Koltover V.K.
Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, RU
Keywords: magnetic isotopes, nanoengineering, nanomedicine, nanoreactors
The trend of nanoscaling brings engineering down to the dimensions of molecular structures. However, it poses the problem of how to create a reliable system from molecular components which experience permanent thermal and environmental fluctuations. The main line of creating reliable devices from unreliable components in living systems is preventive maintenance of functional components, first and foremost, prophylaxis of failures (Koltover, Control Sciences, 2004, 4, 40). The nuclear spin magnetic moment of magnesium-25 affords such a prophylactic effect in living cells. We have shown, for the first time, that the cells of bacteria Escherichia coli grow much faster on the medium containing magnetic isotope Mg-25 than on the media containing nonmagnetic isotopes Mg-24 or Mg-26. Furthermore, there is the evidence that the cells on Mg-25 produce less superoxide free radicals as the faulty by-products of the cell respiration by comparison with the cell on nonmagnetic magnesium isotopes. In essence, the magnetic isotope, owing to its nuclear spin’s magnetic field, produces the prophylaxis against free-radical failures in the biomolecular nanoreactors of the cells. On this nuclear spin-chemistry basis, the magnetic isotope holds much promise for novel medicine as well as for control over reliability of molecular devices in nanoengineering.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 3, Nanotechnology 2010: Bio Sensors, Instruments, Medical, Environment and Energy
Published: June 21, 2010
Pages: 475 - 477
Industry sector: Medical & Biotech
Topics: Biomaterials, Cancer Nanotechnology
ISBN: 978-1-4398-3415-2