Nanotechnology is a key technology of the 21st Century. It’s using effects of very small structures in the range of a few nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter or one millionth of a millimeter.

The success of this exciting technology is based on its versatility. On the nano-level, both physical and chemical properties of materials changes dramatically, i.e. color, electrical conductivity and melting point. Gold for example becomes reddish, ceramics even transparent and metals become semiconductors. In addition, nano objects are much more reactive than conventional particles. These modified properties open up new technological possibilities. Therefore Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary technology, which takes effect on a number of new developments in all consumer applications.

However, consumers often miss reliable and understandable information on nanomaterials and aspects of this technology. In an interdisciplinary approach with scientists from different research areas, such as human and environmental toxicology, biology, physics and chemistry the objective DaNa-project team will create this transparency and present the research on nanomaterials and their effects on humans and the environment in a public orientated way.

And once should remain an open question, you can always contact the project team directly.

The Project team:

^{Figure nanoparticles, source: Makromolekulare Chemie/Philipps-Universität Marburg}