IBM researchers and scientists from the Institute of
Bioengineering and Nanotechnology on Sunday unveiled a
nanomedicine breakthrough — biodegradable nanoparticles that
make antibiotics physically attracted to infected cells. This
nanomedicine application could represent a new drug delivery
method to fend off drug-resistant infections such as
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA) and other bacteria.
James Hedrick, lead scientist for the project at IBM, said the
findings could lead to a wide variety of uses from healing
wounds to emergency uses in a war. While the breakthrough holds
promise in delivering medicine such as antibiotics one of the
more striking things is how semiconductor manufacturing applies
to producing organic material. For instance, chips require small
wiring and cramming together ever-shrinking transistors in a
precise way. Organic nanostructures require the same. For more
on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see IBM: Applying semiconductor
knowhow to organic nanostructures on ZDNet.com. G