Smart Economy

Carbon 60 or Fullerenes -the template for life on Earth?

Fullerenes -the template for life on Earth?

 

Isr Med Assoc J. 2012 Oct;14(10):602-6.

Fullerene and the origin of life.

Goodman G¹, Gershwin ME, Bercovich D.

Author information

• ¹Human Molecular Genetics and Pharmacogenetics,      Migal Biotechnology Institute, Kiryat Shmona, Israel.

Abstract

The role of carbon in the development of life and as the structural backbone of all organisms is universally accepted and an essential part of evolution. However, the molecular basis is largely unknown and the interactions of carbon with nitrogen and oxygen in space are enigmatic. In 1985, the previously unknown form of carbon, coined fullerene, was discovered. We hypothesize that by virtue of the unique properties of fullerene, this hollow, ultra-robust, large, purely carbon molecule was the earliest progenitor of life. It acted as a stable universal biologic template on which small molecules spontaneously assembled and then formed, by further assembly, a surface mantle (here termed rosasome) of larger molecules. We submit that this process, by its inherent flexibility, initiated evolution, allowing the emergence of parallel diverse rosasome lines responding selectively to varying spatial environments. For example, rosasomal lines mantled with nucleotide and peptide layers are conceived as primordial forerunners of the ubiquitous ribosome. Moreover, the parallel independent and interdependent evolution of rosasome lines would be more rapid than sequential development, refute precedence of either DNA or RNA, and explain the evolution of integration of two subunits with different structures and functions in ribosomes and of the triplet nature of the codon. Based on recent astronomical data, this hypothesis supports the concept that life is not a singularity. This concept also suggests a potential vehicle for therapeutics, biotechnology and genetic engineering.

Graphine sandwich helps you see living cells in action under electron microscope

It’s the Water: Graphene Balloon Yields Unprecedented Images of Hydrated Protein Molecules

 February 5, 2014

[email protected]

906-487-2343, 

By Marcia Goodrich

In this image generated by an electron microscope, the white dots are the protein ferritin. The dark circle in the middle is a bubble of liquid trapped within the graphene capsule enclosing the sample.

Printable version

February 4, 2014—

A graphene water balloon may soon open up new vistas for scientists seeking to understand health and disease at the most fundamental level.

Electron microscopes already provide amazingly clear images of samples just a few nanometers across. But if you want a good look at living tissue, look again.

“You can’t put liquid in an electron microscope,” says Tolou Shokuhfar, of Michigan Technological University. “So, if you have a hydrated sample—and all living things are hydrated—you have to freeze it, like a blueberry in an ice cube, and cut it into a million thin pieces, so the electrons can pass through. Only then can you image it to see what’s going on.”

After such treatment, the blueberry isn’t what it was, and neither is human tissue. Shokuhfar, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics, wondered if there might be a way to make electron microscopes more friendly to biological samples. That way, you might get a much better view of what’s really going on at the sub-cellular level.

So she joined colleagues at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC), and together they found a way. “You don’t need to freeze the blueberry, you don’t need to slice it up with a diamond knife,” she said. “You just put it in the electron microscope, and you can get down and see the atoms.”

The trick was to encapsulate the sample so that all the water stayed put while the electrons passed through freely. To do that, the team, including Robert F. Klie, an associate professor of physics and mechanical and industrial engineering at UIC, and UIC graduate student Canhui Wang, turned to graphene.

“Graphene is just a single layer of carbon atoms, and electrons can go through it easily, but water does not,” Klie said. “If you put a drop of water on graphene and top it with graphene, it forms this little balloon of water.” The graphene is strong enough to hold the water inside, even within the vacuum of an electron microscope.

The team tried their technique on a biochemical that plays a major role in human health: ferritin. “It’s a protein that stores and releases iron, which is critical for many body functions, and if ferritin isn’t working right, it may be contributing to lots of diseases, including Alzheimer’s and cancer,” Shokuhfar said.

The team made a microscopic sandwich, with ferritin immersed in water as the filling and graphene as the bread, and sealed the edges. Then, using a scanning transmission electron microscope, they captured a variety of images showing ferritin’s atomic structure.  In addition, they used a special type of spectroscopy to identify various atomic and electronic structures within the ferritin. Those images showed that the ferritin was releasing iron and pinpointed its specific form.

