Sci | Art | HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM UCLA SCI | ART NANOLAB MMIX

Daily Blog #2

By stevenlim | Published: July 9, 2009

Its a cold foggy day, but my I continue to move forward on this journey. Topic of the Day: Cancer Cells

B0006421 Breast cancer cells

Two different methods were described to us aspiring students. It seems that cancer cells have different properties from regular cells. Therefore by changing the genetics of our nanoparticles, we are able to target the cancer cells exclusively. The professor talked about using light and pH yet why not use other characteristics that can be predicted. One effort they put out is to utilize light to activate the nanoparticles, but how does that work? If nanoparticles are spreard across our body, then as we go out, and instantly all nanoparticles are set off and eject what substance they carry? Light is pointless because we are not simple cave creatures

sun-cartoon

Yet this can simply be a misunderstanding. I still question the research that they are completing. I still believe that pH can be a benefit to our research because cancer cells are supposed to have a lower pH. One thing I found interesting though is the steps that are found within this research. As society, we found it so common just to find all our medecine and remedials layed out at the local super market, but here the researcher directly tell us the stages of getting drugs approved, which proved to be an eye opener. Drugs may be crucial to the developement and safety of us, but we have made improvements in what seems to be the most usefless invention: the Nanosilver Socks. I truly don’t get the point of this because smelly socks isn’t the most devastating issue of the world. Sure it can be helpful, in a pointless way, but why risk it when people are complaining of its effects in the environement. Is it that important to make profit off such a stupid invention, when it can have the ability of ruining our ecosystem. Well that’s my two cents. This is steven lim and this is the second day. Let us embark on our fantastic journey together. Over and out.

nano_silver_antibacterial_and_deodorant_socks

http://www.nano-silver.com/

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=96

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoparticle

http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~acarpi/NSC/7-ph.htm

http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=48

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Nanotechnology and Genetic Disorders

By alexandrakhitun | Published: July 9, 2009

As I found out today, more than 250,000 people die of cancer every year in the US. This is a grim statistic, a statistic which doubtlessly inspired countless people to engage in the battle with tis frequently fatal disease. Progressive research in the area of nanotechnology as it relates to targeted medicinal delivery is quickly unraveling and hopefully will become available for abundant use for any patient afflicted with previously ineffectively treated illnesses such as cancer.

I believe that such a method for combating disease will also ensure breakthroughs in gene therapy- curing genetic disorders that at the present time can rarely be treated, and never cured. For example, a person that is suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia has a single point mutation in his DNA that is causing the hemoglobin in his red blood cells to fold into an inappropriate shape that prevents the red blood cell from carrying out its function. This one mutation can cause a lifetime of agony; an inability to lead a life of a normal healthy individual. Using nanotechnology this problem could potentially be fixed- what if nanoparticles that carry the necessary RNA or DNA are injected in to the bone marrow and the encoded information enters the marrow cells ( similarly to the movement of viral DNA into cells) causing the correct ‘instructions’ to be read, resulting in the manufacture of some healthy red blood cells. Of course, the condition would not be alleviated to the full extent but the patient who has the sickle cell disease ( a recessive genotype) will exhibit the symptoms more similar to the patient with the sickle cell trait ( heterozygous genotype) and will bemore or less symptom free. gene-therapy-324x205
Nanotechnology has already been of great benefit for many patients suffering with genetic illnesses including sickle cell anemia by creating simpler diagnostic techniques that would benefit patients, especially in underdeveloped countries- this was clearly demonstrated to us through our lab visits where we got to view the LUCAS device- a cheaper and more accessible diagnostic tool. Other ideas that may assist in the prevention, diagnosis, and cure of genetic disorders by proofreading DNA in early stages of development and being able to ‘cut and paste’ sections of DNA effectively. In the near future genetic disease ay be no more.

http://www.physorg.com/news131291839.html

http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/Materials-Formulation/Nanotech-could-be-answer-to-gene-therapy-delivery

http://www.reade.com/news/industry-news/92-archived-nanotechnology-news-feeds/4488-nanotechnology-dna-sensor-promises-benefits-possible-downsides

http://www.nanotechnologist.com/genenano/index.html

http://nanotechnologytoday.blogspot.com/2007/03/dna-nanoparticles-in-gene-therapy-for.html

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Blog 1: 7/07/09

By sophiapatrico | Published: July 9, 2009

Today we learned about different methods in nanoscience research. The day opened with a presentation by Rita and Gau that focused on visualization, art, and science. Visualization is the technique of creating an image, diagram, or other visual to express an idea. I knew there were multiple methods of producing an image in art such as oil paint, sandstone, and marble, but I never really thought about the different methods in science. The presentation and lab visits today exposed me to this new idea.

