic Applications
• To cure skin diseases, a cream containing nanorobots
may be used it may:
- Remove the right amount of dead skin
- Remove excess oils
- Add missing oils
- Apply the right amounts of natural
moisturizing compounds

24. Therapeutic Applications
A mouthwash full of
smart nanomachines
could identify and
destroy pathogenic
bacteria while
allowing the
harmless
flora of the mouth to
flourish in a healthy
ecosystem

25. Therapeutic Applications
Medical
nanodevices
could augment
the immune
system by
finding and
disabling
unwanted
bacteria and
viruses

26. Therapeutic Applications
• Emergency Management:
 The clottocyte concept
 Clot-inducing medical nanorobots with fully-
deployed netting capable of embedding growing
clot with red cells and fibrin strands

27. A REAL LIFE PICTUER OF ERYTHROCYTES TRAPPED IN THE FIBRIN
MESHWORK OF A CLOT
Natural Clotting

28. CLOT-INDUCING MEDICAL NANOROBOTS ARE SHOWN IN VARIOUS
STAGES OF CLOT-NETTING DEPLOYMENT.

29. The blue, octopus-like nanobot is one of billions of brain cell
enhancers. The central sphere houses a computer, with a
storehouse of information equal to many large libraries

30. Molecular Nanotechnology
• Nanorobotics or Molecular nanotechnology involves the
creation of complex mechanical systems from the molecular
level
• DNA makes an ideal material for the construction of
nanomachines due to its stiffness
• The intermolecular interactions of DNA are well known & can
be easily predicted
• The self assembly of DNA further facilitates its use as a
construction material

31. Nanorobots: Medicine of Future
• Nanorobots are nanodevices used for maintenance and
protection the human body
• Dimensions of 0.5-5micron
diameter and 1-10nm length
• The powering of the nanorobots can be done by
metabolizing local glucose and oxygen for energy
• Their simple onboard computers perform around 1000
or fewer computations per second

32. Nanorobots
• A navigational network for high positional accuracy
• Enable the physician to keep track of the various
devices in the body
• These nanorobots will be able to distinguish between
different cell types by checking their surface antigens
• Once task accomplished, can be retrieved by allowing
them to effuse themselves via the usual human
excretory channels

33. Nanodevices for Cancer Detection
• Cantilever
• These tiny levers, which are anchored at one end,
can be engineered to bind to molecules that represent
some of the changes associated with cancer. They
may bind to altered DNA sequences or proteins that
are present in certain types of cancer. When these
molecules bind to the cantilevers, surface tension
changes, causing the cantilevers to bend. By
monitoring the bending of the cantilevers, scientists
can tell whether molecules are present

34. Nanodevices for Cancer Detection
• Nanopores
• Tiny holes that allow DNA to pass through one
strand at a time, will make DNA sequencing more
efficient.
• As DNA passes through a nanopore, scientists can
monitor the shape and electrical properties of each
base, or letter, on the strand. Because these
properties are unique for each of the four bases that
make up the genetic code, scientists can use the
passage of DNA through a nanopore to decipher the
encoded information, including errors in the code
known to be associated with cancer.

35. Nanodevices for Cancer Detection
• Nanotubes
 The nanotube creates a map showing the shape of the
DNA molecule, including the tags identifying
important mutations.
 Since the location of mutations can influence the
effects they have on a cell, these techniques will be
important in predicting disease.

36. Nanodevices for Cancer Detection
• Quantum dot
• Another molecule that will be used to detect cancer
is a quantum dot. Quantum dots are tiny crystals that
glow when they are stimulated by ultraviolet light.

37. Application in Tissue Engineering
• Nanotechnology can be
used to create nanofibers,
nanopatterns and
controlled-release
nanoparticles with
applications in tissue
engineering
• Mimicking native tissues
• Biomaterials to be
engineered is of nanometre
size like extracellular
fluids, bone marrow,
cardiac tissues

38. Nanoethics
• Nanoethics concerns ethical and social issues
• Supporters believe that it has the potential to transform
our lives
• Opponents fear that self-replicating "nanobots" could
escape from laboratories and reduce all life on earth
• Commonplace ethical issues assumed
 Environment and safety
 Conflict of interest among government,
industry & universities
 Intellectual property ownership

39. Health and Safety Issues
• Great debate regarding to what extent nanotechnology
will effect human health
• Small nanoparticles may enter the human body but the
health implications are yet unknown
• Nanotechnology's health impact:
a. Nanomedicine; as medicine
b. Nanotoxicology; exposure to nanomaterials

40. Health and Safety Issues
• Health effects can not be studied b/c all studies are made on
animals not humans
• So, difficulty in relating reactions to humans
• Toxicity studies using mice and rats suggest that certain
nanomaterials could be very toxic
• Safety in handling of nanoparticles
• Use of implanting nano-devices in humans: i.e.
implanting artificial devices

41. Medical Issues
• Nanoparticles can be used as vehicles for efficient drug delivery
to heal, repair damages
• Nanomedicine could harm the human body rather than healing it
• Particles such as toxins that can’t be seen or easily controlled
would enter the body
• The materials used for nano-medical technologies
may be toxic
• Transhumanists – changing human nature itself

42. Environmental Issues
• Nanopollution generated by nanodevices could be dangerous
• Might enter humans, causing unknown effects
• Whole life cycle needs to be evaluated for assessing the health
hazards of nanoparticles
• ‘Grey Goo’
Chances of wiping out the entire biosphere by self
replicating nanorobots
• Release of nanoparticles which may harm the environment

43. Societal Issues
• Broader societal impacts and social challenges
• Military and terrorist uses - Unfortunately, as with
nuclear technology, it is far easier to create destructive
uses for nanotechnology than constructive ones
• Fear of decrease of gap between humans and robots
• Patent issues

44. Conclusion
• Everything is like a coin, with two faces, GOOD or
BAD
• Its on us to take Nanobiotechnology as a blessing or
curse
• It has an ability to change the world in both ways
• But as a blessing it is surely going to change it in a
better way