National Nanotech Conference To Be Held At U of Albany On November 7th

The University of Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, along with Empire State Science and Technology, will present the “Symposium on the Convergence of Bio/Nanotechnology and Medicine” tomorrow, November 7th, beginning at 8:30 am. The event will be held at the U of Albany Nanotech complex, in the NanoFab 300 South wing until 4:45 pm.

The conference aims to bring together distinguished scientists, physicians, engineers and other individuals in the nanotech sector to discuss the latest and greatest developments in their field, with a focus on nanomedicine and nanoelectronics.

Several speakers will be present, and many organizations will be represented as well, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, just to name a few.

For those who may not be well-versed in the definition of nanotech, this particular area of science is defined as “a field of science focused on the control of matter on a molecular and atomic scale.” In short, nanotech aims to make products stronger, cheaper, and lighter, and it aims to revolutionize the way objects are developed, produced and manufactured.

In the medical field, nanotechnology is also a focus, as scientists continue to incorporate nanotech into the development of new drug delivery methods and cancer treatments.

Despite the overwhelming opinion that nanotech is an emerging and amazing technology (which it undoubtedly is) concerns surrounding the safety of nanotechnology remain. You may recall seeing news stories on the Internet due to a scientific journal that attempted to establish a connection between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the later development of mesothelioma, a fatal cancer that has been linked to removal of asbestos. Researchers and scientists who were studying the CNTs claimed that when a specific type of CNT was injected into the abdomen of lab mice, these mice began to display very similar biological effects as mice who were injected with asbestos fibers. For most scientists, these findings really only meant one thing: that increased funding for further CNT study is necessary, and that nanotech researchers most conduct far more study. 

For more information on tomorrow’s nano conference, please visit the University of Albany website.