Bionanotechnology is an emerging field that applies the principles of nanotechnology to biological systems. Bionanotechnology research and products are still in their infancy, but the potential applications are vast. This technology has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, food production, and environmental remediation, among other areas.
Bionanotechnology is based on the idea of using nanoparticles to interact with and manipulate biological cells and molecules. Nanoparticles are incredibly tiny particles with dimensions measured in nanometers (nm). To put this into perspective, a human hair is about 80,000 nm wide. Nanoparticles can be made from a variety of materials, including metals, semiconductors, and carbon-based compounds.
One of the key advantages of nanoparticles is their size. Because they are so small, they can easily enter cells without damaging them. Once inside a cell, nanoparticles can be used for a variety of purposes such as delivery of drugs or genes, detection of disease markers, or even destruction of cancerous cells. Additionally, because nanoparticles can be precisely engineered at the atomic level, they can be designed to specifically target certain types of cells or molecules. This allows for highly specific and effective treatments with minimal side effects.
Another important aspect of bionanotechnology is its ability to interface with living systems at the cellular level. This opens up new possibilities for developing artificial organs and tissues as well as interfaces between humans and computers (known as brain-computer interfaces or BCIs). For example, researchers have developed artificial retinas that can restore vision to people suffering from certain types of blindness by directly stimulating nerves in the eye (retinal prostheses). In another example, scientists have created an implantable device that provides real-time monitoring of blood sugar levels for people with diabetes (a glucose sensor). As these examples illustrate, bionanotechnology has great potential for improving human health and quality of life.
In addition to healthcare applications, bionanotechnology also holds promise for solving some of society’s most pressing problems in other areas such as food production and environmental remediation. For instance, crops could be genetically engineered to contain nanoparticle-based sensors that would allow farmers to monitor soil moisture levels remotely (wireless sensor networks). This would help optimize irrigation schedules and reduce water usage in agriculture—a critical issue in many parts of the world where water resources are limited. Similarly,[c]arbonaceous nanoforms could be used to adsorb pollutants from water sources contaminated by industrial waste or oil spills(Janke et al., 2016) . By removing pollutants at the nano scale before they enter ecosystems,[d]bionanotechnological approaches offer a more sustainable way to clean up contaminated environments compared to traditional methods such as dredging or chemical treatment.[e] And finally,[f]bacterial nanocellulose—a type[g]of cellulose produced by bacteria—is being explored as a environmentally friendly alternativeto conventional plastics made from petroleum(Hedayati et al., 2017) . These are just a few examples[h]of how bionanotechnology is being applied[i]to address some