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Nano Tech: A golden opportunity for Pak
Our Bureau Mumbai | Thursday, October 7, 2004, 08:00 Hrs  [IST]

While the world is wrestling with wars and violence, scientists in advanced countries are burning midnight oils to push their countries into nanotechnology arena. The US government has established Institute of Nanotechnology in nineteen nineties with multibillions dollar budget for research and development.

China has more scientists around Beijing researching this area than the entire European continent.

A chemical, when developed at nanoscale, has very high reactive surface area. Such chemical can have complete reaction and will yield enormous results without any side effects or residues left as pollutants. Scientists have successfully developed nano-fabric clothes which are to be used by military personals.

Scientists are pinning their hopes to address almost every conceivable problem to solve with nano technology - from cancer to nano-robots which will reproduce themselves. The first ever micro scale motor with 13 working parts was built in nineteen sixties. The size of the motor was equal to the size of period at the end of this sentence. Today there are companies which sell nano materials, nano-tubes and other nano-products.

This is a golden opportunity for Pakistan to reorient its resources and invest in nano-technology. This will help to bridge the wide technological chasm spread between developing and developed countries. The universities need to restructure their syllabus. For example the famous Harvard Medical School is not teaching Anatomy and Physiology anymore. The new department is teaching more like molecular biochemistry and cellular biology. The new medicine will be nano-scale that will help heal the chronic diseases.

Our current medical approach is inefficient in the light of growing resistant bacteria, cancer and autoimmune diseases. We do not have any cure for viral infections and the cost of medical technology is making it impossible for majority of people to avail the existing medical facilities.

- Pak Tribune

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