Preface

As we researched the currently available textbooks covering the basic principles, applications, and promises of nanotechnology as it applies to medicine, we noted a dearth of introductory material tailored specifically for students. While a number of comprehensive books exist outlining the promise of nanosciences applicable to medical applications, including the most recent advances in medical research, these texts fail to properly introduce the student to nanoscience and nanotechnology because they apply first to biology and then to potential therapeutics and diagnostics applications. Thus, this textbook is devoted to the basic principles of nanotechnology, focusing on nanomaterials and nanoparticles, because with respect to the whole of nanoscience, these sectors hold promise for the future of medicine. It is tailored towards real-world applications of medical nanotechnologies with a heavy emphasis on specific examples from the existing literature available in this area. This book is organized to naturally transition from a basic understanding of the principles, including physics, behind, for example, nanoparticles and nanomaterials, to how these principles might be exploited and used to treat or at the very least efficiently diagnose human diseases or anomalies. Each chapter introduces topics and vocabulary at a very basic level and transitions to more advanced coverage as the student's knowledge level matures.

## **Dr. Rajeev K. Tyagi, PhD**

Ramalingaswami Fellow and Faculty, Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Nano-immunology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, India
