Ormosil

Ormosil is a shorthand phrase for organically modified silica or organically modified silicate^[1]. These are engineered materials that show great promise in a wide range of applications^[2] such as:

alternative to viral vectors for gene delivery, with superior transfection efficiencies^[3]
suspension media and substrates for next generation solar cells (quantum dots)
matrix material for UV-protection coating^[4]
matrix material for laser dye-doped organic-inorganic solid state dye lasers^[5]

This technology has been demonstrated as a nonviral vector to successfully deliver DNA loads to specifically targeted cells in living animals. Confirmation of results demonstrated that new DNA was working and expressed genes in the animal.

References

^ Li CY, et al. (1992). "ORMOSILS as matrices in inorganic-organic nanocomposites for various optical applications". Proc. SPIE 1758 — Sol-Gel Optics II: 410–9. doi:10.1117/12.132033. http://spiedl.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=PSISDG001758000001000410000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes.
^ For biotechnological applications of nanoparticles in general, see e.g.
Salata O (April 2004). "Applications of nanoparticles in biology and medicine". J Nanobiotechnology 2 (1): 3. doi:10.1186/1477-3155-2-3. PMC 419715. PMID 15119954. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=419715. .
^ Ellen Goldbaum, Using nanoparticles, in vivo gene therapy activates brain stem cells; Medical News Today, 2005 July. Accessed 2007 May.
^ Crombie JF (5 May 2006). "Coating protects organic materials from photodegradation". Chemical Technology. http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2006/6/Coating_protects_from_photodegradation.asp.
Parejo PG, Zayat M, Levy D (2006). "Highly efficient UV-absorbing thin-film coatings for protection of organic materials against photodegradation". J. Mater. Chem. 16 (22): 2165–9. doi:10.1039/b601577h. http://www.rsc.org/publishing/journals/JM/article.asp?doi=b601577h.
^ F. J. Duarte, Solid-state multiple-prism grating dye-laser oscillator, Appl. Opt. 33, 3857-3860 (1994).