If the technique were used to compare ferritin taken from diseased tissue with healthy ferritin, it could provide new insights into illness at the molecular level. Those discoveries could lead to new treatments. “I believe this will allow us to identify disease signatures in ferritin and many other proteins,” Shokuhfar said.

An article on their work, “High-Resolution Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy of Ferritin in Biocompatible Graphene Liquid Cells and Graphene Sandwiches,”  was published Feb. 4 online in Advanced Materials. Qiao Qiao, formerly a graduate student in Klie's UIC lab and now a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University, is also a coauthor on the study.

The work was funded by Michigan Technological University with additional support from a National Science Foundation grant to UIC, number DMR-0959470. The research was conducted at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Michigan Technological University (www.mtu.edu) is a leading public research university developing new technologies and preparing students to create the future for a prosperous and sustainable world. Michigan Tech offers more than 130 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering; forest resources; computing; technology; business; economics; natural, physical and environmental sciences; arts; humanities; and social sciences.

Novel exfoliation method developed by NUS chemists paves the way for two-dimensional materials to be used in printable photonics and electronics

 

Versatility of new technique shows promise as new benchmark in exfoliation chemistry of two-dimensional chalcogenides

Singapore, 2 January 2014 - A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has successfully developed a method to chemically exfoliate molybdenum disulfide crystals, a class of chalcogenide compounds, into high quality monolayer flakes, with higher yield and larger flake size than current methods. The exfoliated flakes can be made into a printable solution, which can be applied in printable photonics and electronics.

This breakthrough, led by Professor Loh Kian Ping, who heads the Department of Chemistry at the NUS Faculty of Science, and is also a principal investigator with the Graphene Research Centre at the Faculty, has generic applicability to other two-dimensional chalcogenides, such as tungsten diselenide and titanium disulfide, and results in high yield exfoliation for all of these two-dimensional materials.

The NUS team collaborated with scientists from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in Korea, and the findings were first published online in prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications on 2 January 2014.

Demand for high efficiency exfoliation method

Transition metal dichalcogenides, formed by a combination of chalcogens, such as sulphur or selenium, and transition metals, such as molybdenum or tungsten, have recently attracted great attention as the next generation of two-dimensional materials due to their unique electronic and optical properties, for applications in optoelectronic devices such as thin film solars, photodetectors flexible logic circuits and sensors.

However, current processes of producing printable single layer chalcogenides take a long time and the yield is poor. The flakes produced are of submicron sizes, which make it challenging to isolate a single sheet for making electronic devices.

As most applications require clean and large-sized flakes, this pinpoints a clear need to explore new ways to make high quality single-layer transition metal dichalcogenides with high yield.

Breakthrough in production

To address the production bottleneck, the NUS team explored the metal adducts of naphthalene. They prepared naphthalenide adducts of lithium, sodium and potassium, and compared the exfoliation efficiency and quality of molybdenum disulfide generated. The processing steps are detailed in the Annex.

Using a two-step expansion and intercalation method, the researchers were able to produce high quality single-layer molybdenum disulfide sheets with unprecedentedly large flake size.

The researchers also demonstrated that the exfoliated molybdenum disulfide flakes can be made into a printable solution, and wafer-size films can be printed, as the good dispersion and high viscosity of the flakes render it highly suitable for inkjet printing.

In a comparative analysis, Dr Zheng Jian, the first author of the paper, who is also a Research Fellow with the Department of Chemistry at NUS Faculty of Science, found that the alkali metal naphthalenide intercalation method applied possesses significant advantages in comparison to the conventional method.

Dr Zheng Jian, the first author of the paper, demonstrating the printing of Molybdenum disulfide flakes from a solution of the exfoliated flakes.

Commenting on the significance of the findings, Prof Loh said, “At present, there is a bottleneck in the development of solution-processed two dimensional chalcogenides. Our team has developed an alternative exfoliating agent using the organic salts of naphthalene and this new method is more efficient than previous solution-based methods. It can also be applied to other classes of two-dimensional chalcogenides.”

