Contemporary+Science+Research

**Nanotechnology** a.k.a nanotech, is the study of the controlling of matter on an atomic and molecular
 scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with structures sized between 1 to 100 nanometer in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size.

Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to investigating whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale. There has been much debate on the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology may be able to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine,electronic, bio materials and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nano materials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted. The first use of the concepts found in 'nano-technology' was by physicist Richard Feynman. Feynman described a process by which the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules might be developed, using one set of precise tools to build and operate another proportionally smaller set, and so on down to the needed scale. In the course of this, he noted, scaling issues would arise from the changing magnitude of various physical phenomena: gravity would become less important, surface tension and van der Waals attraction would become increasingly more significant. Nanotechnology is already having an impact on products as diverse as novel foods, medical devices, chemical coatings, personal health testing kits, sensors for security systems, water purification units for manned space craft, displays for hand-held computer games, and high-resolution cinema screens. The world market for nanoelectronics is worth hundreds of billions of euro and this industry is the driving force behind the current development of nanotechnology. Nanoelectronics will create computers and transistors with much greater power for use in telephones, cars, domestic appliances and the multitude of other consumer and industrial applications currently microprocessor-controlled. These combinations will provide biosensors, biomaterials and new breeds of biochips for treating life-threatening conditions, including cancer and heart disease. Such bioengineered devices, in the form of body implants, will deliver smart drugs or carry new cells to repair damaged tissue. The fabrication of nanostructures will yield materials with new and improved properties for use in solar panels, anti-corrosion coatings, tougher and harder cutting tools, photocatalytic air purifiers, longer-lasting medical devices, chemical catalysts, and for the transport industry. In addition, there will be new materials for optical, electronic and energy storage applications and products. References: **[]**

**[]**


 * []**

__** Term 2 **__
media type="youtube" key="TYCxlXTfHJI?fs=1" height="385" width="480" References:
 * Genetic Modification** is basically the human modification of something that does not occur naturally. Basically this topic is what we have learned in primary school. Let's make an example. There are two apples, one that is naturally grown and the other which is genetically modified. The apple that is genetically modified will of course have better qualities than the one that is naturally grown. It may be sweeter, juicier or even bigger than the naturally grown apples. This is the effects of genetic modification. Firstly, the gene to be inserted into the genetically modified organism must be chosen and isolated. Presently, most genes transferred into plants provide protection against insects or tolerance to herbicides. Once isolated, the gene is inserted into a bacterial plasmid. The gene to be inserted into the genetically modified organism must be combined with other genetic elements in order for it to work properly. The gene can also be modified at this stage for better expression or effectiveness. The promoter region initiates transcription of the gene and can be used to control the location and level of gene expression, while the terminator region ends transcription. The selectable marker, which in most cases confers antibiotic resistance to the organism it is expressed in, is needed to determine which cells are transformed with the new gene. The constructs are made using recombinant DNA techniques, such as restriction digests, ligations and molecular cloning. Those genetically modified fruits can also be more effective against diseases, pests and have longer 'surviving' life. Of course, it is also not as healthy as naturally grown ones.
 * [] **
 *  [] **

__**Term 3**__

 * NEWater** is reclaimed water. It is treated wastewater that has been purified using advanced dual-membrane (micro filtration and reverse osmosis) and ultraviolet technologies. It is mixed and blended with reservoir water and then undergo conventional water treatment to produce drinking water (Planned Indirect Potable Use). There are 5 NEWater factories at Bedok, Kranji Water Reclamation Plant,Ulu Pandan, Changi and Seletar Water Reclamation Plant. The total capacity of the 3 NEWater factories is 92,000 m3/day or mgd.

In 1974, water recycling began in Singapore but it closed a year later due to cost and reliability. NEWater was initiated in 1998 by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR). The aim of NEWater is to reduce reliance on water imported from Malaysia, which has been a source of water over the years.
 * History of NEWater**

NEWater is the product from a multiple barrier water reclamation process. The first barrier is where used water is treated in the Water Reclamation Plants. The second barrier uses micro filtration to filter out suspended solids, colloidal particles, bacteria, viruses and protozoan cysts. The third barrier utilizes reverse osmosis. In reverse osmosis, a partially-permeable membrane filters out undesirable contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, nitrate, chloride, sulphate,disinfection,pesticides that cannot pass through the membrane. This makes NEWater anti-virus and bacteria and contains very low levels of salts and organic matter. The fourth barrier, which is also the last acts as a safety precaution. UV disinfection is used to ensure that all organisms are inactivated and the purity of the product water guaranteed. Its adds some alkaline chemicals to restore Ph balance. NEWater is now ready for use.
 * Process**

NEWater is also using indirect portable Use by blending with reservoir water. PUB has received a report from the Panel of Experts whoa are studying the suitability of NEWater as a source of water to supplement our water supply. They concluded that NEWater is consistently of high quality and well within the requirements of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (UESPA) National Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards, and the World Health Organization's (WHO) Drinking Water Guidelines.
 * Indirect Portable Usage**

The NEWater Visitor Centre is for people who are interested in knowing how the NEWater functions. There will be a virtual guide “Wave” directing the visitors each step of the way. They will be captivated by multimedia presentations and hands-on interactive games. At the end of the experience, the visitors will understand a wide range of water –related topics on NEWater and its uses. They will also get to see a NEWater factory incorporated in the NEWater Visitor Centre. They will be able to witness at first hand the operation of advanced membrane and ultraviolet technologies in the production of NEWater.
 * NEWater Visitor Centre**

Micro filtration is a filtration process which removes contaminants from a fluid by passage through a micro porous membrane Micro filtration is different from reverse osmosis because that system forces water to go from low pressure to high pressure by pressure.. It is the process of filtration with a micrometer sized filter. This filter does not allow particles, sediments, algae or large bacteria to go through. UV filters prevents ultraviolet (UV) light from going through. Reverse Osmosis is a filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. It removes he salt and other substances from the water molecules. The process is similar to membrane filtration. References:
 * Micro-filtration, UV filtration and Reverse Osmosis**

[] [] **[] ** **[] ** **[] ** []



media type="youtube" key="LhT7RtXtna0?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; padding-right: 10px;">