NIST 'Catch and Release' Program Could Improve Nanoparticle
Safety Assessment From NIST Tech Beat: June 7, 2011 Contact:
Chad Boutin Depending on whom you ask, nanoparticles are,
potentially, either one of the most promising or the most
perilous creations of science. These tiny objects can deliver
drugs efficiently and enhance the properties of many materials,
but what if they also are hazardous to your health in some way?
Now, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) have found* a way to manipulate nanoparticles
so that questions like this can be answered. The team has
developed a method of attracting and capturing metal-based
nanoparticles on a surface and releasing them at the desired
moment. The method, which uses a mild electric current to
influence the particles' behavior, could allow scientists to
expose cell cultures to nanoparticles so that any lurking
hazards they might cause to living cells can be assessed
effectively. The method also has the advantage of collecting t