Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology

Category: Publications

October 1, 2020 – Antimicrobial zein fibers for biodegradable and non-toxic food packaging

October 1, 2020 – The global population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, and there is an urgent need to find ways to provide the global populace with safe and nutritious food, while at the same time minimizing the significant impact on the environment.  The WHO estimates that microbial contamination causes 584 million … Continue reading “October 1, 2020 – Antimicrobial zein fibers for biodegradable and non-toxic food packaging”

June 15, 2020 – Biopolymer-based Nanofiber Seed Coatings: A Novel Approach to Enhance Agrichemical Delivery and Seedling Development

https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c02696   The inefficient delivery of agrichemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) in agri-food systems is linked to serious negative environmental health impacts. More specifically, it has been reported that 60-90% of applied fertilizers and pesticides are lost due to evaporation, degradation, and environmental run-off. Much of this inefficiency results from an inability to deliver the active … Continue reading “June 15, 2020 – Biopolymer-based Nanofiber Seed Coatings: A Novel Approach to Enhance Agrichemical Delivery and Seedling Development”

May 28, 2020 – Special issue of NanoImpact highlights recent research efforts of NHIR Consortium members

Special issue of NHIR consortium research published in nanoIMPACT (ELSEVIER). The recent increase in nanotechnology applications has led to an increased need for research in order to safely, responsibly, and sustainably develop engineered nanomaterials. The Nanotechnology Health Implications Research (NHIR) Consortium was established in 2016 to focus on performing some of these studies on a … Continue reading “May 28, 2020 – Special issue of NanoImpact highlights recent research efforts of NHIR Consortium members”

Aug 14, 2019 – New article published in ACS Nano

Do immature lungs have air-blood barriers that are more permeable to inhaled nanoparticles than those of fully-developed mature lungs? Data answering this question and explaining the underlying mechanisms do not exist.  In this study, we exposed infant rats to gold nanoparticles and found that translocation of inhaled nanoparticles from air to the blood stream is … Continue reading “Aug 14, 2019 – New article published in ACS Nano”

Oct 29, 2018 – At Harvard Chan School, nano safety is no small concern

Philip Demokritou, the director of the Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, was recently interviewed by the Harvard Gazette. The interview highlighted the center’s recent work on novel nanoparticles and the potential benefits of a safer-by-design approach. The full feature can be read here: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/10/at-harvard-chan-school-nano-safety-is-no-small-concern/.

Nanotechnology to the rescue: Using nature-derived nanocellulose to control fat digestion and absorption

Engineered nanomaterials (particles and fibers with dimensions of less than one thousandth of the width of a hair, or the diameter of an influenza virus particle) are increasingly added to foods to improve quality, safety, or nutrition. One of these materials, nanocellulose, one of nature’s most abundant biopolymers, which can be derived from natural plant … Continue reading “Nanotechnology to the rescue: Using nature-derived nanocellulose to control fat digestion and absorption”