“Considering the versatility of this method, it may be adopted as the new benchmark in exfoliation chemistry of two-dimensional chalcogenides,” he added.

Further research into printable devices

The fast growing field of printed photonics, electronics and optoelectronics demands high material quality, precise material deposition, and application-specific optical, electrical, chemical, and mechanical properties.

To further their research and to cater to the industry, Prof Loh and his team will be looking at developing inks based on different types of two-dimensional chalcogenides exfoliated by their novel method so as to produce printable optoelectronic devices. They will also be testing the optical non-linear properties of the flakes they have produced.

 

Annex

Schematic of pre-exfoliation, intercalation and exfoliation processes

 

 

1. Bulk molybdenum disulfide crystal was expanded by decomposition of hydrazine.

2. The expanded molybdenum disulfide reacted with sodium naphthalenide to form an intercalation sample, then exfoliated into single layer sheets by immersing in water.

3. Scanning electron microscopy image of single layer molybdenum disulfide on silicon dioxide.

4. Atomic force microscopy image of single layer molybdenum disulfide on silicon dioxide.

5. Photograph of bulk single crystal molybdenum disulphide.

6. Photograph of pre-exfoliated molybdenum disulphide.

7. Photograph of sodium-exfoliated single layer molybdenum disulfide dispersion in water.

 

 

 

For more information and scheduling of media interviews, please contact:

Carolyn FONG Manager (Media relations) Office of Corporate Relations National University of Singapore DID: +65 6516 5399 Email:
[email protected]

Human skin wound dressings to treat cutaneous ulcers

 

Quebec City, October 2, 2013—Researchers from Université Laval's Faculty of
Medicine and CHU de Québec have shown that it is possible to treat venous ulcers
unresponsive to conventional treatment with wound dressings made from human skin
grown in vitro. A study published recently in the journal Advances in Skin
and Wound Care demonstrates how this approach was successfully used to treat
venous lower-extremity ulcers in patients who had been chronically suffering
from such wounds.

About 1% of the population suffers from lower-extremity ulcers. These wounds
regularly become inflamed or infected and are very slow to heal, if they do at
all. They are frequently associated with aging, diabetes, and circulatory system
disorders such as varicose veins and oedema. "Obese individuals and those who
work constantly standing up are especially vulnerable. These ulcers can persist
for years. It can be a hellish clinical situation when standard treatments don't
work," noted Dr. François A. Auger, director of both the study and LOEX, the
tissue engineering and regenerative medicine laboratory where it was
conducted.

Standard treatment for ulcers involves methodically cleaning these wounds and
applying compression bandages. Drugs became available around 20 years ago but
they are expensive and their efficacy has been somewhat limited. A graft using
the patient's own skin can be effective but is problematic because it requires a
significant amount of skin to be removed from elsewhere on the body.

This very problem inspired LOEX researchers to use their expertise with in
vitro skin culture to create biomaterial-free biological wound dressing. The
process is complex and requires several steps: removing 1 cm2 of skin from the
patient, isolating the appropriate cells, growing them in vitro, and creating a
skin substitute with both dermis and epidermis. After eight weeks of growth the
self-assembled sheets of skin substitute can be applied over the ulcers, much
like bandages, and replaced weekly as long as necessary. "This totally
biological bandage is much more than a physical barrier," stresses Dr. Auger.
"The cells secrete molecules that speed up healing by helping to set natural
healing processes in motion. It would be hard to imagine a model closer to the
human body's natural physiology."

Tests were successfully carried out on five patients. It took only an average
of seven weeks to cure 14 ulcers that had been affecting patients for at least
six months, and in some cases, several years. "This is a last recourse once all
other treatment options have been exhausted," notes François A. Auger.

Dr. Auger sees another promising application for these biological bandages:
"We have shown that this is effective for patients with leg ulcers. Now, we
intend to carry out a clinical study to demonstrate that the same treatment
works for patients with serious burns, as soon as we get the necessary
approvals."

