Transcript My Summer
My Summer David Klee My Research Nanotechnology – the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale Biotechnology – the use of microorganisms or biological substances to perform specific industrial or manufacturing processes Pharmaceutical use of Nanotechnology in Tumor Cells Nano-particles designed to carry drugs specifically to tumor cells In a University of Michigan study, 35% of the mice given the drug-laced nano-particle survived compared to 0% of the mice who were given the nanoparticle or drug (methotrexate) separately http://www.mddcva.com/business/13-6m-national-cancerinstitute-grant-gives-birth-tojohns-hopkins-center-of-cancernanotechnology-excellence Use of Nanotechnology in Computing and Electronics Graphene – an extremely thin sheet of pure carbon rings Thin, transparent, and highly conductive Will likely replace silicon in electronic or memory devices Graphene conducts electrons 100 times faster than silicon A graphene ultra capacitor holds twice the storage of a traditional ultra capacitor Biotechnology: Synthetic Genomics Scientists placed artificially-produced genes into a colony of bacterium In two days the bacterium showed characteristics of the implanted genes Many people question this method of biotechnology because new species are created that could disrupt present ecosystems Use of Synthetic Genomics Scientists altering the genomes of viruses to develop vaccines Developing algae that produce biofuels without the environmental footprint of harvesting fossil fuels Some scientists were able to use a colony of bacterium to store data Biotechnology: Regenerative Medicine Extracellular matrix (ECM) is placed in the injured tissue or muscle and over several weeks the tissue heals to its original strength Biotechnology: Regenerative Medicine It works because the ECM naturally summons stem cells to the area which develop into the desired cell type based on the location of the injury An ex-Marine, who lost 70% of his thigh muscle from a car bomb, was able to regain 103% of his natural muscle mass using ECM and physical therapy Biotechnology: Potential AIDS Cure By removing certain receptors on T cells, scientists pioneered a method to create cells that are resistant to the HIV virus Scientists are able to take blood from a patient, alter the T cells within the blood, and transfuse this blood back to the patient. Although this process significantly decreases the presence of the virus in the bloodstream, latent viruses will still remain What I did over the summer I spent a lot of time at my camp in Schroon Lake I also played some lax, tennis, and went sailing What I did over the summer References http://southasia.oneworld.net/globalheadlines/next-generation-algae-biofuel-by-2030 http://www.i-thought.org/technology-thoughts/bacteria-data-storage/ http://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty/index.php/g275/p20310 Heger, Monica. "Life After Silicon—How Graphene Could Revolutionize Electronics." Discover Magazine. 19 May 2010. Web. <http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jun/04-life-after-silicon/?searchterm=life after silicon>. McAuliffe, Kathleen. "First Synthetic Organism Created." Discover Magazine Jan.-Feb. 2011. 26 Apr. 2011. Web. <http://discovermagazine.com/2011/jan-feb/02/?searchterm=First synthetic organism>. "Nanoparticles Carry Cancer-Killing Drugs into Tumor Cells in Mice with Increased Efficacy and Lower Toxicity." SNM - Advancing Molecular Imaging and Therapy. 16 June 2005. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. <http://www.snm.org/index.cfm?PageID=4082>. Neimark, Jill. "The End of AIDS." Web. Piore, Adam. "How Pig Guts Became the Next Bright Hope for Regenerating Human Limbs." Discover Magazine. Discover Magazine. July-Aug. 2010. Web. 2 Sept. 2011. <http://discovermagazine.com/2011/jul-aug/13-how-pigguts-became-hope-regenerating-human-limbs/?searchterm=pig guts>. Questions?