Would the Nanoparticles help to Prevent the Healthcare-associated Infections?

Image obtained from “HAI Watch: Not on My Watch” web site

Recently it began to be some concern about the Healthcare-associated infections (HAI), as evidenced by initiatives such as the prevention campaign Kimberly-Clark Health Care, called HAI Wactch: Not on My Watch.

Perhaps similar technologies to the one used in the anti-swine flue costumes design by Haruyama Trading Company which is based on titanium dioxide nanoparticles may facilitate prevention.

If these new nanomaterials demonstrate its effectiveness we could find ourselves in a new era in the field of disease prevention. But until then it is more prudent to follow the recommendations of the HAI Campaign Watch: Not on My Watch.

Marketing of Antimicrobial Paints

Image obtained from Nanotek web site

A spin-off from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral called Nanotek has announced the release of an antimicrobial paint. This product will be sold under the brand Klima and in alliance with the paint manufacturer Vilba.

The company Nanotek specializes in the cleanup of pollution through the use of nanoparticles of iron and bactericides-fungicides with silver based product.

Silicon Nano Ink for Solar Cells

Images obtained from Innovalight web site

Californian startup Innovalight uses silicon ink printed on silicon wafers to increase the efficiency of solar cells. According to the company, the injection technique is cheaper and gets a higher degree of efficiency.

Silicon inks developed by Innovalight can be printed with the technology of QTB Solar inkjet printing.

The agreement reached between Innovalight and JA Solar could mean that the new solar cells are on the market next year

Complutense Young Award for Science and Technology

Images obtained from Imperial College web site

Esther Rodríguez Villegas, a Spanish professor at Imperial College, has been awarded the 2009 Young Science and Technology of the Universidad Complutense.

This 35 year old researcher works in electronics and nanotechnology, specifically in the microchips development. Currently performs a European project to develop non-invasive low power sensors and to implant in patients.

New Imprint Template Replication System

Perfecta™ TR1100. Image obtained from Molecular Imprints web site

Molecular Imprints, a spun out from the University of Texas, has developed a new template replication system for patterned media applications. The system called Perfect ™ TR1100 allows massive high-fidelity replication and cheaply.

According to the company, this replication combined platform with Molecular Imprints’ family of nanopatterning systems provides the infrastructure needed to produce the next generation of high-density disks.

Nanotweezers Trapping Nanoparticles

3D animation that shows the parts of a optical tweezers microscope

Since the invention of optical tweezers in the seventies, the inventors have managed to grab more and smaller objects. Until recently it was thought that the so-called diffraction limit imposed a barrier to this technology, preventing normal focus light beyond the range between 500 and 1000 nanometers.

 

A team of researchers from the Institute of Photonic Science led by Romain Quidant have managed to catch with light 50 nanometers length particles. The developed nanotweezers consist of a nanometric hole in a metal film. When laser light comes into contact with this structure something happens in the hole, a phenomenon known as plasmon resonance that can trap a particle placed in the area.

Biological Parts Assembly

Mushroom Coral, origin of the fluorescent protein dsRED. Image obtained from Ginkgo BioWorks web site.

A new synthetic biology startup, called Ginkgo BioWorks offers assembly of biological parts such as chains of specific genes.

The company relies on technology developed at MIT by one of its founders called standard BioBricks, a standard way of placing pieces of DNA.

Nanoscale Butterfly Wings

Image obtained from 1x.com

Scientists from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Pennsylvania State University have developed a technique that allows butterfly wings replicas at the nanoscale.

From materials such as germanium, selenium, antimony and a solution of chitin in an aqueous solution of phosphoric acid and using a technique called CEFR (conformal-evaporated-film-byrotation), the research team has developed a new biomaterial.

According to the authors, the resultant nanostructures could be used to produce optically active structures such as optical nozzles or coatings to maximize light absorption of solar cells.

The technique could allow copying of other biological structures enabling the development of miniature cameras and optical sensors.

Prolonging the Preservation of Fruit Using Silver Nanoparticles

Image obtained from www.perspectivaciudadana.com

A new research conducted at the Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Aplicada, Unidad Legaria shows that silver nanoparticles retard the growth of fungal pathogens, keeping the fruits up to three times longer than normal.

In tests with papaya, the nanoparticles were able to inhibit the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides which causes anthracnose disease whose symptoms appear only when the fruit reaches maturity. The nanoparticles were able to inhibit the fungus up to 90%.

Given that post-harvest losses in tropical fruits in the world vary from 10 to 80% depending on crop type and region, the work could mean a significant improvement in the marketing of these fruits.

Biosensor Nanoparticle

Image obtained from www2.esmas.com

The Astrobiology Center has filed a patent for a process for the synthesis of a nanoparticle composed of three layers that can be used as sensitive to magnetic fields biosensors. This nanoparticle consists of a magnetic core, an intermediate layer to ensure adhesion and an outer layer of gold.

The patent applied has been the result of interdisciplinary work involving the Astrobiology Center, the Instituto de Ciencia de los Materiales and the Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica.

In the survey, composite nanoparticles have been synthesized by a magnetic core, a layer of silica and a final layer of metal on which are immobilized biosensor molecules of natural or artificial with a wide range of applications.