Nanoneuronics is an emerging discipline involving the application of nanometer-scale methods, materials, science and technology to neurons and neural tissue in order to design and develop advanced medical applications.
Overview
Nanoneuronics is a new discipline of engineering that aims to harness the collaborative power and knowledge of
nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...
,
neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions, and its disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, ...
,
electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
,
neural engineering
Neural engineering (also known as neuroengineering) is a discipline within biomedical engineering that uses engineering techniques to understand, repair, replace, or enhance neural systems. Neural engineers are uniquely qualified to solve design ...
and
ethics
Ethics is the philosophy, philosophical study of Morality, moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates Normativity, normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches inclu ...
for the design and development of advanced medical interventions with
the nervous system.
Although non-invasive approaches to the nervous system have been effective for diagnosis and therapy in many treatments, an overwhelming number of severe neurological conditions will likely require invasive approaches for effective therapY.
History
The term “nanoneuronics” was coined in 2006 by Prof. Richard Magin, at the time the head of the
Bioengineering
Biological engineering or
bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number ...
Department at the
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the Universi ...
.
The National Science Foundation has approved initial funding toward the study of ways in which experts in these fields can work together to promote interdisciplinary research.
References
* Handbook of Neural Engineering, Metin Akay (Editor), {{ISBN, 978-0-470-05669-1
Biotechnology