Nano comes to life: how nanotechnology ushers physics into biology, transforming medicine and the future of technology
Please note that the Zoom link will be emailed to registered ticket holders on February 11th
How and why do we design and build artificial structures and even machines at the nanoscale using DNA, proteins, and other biological molecules or construct hybrid bio-inorganic robots using the building principles of biology? I will explore how nanotechnology (the capacity to visualize and manipulate matter at the nanoscale) is revolutionising medicine in ways that will have profound effects on our health. From nanomachines inspired by biology that can train the immune system to fight cancer, to nanoantibiotics that can eliminate resistant bacteria and vaccines to end the COVID pandemic, to the engineering of tissues and organs for research, drug discovery, and transplantation. More profoundly nanotech facilitates the study of biology within the framework of physics, thereby creating interfaces with other fields (e.g. bioinspired quantum devices and computer science). This will potentially change not only the future of materials, engineering and AI, but also the way we think about life itself, and dare to think how we pose questions such as “what is intuition?” from a physics lab.
Date: 11 February 2021, 15:00 (Thursday, 4th week, Hilary 2021)
Venue: https://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/events/2021/02/11/nano-comes-to-life-how-nanotechnology-ushers-physics-into-biology-transforming
Speaker: Prof Sonia Contera (University of Oxford)
Organiser: Helen Smith (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: helen.smith@physics.ox.ac.uk
Host: Prof Siddharth A Parameswaran (University of Oxford Dept of Physics)
Booking required?: Required
Booking url: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nano-comes-to-life-public-lecture-tickets-138405042207
Cost: FOC
Audience: Public
Editor: Helen Smith