National Security

Since the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, the fundamental understanding of national security has changed. In October 2001, the Department of Homeland Security was established. Twenty-two existing agencies are now under this one organization. Their assignment is to protect the US from future attacks and ensure a timely response to any future emergencies.

Emerging nanotechnologies are expected to play a critical role in helping to maintain national security. They include new and powerful biodetection schemes that can analyze a potential bioterrorism threat at the point-of-care, materials that can detoxify an area or human exposed to a set of toxins, and novel ways of encoding structures that can be used to secure computer systems.