Nanotechnology: A Journey to the “Nano World”

A public science lecture by Dr. Mauris De Silva on Saturday, May 3rd.

At its simplest, nanotechnology involves the discovery, manipulation, and fabrication of really, really small things. Scientists and engineers perform research to understand what is happening at the nanoscale, and use special techniques to see, make, change, and assemble these fundamental components of matter. In this way, nanotechnology is resulting in many new applications that are potentially very beneficial to our everyday lives. For example, nano-scientists and –engineers have learned to make very tiny tubes out of carbon atoms, called carbon nano-tubes, which have unique properties, allowing them to be used to make stronger bicycles and tennis rackets, stain resistant clothes, and also to fight cancer. Researchers have also engineered very small particles that are used to store medicine. These nano-sized medicines can be used to deliver medicine directly to unhealthy cells, compared to regular medicines that circulate throughout the body, affecting healthy and unhealthy cells alike, and often causing side effects.

Join nano-researcher Dr. Mauris De Silva to learn about the emerging field of nanotechnology, how nanotechnology can help improve our lives, and about career opportunities in the nanotechnology field.

About Dr. De Silva

Dr. Mauris De Silva’s research focuses on fabrication of nano-structured materials by controlling molecules and materials on the 1-100 nm length scale, and utilizing them in biomedical applications such as nanoparticle-based drug delivery. Currently, he is working on developing nanotechnology for treating battlefield-related medical problems such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). De Silva received his undergraduate training at Augsburg College, Minneapolis and his graduate training at the University of Minnesota, where he completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering with specialization in Biomedical Engineering. His graduate research was directed toward developing methods for micromechanical engineering of neural networks. After graduate studies, he moved to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami as a post-doc to continue his research on developing nanotechnology for enhancing regeneration. Currently, he is working as a Research Scientist at the Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research, which is part of the Naval Medical Research Center.