Nano particles exist in different sizes, shapes, and materials, and with various chemical and surface properties. Here are the some of the basic properties and the uses of some nano particles in the field of biotechnology:
Fullereness:
This category includes Buckyballs and Carbon tubes, they are carbon based, lattice like, potentially porous molecules.
Liposomes:
These are lipid based liquid crystals and they have the capability of breaking down inside cells once their delivery function has been met. Because of this property they are extensively used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
Quantum Dots:
These are nanosized semiconductors that, depending on their size, can emit light in all colors of the rainbow. These have been used in biotechnology for cell labelling and imaging, particularly in cancer imaging studies. These are sometimes also called as nanocrystals.
Dendrimers:
These are highly branched structures and they have multiple molecular hooks on their surfaces that can be used to attach cell-identification tags, fluorescent dyes, enzymes and other molecules and this is the one property which made them widely used in nanomedicine.
Liquid Crystals:
These are composed of organic liquid crystal materials that looks like naturally occurring bio molecules like proteins or lipids. These can target the specific areas of the body where tissues are inflamed or tumors are found.
Nanorods:
These are often made up of semiconducting materials and used in nanomedicine as imaging and contrast agents.
Super paramagnetic nanoparticles:
These molecules are attracted to a magnetic field and nanoparticles of iron oxide with diameters in the 5 to 100 nm range, have been used for selective magnetic bio separations. Super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) are applied for drug delivery and gene transfection.
Fullereness:
This category includes Buckyballs and Carbon tubes, they are carbon based, lattice like, potentially porous molecules.
Liposomes:
These are lipid based liquid crystals and they have the capability of breaking down inside cells once their delivery function has been met. Because of this property they are extensively used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
Quantum Dots:
These are nanosized semiconductors that, depending on their size, can emit light in all colors of the rainbow. These have been used in biotechnology for cell labelling and imaging, particularly in cancer imaging studies. These are sometimes also called as nanocrystals.
Dendrimers:
These are highly branched structures and they have multiple molecular hooks on their surfaces that can be used to attach cell-identification tags, fluorescent dyes, enzymes and other molecules and this is the one property which made them widely used in nanomedicine.
Liquid Crystals:
These are composed of organic liquid crystal materials that looks like naturally occurring bio molecules like proteins or lipids. These can target the specific areas of the body where tissues are inflamed or tumors are found.
Nanorods:
These are often made up of semiconducting materials and used in nanomedicine as imaging and contrast agents.
Super paramagnetic nanoparticles:
These molecules are attracted to a magnetic field and nanoparticles of iron oxide with diameters in the 5 to 100 nm range, have been used for selective magnetic bio separations. Super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) are applied for drug delivery and gene transfection.
No comments:
Post a Comment