The 'right' size in nanobiotechnology.
The biological and physical sciences share a common interest in small structures (the definition of 'small' depends on the application, but can range from 1 nm to 1 mm). A vigorous trade across the borders of these areas of science is developing around new materials and tools (largely from the physical sciences) and new phenomena (largely from the biological sciences). The physical sciences offer tools for synthesis and fabrication of devices for measuring the characteristics of cells and sub-cellular components, and of materials useful in cell and molecular biology; biology offers a window into the most sophisticated collection of functional nanostructures that exists.
Whitesides
George M
GM
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. gwhitesides@gmwgroup.harvard.edu
D032701:Biomimetics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008904:Miniaturization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D043942:Nanotubes; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical