Environmental Microbiology, Soil Microbiology & Microbial Biogeochemistry

The vision of nanotechnology introduced in 1959 by late Nobel Physicist Richard P Faynman. Nano comes from the Greek word for dwarf, usually nanotechnology is defined as the research and development of materials, devices, and systems exhibiting physical, chemical, and biological properties that are different from those found on a larger scale (matter smaller than scale of things like molecules and viruses).

The field of “Nanomedicine” is the science and technology of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease and traumatic injury, of relieving pain, and of preserving and improving human health, using nanoscale structured materials, biotechnology, and genetic engineering, and eventually complex machine systems and nonorobots.

It was perceived as embracing five main subdisciplines that in many ways are overlapping by common technical issues. It is an emerging multidisciplinary field to look for the reparation, improvement, and maintenance of cells, tissues, and organs by applying cell therapy and tissue engineering methods.

With the help of nanotechnology it is possible to interact with cell components, to manipulate the cell proliferation and differentiation, and the production and organization of extracellular matrices.Present day nanomedicine exploits carefully structured nanoparticles such as dendrimers, carbon fullerenes (buckyballs), and nanoshells to target specific tissues and organs. These nanoparticles may serve as diagnostic and therapeutic antiviral, antitumor, or anticancer agents. Years ahead, complex nanodevices and even nanorobots will be fabricated, first of biological materials but later use more durable materials such as diamond to achieve the most powerful results.

The human body is comprised of molecules, hence the availablity of molecular nanotechnology will permit dramatic progress to address medical problems and will use molecular knowledge to maintain and improve human health at the molecular scale.

Nanotechnology will change dentistry, healthcare, and human life more profoundly than many developments of the past. As with all technologies, nanotechnology carries a significant potential for misuse and abuse on a scale and scope never seen before. However, they also have potential to bring about significant benefits, such as improved health, better use of natural resources, and reduced environmental pollution. These truly are the days of miracle and wonder.

Current work is focused on the recent developments, particularly of nanoparticles and nanotubes for periodontal management, the materials developed from such as the hollow nanospheres, core shell structures, nanocomposites, nanoporous materials, and nanomembranes will play a growing role in materials development for the dental industry.Once nanomechanics are available, the ultimate dream of every healer, medicine man and physician throughout recorded history will, at last become a reality. Programmable and controllable microscale robots comprised of nanoscale parts fabricated to nanometer precision will allow medical doctors to execute curative and reconstructive procedures in the human body at the cellular and molecular levels.

Nanomedical physicians of the 21st century will still make good use of the body's natural healing powers and homeostatic mechanisms, because all else equal, those interventions are best that intervene least.