126 Journal of Pharmacy and Nutrition Sciences, 2016, 6, 126-143 ISSN: 2223-3806 / E-ISSN: 1927-5951/16 © 2016 Lifescience Global Biomedical Application of Carbon Nanotubes for Proteins Extraction and Seperation Hartmut Schlüter a and Mohammadreza Saboktakin b,* a University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany b Nanostructured Materials Synthesis Lab., NanoBMat Company, GmbH, Hamburg, Germany Abstract: Measurement science and technology continue to play vital roles in biomedical research and in routine healthcare. Over recent decades there has been a steady evolution of sensors for biomedical measurement aimed at clinical care in hospitals, fundamental biomedical research in the laboratory, or even self-care in the home. The measurements of interest are diverse, ranging from pressure, force, flow and displacement to electrical field/charge, magnetic flux, and molecular species, such as gases, ions, proteins, bacteria, viruses, and DNA. In this review, we have studied several biomedical applications of nanotubes and nanowires for proteins measurements in cells. Also, These materials have a wide application as protein carriers and transporters. The wide applications of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) on the serious concerns about their safety on human health and environment have been studied. Keywords: Nanotubes, Proteins, Extraction, Seperation, biomedical application. INTRODUCTION Graphene, which is a 2-dimensional one-atom thick carbon layer, and its oxidized derivate, graphene-oxide (GO), benefit from large surface area which can be further functionalized with biomolecules for various applications [13]. Both covalent and noncovalent binding have been used to attach proteins, enzymes, peptides, bacteria, cells, and nucleic acids to graphenes and GOs, for various applications including fluorescence- or electrochemical-based sensors, labeling and imaging, therapy and targeted delivery, and energy storage. CNTs are graphene sheet structures rolled up in the shape of a cylinder which can have an open end or a closed end depending on the synthetic procedure. At present it is clear that the best methods for CNTs synthesis are still chemical vapor deposition (CVD), arc discharge and laser vaporization or laser ablation, with different variants/improvements (especially in catalyst preparation and new carbon sources). However, explanation for the growth mechanism of CNTs is still under a fair amount of controversy. CNTs show very interesting properties that arise from one key feature: the combination of small size and immense surface area. Some of the most relevant properties are their outstanding tensile strength, high thermal conductivity and stability, high resilience, semiconducting and/or conducting electrical properties, etc. Since carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were discovered by Iijima in 1991 *Address correspondence to this author at the Nanostructured Materials Synthesis Lab., NanoBMat Company, GmbH, Hamburg, Germany; E-mail: Saboktakin123@gmail.com [1], they have become the subject of many studies because of their unique electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties [2-6]. Ever since the discovery of the fullerene, the family of carbon nanostructures has been steadily expanded. Included in this family are single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs and MWNTs), carbon onions and cones and, most recently, SWNHs. These SWNHs with about 40– 50 nm in tubule length and about 2–3 nm in diameter are derived from SWNTs and ended by a five-pentagon conical cap with a cone opening angle of ~20 o . Moreover, thousands of SWNHs associate with each other to form the ‘dahlia-like' and ‘bud-like’ structured aggregates which have an average diameter of about 80-100 nm. The former consists of tubules and graphene sheets protruding from its surface like petals of a dahlia, while the latter is composed of tubules developing inside the particle itself. Their unique structures with high surface area and microporosity make SWNHs become a promising material for gas adsorption, biosensing, drug delivery, gas storage and catalyst support for fuel cell. Single-walled carbon nanohorns are an example of the family of Carbon nanocones. CNTs can be visualized as a sheet of carbon atoms rolled up into a tube with a diameter of around tens of nanometers. There are two main types of CNTs, an be single-walled (SWCNTs) and multi- walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), the latter being formed by several concentric layers of rolled graphite (Figure 1). In particular, SWCNTs are characterized by a high aspect ratio. In the last decade, CNTs are intensively explored for in vitro and in vivo delivery of therapeutics, For Author's Personal Use