>> PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR "QED WITH DR.

B."

PROVIDED BY -- >> OUR FOUNDER BELIEVED IN BUILDING AN INSTITUTE THAT WOULD BETTER SOCIETY THROUGH THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

THIS YEAR WE'LL HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPACT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION, BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR BRIGHTER FUTURES.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>> I'M THE SCIENTIST AND PRESIDENT AND CEO.

WELCOME TO "QED WITH ME DR. B.

LET'S TALK ABOUT SCIENCE.

>> TODAY WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT NANOTECHNOLOGY WHICH IS TECHNOLOGY BUILT AT THE NANOSCALE.

DR. B, HOW SMALL IS THE NANOSCALE?

>> NANOSCALES ARE REALLY SMALL.

LOOK AT YOUR HAND AND IT LOOKS FLAT.

IF YOU HAVE A MAGNIFYING GLASS YOU CAN SEE THE RIDGES.

IF YOU TAKE A MICROSCOPE AND LOOK AT YOUR SKIN CELLS YOU START TO SEE THE CELLS COME ALIVE.

CELLS, BACTERIA.

THAT IS ON THE MICROSCOPE LEVEL.

NANOTECHNOLOGY IS A THOUSAND TIMES SMALLER THAN THAT.

SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE IT MIGHT BE 50,000 NANOMETERS IN THICKNESS.

A PIECE OF PAPER COULD BE A HUNDRED THOUSAND NANOMETERS.

IN FACT, THERE ARE 7.8 BILLION PEOPLE ON PLANET EARTH.

IF EACH OF US WERE ONE NANOMETER WE COULD FIT THE ENTIRE WORLD'S POPULATION INSIDE ONE OF THESE HOT WHEEL CARS.

HOW COOL IS THAT?

AND HOW SMALL IS THAT?

>> LATER IN THE SHOW WE'LL LOOK AT HOW NANOTECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO LISTEN IN ON CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN BACTERIA AND THEN TALK ABOUT HOW EXPERTS ARE USING NANOENGINEERED CLOTHING AS A WAY TO TRACK ALL SORTS OF INFORMATION ABOUT OUR HEALTH.

BUT FIRST, DR. B, YOU GOT TO VISIT WITH A NANOENGINEER WHO ACTUALLY BUILDS STRUCTURES AT THE NANOSCALE.

>> YEAH.

HE IS AN EXPERT ON SOMETHING CALLED DNA ORIGAMI.

NORMALLY WHEN WE THINK OF ORIGAMI WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOLDING PIECES OF PAPER INTO LITTLE BOATS OR CRANES.

HIS LAB IS NOT FOLDING PAPER BUT ACTUALLY FOLDING DNA.

THAT'S SUPER COOL.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DR. MICHAEL HUDOBA FROM OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY IN WESTERVILLE, CENTRAL OHIO.

DR. HUDOBA, SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> DR. B, WELCOME TO THE POINT AND OTTO BIEN UNIVERSITY.

>> YOU'RE AN ENGINEER AND YOU BUILD DEVICES AT THE NANOSCALE.

BUT YOU USE DNA TECHNOLOGY.

TELL US ABOUT THAT AND ABOUT A THING CALLED DNA ORIGAMI.

>> WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF DNA NANOTECHNOLOGY THEY ALWAYS THINK OF GENES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

THE STUFF THAT MAKE YOU YOU AND ME ME.

TO US, IN DNA ORIGAMI, DNA IS OUR BRICK AND MORTAR, OUR STEEL, OUR CEMENT.

IT IS LITERALLY THE MATERIAL THAT WE MAKE MACHINES OUT OF.

THE OTHER GOOD THING ABOUT DNA IS IT ACTUALLY ASSEMBLES ITSELF.

THERE ARE FOUR NUCLEOTIDES TO DNA.

THE RULE IS SIMPLE.

A BINDS WITH T. C BINDS WITH G. IT IS ALMOST LIKE A PUZZLE PIECE.

WHAT WE DO IS WE PROVIDE THE PIECES AND PROVIDE THE BLUEPRINT OF WHAT WE WANT THE PUZZLE TO LOOK LIKE.

THEN IF WE MIX ALL OF THOSE PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER, PUT IT UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS LIKE TEMPERATURE AND SALT, THE PUZZLE WILL ACTUALLY FORM ITSELF.

