Small is big

Nanotechnology It may not be a familiar field but it is one to look out for in the future.

Whenever I tell anyone that I am studying Nanotechnology, I get weird looks.

Although Nanotechnology is a relatively recent development in scientific research, the development of its central concepts happened over a longer period of time. Richard Feynman is considered the Father of Nanotechnology.

WIDE APPLICATION

Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that involves study of manipulating matter on atomic and molecular scale. The major areas for the development of applications involving Nanotechnology are:

Medicine and Pharmaceuticals: used in tissue engineering to reproduce or repair damage. Advanced form of tissue engineering can lead to life extension. Also used for producing better drug delivery systems.

Optics: The first sunglasses using protective and anti-reflective ultrathin polymer coatings are in the market. For optics, nanotechnology also offers scratch resistant surface coatings based on nanocomposites. NANO -OPTICS could allow for an increase in precision of pupil repair and other types of laser eye surgery.

Electronics: The production of displays with low energy consumption could be accomplished using carbon nanotubes (CNT).

Textile: The use of engineered nanofibers already makes clothes water and stain-repellent or wrinkle-free. Textiles with a nanotechnological finish can be washed less frequently and at lower temperatures. Nanotechnology has been used to integrate tiny carbon particles membrane and guarantee full-surface protection from electrostatic charges for the wearer.

Catalysis: Chemical catalysis benefits especially from nanoparticles, due to the extremely large surface to volume ratio. The application potential of nanoparticles in catalysis ranges from fuel cell to catalytic converters and photocatalytic devices. Catalysis is also important for the production of chemicals.

Genetics: DNA nanotechnology provides one of the only ways to form designed, complex structures with precise control over nanoscale features. Another potential application is in crystallography, where molecules which are hard to crystallize by themselves could be arranged and oriented within a three-dimensional nucleic acid lattice, thus allowing determination of their structure.

OPPORTUNITIES

A professional in this field can easily find lucrative career opportunities in various sectors: Nano-medicine, bio-informatics, stem cell development, pharmaceutical companies, Nano-toxicology and Nano power generating sectors.

Some other fields include:

Agriculture

Environment Industry

Food and Beverages

Health Industry

Space Research

Product Development

Magnetics and Optoelectronics

Communication and Media

Forensic Science

And many more new industries are emerging as a result of the rapid advances in Nanotechnology.

Eligibility criteria:

Student should have taken the science group in Stds XI and XII (Physics and Chemistry). Other criteria's depend upon individual universities.

THE FUTURE

The governments of the world aren't immune to the Nano-fever. Many countries understand the great potential value of nanotechnology in various areas and consider it as an engine for economic growth.

The U.S. is definitely taking the lead, but Europe, Asia and Israel are also big players. These countries have already invested $4 billion to establish various nanotechnology-related centres. These investments are estimated to triple in a period of five years.

As the components of technology get smaller and smaller, world-wide interest in developing them gets bigger and bigger.

Gaurav is a III Year B.Tech Nanotechnology student at SRM University.