Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : Gold Nanoparticle
Mains level : Not Much
Cordy gold nanoparticles (Cor-AuNPs), the outcome of a collaborative experiment by scientists from four Indian institutions, has earned an international patent from Germany.
What is Cordy gold nanoparticles ?
- Cordy gold nanoparticles (Cor-AuNPs) are derived from the synthesis of the extracts of Cordyceps militaris and gold salts.
- They could make drug delivery in the human body faster and surer.
- Cordyceps militaris is a high-value parasitic fungus, lab-grown at the Department of Biotechnology’s Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) in Bodoland University.
- Gold salts are ionic chemical compounds of gold generally used in medicine.
Benefits offered by this nanoparticle
- Penetration in the cells is more when the drug particles are smaller.
- Cordyceps militaris adds bioactive components to the synthesis of gold nanoparticles for better penetration.
- It can be delivered as ointments, tablets, capsules, and in other forms.
Back2Basics: Gold Nanoparticles for Medicines
- Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are small gold particles with a diameter of 1 to 100 nm which, once dispersed in water, are also known as colloidal gold.
- Functionalized gold nanoparticles with controlled geometrical and optical properties are the subject of intensive studies and biomedical applications.
- They find applications in genomics, biosensorics, immunoassays, clinical chemistry, laser phototherapy of cancer cells and tumors, the targeted delivery of drugs etc.