THE SCAFFOLD IS GOING TO FOLD INTO OUR PREDETERMINED SHAPE AND THAT'S WHY WE CALL IT DNA ORIGAMI.

>> ARE THERE THERAPEUTIC USES OR APPLICATIONS FOR THIS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

COLLEAGUES OF MINE AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY HAVE DEVELOPED A STRUCTURE THEY CALL THE HORSE.

IT'S CALLED A HORSE BECAUSE THE TROJAN HORSE.

THE STORY OF THE TROJAN HORSE.

A LOT OF TIMES CANCEROUS CELLS KNOW WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE IT CANCEROUS DRUGS.

BEFORE THE DRUGS CAN GET TO THE NUCLEUS AND DO THEIR DIRTY WORK THEY'RE ACTUALLY SPIT OUT FROM THE CELL MEMBRANE.

WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS ACTUALLY HIDDEN THE CANCEROUS DRUG INSIDE DNA ORIGAMI NANOMACHINES SO THEY ARE ABSORBED BY THE CELL, ABSORBED BY THE NUCLEUS, THEY DISINTEGRATE, AND RELEASE THEIR PAY LOAD.

>> SO COOL.

>> NOT THE MOST INTERESTING PART.

I GOT A SURPRISE FOR YOU.

>> WHAT?

>> RIGHT NOW I HAVE A SET UP IN THE LAB SO YOU CAN GO AND MAKE YOUR VERY OWN DNA ORIGAMI TROJAN HORSE.

>> ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

>> I AM NOT.

>> THAT'S AWESOME.

LET'S DO THIS.

>> ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'RE HERE.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE DNA ORIGAMI, A NANOSTRUCTURE CALLED THE HORSE.

YOU'RE GOING TO MIX ALL OF OUR INGREDIENTS AND PUT THEM IN OUR WATER BATH SO WE CAN FOLD THIS NANOSTRUCTURE.

DNA ORIGAMI CONSISTS OF TWO PRIMARY INGREDIENTS.

THE DNA SCAFFOLD AND THE DNA STAPLES.

THE FIRST INGREDIENT IS WHAT WE CALL THE SCAFFOLD.

THE MAJOR FOUNDATION OF THE STRUCTURE.

THINK OF IT AS THE SCAFFOLDING OF THIS BUILDING.

ALL RIGHT.

THE NEXT INGREDIENT IS CALLED THE FOLDING REACTION BUFFER.

THE THIRD INGREDIENT IS THE SALT.

OUR FOURTH INGREDIENT WE CALL THE WORKING STOCK.

SO THIS IS ALL OF THE OTHER DNA STAPLES.

THERE'S HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF STAPLES IN THERE THAT ARE GOING TO GO WITH THE SCAFFOLD TO ULTIMATELY MAKE THE STRUCTURE.

YOU HAVE YOUR TWO SINGLE STRANDED PIECES OF DNA SEPARATELY AND KNEELING IS WHEN THEY COME TOGETHER TO MAKE THE DOUBLE HELIX.

>> LIKE TWO PIECES OF VELCRO COMING TOGETHER.

>> EXACTLY.

LET'S MIX THIS UP.

ALL RIGHT.

AND SO NOW WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE ARE GOING TO PUT IT IN OUR WATER BATH BETWEEN 65 AND 70 DEGREES FOR FIVE MINUTES AND MELT IT AT A REALLY HIGH TEMPERATURE.

THEN WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS WE'LL PUT IT IN THE FOLDING TEMPERATURE, WHICH WE HAVE EXPERIMENTALLY DETERMINED TO BE 52.5 DEGREES.

WE'LL PUT IN THERE FOR TEN MINUTES.

THAT IS WHEN ALL THESE PIECES WILL VERY NICELY FOLD TOGETHER, AGAIN, ORIGAMI, AND MAKE OUR NANOSTRUCTURE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW WE'LL LOAD OUR STRUCTURES IN A GEL.

WE'RE BASICALLY GOING TO PUT WHAT YOU MADE INTO THESE LITTLE POCKETS IN THIS JELLY-LIKE THING WE'VE CREATED.

DNA IS NEGATIVELY CHARGED.

WE'LL APPLY A VOLTAGE.