 

###

 

In addition to Dr. Auger, the study's co-authors are: Olivier Boa, Chanel
Beaudoin Cloutier, Hervé Genest, Raymond Labbé, Bertrand Rodrigue, Jacques
Soucy, Michel Roy, Frédéric Arsenault, Carlos E. Ospina, Nathalie Dubé,
Marie-Hélène Rochon, Danielle Larouche, Véronique J. Moulin, and Lucie
Germain.

Information:
Dr. François A. Auger
Faculty of Medicine
Université
Laval
418 527-4546
[email protected]

 

 

Smart Bio Plastics from CO2 Flue Gas

Oakbio Makes Bioplastic at Cement Plant using

CO2 from Flue Gas and Electricity 

Milestone for cement industry
and renewable products

 

SUNNYVALE, CA (July 10,  2012) - Today Oakbio Inc.

announced the successful production of bioplastic

polymers in their bioreactor systems. Oakbio's

system creates bioplastic using inputs of cement

plant flue gas and electricity. The technology
uses bioreactors driven by non-toxic microbes

to capture CO2 and convert it to a variety of

sustainable products directly from the plant's

gas emissions.

 

This is the latest  development from an on-site

research collaboration at Lehigh Southwest Cement
Company's Permanente cement manufacturing

plant in Cupertino. Lehigh Southwest is part of

Lehigh Hanson, Inc., the North American operations

of the  Heidelberg Cement Group, a world leader

in construction materials with  approximately

52,000 employees in more than 40 countries.

 

Chief Scientist Brian
Sefton stated, "Our carbon conversion process

yields over 50% bioplastics in  microbe biomass

by dry weight from inputs of raw flue gas and

electricity. The type of plastic we make is not

only renewable, but biodegradable as
well.

 

"The effective conversion of captured CO2 into

a valuable bioplastic product represents an

important technical achievement for potential

large-scale bioplastics production. This result

also points the way to a new method for

greenhouse gas capture, making emissions

gas CO2 a feedstock for mass scale manufacturing."

 

CEO Russell Howard added:
"At Oakbio we see industrial CO2 as a carbon

resource. By converting virtually unlimited amounts

of low cost CO2 available from various industries

worldwide into sustainable products like biodegradable

plastics, Oakbio's technology can answer multiple

needs: full scale chemicals production without the

use of petroleum oil or agricultural feedstock;

replacement of petroleum oil-derived plastics

with bio-degradable renewable products; and

the capture of CO2 to prevent greenhouse gas

accumulation. The ability of our microbes to

perform their magic in cement flue gas is an

important step toward achieving this vision".

 

 

About Oakbio, Inc.

Oakbio is a private
technology-based company in Sunnyvale dedicated to sustainable production of
specialty chemicals using novel microbial production processes that combine GHG
reduction with manufacture of sustainable specialty chemicals (see www.oakbio.com).

Media
Contact:

Russell Howard, CEO,
Oakbio, (408) 930-7004; [email protected]

Smart Bio Plastics from CO2 Flue Gas

Oakbio Makes Bioplastic at
Cement Plant using CO2 from Flue Gas and Electricity 

Milestone for cement industry
and renewable products

 

SUNNYVALE, CA (July 10,  2012) - Today Oakbio Inc. announced the successful production of
bioplastic polymers in their bioreactor systems. Oakbio's system creates
bioplastic using inputs of cement plant flue gas and electricity. The technology
uses bioreactors driven by non-toxic microbes to capture CO2 and convert it to a
variety of sustainable products directly from the plant's gas
emissions.

 

This is the latest
development from an on-site research collaboration at Lehigh Southwest Cement
Company's Permanente cement manufacturing plant in Cupertino. Lehigh Southwest
is part of Lehigh Hanson, Inc., the North American operations of the
HeidelbergCement Group, a world leader in construction materials with
approximately 52,000 employees in more than 40 countries.

 

Chief Scientist Brian
Sefton stated, "Our carbon conversion process yields over 50% bioplastics in
microbe biomass by dry weight from inputs of raw flue gas and electricity. The
type of plastic we make is not only renewable, but biodegradable as
well.

 

"The effective conversion
of captured CO2 into a valuable bioplastic product represents an important
technical achievement for potential large-scale bioplastics production. This
result also points the way to a new method for greenhouse gas capture, making
emissions gas CO2 a feedstock for mass scale manufacturing."

