NANOINFORMATICS

Speaking broadly, informatics is the application of information and computer science methods for collecting, analyzing, and applying information. "X-informatics" has become the default descriptor for the application of such methods to a set of problems within a specific field or discipline, such as bioinformatics in biology or ecoinformatics in ecology. Similarly, computational science is the use of high-powered computing and sophisticated algorithms to posit and solve problems. "Computational X" refers to the use of computational methods within a specific field or discipline (e.g., computational astronomy or computational geology). Nanotechnology is the umbrella term for science, engineering, and technology at the nanoscale (approximately 1 to 100 nanometers). Nanotechnology encompasses synthesizing, imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at the nanoscale in order to understand and control materials properties. Thus, nanoinformatics is a systematic methodology to..