Search: Bio and medicine, Cart demonstration

This cart demo is about Biobarcodes, a nanomedical technology that allows for massively parallel testing for disease diagnosis. Visitors learn about antibodies, how each antibody binds to a unique protein, and how biobarcoding uses nanoparticles, antibodies, DNA and magnetism to detect diseases earlier than we could detect before. Visitors assemble a jigsaw puzzle that models how Biobarcodes™ work.

This program demonstrates the importance of scale (macro vs. micro vs. nano) and surface features in materials science and nanotechnology. Visitors will examine three different slides macroscopically (with their eyes) and microscopically (with a microscope). Each of the three slides has different size particles on its surface: macro, micro, and nano. The visitors predict how a drop of water will behave on each surface and then test their prediction.

Visitors will engage in activities showing various natural phenomena that scientists and engineers have emulated to address human problems. Visitors view peacock feathers at different angles to see iridescence, apply drops of water to observe the color changes, and look at other examples of iridescence in nature, such as a blue Morpho butterfly, tropical beetle wings, and abalone shells. Visitors also explore the Lotus Effect by applying drops of water onto Lotusan paint and stain resistant fabrics, two technologies that mimic the Lotus effect. A flip-book shows examples of iridescence and the Lotus effect, as well as microscopic and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Visitors can take home a peacock feather and a TryThis! card describing iridescence and an activity to do at home.

“DNA Nanotechnology” is a facilitated, hands-on activity exploring deoxyribonucleic acid, a nanoscale structure that occurs in nature. Visitors extract a sample of DNA from split peas and put it in an Eppendorf tube to take home. They learn that nanoscientists study DNA to understand its biological function, and that they also use it to make other nanoscale materials and devices.

In this activity, visitors watch as a crystal self-assembles instantly! During this activity visitors learn what crystals are and how they grow. They also discover that self-assembly is an important process for many naturally occurring systems.

In this hands-on activity, visitors explore the structure of seashells and learn that seashells are a composite material made of both inorganic and organic materials. Visitors compare the mechanical properties of plaster bricks and dried sheets of glue, which helps them discover that both toughness and hardness are important mechanical properties. To see what a shell would be like if it were not so tough, visitors try to break normal shells and shells that have been either baked or soaked in bleach.

"Nanotechnology: Small Science, Big Impact!" provides an overview of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology, and includes a variety of hands-on activities and demonstrations.

"Invisible Sunblock" is a hands-on activity exploring how nano-scale particles are used in mineral sunblocks to increase their transparency. Visitors compare nano and non-nano sunblocks to a visual representation of the effect of particle size on visibility.