MODULE 6: THE NANO WORLD AND GENE THERAPY

a. Climate Change & the Energy Crisis

b. Environmental Awareness
NANOTECHNOLOGY
• is an emerging technology understood as control of
matter at the nan-scale or one nanometer equivalent to
one billionth of a meter.
• This scale allows the development of new products and
processes which can affect human life.
 NANOTECHNOLOGY: NATURE

• Nanotechnology and nanoscience are the study and application of extremely

small particles, which can be used across all scientific fields such as biology,
physics, engineering and chemistry.
• Physicist Richard Feynman developed this concept as early as 1959 where he
cited the process in which scientists can manage to manipulate or control
atoms and molecules.

• Professor Norio Taniguchi who developed the term nanotechnology after a

decade used this concept.
• In 1981, the creation of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and the
atomic force microscope (AFM) brought forth modern nanotechnology
which further facilitated exploration of this process.
SOME FACTS IN NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
• Everything in this planet is made up of atoms, which cannot be seen even by
microscopes. Hence, in this case it will be difficult to perceive how small
nanotechnology is. This is why it is helpful to identify some comparisons as
well as cite concepts to provide clarity.

1. An inch has 25,400,000 nanometers.

2. The thickness of a paper is around 100,000.
3. A strand of a human DNA has a diameter of 2.5 nanometers.
4. A human hair has a round 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers.
5. One nanometer is the length a human fingernail grows in a second.
APPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY

 Scientist and engineers in the present are searching for

ways to create materials at the nanoscales.
 These developments will be advantageous to either
change or improve properties of elements on a
nanoscale to possibly improve material strength,
increase chemical reactions to improve the use of
nanomaterials around us.
 NANOTECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE

 A field of medical science made possible through nanorobots and

nanoengineered devices.
 The application of nanotechnology in medicine is known as nanomedicine.
 This involves the application of nanomaterials in medical technologies, which
are efficient in providing greater understanding of issues on toxicity and
impact of nanomaterials on the environment.
 What is good about nanoscale technologies is that they can be implanted in
the body because they are less invasive and very small.
NANOELECTRONICS

 Refers to the use of nanotechnology in electric

components.
 This refers to a variety of devices and materials on a
nanoscale.
 Beneficial as it is nanoelectronics can reduce power
consumption on electronic devices and allow to
increase of capacity of memory chips.
EVERYDAY PRODUCTS THAT USE NANOTECHNOLOGY

• 1. Sunscreen
• Nanoparticles have been added to sunscreens for years to make them more effective. Two particular
types of nanoparticles commonly added to sunscreen are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These tiny
particles are not only highly effective at blocking UV radiation, they also feel lighter on the skin,
which is why modern sunscreens are nowhere near as thick and gloopy as the sunscreens we were
slathered in as kids.
• 2. Clothing
• When used in textiles, nanoparticles of silica can help to create fabrics that repel water and other
liquids. Silica can be added to fabrics either by being incorporated into the fabric’s weave or sprayed
onto the surface of the fabric to create a waterproof or stainproof coating. So if you’ve ever noticed
how liquid forms little beads on waterproof clothing – beads that simply roll off the fabric rather
than being absorbed – that’s thanks to nanotechnology.
• 3. Furniture
• In the same way that clothing can be made waterproof and stainproof through
nanotechnology, so too can upholstered furniture. Even better, nanotechnology is
also helping to make furniture less flammable; by coating the foam used in
upholstered furniture with carbon nanofibers, manufacturers can reduce
flammability by up to 35 percent.
• 4. Adhesives
• Nanotechnology can also be used to optimize adhesives. Interestingly, most glues lose
their stickiness at high temperatures, but a powerful “nano-glue” not only
withstands high temperatures – it gets stronger as the surrounding temperature
increases.
• 5. Coatings for car paintwork
• We all know bird droppings can wreak havoc on car paintwork. To combat this, a company called 
Nanorepel has produced a high-performance nanocoating that can be used to protect your car’s
paintwork from bird poop. The company also makes coatings to protect car upholstery from stains and
spillages.
• 6. Tennis balls
• Nanotechnology has found a range of applications in the world of sports equipment, with a couple of
great examples coming from one of my favorite sports: tennis. Nanotechnology helps tennis balls 
keep their bounce for longer, and make tennis racquets stronger. 
• 7. Computers
• Without nanotechnology, we wouldn't have many of the electronics we use in everyday life. Intel is
undoubtedly a leader in tiny computer processors, and the latest generation of Intel’s Core processor
technology is a 10-nanometer chip. When you think a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, that’s
incredibly impressive!
BENEFITS AND CONCERNS OF THE APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN
DIFFERENT AREAS
Example of Areas Affected by    
Nanotechnology Possible Benefits Concerns
Environment  Improved detection and removal  High reactivity and toxicity
of contaminants  Pervaisive distribution in the
 Development of benign industrial environment
processes and materials  No nano-specific EPA
(Environmental Protection
Agency) regulation