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS THAT NEGATIVELY CHARGED DNA IS GOING TO GO TOWARD THE POSITIVE END OF THAT VOLTAGE AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT AS IT TRAVELS THROUGH.

WHAT THIS DOES FOR US, THINGS THAT ARE NICE AND COMPACT, LIKE OUR WELL FOLDED ORIGAMI STRUCTURE, ARE GOING TO TRAVEL FASTER AND ALL THE SAME SPEEDS.

WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO NOT ONLY SEE OUR STRUCTURES TRAVEL THROUGH BUT THIS IS ALSO PURIFYING.

ANYTHING THAT DIDN'T FOLD WELL IS GOING TO BE CAUGHT IN THE WEB AND EVERYTHING THAT IS NICE AND TIGHTLY PACKED IS GOING TO STREAMLINE ITS WAY THROUGH.

THAT GREEN LIGHT TELLS US WE'RE NOW APPLYING OUR VOLTAGE.

NOW WE WAIT 40 MINUTES.

>> ALL RIGHT.

YOU KNOW I'M NERVOUS.

>> ALL RIGHT.

I'LL LET YOU DO THE HONORS.

WHAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR HERE IS OUR RIGHT FOUR BANDS.

DO WE SEE SOME NICE, DISTINCT BANDS OF LIGHT?

>> OH, YES.

YES.

>> YOU HAVE MADE A DNA ORIGAMI TROJAN HORSE.

YOU HAVE MADE A MACHINE OUT OF DNA.

>> THAT IS TRULY AMAZING.

NOT ONLY ARE YOU A GREAT TEACHER.

I HEARD THAT YOU HAVE A GUINNESS BOOK WORLD RECORD.

>> I DO.

I WAS GIVING A PRESENTATION IN GERMANY AND AT THE END I PUT UP THE PICTURE OF THE SCRIPT OHIO THAT THE OHIO STATE MARCHING BAND DOES.

AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY QUESTIONS.

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I GOT WAS WHY DON'T YOU MAKE THAT OUT OF DNA?

IT WAS A BRILLIANT IDEA.

AND ALMOST THREE YEARS LATER I CREATED ONE.

IT WORKED.

AND IT'S THE SMALLEST LOGO MADE WITH AN UNINTERRUPTED STRAND OF DNA IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND.

>> WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY AND THESE DEVICES?

>> I THINK THE BEST ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS I DON'T KNOW.

THAT IS HOW SCIENCE WORKS.

NANOTECHNOLOGY WAS CREATED IN THE EARLY '80s.

DNA ORIGAMI WAS IN 2006.

WE'RE CREATING THE BASIC TOOLS, THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS.

ONE THING I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS ACTUALLY DIGITAL DATA STORAGE.

SO JUST LIKE COMPUTER CODE IS ZEROs AND ONEs, DNA IS As, Cs, Gs, AND Ts, JUST A SEQUENCE.

IT HAS THE ABILITY TO STORE INFORMATION AT A DENSITY OF ABOUT A BILLION TIMES MORE THAN WHAT WE CAN DO TODAY.

IT DOESN'T NEED ELECTRICITY OR HEAT LIKE A TRANSISTOR DOES.

>> DR. HUDOBA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US.

>> IT WAS MY PLEASURE.

>> I LOVE THAT HE BUILT THAT SCRIPT OHIO OUT OF DNA.

AND TO THINK THAT MAYBE ONE DAY WE CAN USE DNA FOR DATA STORAGE?

THAT IS SO FUTURISTIC.

WE KNOW THAT NANOTECHNOLOGY CAN BUILD THINGS, BUT OUR NEXT GUEST ACTUALLY USES NANOTECHNOLOGY TO SPY ON BACTERIA.

IS THAT SOME SORT OF SUPER COOL JAMES BOND SPY DEVICE?

>> DEFINITELY SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THIS TEAM OF RESEARCHERS ARE STUDYING BACTERIAL INFECTIONS TO SEE HOW THEY CAN PREVENT THEM BEFORE THEY START.

THEY DO IT BY LISTENING TO THEM.

THAT'S RIGHT.

BACTERIA COMMUNICATE JUST LIKE WE DO.

FOR MORE ON THAT I CONNECTED WITH DR. FATIMA ALZAHRA ALATRAKTCHI WHO IS A NANOPHYSICIST AND RESEARCHER AT ROSS KILLED UNIVERSITY IN DENMARK.

YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME STUDYING BACTERIA WHICH ARE LARGER THAN NANOTECHNOLOGY BUT I THINK YOU WORK IN AN ASPECT OF BACTERIA THAT WORKS AT THAT LEVEL.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR WORK AND WHY IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO HAVE YOU ON A NANOTECHNOLOGY SHOW?

>> SO MY WORK IS VERY INTERDISCIPLINARY.

WE WORK IN BETWEEN NANOTECHNOLOGY AND THE BACTERIAL WORLD.

THE THING ABOUT THE BACTERIAL COMMUNICATION, WHICH I WORK MOSTLY WITHIN, IS THAT IT HAPPENS ON A NANOSCALE.

MANY OF THE MOLECULES THAT ARE SECRETED TO COMMUNICATE THAT THE CELLS USE TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER, ARE PRODUCED IN NANOLEVELS.

SO NANO-MOELLER CONCENTRATIONS AND IT IS SO SMALL THAT IT IS AMAZING IT MAKES SUCH A HUGE EFFECT ON US.

>> HOW DO BACTERIA ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE?

HOW DOES IT WORK?

WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?

>> WHAT THEY DO IS THEY SEND SIGNALING MOLECULES OUT INTO THE EXTRA CELLULAR SPACE.

IT IS ALL ABOUT SENDING OUT THE SIGNALING MOLECULES AND RECEIVING THEM AND THEN SENDING THE RESPONSE BACK.

ALL OF THIS, THE SIGNALING OUT AND THE RESPONSE, ALL OF THESE MOLECULES ARE QUORUM SENSING.

>> WHAT DO WE MEAN?

>> QUORUM ACTUALLY COMES FROM THIS ANCIENT HISTORY OF ALSO FROM THE BUSINESS WORLD THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PERSONS THAT CAN MAKE A DECISION IN A MEETING FOR INSTANCE.

AND THIS HAS BEEN ADAPTED IN MICROBIOLOGY AND MORE SPECIFICALLY IN WHAT IS CALLED SOCIAL MICROBIOLOGY, WHERE BACTERIA ARE ABLE TO DECIDE BASED ON NOT HOW MANY THEY ARE BUT INDIRECTLY BY THE DENSITY OF THE FORMS OF MOST SIGNALING MOLECULES SECRETED TO THEIR SPACE.

>> HOW ARE YOU ESSENTIALLY USING THE TOOLS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY TO SPY ON THE BACTERIA IN THE HUMAN BODY?

>> SO WE PLACE OUR RECEPTORS OR NANOSTRUCTURES THAT LOOK LIKE RECEPTORS IN THIS WAY WHENEVER WE HAVE A SAMPLE WITH SOME SIGNALING MOLECULES TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THESE MOLECULES THAT THE BACTERIA WERE SENDING TO EACH OTHER BUT THIS WAY WE CAPTURED THEM FIRST.

>> WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY KNOW FROM BACTERIA COMMUNICATING?

>> THE FIRST THING I LEARNED IS THAT THEY ARE EXTREMELY COMPLEX.

SO THIS WHOLE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATING, I THOUGHT IN THE BEGINNING IT WOULD BE EASY, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE OUR LANGUAGE.

I SAY SOMETHING.

YOU RESPOND WITH SOMETHING.

BUT WITH BACTERIA IT IS REALLY DEPENDING ON THE CONTEXT.

FIRST OF ALL YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHEN DO THEY SECRETE SOMETHING AND IN WHAT CONTEXT AND WHAT ARE THE MOLECULES AND WHAT CRISES?

WHEN WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT, THEN WE ARE ABLE TO KIND OF PUT IT ALL TOGETHER LIKE A PUZZLE AND SAY, OKAY.

IN THE BEGINNING OF AN INFECTION THEY SECRETE THIS.

THEY DO IT IN THESE AMOUNTS.

THEY DO IT DIFFERENTLY IF THEY ARE EXPOSED TO ANTIBIOTICS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND HOW DO THEY DO IT LATE IN THE INFECTION?

IN THIS WAY WHEN WE PUT THE PUZZLE TOGETHER THIS IS THE WORK WE CAN USE FOR OUR BENEFIT.

