In covering such a broad subject as nanotechnology, particularly in the context of medicine and life sciences, it is useful to first define the term. The classical definition of nanotechnology is the “design, characterisation, production and application of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size at the nanoscale,” where the nanoscale is defined as “having one or more dimensions of the order of 100 nm or less.” However, in biology, many nanostructures of interest, both engineered and natural, are above 100 nm in size. The classical definition must also be extended to encompass the idea of designing structures that have novel or enhanced properties that can be of benefit medically by virtue of being at the nanoscale. Read more...