Health  Improved medicine  Ability to cross cell membranes

and translocate in the body
 No FDA approval needed for
cosmetics or supplements

Economy  Better products  Redistribution of wealth

 New jobs  Potential cost cleanups and
healthcare
 Accessibility to all income levels
Nanotechnology is an advanced interdisciplinary field that encompasses
science and technology that manufactures materials of great help to the
improvement of various areas of society especially health care,
environment, energy, food, water, and agriculture

It is a field that needs to be explored, not only by known experts but also
neophytes, in order to advance our knowledge of science and technology,
and more importantly, to help improve our quality of life.
• New solar panel films incorporate nanoparticles to create lightweight, flexible solar
cells. (Image courtesy of Nanosys)
High-resolution image of a polymer-silicate nanocomposite. This material has improved
thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties and can be used in food and beverage
containers, fuel storage tanks for aircraft and automobiles, and in aerospace components.
(Image courtesy of NASA.)
 
https://www.nano.gov/you/nanotechnology-benefits
GENE THERAPY
HTTPS://WWW.MAYOCLINIC.ORG/TESTS-PROCEDURES/GENE-THERAPY/ABOUT/PAC-20384619

Overview
• Gene therapy involves altering the genes inside your body's cells in an
effort to treat or stop disease.
• Genes contain your DNA — the code that controls much of your body's
form and function, from making you grow taller to regulating your body
systems. Genes that don't work properly can cause disease.
• Gene therapy replaces a faulty gene or adds a new gene in an attempt
to cure disease or improve your body's ability to fight disease. Gene
therapy holds promise for treating a wide range of diseases, such as
cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia and AIDS.
• Researchers are still studying how and when to use gene therapy.
Currently, in the United States, gene therapy is available only as part of
a clinical trial.
Risks

• Gene therapy has some potential risks. A gene can't easily be inserted directly
into your cells. Rather, it usually has to be delivered using a carrier, called a
vector.

• The most common gene therapy vectors are viruses because they can
recognize certain cells and carry genetic material into the cells' genes.

• Researchers remove the original disease-causing genes from the viruses,

replacing them with the genes needed to stop disease.
This technique presents the following risks:

 Unwanted immune system reaction. Your body's immune system may see the newly introduced viruses
as intruders and attack them. This may cause inflammation and, in severe cases, organ failure.
 Targeting the wrong cells. Because viruses can affect more than one type of cells, it's possible that the
altered viruses may infect additional cells — not just the targeted cells containing mutated genes. If this
happens, healthy cells may be damaged, causing other illness or diseases, such as cancer.
 Infection caused by the virus. It's possible that once introduced into the body, the viruses may recover
their original ability to cause disease.
 Possibility of causing a tumor. If the new genes get inserted in the wrong spot in your DNA, there is a
chance that the insertion might lead to tumor formation.

The gene therapy clinical trials underway in the U.S. are closely monitored by the Food and Drug Administration
and the National Institutes of Health to ensure that patient safety issues are a top priority during research.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
• Currently, the only way for you to receive gene therapy is to participate in a clinical trial.
Clinical trials are research studies that help doctors determine whether a gene therapy
approach is safe for people. They also help doctors understand the effects of gene therapy
on the body.

