Biological Interactions of Nanomaterials

The Biological Interactions of Nanomaterials project focuses on biological characterization of nanomaterials of particular interest to the Air Force. This report describes the basic mechanism of biological interactions of engineered nanomaterials, and explains potential toxicities arising from physicochemical properties uniquely associated with nano-scale structures, including size, shape, surface charge, surface composition, and in some cases surface structure. This research acquired the fundamental knowledge needed to improve understanding of nano-bio interaction mechanisms and provided in-depth analyses of corresponding effects on biological systems. This knowledge will help to improve nanomaterial safety strategies for the protection of both human and environmental health, and help to apply advanced nanobiotechnology to the development of future weapon systems. As we end the Biological Interactions of Nanomaterials project, we look to the future to transition the knowledge gained during the time on this project toward applications, such as using nanomaterials to design biosensors for the detection of biomolecules. Detection may be accomplished at the intra-cellular levels, external to the body, or at any level in between. One of our future aims is to be able to exploit the unique properties of certain nanomaterials for the purpose of stand-off detection or control.