 

CEO Russell Howard added:
"At Oakbio we see industrial CO2 as a carbon resource. By converting virtually
unlimited amounts of low cost CO2 available from various industries worldwide
into sustainable products like biodegradable plastics, Oakbio's technology can
answer multiple needs: full scale chemicals production without the use of
petroleum oil or agricultural feedstock; replacement of petroleum oil-derived
plastics with bio-degradable renewable products; and the capture of CO2 to
prevent greenhouse gas accumulation. The ability of our microbes to perform
their magic in cement flue gas is an important step toward achieving this
vision".

 

 

About Oakbio, Inc.

Oakbio is a private
technology-based company in Sunnyvale dedicated to sustainable production of
specialty chemicals using novel microbial production processes that combine GHG
reduction with manufacture of sustainable specialty chemicals (see www.oakbio.com).

Media
Contact:

Russell Howard, CEO,
Oakbio, (408) 930-7004; [email protected]

Plants that can move inspire new smart adaptive structures

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---The Mimosa plant, which folds its leaves when they're touched, is inspiring a new class of adaptive structures designed to twist, bend, stiffen and even heal themselves. University of Michigan researchers are leading their development.

Mechanical engineering professor Kon-Well Wang will present the team's latest work Feb. 19 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's 2011 Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. He will also speak at a news briefing earlier that day. Wang is the Stephan P. Timoshenko Collegiate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

"This is quite different from other traditional adaptive materials approaches," Wang said. "In general, people use solid-state materials to make adaptive structures. This is really a unique concept inspired by biology."

Researchers at U-M and Penn State University are studying how plants like the Mimosa can change shape, and they're working to replicate the mechanisms in artificial cells. Today, their artificial cells are palm-size and larger. But they're trying to shrink them by building them with microstructures and nanofibers. They're also exploring how to replicate the mechanisms by which plants heal themselves.

"We want to put it all together to create hyper-cellular structures with circulatory networks," Wang said.

The Mimosa is among the plant varieties that exhibit specialized "nastic motions," large movements you can see in real time with the naked eye, said Erik Nielsen, assistant professor in the U-M Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology.

The phenomenon is made possible by osmosis, the flow of water in and out of plants' cells. Triggers such as touch cause water to leave certain plant cells, collapsing them. Water enters other cells, expanding them. These microscopic shifts allow the plants to move and change shape on a larger scale.

It's hydraulics, the researchers say.

"We know that plants can deform with large actuation through this pumping action," Wang said. "This and several other characteristics of plant cells and cell walls have inspired us to initiate ideas that could concurrently realize many of the features that we want to achieve for adaptive structures."

Nielsen believes nastic movements might be a good place to start trying to replicate plant motions because they don't require new growth or a reorganization of cells.

"These rapid, nastic motions are based on cells and tissues that are already there," Nielsen said. "It's easy for a plant to build new cells and tissues during growth, but it's not as easy to engineer an object or machine to completely change the way it's organized. We hope studying these motions can inform us about how to make efficient adaptive materials that display some of the same types of flexibility that we see in biological systems."

When this technology matures, Wang said it could enable robots that change shape like elephant trunks or snakes to maneuver under a bridge or through a tunnel, but then turn rigid to grab a hold of something. It also could lead to morphing wings that would allow airplanes to behave more like birds, changing their wing shape and stiffness in response to their environment or the task at hand.

 

###

At U-M, Michael Mayer, associate professor in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, is also involved in the research. At Penn State, the project involves Charles Bakis, distinguished professor of engineering sciences and mechanics, and Christopher Rahn, professor of mechanical engineering. This project is currently funded by the National Science Foundation.

For more information:

Kon-Well Wang: https://me-web2.engin.umich.edu/pub/directory/bio?uniqname=kwwang
Erik Nielsen: http://www.mcdb.lsa.umich.edu/faculty_nielsene.html
AAAS Session: If Termites Can Do It, Why Can't Humans? http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2011/webprogram/Session2709.html

EDITORS: Professor Kon-Well Wang will speak at a news briefing on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. in room 202B at the Washington Convention Center. He will give his full presentation, "Learning from Plants: Bio-Inspired Multi-Functional Adaptive Structural Systems," during the session "If Termites Can Do It, Why Can't Humans?" 1:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, in room 145A.