For example, in one type of gene therapy:

 You may have blood drawn or you may need bone marrow removed from your
hipbone with a large needle.
 Then, in a lab, cells from the blood or bone marrow are exposed to a virus or
another type of vector that contains the desired genetic material.
 Once the vector has entered the cells in the lab, those cells are injected back into
your body into a vein or into tissue, where your cells take up the vector along with
the altered genes.
 THE ASPECTS OF GENE THERAPY
 GENE THERAPY is a potential method to either treat or cure genetic-related human illnesses
 Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease.
In the future, this technique may allow doctors to treat a disorder by inserting a gene
into a patient’s cells instead of using drugs or surgery.
 Medical science has detected many human diseases related to defective genes;
 These types of diseases are not curable by traditional methods like taking readily available medicines;
 Human gene therapy was actually first realized in 1971 when the first recombinant DNA experiments
were planned; insertion foreign DNA into a patient’s tissue that hope to successfully eradicate the
target disease
 In 2015, a team of researchers at the Harvard Medical School and the Boston Children’s Hospital
stated that they were able to restore basic hearing in genetically deaf mice using gene therapy
EXAMPLE OF GENE THERAPY

• This new therapy appears to work quite well in the lab setting, or theoretically in some
scientist's mind, but it still had not been proven in a human subject. The first human to
receive gene therapy treatment was a 4 year old girl with severe immune-deficiency
disease. This disease is caused by a faulty gene that fails to produce a vital enzyme. In the
therapy procedure, they extracted some of the girl's white blood cells. Then, they exposed
them to a genetically engineered virus that had lost its virulence but still carried normal
versions of the gene that was not functioning correctly in the girl. The virus invaded the
white blood cells, and then these cells were transfused back into the girl. Once back
inside the girl's bloodstream, the cells began producing the proper enzyme. Although the
girl still needs follow-up treatments, she now leads a relatively normal life following the
gene therapy. This is one of the success stories of gene therapy.
 THE BASIC PROCESS

Researchers are testing several approaches to gene therapy, including:

 Replacing a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene.
 Inactivating, or “knocking out,” a mutated gene that is functioning improperly.
 Introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a disease.

Although gene therapy is a promising treatment option for a number of diseases (including
inherited disorders, some types of cancer, and certain viral infections), the technique
remains risky and is still under study to make sure that it will be safe and effective .

Gene therapy is currently being tested only for diseases that have no other cures.
 
WHERE DO STEM CELLS COME FROM?

Researchers have discovered several sources of stem cells:

 Embryonic stem cells. These stem cells come from embryos that are three to five days old.
At this stage, an embryo is called a blastocyst and has about 150 cells.
• Adult stem cells. These stem cells are found in small numbers in most adult tissues, such as bone
marrow or fat. Compared with embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells have a more limited ability to
give rise to various cells of the body
 Perinatal stem cells. Researchers have discovered stem cells in amniotic fluid as well as
umbilical cord blood. These stem cells also have the ability to change into specialized cells.

• Amniotic fluid fills the sac that surrounds and protects a developing fetus in the uterus.
Researchers have identified stem cells in samples of amniotic fluid drawn from pregnant women
to test for abnormalities — a procedure called amniocentesis.
HAVE STEM CELLS ALREADY BEEN USED TO TREAT
DISEASES?

• Yes. Doctors have performed stem cell transplants, also known as bone
marrow transplants. In stem cell transplants, stem cells replace cells damaged
by chemotherapy or disease or serve as a way for the donor's immune system
to fight some types of cancer and blood-related diseases, such as leukemia,
lymphoma, neuroblastoma and multiple myeloma. These transplants use adult
stem cells or umbilical cord blood.

• Researchers are testing adult stem cells to treat other conditions, including a
number of degenerative diseases such as heart failure.
THE BIOETHICS OF GENE THERAPY
There are ethical issues involved in gene therapy. Some of the inquiries cited are:

1. How can “good” and “bad” uses of gene therapy be distinguished?

2. Who decides which traits are normal and which constitute a disability or disorder?
3. Will the high costs of gene therapy make it available only to the wealthy?
4. Could the widespread use of gene therapy make society less accepting of people who are different?
5. Should people be allowed to use gene therapy to enhance basic human traits such as height, intelligence, or
athletic ability?

• Another controversy involves the germline therapy (genetic modification of germ cells that will pass on to the
next generation); question on the effects of the gene alteration to the unborn child and the next generation;
in US the government does not fund researches on human germline gene therapy.
 Indeed, technology has greatly helped economies around the world.
 However, but the same innovative technological process has produced unwanted by-products.
 These products are largely known as pollution which results to the depletion of natural
resources that affected as well the natural environment.

