Description: Nanotechnology is an emerging field of applied science that engages almost every
technical discipline – from chemistry to agriculture – in the study and application of extremely tiny
materials with particle sizes ranging from ~1-100 nm. This course will cover the fundamentals of
nanoscience and nanotechnology from historical development, concepts and principles to nanomaterial manufacturing and property characterization, and the application of nanotechnology in food science, agriculture and environment.
Objectives (This is a co-taught graduate/undergraduate course):
- To learn the basic concepts, principles, and components of nanotechnology. At the end of the course all students will be able to describe basic theory of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
- To learn about the creation and characterization of nanomaterials. At the end of the course all students will be familiar with methods for characterizing important properties of nanomaterials commonly used in agriculture and the environment.
- To learn the application of nanotechnology in agriculture, food, and environment. At the end of the course all students will be able to apply nanotechnology to solve some problems in the fields of food, agriculture, and environment.
- To learn about toxicology of engineered nanoparticles (EPs) and current methods of assessment. At the end of the course all students will be able to understand potential impact of EPs and conduct simple environmental risk assessment.