Michigan Engineering:

The University of Michigan College of Engineering is ranked among the top engineering schools in the country. At $180 million annually, its engineering research budget is one of largest of any public university. Michigan Engineering is home to 11 academic departments, numerous research centers and expansive entrepreneurial programs. The College plays a leading role in the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute and hosts the world-class Lurie Nanofabrication Facility. Michigan Engineering's premier scholarship, international scale and multidisciplinary scope combine to create The Michigan Difference. Find out more at http://www.engin.umich.edu/.

 

Walter Derzko

---

Biological Legos build 3-D organs and structures

Tissue engineers create a new way to assemble artificial tissues

New method uses 'biological Legos' -- cells transformed into bricks

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.  -- Tissue engineering has long held promise for building new organs to replace damaged livers, blood vessels and other body parts.  However, one major obstacle is getting cells grown in a lab dish to form 3-D shapes instead of flat layers.

Researchers at the MIT-Harvard Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) have come up with a new way to overcome that challenge, by encapsulating living cells in cubes and arranging them into 3-D structures, just as a child would construct buildings out of blocks.

The new technique, dubbed "micromasonry," employs a gel-like material that acts like concrete, binding the cell "bricks" together as it hardens.  Ali Khademhosseini, assistant professor of HST, and former HST postdoctoral associate Javier Gomez Fernandez describe the work in a paper published online in the journal Advanced Materials.

The tiny cell bricks hold potential for building artificial tissue or other types of medical devices, says Jennifer Elisseeff, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, who was not involved in the research.  "They're very elegant and have a lot of flexibility in how you grow them," she says.  "It's very creative."

To obtain single cells for tissue engineering, researchers have to first break tissue apart, using enzymes that digest the extracellular material that normally holds cells together.  However, once the cells are free, it's difficult to assemble them into structures that mimic natural tissue microarchitecture.

Some scientists have successfully built simple tissues such as skin, cartilage or bladder on biodegradable foam scaffolds.  "That works, but it often lacks a controlled microarchitecture," says Khademhosseini, who is also an assistant professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital.  "You don't get tissues with the same complexity as normal tissues."

The HST researchers built their "biological Legos" by encapsulating cells within a polymer called polyethylene glycol (PEG), which has many medical uses.  Their version of the polymer is a liquid that becomes a gel when illuminated, so when the PEG-coated cells are exposed to light, the polymer hardens and encases the cells in cubes with side lengths ranging from 100 to 500 millionths of a meter.

Once the cells are in cube form, they can be arranged in specific shapes using templates made of PDMS, a silicon-based polymer used in many medical devices.  Both template and cell cubes are coated again with the PEG polymer, which acts as a glue that holds the cubes together as they pack themselves tightly onto the scaffold surface.

After the cubes are arranged properly, they are illuminated again, and the liquid holding the cubes together solidifies.  When the template is removed, the cubes hold their new structure.

Gomez Fernandez and Khademhosseini used this method to build tubes that could function as capillaries, potentially helping to overcome one of the most persistent problems with engineered organs — lack of an immediate blood supply.  "If you build an organ, but you can't provide nutrients, it is going to die," says Gomez Fernandez, now a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard.  They hope their work could also lead to a new way to make artificial liver or cardiac tissue.

Other researchers have developed a technique called organ printing to create complex 3-D tissues, but that process requires a robotic machine that is not in widespread use.  The new technique does not require any special equipment.  "You can reproduce this in any lab," says Gomez Fernandez.  "It's very simple."

To get to the point where these engineered tissues could become clinically useful, "the short-term next step is really looking at different cell types and the viability of tissue growth," says Elisseeff.  The researchers are now doing that, and they are also exploring the use of different polymers that could replace PEG and offer more control over cell placement.

### Source: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123410503/abstract

Scope of Hydrated Fullerene (C60- HYFN) Research in Ukraine; Nanomedicine, nanomaterials on demand, sports medicine, cosmetics, pharmacology, agriculture, veterinary medicine etc

UPDATE  Nov 2010: HYFNs have been approved for manufacturing as Fullerene Water Solution (FWS)  drink in Ukraine by the  Ministry of Health  as of Nov 2010. It's the first nanotech based health drink in the world. For information about availability  contact me privately by email.

