Nanotechnology is the technology for manipulating atoms and molecules. This science is dedicated to the study and creation of new materials, products and processes through atomic restructuring.
With the use of nanotechnology, it is possible to build machines and equipment at the scale of nanometers (a unit of measurement that is equivalent to one billionth of a meter), and that will boost manufacturing of products that are safer, more durable, intelligent and much smaller than a human cell, by example.
The first studies on nanotechnology began in 1959, through the American physicist Richard Feynman (1918 – 1988). But it was only at the beginning of the 21st century that this technology began to develop widely.
As said, nanotechnology works from the manipulation of atomic and molecular matter, for this it is necessary to use of high-precision equipment, which allows the modification of material properties at the atomic.
There are already several examples of nanotechnology in people's daily lives, whether in the technological field (mobile phones and computers that are increasingly faster and smaller), in the textile (dirt, bacteria and waterproof fabrics), in the energy sector (tiny batteries and fast charging), between others.
Like other countries, nanotechnology should also be applied to products manufactured in Brazil, since it is a global trend that will lead the economic competition in the market, according to the experts.
In this sense, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) created in 2013 the Brazilian Nanotechnology Initiative, which aims to encourage the study of nanoscience and the development of actions in this sector.
Nanotechnology in Medicine
The application of nanotechnology in medicine has opened up a range of possibilities for alternatives in the treatment of diseases or in the production of new, more effective drugs. In addition, this technology still promises to increase people's lifespan and shorten the period of treatment and cure of illnesses.
THE nanomedicine (a branch of medicine that emerged from the studies of nanotechnology) can develop less toxic, less aggressive and that act directly on the areas of the body where they are needed, reducing or canceling the effects collateral.
Other advantage of nanotechnology in medicine it is the possibility of treating serious and degenerative diseases, such as cancer and AIDS, for example. It is believed that with nanomedicine, cancer cells could be directly attacked by nanorobots, avoiding all the negative effects of conventional treatment methods, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, by example.
