Nanobiotechnology at the NYAS

Take a look at the Seventh Annual Nanobiotechnology Symposium at the New York Academy of Sciences; this technology base is giving rise to toolsets that will be used to greatly speed research, improve medicine and ultimately lengthen our healthy lifespans. "Microarrays are widely used today in molecular biology to identify and monitor gene expression. ... [researchers] have found a way to produce a surface that results in significantly more reproducible and precise microarray data. Better microarray data [will] lead to better 'genomic snapshots of the genes that are turned on or off' in individuals, potentially allowing doctors to tailor drug treatments to a person's genetic makeup. ... This year he described a tool for predictive pharmacology and toxicology called a 'body on a chip.' Early devices incorporated separate chambers for lung tissue, liver tissue, fat, and other kinds of tissues with a circulation system to emulate blood's transport properties. Although assembling an entire human body on one chip is not the goal, Shuler said, the 'body chips' can be customized - with liver tissue, bone marrow, and two kinds of tumor tissue, for instance - and used to test efficacy and side effects of adjuvant cancer treatments."

Link: http://www.nyas.org/ebriefreps/main.asp?intSubsectionID=4664

Comment Submission

Post a comment; thoughtful, considered opinions are valued. New comments can be edited for a few minutes following submission. Comments incorporating ad hominem attacks, advertising, and other forms of inappropriate behavior are likely to be deleted.

Note that there is a comment feed for those who like to keep up with conversations.