Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology ( NSEC: EEC-0118007)

1. Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (NSEC: EEC-0118007) Vicki L. Colvin, James M. Tour, Rebekah Drezek, Jennifer West, Jason Hafner, Pedro Alvarez, Qilin Li, Jun Lou, Mason Tomson, John Hutchinson, Carolyn Nichol, Kristen M. Kulinowski (Rice University) , Jay L. Conyers (UT Health Science Center) Creating sustainable nanotechnologies that improve human health and the environment Nano Teacher-Training Course Goes the Distance (Hutchinson, Nichol) Nanotubes Scavenge Free Radicals (Tour, Conyers) • Ultrashort nanotubes functionalized with derivatives of the phenolic antioxidant, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). • Oxygen radical scavenging ability measured via oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay • Both nonfunctionalized and BHT derivatized SWCNTs have little or no deleterious effect on cell viability. • Teacher-training course exposes teachers to fundamental concepts in nanotechnology • Partnership with CU’s Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society Institute permits course to be offered via videoconference and web. • Spring 2009 offering reaches 47 teachers in Texas and Colorado • Additional 6 participate from home via web Ultrashort nanotube modified to become free-radical scavenger Course offered simultaneously in Texas (Nichol, left) and Colorado (Hutchinson, right) Nanoparticles Improve Detection of Cancer Cells (Drezek, West, Colvin, Hafner) • Audience response system (“clickers”) employed to enhance active learning • Immunotargeted gold nanoshells used as contrast agents for in vitro two-photon microscopy • Entire procedure can be done in 10 minutes • Initial study on missed cancer after surgical resection is planned with MD Anderson Cancer Center • The GoodNanoGuide: A wiki for the safe handling of nanomaterials (Kulinowski) • VIEW • COMMENT • CONTRIBUTE • http://goodnanoguide.org • Protected Internet site on occupational practices for the safe handling of nanomaterials • Multiple stakeholders contribute, share and discuss information • Modern, interactive, up-to-date Nanoshell-tagged cancer cells (top) are much easier to detect than unlabelled cells (bottom). Nanotechnology 19 (2008) 315102 Pilot Project To Test Nanoparticle Water Treatment (Alvarez, Colvin, Li, Lou, Tomson) Guanajuato, Mexico (UN Heritage, pop. 80,000) Grad Student Jesse Farrell Wastewater Treatment Plant • 1st known test of nanoparticles in municipal water and wastewater treatment • Test bed will explore (1) using a sand-nanomagnetite in-line filter to remove arsenic in a well field, and (2) wastewater photo-disinfection with fullerenes • Partnership with Municipal Water and Sewerage Authority of Guanajuato.