Among the Cornell graduate students presenting posters at the second annual Workshop on Nanobiotechnology at the State Cultural Center in Albany April 29 were, from left, Conrad James, Andrea M. Perez Turner and Andrew Spence, all studying in the School of Applied and Engineering Physics. As one example of this wedding of solid state physics to biology, Carlo Montemagno, Cornell associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, talked of developing biosensors containing fluorescently labeled antibodies that could be used in cell-sorting. In particular, he noted, the new technology might make it possible to detect the waterborne pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum , found in 28 percent of drinking water and not removed in normal water treatment. The hope, he said, is to develop an electronic hand-held device for detection. But, as speaker after speaker pointed out, the level of difficulty involved in developing this nascent technology is very high.
Biological systems are much more complex.
Although the goal of the workshop was to introduce the potential of nanobiotech-nology to the next generation of scientists and engineers, much emphasis was given by all speakers to the education of the next generation of nanobiotechnologists. The workshop organizers also encouraged students and postdoctoral fellows to participate by presenting posters on their research. What is needed, said Adler, is nothing less than a new breed of interdisciplinary scholar. Most engineers still do not know nearly enough biology, and biologists certainly do not know enough engineering. It is not just a question of language and terminology, although that is part of the problem.