>> CAN YOU SHARE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW BACTERIA COMMUNICATE?

>> SO ONE EXAMPLE IS THAT WITHIN THIS QUORUM SENSING SYSTEM IS THAT THEY CAN PRODUCE MOLECULES FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD OF THEIR LOCAL SOCIETY.

AND IN THIS WAY THEY ARE ABLE TO COLLABORATE.

THEY JUST PRODUCE SIGNALS THAT DON'T JUST BENEFIT THEMSELVES BUT EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.

WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES IS SOME CELLS FIGURE OUT THAT IF THEY DON'T PRODUCE, THEY CAN JUST SCOUT ON EVERYONE ELSE'S PRODUCTION.

WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT SOMETIMES MANY CELLS CAN DO THIS.

THEY CHEAT.

WHEN MANY CELLS CHEAT WE CALL IT A CHEATER INVASION.

THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING PHENOMENA BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY END UP HAVING A COMMUNITY WITH A LOT OF CHEATERS AND THAT JUST COLLAPSES THE COMMUNITY.

SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT IN MANY WAYS THEY OPERATE LIKE US HUMANS, THEY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE COMMON GOOD OF THEIR COMMUNITY FOR THEM TO SURVIVE AS A WHOLE.

>> SO BY LISTENING TO BACTERIA AND UNDERSTANDING HOW TO COMMUNICATE AND UNDERSTANDING THE CONVERSATIONS, WE CAN ACTUALLY TRANSLATE THAT INTO ADVANCES IN MEDICINE AND HELP US TREAT BACTERIA OR DEAL WITH THESE INFECTIONS?

>> WE HAVE A LONG WAY AHEAD OF US TO BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE EVERYTHING AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.

BUT THERE ARE ALSO OTHER WAYS WE CAN USE THIS.

I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND TO SEND THESE SIGNALING MOLECULES TO ABLE TO MAKE THEM UNABLE TO RECOGNIZE THESE MOLECULES.

LIKE IF THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER THEN HOW WILL THEY COMMUNICATE AND HOW WILL THEY COORDINATE THEIR ACTIVITIES?

SO THIS IS A WAY TO FIND ALTERNATIVES TO ANTIBIOTICS.

>> YOU ARE PART MICROBIOLOGY, PART NANOTECHNOLOGY EXPERT, AND PART CODE CRACKER.

YOU'RE ACTUALLY CRACKING A LANGUAGE.

>> WE HOPE SO.

AND OF COURSE IT IS A COLLABORATIVE WORK.

I WORK WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT FIELDS.

I HAVE A GREAT COLLABORATION WITH MEDICAL DOCTORS FROM WHERE WE GET SAMPLES FROM REAL PATIENTS AND WE FOLLOW HOW IS THE INFECTION PROGRESSING?

>> SO YOU'RE WORKING ON A TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD ONE DAY ALLOW THE EVERY DAY PERSON INSIGHT INTO THESE BACTERIA COMMUNICATIONS.

>> THE BIG PERSPECTIVE HERE IS TO BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE EVERY SINGLE SECRETION INTO THIS INTERCELLULAR SPACE AND BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE IT INTO ACTION.

SO IF WE SOMEHOW ARE ABLE TO USE A SMARTPHONE OR COMBINE IT WITH THESE NANOSENSORS WE'LL BE ABLE TO, FIRST OF ALL, DIAGNOSE EARLY AND WE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TREATMENT IS NEEDED AND TAILOR THIS TREATMENT TO THE SPECIFIC PATIENT.

>> IT IS AMAZING THAT SOON DOCTORS COULD BE USING A CELL PHONE APP TO SPY ON BACTERIA CONVERSATIONS.

NANOTECHNOLOGY REALLY IS A BIG PART OF OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES.

DR. B, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SORT OF CREATIVE APPLICATIONS FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY?

>> DIANE IE, YOU ARE SO RIGHT.

THERE ARE MANY APPLICATIONS.

EVERYTHING FROM FOOD SAFETY TO MAKING FUEL CELLS MORE EFFICIENT TO EVEN MEDICINE HELPING TO TAKE CARE OF TUMORS AND OTHER DISEASES WITHIN OUR BODY.

