Nanofabrication of Carbon Nanotubes Assisted with Oxygen Gas

IEEE-NANO 200

Constructing 3D crystal templates for photonic band gap materials using holographic optical tweezers

A simple and robust method is presented for the construction of 3-dimensional crystals from silica and polystyrene microspheres. The crystals are suitable for use as templates in the production of three-dimensional photonic band gap (PBG) materials. Manipulation of the microspheres was achieved using a dynamic holographic assembler (DHA) consisting of computer controlled holographic optical tweezers. Attachment of the microspheres was achieved by adjusting their colloidal interactions during assembly. The method is demonstrated by constructing a variety of 3-dimensional crystals using spheres ranging in size from 3 µm down to 800 nm. A major advantage of the technique is that it may be used to build structures that cannot be made using self-assembly. This is illustrated through the construction of crystals in which line defects have been deliberately included, and by building simple cubic structures

Nanorobotic investigation identifies novel visual, structural and functional correlates of autoimmune pathology in a blistering skin disease model

Copyright © 2014 Seiffert-Sinha et al. There remain major gaps in our knowledge regarding the detailed mechanisms by which autoantibodies mediate damage at the tissue level. We have undertaken novel strategies at the interface of engineering and clinical medicine to integrate nanoscale visual and structural data using nanorobotic atomic force microscopy with cell functional analyses to reveal previously unattainable details of autoimmune processes in real-time. Pemphigus vulgaris is a life-threatening autoimmune blistering skin condition in which there is disruption of desmosomal cell-cell adhesion structures that are associated with the presence of antibodies directed against specific epithelial proteins including Desmoglein (Dsg) 3. We demonstrate that pathogenic (blister-forming) anti-Dsg3 antibodies, distinct from non-pathogenic (non-blister forming) anti-Dsg3 antibodies, alter the structural and functional properties of keratinocytes in two sequential steps - an initial loss of cell adhesion and a later induction of apoptosis-related signaling pathways, but not full apoptotic cell death. We propose a ''2-Hit'' model for autoimmune disruption associated with skin-specific pathogenic autoantibodies. These data provide unprecedented details of autoimmune processes at the tissue level and offer a novel conceptual framework for understanding the action of selfreactive antibodies.published_or_final_versio

The Optical Phenomena of Interplay between Nanobio Complexes: A Theoretical Insight into Their Biomedical Applications

The subnanometer‐sized coinage metal nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted more attention due to their unique electronic structures and subsequent physical, chemical and excellent photoluminescent properties. The DNA‐stabilized metal clusters had become a remarkably good choice for the selection of fluorescent color by the sequence of the stabilizing DNA oligomer. Similarly, the single‐wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) also have unique optical properties which make them useful in many applications. The interaction of DNA and SWCNT is also useful in molecular sensors and it is assumed that amplification of the DNA sensing element may be necessary in the presence of SWCNTs. As the application of NP‐CNT system represents a great interest in nanobiotechnology, it can be used for the design of the electronic mobile diagnostic facilities for blood analysis and the chemical or drug delivery inside the living cell. The SWCNTs are used as a drug delivery vehicles used to target the specific cancer cells. Separately, along with DNA‐NP, the DNA‐CNT system also represents a great interest, nowadays, in biomedical applications due to diagnostics and treatment of oncology diseases. So combining the DNA‐NP‐SWCNT system can represent a potential target of modern research. The interplay of DNA, NP and SWCNTs has now become a current topic of research for further nanobiomedical applications

Technological Applications of Porphyrins and Related Compounds: Spintronics and Micro-/Nanomotors

The vital role played by porphyrins in cells and their use in therapeutic processes are well known. More recently, the technological applications of porphyrins have attracted the attention of researchers. Porphyrins have the property of half-metallic material, i.e., molecules that can host transition metals making feasible the production of spin-polarized electronic states at different channels. Therefore, porphyrins and hemeproteins are among the materials that have spin-filtering property to be applied in spintronics. Molecular spintronics is an emerging and highly relevant field due to their applications to the development of high-capacity information-storage devices and quantum computers. The catalytic properties of porphyrins and related compounds such as the hemeproteins are also applicable in the fabrication of micro-/nanomotors (MNMs). In this chapter, we describe the advances and future perspectives in the technological applications of porphyrins and related compounds in spintronic devices and micro-/nanomotors

Nano-probing station incorporating MEMS probes for 1D device RF on-wafer characterization

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