Lions and Tigers and.....Wheat? Nanotechnology and Agriculture

Lions and Tigers and.....Wheat?Nanotechnology and Agriculture Deb Newberry Dakota County Technical College Nano-Link Regional Center for Nanotechnology Education dmnewberry2001@yahoo.com STEMtech 2011 Indianapolis IN US

A Bit of History • 2004 DCTC started an AAS Degree Nanoscience Technologist Program • NSF funded • Multi-disciplinary • 3M,Valspar, CimaNanotech, Medtronic, Mayo, Boston Scientific, IBM, Honeywell….. • Partnership with the University of MN • Dr. Steve Campbell – EE Department • Nanofabrication Facility • Characterization Facility • Biotechnology Lab • Nanoparticle lab

Dakota County Technical College Nanoscience Technology Program Course Outline and Credit Allocation rev. 2011

Lead Institution: Dakota County Technical College University Partner: University of Minnesota PI: Deb Newberry deb.newberry@dctc.edu

Courtesy of: Dr. Prashant Jain UCBerkeley

1959Feynman gives after-dinner talk describing molecular machines building with atomic precision 1974Taniguchi uses term "nano-technology" in paper on ion-sputter machining 1985Buckyball discovered 1981STM invented 1986AFM invented 1989IBM logo spelled in individual atoms 1997First company founded: Zyvex

HISTORY OF NANOTECHNOLOGY Nanotechnology has been primarily driven by the semiconductor industry and the need for smaller, faster, and more efficient chips. Packing more and more transistors onto a single chip made many aspects of modern life possible.

Nanotechnology is…. The ability to observe, image, study, measure and manipulate at the molecular and atomic scale

Why is understanding the molecular or atomic level structure of a material important? Atomic (electronic) structure Molecular structure Physical characteristics Biological characteristics Electrical characteristics

Physics Engineering Electronics, Construction Design Chemistry Energy Agriculture NanoScience Nanotechnology Biology Medicine Diagnostics Treatment Coatings Lubricants Material Science

Biological Systems Nano materials Nano/Biotech Circle Tools of Nanoscience Bio mimicry Diagnosis Treatment System and interaction understanding

Use of Nanotechnology • To study the biological world • Understand processes – photoelectric effect – how do plants do that? • Understanding interactions – drugs, proteins and side effects • Understanding transplants – improve surgery techniques, reduce rejection • Understanding processes – how do biological systems go from healthy to unhealthy (and vice versa)?

To Understand, Measure and Study

Understanding and Imitating Nature

Nanoscale Concepts Directly Tie to Biology Properties Dependent on Size

Nanoscale Concepts Directly Tie to Biology Priorities of Forces and Interactions

PolymersTwo Variations on a Theme Cross-linked Ringed

Cross-Linked Polymer Each bond between atoms has a specific strength A different atom or molecule introduced into this polymer “system” can form or break bonds dependent upon the relative strengths. Changes in bonds will result in a change in the atomic arrangement (molecular structure) and potentially change the properties of the “system”.

Activity: Cross-linked Polymer Magic Snow (Steve Spangler Science) Cross Linked Polymer – similar to collagen or cellulose – the “zigzag” of the polymer gives it the elastic property and the cross-linking between zigzags helps keep the structure (stiffness) Place a small amount of the material in a Petri dish -- Feel it and observe it’s physical properties Using a plastic transfer pipette add some water to the material Observe what happens Now feel the resulting material – How have the physical properties changed? What do you think happened? Answer: The water, a dipole molecule interacted with and affected the cross-linking bonds “releasing” the polymers – We changed the atomic arrangement and as a result changed the physical properties of the material.

Super Absorbing Polymers (Found in diapers) are ringed type polymers Surface tension (balanced cohesive and adhesive forces) “traps” moisture in the ring structure. Similar to the ring blower shape for soap bubbles Cut a small area of diaper Add water until saturated Measure the amount of water (volume or weight) Determine number of water molecules in the amount absorbed Determine surface area that could be covered by a 1 atom thick layer i.e. assuming a water molecule has a vol. of .4 nm x .4 nm x.3nm 5 cc of water would cover 130m x 130m

Other organizations are looking at ways in which nanotechnology can offer improvements in sensitivity or ease by which contamination of food is detected. For example, AgroMicron has developed the NanoBioluminescence Detection Spray which contains a luminescent protein that has been engineered to bind to the surface of microbes such as Salmonella and E. coli. When bound, it emits a visible glow, thus allowing easy detection of contaminated food or beverages. The more intense the glow is, the higher the bacterial contamination. The company aims to market the product under the name BioMark and is currently designing new spray techniques to apply in ocean freight containerized shipping as well as to fight bioterrorism.

Nanotechnology Impact on Agriculture – Animals and Crops • Electronic Tagging of animals • A whole lot more than GPS • Feed input • Output • Vital signs – BP, heart rate, temperature etc. • Crop Monitoring • Remote sensing • Remote delivery • Food • Tactile • Nutrition • Packaging • Medical

Sensors – To detect and signal

Center for Agricultural and Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology (CAPN) Agriculture &Food Nanotechnology Pharmaceutical & Drug Delivery Applications 􀀀Tools for Plant-Based Drug Discovery 􀀀Methods for Drug Delivery 􀀀Tools for Crop Research 􀀀Sensors for Safety/Quality Plant-derived nanomaterials Plant-derived compounds

Corn and Potato-Based Nano-Filler Material to Improve Strength of Biodegradble Fibers Membrane Made from Organic Waste Matter Could Help Crops Conserve Water

Nanoelectronics Nanomaterials Nanobiotechnology

Thank You!!!!!! dmnewberry2001@yahoo.com deb.newberry@dctc.edu

Lions and Tigers and.....Wheat? Nanotechnology and Agriculture