Nanotechnology and Life: An Engineer's Perspective [Point of View]

Discusses the technologies and applications supported by nanotechnology, considered one of the 21st century's most promising technologies. Nanotechnology deals with the design, development, and manipulation of materials and devices with at least one dimension sized on a nanometer scale. It involves fields of science as diverse as surface science, organic chemistry, molecular biology, semiconductor physics, microfabrication, with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics, biomaterials, and energy production. Its ultimate goal is to be able to predictably design, construct, and control nanosystems, tailoring them to specified needs.