I received this updated list of research directions and activities surrounding hydrated fullerenes (C60) otherwise known as water soluble bucky balls, from my colleagues in Ukraine,who discovered and patented hydrated fullerenes (HyFn's) in the 1990's. They are looking for business and academic research collaborators around the world.

Scope of Hydrated Fullerene (C60- HYFN) Research in  Ukraine

  

Development of nanomaterials.

•  Synthesis of new nanosized composition on the bases of metal, dielectric and semiconducting materials.

•  Development and research of bio-nanocomposites.

  

Physical and chemical research of nanostructures.

•  Research of physical and chemical properties of nanostructural materials, and in the first place – fullerenes in hydrated state.

•  Research of structural organization of water and water solutions. Cluster nature of water.

•  Research of behaviour peculiarities of physical and chemical processes in heterogeneous media, structured by hydrated fullerenes.

•  Research of behaviour peculiarities in water solutions of substances at their small and super small concentrations.

•  Research of the heat-conduction process in media containing nanostructural materials.

•  Research of photocalytic processes in presence of nanomaterials in different media.

  

Biological research of nanostructures. 

•  Toxicological research of nanomaterials.

•  Development of biocompatible materials on the basis of nanostructural composites.

•  Research of biochemical reactions and biological processes in heterogeneous water media, structured by hydrated fullerenes.

•  Research of the biological role of cluster water structures.

•  Research of the influence of specific cluster organization of water on increasing of biological system stability against unfavourable environmental factors, including action of different electromagnetic fields and ionizing radiation.

•  Research of the use of nanoparticle solutions as components of nutrient medium for microorganisms growth, producers of specific antibiotics, vitamins, proteins, etc.; and as components of biological test-systems for biomedical analyses.

•  Research of the use perspectives of hydrated fullerenes for preservation, including cryoconservation, of different biological material (biomolecules, cells, blood and its components, organs and tissues).

•  Research of the influence of hydrated fullerenes on the processes of aging and their ability to slow down such kind of processes.

  

Nanostructures for pharmacology.

•  Development of medicinal forms of hydrated fullerenes for parenteral, oral, intranasal and other ways of administration.

•  Efficiency enhancement of existing pharmaceuticals due to incorporation of hydrated fullerenes into their composition.

•  Development and creation of new vaccines and serums with decreased allergenic and side effects.

  

Nanostructures for medicine.

•  Research and application of nanostructures as additional agents and components, enhancing efficiency of standard schemas of treatment of human diseases.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes as antioxidative, immunoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic agents.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes as highly effective radioprotective agents.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of cardio-vascular diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes for prevention and treatment of oncological diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes for diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of digestive organs’ diseases and kidney and urinary tract diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of bronchopulmonary diseases.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and diseases of ear, throat and nose.

•  Research of the efficiency and application of hydrated fullerenes for children’s diseases.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of surgical diseases.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in clinic of women's diseases.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes for lesions of internal organs in case of alcoholism and toxicomania.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in geriatric practice.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in sports medicine.

•  Research and application hydrated fullerenes in balneology.

  

  

Nanostructures in sports.

•  Enhancement of exercise tolerance in sportsmen and their sport results without use of dopes, stimulators, anabolics, etc.

•  Improvement of adaptive abilities in sportsmen under stress conditions.

  

Nanostructures for cosmetics, perfumery and personal hygiene products.

•  Research and application of nanostructures with bioantioxidative and structure-organizing properties as components that significantly improve consumer properties of cosmetic and perfumery products.

•  Protection of “gentle” components of such products and prolongation of their shelf life.

•  Creation of brand new cosmetic and perfumery products and personal hygiene products with health-improving properties.

  

Nanostructures for food.

•  Research and application of nanostructures with bioantioxidative and structure-organizing properties as components that significantly improve consumer properties of food.

•  Protection of “gentle” components of such products and prolongation of their shelf life.

•  Substitution by hydrated fullerenes of hazardous conserving agents and stabilizers for food products.

