Health & Medicine: NanoGold
This stream of the Health and Medicine module investigates the use of gold nanoparticles to improve human health. The main focus is meningococcal meningitis, a disease which commonly affects young people and can have fatal consequences. The PowerPoint slides have been designed to ensure students understand the need for a rapid diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis, and then to learn about nanogold and how its properties can be exploited to generate a rapid diagnostic test. A small section on disease treatment using nanogold has also been included in this module.
Stream Guide
Module Presentation Powerpoint (3mb)
Activity 1: Meningitis
The development of a new, rapid, sensitive nanogold-based diagnostic test for meningococcal disease is based around the urgency to treat affected patients. This activity reinforces understanding of the disease and relates this to the use of gold nanoparticles for early detection.
Activity 1 Guide Word (78kb)
Activity 1 Word (74kb)
Experiment 1: Observation of bacteria
This experiment is for those classes wishing to examine bacteria in detail and focus on the microbiological components of this module. Teachers and students may view slides of non-pathogenic live bacteria (eg from yoghurt products) from good quality yoghurt or fixed, pre-prepared specimens. Teachers may wish to demonstrate this experiment on a video microscope at the front of the classroom.
Experiment 1 Guide Word (119kb)
Experiment 1 Word (115kb)
Experiment 2: Making Gold Nanoparticles
View the Nanoparticle Diagnostics video on YouTube
Nanogold can appear in a range of colours in solution, from deep red to deep blue/black depending on (1) variations in size of gold nanoparticles and (2) a phenomenon known as surface plasmon resonance. The basis of a nanogold-based diagnostic test for meningococcal disease relies on variations in the colour of nanoparticulate gold. The following experiment and animation have been included to aid students’ appreciation of these important characteristics of nanogold.
Experiment 2 Guide Word (82kb)
Experiment 2 Word (72kb)
Animation Guide Word (66kb)
Activity 2: Nick’s Test
This fun, interactive activity is the story of Nick, a teenage boy who is exposed to bacterial meningitis and undergoes a test to determine whether he is infected. Students work through the PowerPoint presentation, perform the diagnostic test and answer the questions at the end.
Activity 2 Powerpoint (590kb)
Activity 3: Gold Nanobullets & Experiment 3: Golden Cancer Treatment
The following activity and experiment offer the theory behind and a visual representation of how gold nanoparticles can be used in the treatment of cancer. Perform the activity followed by the experiment to optimise learning.
Activity 3 Guide Word (82kb)
Activity 3 Word (70kb)
Experiment 3 Guide Word (61kb)
Experiment 3 Word (61kb)
Biobarcode Animation
View the Biobarcode video on YouTube
Nanogold particles can be combined with the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique to generate a sensitive, multi-faceted diagnostic test which has been referred to as ‘Biobarcode’. This animation provides a simple, sequential representation of the key steps in this technique.
Nano Imaging Animation
View the Nanoimaging video on YouTube
This animation was developed by Nanotechnology Victoria, and provides a good visual summary of how nanotechnology can contribute to the development of better imaging tools to diagnose neurological disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Activity 4: Design your own Nanobot
View the Monash Micro Motor video on YouTube
Many research groups are manipulating components at the nanoscale to design micro- and nano-scaled motors and robots (‘nanobots’). The following animation comes from Monash University, and introduces students to this possibility. The subsequent activities then encourage students to examine issues around manufacturing at the nanoscale and using nanobots in biological systems. They can then visit a fun and innovative website to play some games which highlight the quantum problems experienced by very small objects.
Activity 4a Guide – Nanobots Word (115kb)
Activity 4a – Nanobots Word (111kb)
Activity 4b Guide – Design your own Nanobot Word (74kb)
Activity 4b – Design your own Nanobot Word (66kb)