Catch the Wave-Nanotechnology, the Future is now [In the News]

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are shaping biomedical research worldwide. The initiative began with a symposium that took place at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2000 and continued with the formation of the Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) in 2001. Since then, nanotechnology has impactedmany disciplines including materials science, electrical and computer engineering, medicine, and environmental science. Technological advancements fostered by this research are the development of advanced mass-storage devices, novel materials, efficient miniscule transistors and memory chips, gene and drug delivery nanoscale measurement apparatuses, energy-efficient solar cells, and air- and water-treatment systems. In April 2009, the IEEE Life Science Systems and Applications (LiSSA) Technical Committee in cooperation with NIH sponsored a workshop on nanomedicine to provide a forum where engineers and scientists can apply sophisticated nanotechnology to critical issues in health and medicine. Following is a synopsis of some of the state-of-the-art IEEE research in nanotechnology that will significantly impact the future of medicine and health care.