Images produced using microscopes

Image produced using paint

During the powerpoint, Rita and Gau stressed that in visualization, art inspires science, then science inspires art, and so on. For example, Charles Darwin, a scientist, was influenced by art, and he later influenced artists. I found it interesting that the connection between art and science dates back to the 1800s with Darwin and even further back to the Italian Renaissance. The presenters also emphasized that there are various ways of interpreting something, and the way we see something molds our views on it. This concept caused me to open my mind and be more aware of the way I look at things.

Darwin was inspired by art and inspired artisits

Darwin was inspired by art, and he inspired artisits

The three lab visits today focused on different methods of visualization in science. I enjoyed learning about different types of microscopes and how they work. For example, our first lab was “Electron Microscopy.” An electron microscope uses a beam of electrons to light up the sample and create a magnified image. After learning about the process of preparing a specimen for this type of microscope, we were able to play with the electron microscope and adjust the magnification, light, position, etc. This hands-on experience helped me to grasp the concepts of the day.

Using electron microscope to look at sample from liver cells

http://www.bbc.co.uk/darwin/

http://royalsociety.org/page.asp?id=1213

http://www.nsf.gov/news/overviews/nano/index.jsp

http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/gilbert/07.html

http://www.microscopy.ethz.ch/

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Blog 1 – The Coupling of Science and Art

By juliamiller | Published: July 9, 2009

Throughout history, one of the most integral parts of scientific advancement has been technological development. In turn, the most integral part of these technological develpments has often been the coupling of the purity of science and the beauty of art. A prime example of this phenomenon has been the development of microscopes. After creating the first compound microscope in the 17th century, Robert Hooke published a book containing a large collection of sketches based upon the images he observed through the lense of his micrsoscope. While these sketches were based upon scientific observations, they were expressed through artistic means. Today, as a result of increased technological break throughs, the means of expressing such findings have also expanded to a variety of other mediums, including digital photography and painting. Additionally, technological advancements have opened up a new variety of subjects for artistic expression. For example, the development of high resolution microscopes with the ability to image at the atomic level have allowed scientists/artists to view molecules in a way that was never possible before. Essentially, scientists and artists have become one in the same as they observe the world around them and interpret it as they choose. In viewing the world, the human mind may observe it in a scientific manner, but ultimately the only way man can express what he sees is through some sort of artistic mean. Though science and art have traditionally been viewed as two fields that exist on opposite ends of the academic spectrum, the link between the two continues to become increasingly apparent as understanding of both grows.

Daily Blog #1

By stevenlim | Published: July 9, 2009

The atomic force microscopy deals with creating images of the molecules and atoms. Yet personally, I have trouble understanding the concept of forces. Why would forces that attract atoms to each other all of a sudden reject when they are too close? Actually, I guess that does make sense. Molecules need a sense of interaction and attraction in order for solids to be created. And rejections are needed in order to prevent collisions that could result in dangerous situations.

atom-collision

The sci art nanolab’s key purpose is to open our mind. The prime reason for the creation of this camp is to open our minds and create a component of creativity in the hard world of science. Science has been stereotypically thought about as a study where only rules and research can create success. We often believe that science is limited by the cold realities of research, but instead we have to believe that science is a limitless field of knowledge. I’ve realized that the true purpose of this camp is to open our minds.

Open your mind logo

Yet so far, I believe that we have been bombarded with subjects that are completely science or completely art. We have analyzed movies and studied electron microscopes, but I am confused about their connection. Basically, from my own analysis, the only connections was previously stated. To bring about the creativity from art and introduce it to science. It has been continually repeated that Da Vinci is a prime example of that combination, but to bring about a man who is centuries old can only be obsolete.

sk03davinci

To fully understand this concept, I hope that i will be able to truly understand what I am studying. This is only the first day so let’s embark on our fantastic journey together.

http://www.nanoscience.com/education/AFM.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/336408/Leonardo-da-Vinci

http://www.mobot.org/jwcross/spm/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_force_microscope

http://th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~luedde/atom.html

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Daily Blog: 7/7/09

By corinnama | Published: July 9, 2009

Thinking about perspective and expression through science and art makes me more conscious of the natural world as well as my surroundings. It seems almost too simple that the sciences and arts should be so closely related, but at the same time, they are worlds apart. Literally. I can’t even fathom how forward-thinking Leonardo da Vinci was during the Italian Renaissance. That was what, 500 years ago? Looking at science and putting those thoughts into paper and making it a vision is already difficult enough today in contemporary 2009.

