Size Matters: In labs now and clinics soon, nanotech is a hot ticket

Why are nanomaterials such a hot ticket? It´s all about size. Thanks to their small dimensions (at least one dimension fewer than about 100 nm) and, therefore, high ratio of surface area to volume, nanoparticles have some very unusual and interesting chemical and physical properties. Ranging from melting point and electrical conductivity to chemical reactivity and even their color, nanoparticle properties become size-dependent, which presents opportunities to manipulate them. Added to that, biological systems work on the nanoscale, so nanoparticles can interact with cells and cellular processes in ways that larger-scale materials can´t. Researchers are now taking advantage of these characteristics to begin developing new technologies that have implications for medical care, and policymakers are looking at the safety of nanomaterials for medical uses. The enormous number of research projects under way and multiple potential biomedical applications, nanoengineered biomaterials are turning the heads of researchers and clinicians around the world.