Ormosil

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Ormosil is a shorthand phrase for organically modified silica or organically modified silicate^[1]. These are engineered materials which shows great promise in a wide range of applications^{[citation needed][2]} such as:

• an alternative to viral vectors for gene delivery, with superior transfection efficiencies^[3]
• suspension media and substrates for next generation solar cells (quantum dots)^{[citation needed]}
• matrix material for UV-protection coating^[4]

This technology has been demonstrated as a nonviral vector to successfully deliver DNA loads to specifically targeted cells within living animals. Confirmation of results demonstrated that new DNA was doing its job and expressing genes, within that living animal.

[edit] References

1. ^ Li et al., ORMOSILS as matrices in inorganic-organic nanocomposites for various optical applications Proc. SPIE Vol. 1758, p. 410-419, Sol-Gel Optics II, 1992
2. ^ For biotechnological applications of nanoparticles in general, see e.g. O. V. Salata, Applications of nanoparticles in biology and medicine, originally in J. Nanobiotechnology, 2004; 2: 3. Published online at PubMed Central 2004 April 30. Accessed 2007 May 25.
3. ^ Ellen Goldbaum, Using nanoparticles, in vivo gene therapy activates brain stem cells; Medical News Today, 2005 July 26. Accessed 2007 May 25.
4. ^ UV protective coating made of benzophenone in porous ormosil matrix[1]