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Frontiers in Nanotechnology
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:30:14
Abstract
Many disciplines are meeting at the nanoscale, from physics, chemistry to engineering, from the life sciences to medicine. The course will prepare students to communicate more effectively across disciplinary boundaries, and will provide them with deep insights into the various frontiers.
Objective
Building upon advanced technologies to create, visualize, analyze and manipulate nano-structures, as well as to probe their nano-chemistry, nano-mechanics and other properties within manmade and living systems, many exciting discoveries are currently made. They change the way we do science and result in so many new technologies. The goal of the course is to give Master and Graduate students from all interested departments an overview of what nanotechnology is all about, from analytical techniques to nanosystems, from physics to biology. Students will start to appreciate the extent to which scientific communities are meeting at the nanoscale. They will learn about the specific challenges and what is currently “sizzling” in the respective fields, and learn the vocabulary that is necessary to communicate effectively across departmental boundaries. Each lecturer will first give an overview of the state-of-the art in his/her field, and then describe the research highlights in his/her own research group. While preparing their Final Projects and discussing them in front of the class, the students will deepen their understanding of how to apply a range of new technologies to solve specific scientific problems and technical challenges. Exposure to the different frontiers will also improve their ability to conduct effective nanoscale research, recognize the broader significance of their work and to start collaborations.
Content
Starting with the fabrication and analysis of nanoparticles and nanostructured materials that enable a variety of scientific and technical applications, we will transition to discussing biological nanosystems, how they work and what bioinspired engineering principles can be derived, to finally discussing biomedical applications and potential health risk issues. Scientific aspects as well as the many of the emerging technologies will be covered that start impacting so many aspects of our lives. This includes new phenomena in physics, advanced materials, novel technologies and new methods to address major medical challenges.
Resources
Lecture Notes
All the enrolled students will get access to a password protected website where they can find pdf files of the lecture notes, and typically 1-2 journal articles per lecture that cover selected topics.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- BSC , DR , MSC , NDS
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Frontiers in Nanotechnology |
|
4 h weekly |
Offered In
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Elective Courses (The students are free to choose individually from the entire course offer of ETH Zürich on the Master level. Please consult the study administration in case of questions.)
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Recommended Elective Courses (These courses are particularly recommended for the Biomechanics track. Please consult your track advisor if you wish to select other subjects.)
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Recommended Elective Courses (These courses are particularly recommended for the Bioelectronics track. Please consult your track advisor if you wish to select other subjects.)
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Track Core Courses (During the Master programme, a minimum of 12 CP must be obtained from track core courses.)
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Doctorate Materials Science (Further information at: )
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