A lot of wizardry goes on in Google’s backyard which is not always accessible to the outside world. One of such projects right now is the nanotechnology project of Google. The division of the technology giant working on this project is Google X, which is the company’s division for life sciences. The crux of the entire project is the development of nanoparticles that when present in the human body would cling on to cancerous cells or ailing cells which will then allow the disease to be diagnosed or identified.
The basic concept is very similar to how Google’s very own search engines work. The nanoparticles, which are yet to be developed completely, will be introduced in a human body, preferably by a pill that people will swallow or there could be other ways that Google X can think of. After the introduction, the nanoparticles will search for ailing cells. Whenever such cells are spotted by the nanoparticles, they would cling onto the cells and the information would be sourced using a wearable magnetic device. The information can then be used to chart a course of preventive treatment or a cure for the person. The project has nothing to do with curing any fatal diseases but it certainly aims to be proactive in spotting ailments before they become serious. The magnetic nanoparticles that are to be used are miniscule in size. They are being described as a thousandth of the width that a red blood cell has.
There are many challenges in line for Google X. First, the scientists are yet to determine how many nanoparticles would be necessary to make the process effective. Second, it is not yet known or determined how the nanoparticles would cling onto the cells that are ailing or diseased. Third, more information, studies and research are needed to identify the warning signs for various types of diseases that the nanoparticles would be looking for. As an example, cancer cells secrete certain proteins and sugars that healthy cells don’t. Nanoparticles could use that as the warning sign or indicator to latch onto those cells.
Beyond the scope of development lays the clinical trials and the chances of the technology being approved. Since magnetic nanoparticles are already a stringently regulated piece of technological evolution and Google X is talking about human consumption of the same, it is going to be a long walk to get the approval, even for the trials.
