Nano Comes to Life: How Nanotechnology is Transforming Medicine and the Future of Biology

by Sonia Contera

The nanotechnology revolution that will transform human health and longevity Nano Comes to Life opens a window onto the nanoscale?the infinitesimal realm of proteins and DNA where physics and cellular and molecular biology meet?and introduces readers to the rapidly evolving nanotechnologies that are allowing us to manipulate the very building blocks of life. Sonia Contera gives an insider's perspective on this new frontier, revealing how nanotechnology enables a new kind of multidisciplinary science that is poised to give us control over our own biology, our health, and our lives. Drawing on her perspective as one of today's leading researchers in the field, Contera describes the exciting ways in which nanotechnology makes it possible to understand, interact with, and manipulate biology?such as by designing and building artificial structures and even machines at the nanoscale using DNA, proteins, and other biological molecules as materials. In turn, nanotechnology is revolutionizing medicine in ways that will have profound effects on our health and longevity, from nanoscale machines that can target individual cancer cells and deliver drugs more effectively, to nanoantibiotics that can fight resistant bacteria, to the engineering of tissues and organs for research, drug discovery, and transplantation. The future will bring about the continued fusion of nanotechnology with biology, physics, medicine, and cutting-edge fields like robotics and artificial intelligence, ushering us into a new "transmaterial era." As we contemplate the power, advantages, and risks of accessing and manipulating our own biology, Contera offers insight and hope that we may all share in the benefits of this revolutionary research.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Physics, Technology, Medicine

1 pages, Audio CD

Published June 6, 2020

Reviews

[Conrad Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nano Comes to Life has changed how I look at biology. The emphasis on including physics in biology in the book shows how wonderfully complex life is and made me appreciate the beauty of that interconnection between physics and biology, what can we do with it to improve our health and the world around us.
I recommend Nano Comes to Life to everyone who is interested in science and biology.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much about nanotech but it is a good introduction to the research being done at the intersection of the life sciences, physics, engineering, and everything in between.

Toward the end, the author spends some time addressing AI, and her views were interesting; for instance, she thought the application of AI to ‘omics data was like using AI to identify unknowns in the universe. She also said that most of the West is scarred by the industrial revolution and that manifests itself through the humanities (for example, AI is going to cause this “Huxleyeon” dystopia). She thinks this type of thinking casts us as bystanders to our future, rather than us as the shapers of the future we want. On the other hand, there is some truth to the AI fear: Economists are publishing a paper this year that blames automation for rising income inequality.

This was written pre-COVID, and thus, seemingly in a different world!

[Bin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is full of hollow words, like"scientists are combining nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine and physics to make great discoveries", but doesn't tell you what and how. Although the title of the book emphasizes nanotechnology, a large part of the book has nothing to do with it. The audio edition is poorly narrated. The narrator even can't narrate the book fluently.

[Jason M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the intersection between nanotechnology and biology. The author describes the journey from the past to the present and highlighting the potential of the future. The book is optimistic in tone but does not shy away from potential perils of nanotechnology and social and ethical considerations.

There were a few areas where I felt the coverage skipped major developments, especially in the section covering immunotherapy. There were others were l where I felt certain assertions were not fully supported.

All in all, a good read.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author gives a good outline of the history and current situation (as of 2019) of the field. Most interesting was her delineation between the traditional understanding of genetics and medicine (ie that dna is a ‘blueprint’ and certain genes cause certain maladies) and the ‘new’ understanding (ie that genes are influenced by environment and other factors much more that traditionally thought, a more holistic view perhaps). I’m probably doing a disservice to what she actually said, but she certainly emphasised the convergence of quantitative physics, biology and material science in her field. Very interesting and she did emphasise that we are still in the early stages of nano technology. I found her optimistic about future possibilities, particularly in regards to medical interventions, but she is also aware that technology can be used as a tool of oppression as well as of good and she sees the scientific community as a bastion against the unethical use of nano technology.
Some of it was a bit out of my grasp, but it was certainly readable and I could follow most of it. Recommended if you’re interested in an overview of the subject.

[Jun · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a good amount of introduction to nanotechnology and I do like the science the author talks about. However, there are just a lot of vague statements and unsubstantiated claims, and overall the book reads like a collection of disconnected parts.

[Daniel Hasegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much about nanotech in biology and medicine. It's a great starting reference book for developments in the field.

[Aaron Wiggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply enjoy ideas and thoughts!

[Max Patiiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-
Reads like a wikipedia article or a series of empty scientific articles than a book. Felt hollow.
And naration is not the best

[Richard Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, but I didn't learn a lot of new information. We are still far from having armies of self-assembling nanobots that perform useful tasks. Maybe that's a good thing. I was interested to learn more about the working of physical action at the nano level in cells affecting DNA and protein production. At the cell level we mostly just think about random motion, sometimes enhanced by enzymes and selective permeability, but it's more than that, and harnessing purposeful physical action at this level could have important implications. I also learned a bit more about the challenges of creating scaffolds for building organs and cells. But there was lots more that was just going over old ground.