CLIMATE CHANGE
 Climate change refers to the statistically significant changes in climate for continuous period of
time.
 Climate change is a global concern as innovations specifically mass production greatly result to
the use of machineries that significantly increase emissions.
 Climate change is the global phenomenon of climate transformation characterized by the changes in
the usual climate of the planet (regarding temperature, precipitation, and wind) that are especially
caused by human activities. As a result of unbalancing the weather of Earth, the sustainability of the
planet’s ecosystems (a community or group of living organisms that live in and interact with each other in a
specific environment) is under threat, as well as the future of humankind and the stability of the global
economy.
 NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) definition of climate change says it is “a broad
range of global phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add heat-trapping
gases to Earth’s atmosphere. These phenomena include the increased temperature trends described by
global warming, but also encompass changes such as sea-level rise; ice mass loss in Greenland,
Antarctica, the Arctic and mountain glaciers worldwide; shifts in flower/plant blooming; and extreme
weather events.”

 Factors that contribute to climate change can be natural internal process, external forces, and
persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use.

 It can also be due to natural occurrences or contributed by acts of human beings.

 • Causes of Climate Change
 Climate change evolved from the common concept known before as ‘global warming’.
 Climate change is a phenomenon resulting from the pollution that humans continuously produce.
 Increase in global temperature resulted to warmer weather and severe weather conditions.
 These changes can result to catastrophic events such that climate change is basically irreversible.
 NATURAL CAUSES
 Volcanic Eruptions
• When volcanoes erupt, it emits different natural aerosols like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxides, salt
crystals, volcanic ashes or dust, and even microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. 
• The volcanic eruption can cause a cooling effect to the lithosphere (outermost shell of planet)
because its emitted aerosols can block a certain percentage of solar radiation; this cooling effect can
last for one or two years.
 Orbital Changes
• Earth’s orbit can also cause climate change; this was proposed by the Milankovitch theory states
“that as the Earth travels through space around the Sun, cyclical variations in the three elements of
Earth-Sun geometry combine to produce variations in the amount of solar energy that reaches
Earth
 The Carbon Dioxide Theory
• Carbon dioxide (CO2) is added when power and heat are produced by burning coal, oil, and other
fossil fuels; carbon dioxide is transparent to sunshine but not invisible to infrared (heat) radiation
leaving the ground.

• Carbon dioxide absorbs part of the infrared radiation in the air and returns it to the ground keeping
the air near the surface warmer than it would be if the carbon dioxide did not act like a blanket.
HUMAN ACTIVITIES
 Pollution by human activities such as emissions from automobiles and
factories produces greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide absorbs
infrared lights from the atmosphere that contributes to warming. 

 Human activities contribute to climate change; the largest known

contribution comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon
dioxide gas to the atmosphere.

• Greenhouse gases and aerosols affect climate by altering

incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared (thermal)
radiation that are part of Earth’s energy balance.
• The Greenhouse Effect this effect is the cycle by which carbon dioxide,
methane and other gases are trapped in the atmosphere and results in the
warming of the planet. Green gas levels increase the infrared radiation,
which is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere and leads to excess heat
energy.
The Philippines is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise,
increased frequency of extreme weather events, rising temperatures and extreme rainfall.
This is due to its high exposure to natural hazards (cyclones, landslides, floods, droughts),
dependence on climate-sensitive natural resources and vast coastlines where all major cities and the
majority of the population reside.
 
The Philippines lies in the world’s most cyclone-prone region, averaging 19–20 cyclones each year, of
which 7–9 make landfall. Sea levels in the Philippines are rising faster than the global average,
increasing the hazard posed by storm surges and threatening permanent inundation of low-lying
areas.
A rich yet increasingly depleted natural and marine resources base supports livelihoods through
fisheries, agriculture, forestry, energy, mining and tourism and provides critical ecosystem services
such as shoreline protection, flood control, soil stability and habitats for biodiversity.
THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

• The Greenhouse Effect – this severely heats up the planet and though tress can absorb
carbon gases to limit its effect on the atmosphere, deforestation has limited the ability of
trees to maintain the balance in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere.
• Ecological Issues – increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to absorption by the oceans of these
gases
• This phenomenon leads to acidification of the oceans which damage coral reefs and marine life.
• Incidents of extreme weather are increasing which results to severe flooding, tropical storms and even
tornadoes in places where they never exist such as in crowded cities and suburbs.

