(477f) Emerging Nanotechnologies for Therapeutic Applications

Emerging breakthroughs in chemistry, molecular biology, and materials science have made it possible to engineer drug delivery devices at appropriate length scale to the biological system. Chemical Engineers are at the forefront of the exciting interdisciplinary area of 'nanotherapeutics'. Several targeted and controlled delivery applications using nanoparticles, dendrimers, micelles and other nanomaterials have shown significant promise. These include applications in drug and DNA delivery, cancer therapy, and in vivo imaging. This talk will provide an introduction to the area of nanotherapeutics, and discuss the opportunities and challenges for translating basic findings to viable applications.