Nanoinformatics: Opportunities and challenges in the development and delivery of healthcare products in developing countries

Abstract

The world is witnessing sustained effects of information technologies across all works of life. Though some of these influences are markedly negative and detrimental to the socio-economic prospects and progress of the society, the positive effects are often impressive especially where they are integrated for the betterment and greater good of the larger society. One of the fastest growing technologies is nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has numerous prospects and applicability across various sectors ranging from electronics, telecommunications, agriculture and food production, biotechnology and genetics, oil prospecting and production, remote sensing, drug production, to name a few. This novel technology readily finds usefulness and several researches are ongoing, geared at developing new tools and techniques that would improve its acceptance across the concerned domains. It is this quest that has culminated into the ongoing effort in nanoinformatics, an interdisciplinary study and a subdomain of informatics simply regarded as the conscientious application of informatics tools and technologies to the analysis, design and development of systems on the broad spectrum of nanomaterials including their physicochemical and environmental characteristics as well as their interactions, interrelationships, and applications within a given domain. This paper presents a review of some opportunities for individuals, experts, and the society especially in the production of cost-effective nanotechnology-based healthcare products. Notwithstanding the aforesaid opportunities which could be harnessed and sustained in any developing country like Nigeria, this paper identifies and buttresses core challenges that could confront the adoption of good nanoinformatics methodologies. This paper concludes that a developing country (Nigeria in perspective) could benefit from nanoinformatics if there are stronger ties among the key stakeholders involved in healthcare products delivery in the society.