Nanotechnology

Materials at nanoscale are poised at the borderline between the microscopic scale, which is dominated by forces and effects we are familiar with, such as gravity, surface tension, and static electricity, and the atomic scale, which is dominated by quantum forces and effects that are very different. As a result, materials at nanoscale have unique properties. Investigation and exploitation of these properties will create countless opportunities for research and development work by scientists, engineers, and technicians. Many life processes take place at this scale, such as the interactions of energy and matter involved in photosynthesis and muscle movement or the chemical processes involved in fermentation, lactation, and bone growth. The expectation is that nanotechnology will enable some of these life processes to be replicated on an industrial scale and will also facilitate molecular-level interventions in living organisms for medical and agricultural purposes.