One of science's newest frontiers is tiny - and in this case, size is exactly what matters. As national interest in nanotechnology has increased, a Brown interdisciplinary research team has been looking at so-called "green" nanomaterials to gather more data on their toxicity in consumer products and to find new medical applications. Their research will be part of the work of the University's Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation, which was formed in May to unite the resources from different disciplines involved in nanomaterial research.
Nanomaterials are particles between 0 and 100 nanometers, putting them on the same scale as DNA molecules. Unique properties often emerge when common substances are studied on the nano scale that differ greatly from those normally observed in the substance. Constant development of new nanomaterial formulations means that there are hundreds of new substances available for research.
Last May, the Corporation, the University's top governing body, approved the creation of the Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation. The institute, chaired by Professor of Engineering Robert Hurt, includes 55 faculty members and has a wing in the Metcalf Research Laboratory.
Its Web site will be ready before the spring semester and will provide information on research, seminars and courses. Although there will not be a degree program, tracks are being developed for chemistry, engineering, biology and medical students that are interested in the field.
Hurt's own research on nanomaterials began four years ago with Agnes Kane, professor of medical science. An interdisciplinary team was formed then to study the then-largely unexplored realm of science. Now, Hurt and Kane's research will go on under the auspices of the institute, which will build on the original team.
Nanomaterial research requires collaboration from a variety of disciplines, including chemistry, physics, engineering, biology and medicine. Faculty, technicians, undergraduates and post-doctoral fellows make up the 15- to 20- person research team looking at nanomaterials' applications.
Many other universities and laboratories are also working with nanomaterials, but what sets the work at Brown apart is the emphasis placed on developing "green" nanomaterials that can be safely exposed to humans and the environment, Kane said.
The commercial production, use and disposal of products containing nanomaterials could cause exposure to harmful elements that researchers are trying to avoid by developing formulations with similar - but less toxic - qualities.
Kane and Hurt first became involved in nanomaterial research while Kane was studying asbestos, and they realized that Hurt, who had been working with nanomaterials since 2000, could make asbestos-like substances. They began researching the possible health effects of these new substances at the same time that people around the country were gaining interest in nanomaterials.
Xinyuan Liu GS presented research on reducing the toxicity of single carbon nanotubes, which have commercial applications, at the American Chemical Society's National Meeting and Exposition in 2006 and at the American Carbon Society Conference in July, where she was the only person to address toxicity. Although more people are becoming interested and involved in health and environmental effects of nanomaterials, most research is still in early stages, Liu said.
Interest in nanomaterials has existed for over a decade, but only in the last few years have there been developments in their use in consumer products. Since nanomaterials are just being introduced, scientists hope that testing on their effects can be done prior to their widespread use because in the past, products were put on the market before long-term consequences of their use were known, Kane said.
One of the first uses for nanomaterials was in medical imaging, and additional medical applications, particularly in cancer treatment and prevention, are now being studied.
"Nanotechnology has so much potential. You can make better things and make people's lives better in so many different ways," said Love Sarin GS, who is working on using nanomaterials in the treatment of mesothelioma.
"Brown is in a very unique position to be able to carry out interdisciplinary research like this," Kane said, citing the relatively small size of the faculty and campus which allows easy discourse among departments.
"It is an exciting area for study in the future, and now we will have a visible institute," Hurt said. "People are very interested in alternative energy but nanotechnology is the other thing that gets people interested in something to catch their imagination."
