Project Press Releases
- September 23, 2009pdfTransatlantic Regulatory Cooperation: Securing the Promise of NanotechnologiesNanotechnology will impact our lives on a global scale. Over the past year experts from the London School of Economics, Chatham House, Environmental Law Institute and the Project have been examining issues of transatlantic regulatory cooperation.
- August 25, 2009pdfNanotech-enabled Consumer Products Top the 1,000 MarkNanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory now contains over 1,000 nanotechnology-enabled consumer products, reflecting the increasing use of tiny particles in everything from conventional products like non-stick cookware and lighter, stronger tennis racquets, to more unique items such as wearable sensors that monitor posture.
- August 18, 2009pdfPutting Nanotechnology on the MapThe “Nano Metro” landscape is growing. An updated interactive map highlights companies, universities, government laboratories, and other organizations that are involved in nanotechnology research, development, and commercialization.
- July 29, 2009pdf5 years on - a beacon or just a landmark?A new report from The Responsible Nano Forum marks the 5 year anniversary of the release of the seminal report from the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties.
- July 8, 2009pdfContaminated Site Remediation: Are Nanomaterials the Answer? First Map of Global Nanoremediation Sites Available OnlineA new review article appearing in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) co-authored by Dr. Todd Kuiken, a research associate for the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN), focuses on the use of nanomaterials for environmental cleanup. It provides an overview of current practices; research findings; societal issues; potential environment, health, and safety implications; and possible future directions for nanoremediation. The authors conclude that the technology could be an effective and economically viable alternative for some current site cleanup practices, but potential risks remain poorly understood.
- April 28, 2009pdfOversight of Next Generation NanotechnologyWhen the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was founded, automobiles ran on leaded gasoline without catalytic converters. A landmark report by J. Clarence Davies, Oversight of Next Generation Nanotechnology, describes how existing health and safety agencies are unable to cope with the risk assessment, standard setting and oversight challenges of 21st century technology.
- April 28, 2009pdfFormer EPA Official Calls For New Environmental & Consumer Protection AgencyExisting health and safety agencies are unable to cope with the risk assessment, standard setting and oversight challenges of advancing nanotechnology. In a landmark report, Oversight of Next Generation Nanotechnology, J. Clarence Davies highlights the need for a new agency to address current forms of pollution and to deal with the health and environmental impacts of the technically complex products promised by rapid 21st century scientific advances.
- March 25, 2009pdfSynthetic Biology: The Next Biotech Revolution Is BrewingEarly applications of synthetic biology may be adequately addressed by the existing regulatory framework for biotechnology, but further advances in this emerging field are likely to create much greater challenges for the U.S. government, according to a new report authored by Michael Rodemeyer of the University of Virginia.
- March 23, 2009pdfNanotechnology: Will It Drive a New Innovation Economy for the U.S.?Nanotechnology - which some scientists and business leaders hail as ushering in the next technology-driven Industrial Revolution - promises to be one of the critical foundations for this new innovation economy. While hopes are high, what is actually happening on the ground in terms of nanotechnology research and commercialization?
- February 11, 2009pdfStimulus Debate Highlights Need for Focus on Nanotech RisksThe nearly $800 billion stimulus package being debated in Congress contains a number of measures intended to improve information technology, infrastructure and the energy economy in the United States – all areas that will be greatly aided by nanotechnology. Today, the House of Representatives passed legislation that makes the importance of understanding the possible risks posed by engineered nanomaterials a centerpiece of the goverment’s reauthorization of funding for nanotechnology research. The bill highlights the growing need to learn more about the possible environmental, health and safety dangers posed by some nanoscale materials.