WHAT I AM MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS HOW NANOTECHNOLOGY IMPACTS OUR DAILY LIVES, TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CLOTHES AND FASHION INDUSTRY AND THE STUFF THAT WE WEAR EVERY DAY MAKING US LOOK SO COOL.

I TALKED WITH DR. JUAN HINOSTROZA, THE REBECCA Q. MORGAN PROFESSOR OF FIBER SCIENCE AND APPAREL DESIGN AT CARNAL UNIVERSITY.

HE IS AN EXPERT ON NANOMATERIALS AND TEXTILES.

I DON'T KNOW THAT MANY OF US THINK ABOUT THE CLOTHES WE WEAR AS FULL OF SCIENCE.

>> CLOTHING IS AN INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM ATTACHED TO OUR BODIES.

VERY FEW THINGS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ATTACHED TO OUR BODIES FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, YOU WEAR CLOTHES FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

YOU CAN GET A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLOTHING, YOUR ENVIRONMENT, YOUR BODY, BUT ALSO FROM THE OUTSIDE WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED.

MAYBE SENSORS TO THE QUALITY OF AIR, THE AMOUNT OF UV YOU ARE EXPOSED TO, THE THINGS YOU ARE EATING.

HOW YOUR BODY REACTS.

THE CLOTHING YOU CAN GET THE ENTIRE STORY.

WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR ENTIRE DAY BECAUSE WE CAN LEAVE OUR HOME WITHOUT A PHONE, YEAH?

WE CANNOT LEAVE OUR HOME NAKED.

I GUARANTEE THAT.

CLOTHES WILL ALWAYS BE NEXT TO YOU.

>> SO IN THE FUTURE IT IS PROBABLY NOT SO DISTANT FUTURE, OUR JEANS AND TEE-SHIRTS MIGHT BE WEARABLE SENSORS THAT CAN TELL US IF WE'RE HAVING KIDNEY FAILURE, HEART ISSUES SHALL ETCETERA?

>> THAT IS THE IDEA IN MANY CASES, AND FOR MANY APPLICATIONS AND ALSO FOR PEOPLE IN SPACE WHERE YOU CAN MONITOR REMOTELY HOW THEY ARE FEELING AND REACTING TO THE ENVIRONMENTS AND CONDITIONS.

WE ARE A MOVING PLATFORM AND WE CAN DETECT FOR EXAMPLE POLLUTION IN ONE AREA OR EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS AND COMMUNICATE THAT INFORMATION.

>> AS A CHEMICAL ENGINEER WHAT BROUGHT YOU INTO THIS UNIQUE INTERSECTION OF TEXTILES AND NANOTECHNOLOGY?

>> NOW, I HEAR SUPER HEROES WILL BE INVOLVED.

>> WITH SUPER HEROES THE POWER COMES FROM CLOTHING.

SUPERMAN'S CAPE ALLOWS HIM TO FLY, TO STOP THE BULLET.

BATMAN STOPS THE FIRE.

AQUA MAN CAN GO INTO DEEP DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN.

I'M FASCINATED BY THESE TEXTILE ENABLED SUPER POWERS, YEAH?

I'M ALSO FASCINATED BECAUSE THEY WERE DEVELOPED IN THE 1930s AND 1940s WHEN THESE MATERIALS DID NOT EXIST.

SOMEBODY HAD THE IMAGINATION THAT THESE MATERIALS MAYBE ONE DAY WILL EXIST.

AND THAT INSPIRED A LOT OF CHEMISTS LIKE ME.

LUCKILY, 40 YEARS LATER ALL THESE MATERIALS DO EXIST.

WE USE THEM EVERY DAY.

YOU SEE THEM IN NASA CLOTHING, YOU SEE YOUR FIREFIGHTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THE OLYMPICS, THE FANCY CLOTHING THAT CAN MAKE YOU VERY FLAT IN THE SWIMMING POOL.

I AM FASCINATED BY THAT TRANSFORMATION AND THE POWER TEXTILES CAN ENABLE.

THEY BASICALLY MAKE US ALL SUPER HEROES.

>> DO YOU HAVE A SEPARATE FAVORITE PROJECT OR ANOTHER FAVORITE PROJECT YOU WORKED ON THAT MERGES SCIENCE AND DESIGN?

>> YES.

I AM VERY LUCKY.

