Nanobiotechnology (bionanotechnology, nanobiology) are terms that refer to the intersection of nanotechnology and biology working at a nano-scale of around 10-100nm. To put that in perspective: the diameter of a single piece of human hair is around 100.000nm.
Nanobiotechnology can provide powerful new imaging and detection tools that allow more detailed examination of biological processes and support the detection and targeting of diseases. Atomic force microscopy for example can analyze the functions of proteins and bacteria, and gold nanoparticles have been used to detect tumours.
In Nanomedicine, the ability to manipulate many of the physical properties of nanomaterial can allow for great advances in drug delivery, aiming at maximizing bioavailability, both at specific places in the body and over a controlled period of time. Nanomaterials can also learn from the incredible structural and functional complexities of natural biological systems to improve their properties even further. Bionanotechnology is a cross-disciplinary field spanning from biology and engineering to chemistry and the environment. It is opening new frontiers regarding the way we see life sciences.