From curing cancer to cleaning oil spills, nanotechnology is finding applications everywhere, and not just in science fiction.

Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation through the National Nanotechnology Initiative, a new honors course, UH 120-322, explores existing and potential applications of nanotechnology in a variety of fields, including medicine, engineering and the military, as well as ethical concerns involved in its use.

“I had worked with a local engineer, Jonathan Bonner, CFM Group, on plans to build a new, sustainable processing facility funded by President [Barack] Obama’s stimulus funding for the seafood industry in Alabama, using the UN’s concept of sustainability for how the plant could be designed and operated,” Assistant Research Director Karen Boykin said. “This was to be the first of its kind in the nation. The idea was so well received by industry, government, local universities and the general public that we wanted to expand the idea into our educational activities in K-20.”

According to the syllabus, the class offers students an introduction into the basic concepts of nanotechnology, allowing them to explore applications in local industries, as well as utilizing resources at the national level through the NSF. The University of Alabama has a long-standing research team that explores nanotechnlogy’s applications with the help of numerous Alabama universities. This class will borrow content from the same educational tools they use.

“We will bring authorities in the field,” associate professor of engineering Dan Fonseca said. “As Dr. Boykin can attest, we will invite the associate director from the Alabama’s Center for Nanotechnology Research as well, another leading researcher in the nation. As the course progresses, we will be developing a wider network of guest speakers from all over the world.”

The class was founded by four professors: Boykin, Fonseca, psychology department head Rick Houser and chemistry professor Dave Nikles. They began pitching ideas to the National Science Foundation in 2010, their third attempt to secure funding for the course.

“This effort represents the first of its nature in the Southeast,” Fonseca said. “There is only one similar initiative in the U.S., which is being taught at Rice, but our initiative deals not only with the societal and technical aspects of nanoscience, but also the financial, ethical, manufacturing and environmental sides of it.”

Despite difficulties, they managed to win the Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education grant – $200,000 that enables the class to bring in guest speakers and utilize local research facilities, such as the Green Box Facility in Moundville, Ala., and the University’s Central Analytics Facility.

“Real-world science concepts from nano bio industries in Alabama are also being presented,” Boykin said. “For example, cutting-edge research is being performed in biotechnology at the Hudson Alpha Institute. One area discussed by Dr. Nikles and Dr. Houser as part of the NUE is the invention of medical kits for the identification of DNA by pharmaceutical companies that can determine if a person is more prone to have certain illnesses.”

The class is currently in a testing phase, during which they are working with educators from Purdue University who will determine how well the curriculum fits United Nations guidelines. It is only being offered through the Honors College for 2014. If all goes well, it will be offered as a general science or science elective course within the next few years.

“As a natural science course, this would be aimed at the general student population, who would learn about the science underpinning nanotechnology, some emerging applications and the societal impact of nanotechnology,” Nikles said.