Nanotechnology Project

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  • news/archive July 23, 2008 Nanotech: A Regulatory Blueprint for the Next Administration Nanotechnology will significantly change virtually every facet of the way we live. The next president has the opportunity to shape these changes and to ensure that nanotechnology’s benefits will be maximized and its risks identified and controlled. A new report by former EPA official J. Clarence (Terry) Davies lays out a clear roadmap for the next presidential administration and describes the immediate and longer term steps necessary to deal with the current shortcomings of nanotechnology oversight. video
  • news/archive July 21, 2008 Nanotechnology: Learning From Past Mistakes A new expert analysis in Nature Nanotechnology questions whether industry, government and scientists are successfully applying lessons learned from past technologies to ensure the safe and responsible development of emerging nanotechnologies. The study applies the 12 “late lessons from early warnings,” published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in 2001, to the emerging field of nanotechnology.
  • news/archive May 28, 2008 Tuning in to Carbon Nanotube Safety For several days last week, newspapers across the country and around the world reported on a new research study recently published in Nature Nanotechnology with headlines like “Nanotechnology cancer risk found” and “Nanotubes as deadly as asbestos.” This week National Public Radio’s “Science Friday” and “The Kojo Nnamdi Show” interviewed the Project’s chief science advisor Dr. Andrew Maynard, enabling listeners to get behind the headlines and pose questions directly to one of the study’s authors. audio
  • news/archive May 19, 2008 Carbon Nanotubes That Look Like Asbestos, Behave Like Asbestos A major study published today in Nature Nanotechnology suggests some forms of carbon nanotubes could be as harmful as asbestos if inhaled in sufficient quantities. The study used established methods to see if specific types of nanotubes have the potential to cause mesothelioma — a cancer of the lung lining that can take 30-40 years to appear following exposure. video audio
  • news/archive May 14, 2008 Public Trust Is The ‘Dark Horse’ In Nanotechnology’s Future Without an improved governance structure, the benefits of nanotechnology may never be realized because the public will not trust the cutting-edge technology. As part of major nanotechnology legislation, federal officials must bring together the best minds in the nation to develop a governance structure that will work with nanotechnology to ensure potential risks are minimized and that consumer confidence is maximized, said David Rejeski, director of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, at an April 24 Senate science and technology subcommittee hearing. video
  • publications/archive May 1, 2008 How to Reduce Your Firm’s Risk and Increase Revenues Related to Nanotechnology With limited time and resources, how can your firm start to think about or expand on its environmental, health, and safety (EHS) practices related to the use of nanomaterials? This pamphlet presents eight suggestions to assist nano firms in addressing EHS issues associated with the production and use of nanomaterials.
  • publications/archive April 24, 2008 Congressional Testimony - National Nanotechnology Initiative: Charting the Course for Reauthorization New nanotechnology consumer products are coming on the market at the rate of three to four per week, a finding based on the latest update to the nanotechnology consumer product inventory. Today, in testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, PEN Project Director David Rejeski cited Ace Silver Plus—another of the nine nano toothpastes in the inventory—as an example of the upsurge in nanotechnology consumer products in stores. The hearing marks the start of U.S. Senate debate on the future direction of the annual $1.5 billion federal investment in nanotechnology research and development .
  • news/archive April 24, 2008 New Nanotech Products Hitting the Market at the Rate of 3-4 Per Week New nanotechnology consumer products are coming on the market at the rate of three to four per week, a finding based on the latest update to the nanotechnology consumer product inventory maintained by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN). The number of consumer products using nanotechnology has grown from 212 to 609 since PEN launched the world’s first online inventory of manufacturer-identified nanotech goods in March 2006.
  • publications/archive April 9, 2008 PEN 11 - Room at the Bottom? State and local governments often have adopted trailblazing initiatives to address environmental, health and safety concerns in advance or in lieu of federal action. With nanotechnology, an emerging field of science with unknown risks, this practice is continuing, a landmark study has found.
  • news/archive April 9, 2008 Slow Federal Action to Oversee Nanotechnology Leaves ‘Room At The Bottom’ State and local governments often have adopted trailblazing initiatives to address environmental, health and safety concerns in advance or in lieu of federal action. With nanotechnology, an emerging field of science with unknown risks, this practice is continuing, a landmark study has found.
  • events/archive April 2, 2008 New Nanotechnology Television Series Does “Sweat the Small Stuff” The Project and National Science Foundation will host the Washington, DC, premiere event for the television series “Nanotechnology: The Power of Small”. The series’ three programs explore critical questions about nanotechnology’s potential impact on privacy, the environment and human health and will include remarks by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a co-chair of the Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus.
  • news/archive March 7, 2008 EPA Issues Major Enforcement Action on Nano-Pesticide The Environmental Protection Agency has made the decision to fine technology company IOGEAR more than $200,000 for selling unregistered nano-pesticides. At issue are antibacterial claims made by IOGEAR related to its computer peripheral products. All of the products in question are listed in the Project’s inventory of nanotechnology consumer products.
  • news/archive February 6, 2008 European Commission Gives Grant To Investigate Transatlantic Oversight Of Nanotechnology Researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Chatham House, Environmental Law Institute and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, have been awarded a $587,000 European Commission grant to conduct an international research project on regulating nanotechnologies in the European Union and United States
  • news/archive January 31, 2008 How Will Government Spur Technological Innovation In The 21st Century? At the January 22nd Congressional Nano Caucus briefing, project director David Rejeski recommended the establishment of a federal venture capital fund to speed the development and commercialization of green nanotechnology applications. This follows the release of a white paper on government-run VC funds by the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Foresight and Governance Project.
  • publications/archive January 4, 2008 Looking Back on the First Two Years This report reviews the Project’s major activities, key contributions, and most significant impacts over its first two years.