Nanobiosciences: New ideas and tools for investigating and manipulating living systems

Abstract

Nanoscience has reached a point today wherewe can begin to create hybrid objects at the interface between nanomaterials and the life sciences. These objects combine advanced physical properties, viz., optical, mechanical, magnetic, etc., with the remarkable reactivity of biological molecules. In particular, they can be used as probes or micromanipulation tools, from the molecular and cellular scale right up to the scale of organisms. This should bring us new insights into the organisation of living things, and new prospects for diagnosis and therapy in nanomedicine.