WE HAVE FASHION DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS, AND PAINTERS AND A FEW YEARS AGO WE WORKED WITH A STUDENT FROM AFRICA.

SHE WAS FASCINATED BY SOME OF THE MOLECULES WE WERE DEVELOPING AND SHE WANTED TO USE THESE MOLECULES TO DEVELOP A NEW MOSQUITO BED NET TO KILL MOSQUITOS THAT CARRY MALARIA.

WE DESIGNED A MOLECULE GAS FOR THAT AND SHE DESIGNED AN ENTIRE COLLECTION BASED ON THAT PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGY.

>> SO WHEN WE DO IT WE WORK WITH THESE MOLECULES THAT ARE FASCINATING CALLED META ORGANIC FRAMEWORK, SO BASICALLY LIKE A CAGE.

YOU IMAGINE A CUBE FOR EXAMPLE, ALL THE POINTS OF THE CUBE ARE ACTUALLY CONNECTED THROUGH AN ORGANIC LAYER.

SO WE MADE THESE LAYERS TO BE ATTACHED TO THE COTTON AND WE DRAW THE MOLECULE FROM INSIDE THE COTTON.

WE USE COTTON AS A PLATFORM TO GROW.

INSTEAD OF ATTACHING TO WE USE IT LIKE A BUILDING.

THE BUILDING HAS A FOUNDATION AND YOU MAKE THE BUILDING PR THE FOUNDATION.

WE DO THE SAME, ATOM BY ATOM.

THAT WAY WE CAN BUILD THE FRAMEWORK FOR OUR BUILDING AND THEN INSIDE THIS FRAME WORK WE HAVE INSECTICIDE.

THIS IS AN INSECTICIDE THAT WILL BE RELEASED AT THE TIME THE MOSQUITOS ARE MORE ACTIVE.

WE BASICALLY CALCULATE THE AMOUNT OF UV RADIATION, WHEN -- SO MAYBE THE MOSQUITO WILL COME IN FIVE OR SEVEN.

THIS IS THE TIME WE'LL OPEN AND THE MOSQUITO WILL COME ABOUT 4:00 P.M. WITH LIGHTS.

WE CAN ACTUALLY TIE THAT TO THE SCHEDULE.

WE BASICALLY WANT TO MATCH THE SCHEDULE OF THE MOSQUITO.

THAT WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT AFFECTED A REAL LIFE PROBLEM AND THE FAMILY OF THIS PERSON HAD EXPERIENCED MALL AREA.

IT IS NOT AN IMAGINARY PROBLEM.

THE FAMILY OF THIS PERSON EXPERIENCED MALARIA.

BIG PROBLEMS CANNOT BE SOLVED ONLY BY THE SCIENTISTS.

YOU HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE COMPLEX PROBLEMS REQUIRE COMPLEX SOLUTIONS.

I LOVE THE WAY THESE WAYS OF THINKING ARE SO COMPLEX AND DIFFERENT THAT THE SOLUTION IS USUALLY A THE INTERFACE.

>> WHAT WOULD YOU WANT YOUR VIEWERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH?

>> I WOULD SAY, EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK YOU CAN SEE SCIENCE AND THE POWER OF INGENUITY AND SCIENCE.

FROM THE MOMENT YOU ARE SLEEPING ON YOUR PILLOW, THOSE ARE TEXTILES.

WHEN YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH, THAT IS ANOTHER FIBER.

YOU CAN GET INFORMATION FROM BRUSHING YOUR TEETH, FROM THE FOOD THAT YOU EAT THAT HAS FIBERS AS WELL, THE CLOTHES THAT YOU HAVE EVERY DAY, THE NAPKINS YOU CLEAN YOUR MOUTH AFTER YOU EAT.

ALL OF THESE FIBERS HAVE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF SCIENCE.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AND DEEPLY WE CAN SEE HOW WE CAN USE THESE ITEMS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED EVERY DAY.

>> SO MY TAKEAWAY TODAY IS THAT THE POTENTIAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IS AMAZING AND IT REALLY FEELS LIKE THE SKY IS THE LIMIT THERE.