  

Nanostructures for agriculture.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes in agriculture for accelerated germination and growing of plants.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes for enhanced plant resistance to disease-producing agents.

  

Nanostructures in veterinary medicine.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes for prevention of animal diseases, including viral ones.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes to enhance reproductive qualities, viability and quality of life of elite animals.

•  Research and application of hydrated fullerenes for animals in sports.

Anyone wishing to collaborate in joint academic research, outsource their research or start  contract research, please contact me directly. (from your business email)

Here is the Institute's new web page:  http://ipacom.com/index.php?lang=en.

Walter Derzko

Nanoscale SiO2 liquid glass spray makes cleaning products obsolete

Turkish scientists have developed a smart nano-scale thick, spray-on liquid glass called "SiO2 ultra-thin layering". 

According to the German manufacturer Nanopool (marketing hype notwithstanding)  and Physorg.com:

It is transparent, non-toxic, and can protect virtually any surface against almost any damage from hazards such as water, UV radiation, dirt, heat, and bacterial infections, making cleaning products unnecessary.  The invisible coating is also flexible and breathable, which makes it suitable for use on an enormous array of products.  According to the manufacturers, liquid glass has a long-lasting antibacterial effect because microbes landing on the surface cannot divide or replicate easily.

The liquid glass spray consists of almost pure silicon dioxide (silica, the normal compound in glass) extracted from quartz sand.  Water or ethanol is added, depending on the type of surface to be coated.  There are no additives, and the nanoscale glass coating bonds to the surface because of the quantum forces involved.

Liquid glass was invented in Turkey and the patent is held by Nanopool, a family-owned German company.  Research on the product was carried out at the Saarbrücken Institute for New Materials.  Nanopool is already in negotiations in the UK with a number of companies and with the National Health Service, with a view to its widespread adoption.

The liquid glass spray produces a water-resistant coating only around 100 nanometers (15-30 molecules) thick.  On this nanoscale the glass is highly flexible and breathable.  The coating is environmentally harmless and non-toxic, and easy to clean using only water or a simple wipe with a damp cloth.  It repels bacteria, water and dirt, and resists heat, UV light and even acids.  UK project manager with Nanopool, Neil McClelland, said soon almost every product you purchase will be coated with liquid glass.

Other organizations, such as a train company and a hotel chain in the UK, and a hamburger chain in Germany, are also testing liquid glass for a wide range of uses.  A year-long trial of the spray in a Lancashire hospital also produced "very promising" results for a range of applications including coatings for equipment, medical implants, catheters, sutures and bandages.  The war graves association in the UK is investigating using the spray to treat stone monuments and grave stones, since trials have shown the coating protects against weathering and graffiti.  Trials in Turkey are testing the product on monuments such as the Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara.

The liquid glass coating is breathable, which means it can be used on plants and seeds.  Trials in vineyards have found spraying vines increases their resistance to fungal diseases, while other tests have shown sprayed seeds germinate and grow faster than untreated seeds, and coated wood is not attacked by termites.  Other vineyard applications include coating corks with liquid glass to prevent "corking" and contamination of wine.  The spray cannot be seen by the naked eye, which means it could also be used to treat clothing and other materials to make them stain-resistant.  McClelland said you can "pour a bottle of wine over an expensive silk shirt and it will come right off".

In the home, spray-on glass would eliminate the need for scrubbing and make most cleaning products obsolete.  Since it is available in both water-based and alcohol-based solutions, it can be used in the oven, in bathrooms, tiles, sinks, and almost every other surface in the home, and one spray is said to last a year.

Liquid glass spray is perhaps the most important nanotechnology product to emerge to date.  It will be available in DIY stores in Britain soon, with prices starting at around £5 ($8 US).  Other outlets, such as many supermarkets, may be unwilling to stock the products because they make enormous profits from cleaning products that need to be replaced regularly, and liquid glass would make virtually all of them obsolete.

More information: Nanopool: http://www.nanopool.eu/couk/index.htm

N.B Do we really want nondestructive coatings on all our products which bacteria can't degrade in our waste dumps?  or to throw away chemical cleaners? Tough dilemma?--Walter Derzko