• These ecological issues are imminent threat to the extinction of species.

• Rising Water Level and Flooding – warmer air resulting from the heating of the earth’s atmosphere is
melting ice in the Arctic as there is an increased aridity (drought) in Arizona.
• Same system is causing flooding in the Maldives and the Middle East and increasing the number of
hurricanes across the Mid-West of America.
• Temperature fluctuations in the United Kingdom are brought about by the same reasons which are not
natural to the cycles we are aware of.
• 70% of earth’s water is frozen and as the Arctic and Antarctic is rapidly heating a large amount of this
will be melting.
• This will move onto the ocean raising global sea levels and flooding coastal areas.
• Rising sea levels have increased incidences of flooding in varied to locations causing loss of lives and
destruction to properties.
Extreme Weather Conditions – climate change has severely affected weather conditions in almost all countries
across the globe.

• The increase temperature is negatively affecting weather patterns 

• Scientific studies have shown how extreme weather events like heat waves and storms will be experienced
more frequently and at an intense degree.
Desertification – climate change is beginning to degrade and dry out land in several areas of
the globe.

• This has caused famine and food insecurity as land become inhospitable and unable to
produce good harvests.
Changes in Vegetation - climate change gradually affects the type, distribution and coverage of
vegetation.

• It may result to plant growth, earlier flowering and a distorted fruiting time.
• Radical changes will result to changes in the timing of life cycles among these plants.
• These radical changes will also result in vegetation stress, rapid plant loss and eventually lead
to desertification.
GLOBAL WARMING
• is one of the major effects of climate change; global warming threatens all life
forms on Earth. It has drastic effects on water availability, food source, health
issues, land use and ecosystem.

• Melting glaciers will increase flood risks during wet season and strongly reduce dry-season water supplies to
one-sixth of the world’s population.
• Climate change will increase worldwide deaths from malnutrition
and heat stress.
• Declining crop yields due to drought.
• Vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever could
become widespread if effective control measures are not in place.
• Ecosystem will be particularly vulnerable to climate change, with
one study estimating that 15-40% of species face extinction.
Change in Government Policies
• Government agencies from every nation begin to prioritize the
preservation of the environment through the adoption of policies that will
push for its promotion over business.
• Environmental values should be the basis for decision-making.
• Economies must maintain and develop strategies to prevent the further
stretching of the environment while working to suffice human needs in
every region.
Uses of Renewable Energy
• Burning is one major cause of climate change.
• The move to use renewable energy resulted to the development of alternative ways to produce energy
such as solar power.

• China and India’s governments are investing in solar power which is directing the country away from
fossil-fuel based economy.

•  
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON A GLOBAL SCALE: RECENT
CASES
• Case # 1 Wildfires in Australia
Destructive fires are usually preceded extreme high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds,
which create ideal conditions for its rapid spread.
• Case # 2 Forest Fire Amazon Jungle
These wildfires usually happen during the Amazonian tropical dry season due to
slash and burn methods practiced by the farmers to make way for agriculture,
logging and mining.
Case # 3 Coronavirus: The COVID-19 Pandemic
• Climate change is also creating ideal conditions for waterborne and even airborne pathogens like
bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

• The coronavirus can largely attribute to the effects of pollution resulting to climate change. 
• Primary transmission of the coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is largely person-to-person mainly via
respiratory droplets which can be through the airborne route.

• Studies have shown how the virus can be passed through touching of contaminated surfaces which can
be a potential source of infection.
• QUIZ
Direction: Answers these questions
1. Would you subject yourself for gene therapy without its 100% assurance of effectiveness or
future negative side effects?

2. Explain why and how the following factors contribute to the climate change:
a. Modernization
b. Lifestyle
c. Population
• Academic Honesty Statement:

• For this activity, I make the following truthful statement:

•I understand that acts of academic dishonesty shall be penalized to the full extent as
• indicated in the provision of the PhilSCA Student Manual (Page 30, No. 6.)

____________________________

Signature of Student over Printed Name