DR. B, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

>> YOU KNOW, IT IS A REALLY INTERESTING FIELD BECAUSE YES WE CAN START TO UNDERSTAND HOW BACTERIA AND VIRUSES COMMUNICATE BUT THEN UNDERSTANDING HOW EVERYTHING IS MADE UP OF SMALL MOLECULES AT THE ATOMIC LEVEL AND LEARNING TO MANIPULATE THOSE TO MAKE SMALL MOTORS THAT ARE MICROSCOPIC OR ON THE NANOSCALE, FOR MAKING MEDICINES YOU CAN'T SEE WITH YOUR EYES OR MICROSCOPE BUT WILL TAKE CARE OF DISEASES TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER MATERIAL SCIENCE APPLICATIONS THAT WILL MAKE COMPUTERS FASTER, CARS SAFER, JUST UNDERSTANDING THIS NANOSCALE, THE SCIENCE OF THE REALLY, REALLY SMALL IS TRANSFORMATIONAL AND CLEARLY GOING TO HELP US ON THE PLANET.

AND THAT IS "QED WITH DR.

B."

THAT'S ME PLEASE THE FIND US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

>> EVEN THOUGH NANOTECHNOLOGY AS A TERM GAINED TRACTION IN THE '70s AND '80s THE USE OF NANOPARTICLES HAS BEEN AROUND FOR CENTURIES.

WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE SCIENCE WAS BEHIND IT.

DID YOU KNOW SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR STAINED GLASS WINDOWS FROM MEDIEVAL TIMES ARE THE RESULT OF NANOTECHNOLOGY?

BY ADDING GOLD AND SILVER NITRATE TO MOLTEN GLASS ARTISTS COULD OBTAIN BEAUTIFUL REDS AND YELLOWS.

THEY ENJOYED THE COLORS THEN AND WE DO NOW BECAUSE OF HOW THE GLASS AND THE SUBSTANCES REACTED AT THE NANOLEVEL.

THERE ARE REALLY FUN FACTS IN NANOTECHNOLOGY.

DID YOU KNOW THAT ONE NANOMETER IS ABOUT AS LONG AS YOUR FINGERNAIL GROWS IN ONE SECOND?

THAT'S PRETTY COOL.

THAT WAS A SECOND.

IT GREW ANOTHER MANO METER, ANOTHER TWO.

MY GOSH.

TEN NANOMETERS LONG.

UNBELIEVABLE.

WHEN WE MEASURE NANOMETERS WE GET TO WILDLY HUGE NUMBERS.

FOR EXAMPLE HOW WIDE DO YOU THINK THE AVERAGE HUMAN HAIR IS?

10,000 NANOMETERS?

50,000 NANOMETERS?

OR 09,000 NANOMETERS?

IF YOU WERE LISTENING TO THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD THE ANSWER.

IF YOU GUESSED 50,000 NANOMETERS YOU ARE IN THE BALLPARK.

THINK ABOUT IT.

IF YOU HAD TWO OR THREE OF THOSE LIKE I WISH I HAD ON MY HEAD TO WOULD BE TONS AND TONS OF NANOMETERS ON YOUR HEAD.

PRETTY FUNNY, RIGHT?

SO THIS IS CALLED A MICRO PIN FEATHER, THE TOOL FOR ANY MOLECULAR -- LIKE YOUR SCREWDRIVER, HAMMER, THIS IS WHAT EVERY MICROBIOLOGY WANTS AND HAS TO USE.

IT ALLOWS YOU TO GET REALLY SMALL VOLUMES IN THE QUANTITY OF MICRO LITERS.

WE'RE GOING TO GET FIVE MICROLITERS.

YOU TAKE ONE OF THESE THINGS, CALLED THE PIPETTE TIP.

HERE I'M OPENING THIS LITTLE TUBE.

TAKING OUT A SMALL AMOUNT OF LIQUID.

THEN I'M GOING TO ADD IT TO THIS OTHER TUBE HERE.

AND THEN I GET TO DO THE FUNNEST PART, WHICH IS TO MIX IT WITH THIS MINI MIXER OR VORTEX.

WHEN YOU PUSH DOWN, IT ROTATES.

NOW YOUR MIXTURE IS MIXED.

>> PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR "QED WITH DR. B" IS PROVIDED BY -- >> IT WAS PART OF OUR FOUNDING.

OUR FOUNDER BELIEVED IN BUILDING AN INSTITUTE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BETTER SOCIETY THROUGH THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPACT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION.

BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR BRIGHTER FUTURES.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.