Education materials

RESOURCES FOR TEACHING

• Hands-on nanotechnology experiments for teaching labs
  • Experiment on drug delivery: There is a recognised need to improve drug composition, delivery, release and action, and thus to develop new drugs that can act at the specific site of the disease, maximising the drug’s therapeutic action while minimizing side effects. The aim of this experiment is to illustrate through a simple model how a miniaturised drug delivery system is created in the shape of a nanocapsule and how the release of the drug herein contained can be controlled. Students can learn how the release of the “drug” depends from a number of variables, and they can also test the effect of adding a “shell” to the nanocapsule to stop or slow down the release of the drug. Click here to see all materials
  • Experiment on nanoscale thin films: Thin films with nanoscale thickness are interesting novel materials that are being investigated for applications in “smart” windows and in biosensors (for medical detection, food monitoring, etc.). In this experiment students will produce a device with thin films that change colour with electric current, the so called electrochromic devices. Students will apply a positive voltage using a 1.5 V battery to the film and see the colour variation from blue to transparent Click here to see all materials
• Mini-courses

  Nanopinion has developed 3 e-learning mini-courses for high school students and the general public which have been built on a Moodle interactive platform and include videos, animations, quizzes, and other multimedia tools. Each mini-course contains modular learning units based on nanotechnological solutions to daily problems. Click here to visit the Nanopinion Moodle Platfom

  Nano outdoors

  • Improved sport gear
  • Smart surfaces
  • Solar panels

  Nano Indoors

  • Air filters and purifiers
  • Flexible electronics
  • Food Sensors

  Nano inside Us

  • Artificial bone
  • Drug delivery & Theranostics
• Videos on current nano research
  • Video on DNA nanotechnology: DNA nanotechnology represents one of the latest developments in nanotechnology. This method exploits the structural motifs and self-recognition properties of DNA to self-assemble pre-designed nanostructures in a bottom-up approach. It has applications for the fabrication of nano guides (e.g. wave guides), sensors (for diagnostic and imaging), logic gates, drug release, nano-motors and electronics (wires, transistors). The video will describe the technology in simple terms, and answer simple ethical and social questions like: where does the DNA used come from? Could this technology lead to harmful living things? Click here to see all materials
  • Video on the environmental impacts of nanosilver: The topic of the video is nanosilver, a nanomaterial used in many consumer products as anti-bacterial agent, and the potential impact its release can have in the environment. The story is told by a PhD student at iNANO, Yuya, who is currently studying the effect of nanosilver on earthworms. Click here to see all materials
• Virtual Experiment on STM: Can you make your mobile smaller?

  The experiment is based on research being performed currently in the field of transistors for electronic devices used in our daily life, like mobile phones, radios, TVs, computers ...In the virtual experiment students will be able to get to know and manipulate a Scanning Tunnel Microscope, and also to build a molecular transistor.
  
  Click here to start with the virtual experiment

• Teachers training kit

  A training kit for teachers with presentations and background materials

  • Teacher guide 1: Activity sheets
  • Teacher guide 2: Activity sheets
  • Annex 1: Nano quiz and swap
• Teacher Courses

  The NanOpinion Education programme offers online and face-to-face training courses around Europe in 15 different countries.
  
  Click here to see all events