Exploring at the Nanoscale

Student Worksheet:
How Big is Small?

It can be hard to visualize how small things are at the nanoscale.  The following exercise can help you visualize how big small can be!

The following are drawings of items you may recognize…. a bowling ball, a billiard ball, a tennis ball, a golf ball, a marble, and a pea.  Think about the relative size of these items.

Now take a look at the chart below that was developed by the National Cancer Institute (U.S.) and think about how much smaller the various items are…moving down from the familiar tennis ball.  The "." on this page is 1,000,000 microns -- quite gigantic compared to a virus or a single molecule of water (H20).

 Exploring at the Nanoscale

Student Worksheet 1:
Surface Area Activity

You are part of a team of engineers who has been given the challenge of evaluating how surface area changes as a material is made smaller. You have been provided with some sheets to read as well as a block of either tofu or gelatin, a cutting surface, a ruler, and a dull knife.

You will need to determine the surface area of the full block, and then the cumulative surface area of smaller blocks you create by cutting the original block in half, and quarters -- down to all blocks created at about ½ inch in width. 

Use the chart below to indicate your findings:

# Blocks	1 Block	2 Blocks	4 Blocks	8 Blocks	16 Blocks	32 Blocks	64 Blocks	

Surface Area:								

 

 Exploring at the Nanoscale

Student Worksheet 2:
Nanoscale Applications Activity

 You are part of a team of engineers who has been given the challenge to brainstorm ideas about how nanotechnology might help improve life on earth or in space. To spur your imagination, your team will first read the following press release about new research in applying silver using nanotechnology to coat surgical equipment.  The innovation involves applying surface-engineered nanostructures of silver oxide onto the surface of medical devices.  Silver has been found to be effective against a broad range of bacteria and also against mutating pathogens. It can also effectively block fungi and yeasts that are known to cause disease.  It is also harmless to the body at its bacterial effective levels. Nanotechnology maximizes the antimicrobial ability of silver because the overall surface areas of silver-oxide it increased at the nano scale.  Each tiny particle in a nanostructure has its own surface area, so the larger combined surface area means more silver can interact with body fluids to encounter and inhibit microbes.

Breakthrough Antimicrobial Technology for Medical Devices 

Strong industry interest in SilvaGard, a breakthrough antimicrobial nanotechnology, has resulted in significant growth for AcryMed, the company that developed and now licenses the technology. Built on years of research in developing silver antimicrobial wound treatments, SilvaGard addresses a still un-met clinical need, preventing the spread of deadly medical device-related infections. By harnessing the advantages of nanotechnology with the broad-spectrum infection-fighting ability of Ionic silver, SilvaGard provides a safe and effective solution to render medical devices impervious to infection causing biofilms. 

"The spread of hospital acquired infections is a significant problem that unnecessarily effect millions of U.S. patients each year and adds more than 28 billion dollars to our nation's healthcare costs," said Jack McMaken, president of AcryMed. "Since a large portion of harmful bacteria is harbored on medical devices such as indwelling catheters and implants, manufacturers are extremely interested in finding ways to curtail the role their products play in spreading infections. SilvaGard represents the first significant breakthrough in this area in quite some time."

SilvaGard prevents the spread of device-related infections by depositing antimicrobial silver nanoparticles onto the surfaces of medical devices and thus providing a protective barrier. Studies have shown that SilvaGard is not only safe for use, but also highly effective against a wide spectrum of infection-causing bacteria including MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant "superbugs."

In recent findings presented at the Surgical Infection Society (SIS) meeting, I-Flow's ON-Q SilverSoaker antimicrobial catheter demonstrated a significantly lower risk of developing a surgical site infection in an on-going prospective study of patients undergoing colorectal surgery. The preliminary results captured the outcomes of 120 patients, randomized to either treatment with continuous local anesthetic using the antimicrobial treated ON-Q catheter or to the control treatment employing traditional pain relief. At 30-days post surgery, patients who received treatment with the antimicrobial ON-Q device had a significantly lower incidence of site infections at 0%, as compared to the control group at 22.9%. 

Source: AcryMed, Oregon, U.S. (www.acrymed.com)
	
 Exploring at the Nanoscale

Student Worksheet 2 (continued): 
Nanoscale Applications Activity

 Brainstorming Stage
Meet as a team and discuss what you learned about nanotechnology and surface area.  Then as a group think about a new application and how you think nanotechnology might a product, process, or anything better.  You can pick an industry such as automotive, or think about a product such as fabric for clothing.  

 Presentation Stage
Prepare a proposal to a potential funding organization who you will request research funding.  You'll need to explain why you think your new nanotechnology application may work, and how it will improve a product or process.  This is a formal presentation and you may wish to prepare charts or presentation posters -- anything that might impress your potential funders.  Be prepared to answer questions from your audience! 

 Funding
Each student in the class may vote for one proposal by any team other than their own to be funded.   Those presentations with the most votes come in first place!

 Evaluation Phase
Complete the following questions as a group:

1. What application did you develop for nanotechnology?

2. What application of nanotechnology did another team present that you found the most interesting?  Why?

3. What is the most interesting aspect of nanotechnology you learned during this lesson?