Assessment of Directions in Microgravity and Physical Sciences Research at NASA (2003) / Chapter Skim
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7. Emerging Areas
7. Emerging Areas
Pages 62-82
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From page 62... ...
challenges at the interface between the physical sciences, engineering, and biology in support of NASA's mission, preferentially capitalizing on existing expertise or infrastructure in the Physical Sciences Division, and 62
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From page 63... ...
For example, novel insights into nanoscale phenomena and the availability of an increasing number of nanoanalytical tools could have a major impact on NASA's ability to generate and store power in space, manufacture lightweight materials on the ground and in space, design materials with integrated sensory functions, and develop new sensor technologies. The confluence of the biological.
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From page 64... ...
NANOSCALE MATERIALS Recent technological advances have made it possible to engineer materials on the nanometer length scale by exploiting self-assembly processes. Materials engineered at the nanoscale exhibit unique structural and functional phenomena not achievable with conventional materials.
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These include composites having enhanced magnetocaloric effects, which enable both high- and low-temperature magnetic refrigeration; higher-density recording media; and giant magnetoresistance materials that provide large changes in resistance for a given magnetic field. Ferromagnetic materials of small diameter promise to further enhance the giant magnetoresistance effect (Xiao et al., 1993~.
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From page 66... ...
However, since the chemical modification of nanoparticles is at the core of much ongoing nanotechnology work, the committee suggests that the PSD support topics in functionalized nanoparticles indirectly, either by funding only the technology applications and encouraging investigators to look elsewhere for funding specific to these foundation technologies, or by forming close alliances with other NASA divisions or outside agencies2 to support research into foundation technologies for which there is a particular NASA need. Hybrid Materials with Multiple Functions Meeting its technology challenges will require that NASA have access to future materials and devices that incorporate nanosystems with complementary properties and functions.
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From page 67... ...
Nanoscale Systems for Energy Conversion and Defect Repair Research into technologies to fabricate hybrid materials must be complemented by research into nanoscale systems for signal transduction, so that sensory functions and readout capabilities can be integrated into artificial materials, or biological molecules can be manipulated on demand by external signals. Areas on the verge of being emphasized by several agencies (including DOE, DOD, DARPA, and others)
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INTEGRATED NANOSCALE DEVICES The novel phenomena, properties, tools, and processes provided by nanotechnology advances have much to offer when it comes to addressing the challenges of human space exploration over extended time periods. They could be applied in areas such as power generation and energy storage, advanced life-support systems, water purification, human waste management, management of accidents and hazardous conditions, human health monitoring and diagnosis, and integrated sensors for the detection of threats to human life, to name a few.
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and for efficient electrochemical energy conversion in micro fuel cells (Chen et al., 2001~. These findings suggest that the field of energy storage and power generation can be pushed beyond the capabilities of conventional technologies.
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Advances in nanotechnology also offer promising solutions for converting energy from one form into another for example, light into electrical, chemical, optical, magnetic, or mechanical energy, as discussed in the section "Nanoscale Systems for Energy Conversion" above. While conventional solar cells have rather low conversion efficiencies compared with those of biological systems, molecular photonics mimicking how nature harvests light offers more efficient avenues for light harvesting and charge separation (Schwarz et al., 2000~.
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From page 71... ...
The development and application of sensors could be extended to allow the rapid treatment of diseases and injuries a capability that will be needed for long-term human space travel. Another example, noted in a previous section, is the development of near-room-temperature, direct-methanol protein exchange membrane fuel cells for efficient energy storage, safe operation, and on-demand power supply.
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Further research is required into the role of mechanical forces (including shear, loading, and stretching) and low gravity in molecular recognition and cell signaling, and significant new insights are expected based on rapid advances in novel tools for nanoanalysis and biotechnology.
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Finally, it has been shown that the topography of a protein surface and some aspects of its surface chemistry can be imprinted into nonbiological surfaces using templating technologies (Vlatakis et al., 1993; Plunkett and Arnold, 1995; Shi et al., 1999; Boal and Rotello, 2000; Liu et al., 2000~. Thus, it can be seen that several physical-science-based methods are beginning to emerge that can address the difficult challenge of how to preserve or mimic protein function.
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Our understanding of the fundamental biology of cell interactions with their natural environment and how cell behavior can be regulated by engineered environments is still in its infancy. Again, as in the protein stabilization work, research at the most fundamental level is needed to make progress and ultimately to learn how to preserve cell structure and function over extended time periods.
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The PSD could capitalize on its existing expertise in biotechnology particularly its programs in cell science, surface chemistry, materials science, and fluid physics, all of which are essential topics, for example, in engineering cell surface interactions and controlling the nutrient flow.
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At the cellular and particularly the molecular levels, little is known about how mechanical forces affect cell signaling and gene expression, despite the fact that several of the molecular players in mechanically regulated signaling pathways have been identified (Shyy and Chien, 1997; Chicurel et al., 1998; Li and Xu, 2000; Carson and Wei, 2000~. Much of the gap in our understanding of how nature uses mechanical forces in synchrony with chemical cues has been due to the lack of appropriate tools for studying protein structure and mechanical properties under nonequilibrium conditions.
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Further research is now needed to understand the mechanisms by which gravity affects cell signaling and gene expression at the molecular level. Since mechanical forces are typically induced or transmitted by the supporting matrix, fluid shear, or hydrostatic pressure, contributions to understanding these mechanisms are likely to come from the fields of cell biology, nanotechnology, fluid dynamics, materials science, chemistry, and physics.
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1999. Metal-nanocluster-filled carbon nanotubes: Catalytic properties and possible applications in electrochemical energy storage and production.
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2002. Semiempirical pseudopotential calculation of electronic states of CdSe quantum rods.
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National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) , Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET)
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Pp. 369-374 in Thermoelectric Materials The Next-Generation Materials for Small-Scale Refrigeration and Power Generation Applications, MRS Symposium Proceedings, Vol.
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Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Xiao, J.Q., Jiang, J.S., and Chien, C.L.
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