Another question I had was: How do we harness the human creativity to make our abstract ideas something tangible and utterly concrete?The process of visualization to make the vision a reality seems to be innate and almost intuitive, fueled by another abstract idea. Eventually the momentum just builds up as good ideas just keep coming, and somehow, the the intangible is suddenly within grasp. Human intellect coupled with human creativity are one and the same in this process.

Another thing that truly blows me away is the macroscopic size of our world and this reality compared to the microscopic nanotechnology. There are so many levels of small and nanoscience is the smallest of the small. The scale of the world makes humans feel insignificant. There’s so much more out there. But humans are doing a great job of still making the world seem more in our control. There was no better example of extent of how humans are making sense of the world and finding ways to manipulate it than the scanning electron microscope and the atomic force microscope. I didn’t even know things could get that small! Not being able to see things is messing with my mind and making me think more abstractly. I guess that’s the point of this camp though.

http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=Leonardo_da_Vinci

http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:HzxYEWktbr8J:www.conversationswithmyself.net/files/CWM_V_Visual_Reality.doc+visualization+of+the+intangible&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

http://www.nanoscience.com/education/AFM.html

http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/learning/life_after_mit_careers_grad_school/combining_the_arts_and_the_sci.shtml

http://www.unl.edu/CMRAcfem/semoptic.htm

: Image from the electron microscope

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07.08.09 – “Art, Science, and Nature”

By garrettkawabata | Published: July 9, 2009

Prey by Michael Crichton

Today we made the connection between nanotechnology and its practical applications to life and health care. This morning’s lecture began with six degrees of separation where we made the correlation between technology, nanoscience, and pop culture (books and movies). The similarities between art and science are beginning to come together.

Following our morning lecture, we separated into our lab rotations. The holographic LUCAS (lensfree ultra wide field cell monitoring array platform based on shadow imaging) was an impressive device. We were shown a standard Samsung camera phone that was modified to image blood samples. The attachment fitted to the camera aperture and would allow for mobile blood analysis.

holding the modded cellular device

Its application to healthcare would prove to be a fairly inexpensive method of providing aid for developing countries. Our second rotation was to a cancer research lab. Nanotechnology gives pharmaceuticals a boost in cancer treatment by specifically targeting cancer cells as opposed to putting a patient through the risks of other treatments including chemotherapy. In this radical type of treatment, unique receptor proteins on cancer cells along with specific pH levels allow nanoparticles to directly fight cancer while at the same time significantly reducing side effects.

the lab coat still white and dry after being drenched with powerade

the labcoat remained dry and white after being drenched with Powerade

Later in the afternoon guest speaker Hilary Godwin spoke about practical applications of nanotechnology to everyday life including nanosilver. Its antibacterial properties make it ideal but its effect on the environment has yet to be tested. We also had the opportunity to demo a lab coat covered with nanoparticles that made it spill resistant. Nanotechnology’s applications appear to be endless effective both within the household and the human body.

a culture of breast cancer cells

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Blog: July 8th (2)

By trishariosa | Published: July 8, 2009

The field of nanotechnology is a new and exciting branch of study that has become the most prominent focus of science in our modern society. In today’s lectures, we were exposed to a new aspect of nanotechnology regarding quantum dots. These tiny dots are composed of gold and release fluorescent light as they jump from one wavelength to another. They can be made up of five through as many as thirty-one atoms. This energy is dependent on the radius of the quantum dot. The smaller the dot, the more effective the emission rate. What I found most interesting about the topic of quantum dots is the ease it lends to biological labeling. The concept of these dots helped my group in developing our project idea. Because of the knowledge we obtained, we brainstormed a way to manipulate these mysterious objects in order to advance modern entertainment. I look forward to doing extensive research pertaining to my project with the hopes that I may learn more about nanotechnology as well as create a project that will become a feasible advancement for the future.

