Educational challenges for teaching nanotechnology : Part 2. Pedagogic content development for teaching nanotechnology in life sciences

The present work aims to provide a framework for teaching nanotechnology for life sciences applications, with special focus on nanotechnology-enabled treatments based on advanced physical and biological principles. By expanding and adapting the so-called “Big Ideas” of NSE to further include core elements of cell and molecular biology, an eight-level learning progression is suggested. The challenges of teaching nanotechnology are further addressed in different learning contexts to highlight the importance of size-dependent physical and biological interactions. A number of core nanomedicine concepts are discussed, including, e.g., directed self-assembly, enhance permeability and retention effect, protein corona, size-dependent cellular uptake, disease-specific environment, and theranostics. The outcome of this work will be useful for educators designing curriculum with specialization in nanomedicine.