7/09/2025

ON SUNDAY September 7, 2025 II theSunday Special

Nanotech, in its most everyday form, is more like invisible assistance – enhancing fabrics, extending shelf lives, improving drug delivery.”

Nano but not negligible Tiny tech, big changes – how nanotechnology is quietly reshaping your daily life, from skincare to sambal

BY DR SRITHARAN VELLASAMY Y OU may not see it, but it might be in your moisturiser. Or woven into your gym shirt. Or packed discreetly into that anti-bacterial chopping board you bought on impulse during a sale. Nanotechnology, the science of manipu lating matter at the scale of atoms and molecules, is no longer the exclusive playground of lab-coated researchers. It’s already in your life and you probably didn’t get the memo. L HW¶V EH FOHDU 7KLV LVQ¶W VFLHQFH ¿FWLRQ We’re not talking about robots swimming through your bloodstream. Nanotech, in its most everyday form, is more like invisible assistance: enhancing fabrics, extending shelf lives, improving drug delivery and yes, making your face cream

D OLWWOH PRUH H̆ HFWLYH )RU D WHFKQRORJ\ measured in billionths of a metre, its reach is surprisingly vast and quietly growing. Walk into any pharmacy and you’ll likely spot a product boasting of “nano this” or “nano that”. In Malaysia, skincare brands are particularly fond of adding buzzwords like “nano peptides” or “nano liposomes” to suggest enhanced absorp tion. The truth? Some of it is marketing gloss. But genuine applications do exist, especially in delivering active ingredients deeper into the skin without irritation. Then some clothes claim to stay odour free longer. Gymwear infused with nano silver particles, a known antibacterial agent, is becoming common, although debates about environmental safety remain ongoing. Nano coatings are also found in everything from self-cleaning glass to water-repellent jackets, giving materials enhanced durability without changing their texture.

Malaysian nanotechnology

products have entered major regional markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam.”

Johan