I found today’s lecture regarding nanomedicine and nanotoxicology to be more interesting than the previous ones because I aspire to become a pediatrician someday. All of the proposals under these two broad categories concern exciting advancements that can only improve the future of medicine. I hope that by using micro-scale biobots, with the creation of new drugs, and the implementation of a lab on a single computer chip, doctors and researchers will be able to provide universal healthcare and better treatment in general.

http://www.laserfocusworld.com/display_article/214658/12/none/none/Dept/Are-quantum-nanodots-%27the-missing-link%27

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nanotech-02a.html

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_New_Class_of_Drugs_Promising_for_BRCA-Related_Cancers.asp

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16002369

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The First Tuesday, weird thinking, and alzheimer’s

By lucygao | Published: July 8, 2009

07.07.09

So then. Tuesday was the first “real” day of our program! We learned about microscopes. Just beginning to take the first glance into a super duper microscopic world. Woohoo! So what did I have down in my personal notes? X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopes, transmission electron microscopes, and atomic force microscopes. And we even got to see some up close!

Well in any case, what I feel like blabbering about is a bit farther away from the topic of Visualization in Science and Art, but still vaguely connected to something we went over that day. Well, in the early morning, when Rita and Gau were presenting for us, Gau showed a clip about that one site called Foldit. I was quite intrigued and went clicky-clicky on the site just now.

And after clicking there, I found this:

“How does my game playing contribute to curing diseases?”

…Alzheimer’s: In some ways, Alzheimer’s is the disease most directly caused by proteins. A protein called amyloid-beta precursor protein is a normal part of healthy, functioning nerve cells in the brain. But to do its job, it gets cut into two pieces, leaving behind a little scrap from the middle — amyloid-beta peptide. Many copies of this peptide (short protein segment) can come together to form clumps of protein in the brain. Although many things about Alzheimer’s are still not understood, it is thought that these clumps of protein are a major part of the disease.

So yeah. So all these little nanoscale structures do crazy stuff, like causing Alzheimer’s disease. Hahaha.

But Alzheimer’s… it’s so sad. So now I feel all interested in finding a cure for Alzheimer’s… hehe

A quote from the Alzheimer’s Association:

“Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States.”

Nanoscience could be answer, right? Well, there was this research paper about that! Apparently, it’s all about finding the root cause of Alzheimer’s, being able to diagnose it early, and being able to effectively treat it.

This paper also mentions (in its abstract) that some main advancements in this research has been propelled by atomic force microscopy and other types of microscopy, relating back to the original topic that we were learning about today.

http://www.nanopaprika.eu/video/video/show?id=1612324%3AVideo%3A14262 Oh, and here’s a video of an atomic force microscope viewing of filaments associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

This is a really cool book thing about nanoscience in general: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16922291/Big-Picture-on-Nanoscience

It mentions something called bio-barcode amplification that could be used to diagnose early stages of Alzheimer’s.

That reminds me. As I do these Google searches, I keep seeing the words “ultrasensitive bio-barcode assay” being thrown around. That could call for more research! Clicky-clicky!

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July 8th Group Y

By kwanghomyung | Published: July 8, 2009

Today we learned about not only the beneficial, but the possible hazards of nano-particles. These nano-particles may provide benign aspects to living a cleaner, better future. However, these same silver nano-particles may be so hazardous as to be able to disintegrate entire ecosystems putting the Earth at stake. A few of benign aspects of nano-particles include self-cleaning socks, stainless coats, and new ways to treat diseases. By using silver nano-particles in socks, the socks are able to reject the bacteria around them creating a sort of physical barrier in between the sock and its environment. Second, the stainless coats are able to reject dyes in solutions very well, which can obviously lead to a simpler life, as we wouldn‘t have to constantly worry about spilling our drinks over our clothing. Last of all, by using nano-particles we would be able to avoid the countless side-effects that seem to be included within every simple medicine. By using nano-particles it would be possible to directly contact individual cells, and the troublesome problems of side-effects would simply vanish. Nano-particles, however, may be dangerous to the environment as well. Many questions are left unanswered in the field of nano-technology, which may prove extremely dangerous to existing ecosystems. These nano-particles that we create may seep into oceans as waste, and may possibly react with organisms in unexpected ways leading to the extinction of several species. For these reasons further precautionary research into nano-technology should be necessary to live a better future.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nanotech-02a.html
http://io9.com/5066893/where-are-my-medical-nanobots
http://www.nanobot.info/
http://crnano.typepad.com/crnblog/2006/08/nanotech_scienc.html
http://web-jpn.org/trends/08_sci-tech/sci090116.html

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HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM UCLA SCI | ART NANOLAB MMIX

Nanotechnology and Genetic Disorders

Blog 1 – The Coupling of Science and Art

07.08.09 – “Art, Science, and Nature”

Blog: July 8th (2)

July 8th Group Y

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