Nanotechnology Project

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  • news/archive October 10, 2013 New Case Study Explores Influence of PEN Efforts A new case study looks at the work of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) amidst the shift away from government-led technology assessment.
  • news/archive January 27, 2009 Ethical Evaluations of Nanotechnology Recent action in Congress to reauthorize the U.S. federal nanotechnology research program offers the chance to address the social and ethical issues concerning the emerging scientific field, experts say. “It is crucial to address social and ethical issues now as we consider both the substantial potential risks of nanotechnology and its possible significant contributions to our well-being and environmental sustainability,” says Ronald Sandler, Northeastern University philosophy professor and author of a new report released today by the Project.
  • news/archive January 14, 2009 Getting Your Daily Dose of Nano? The ability of the FDA to regulate the safety of dietary supplements using nanomaterials is severely limited by lack of information, lack of resources and the agency’s lack of statutory authority in certain critical areas, according to: A Hard Pill To Swallow: Barriers to Effective FDA Regulation of Nanotechnology-Based Dietary Supplements, a new report by former FDA officials William B. Schultz and Lisa Barclay.
  • news/archive October 14, 2008 The Frontiers of Nanotechnology The future of how the world communicates, and how we power our lives, will likely come from the same source: nanotechnology. According to the latest NanoFrontiers newsletter and Trips to the Nanofrontier podcast, nanotechnology will be central to developing and using new electronics and energy technologies in the 21st Century. audio
  • 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 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 February 19, 2008 Federal Nanotech Risk Research Plan Still Comes Up Short An improved but still flawed government-wide plan for nanotechnology risk research is the result of a broken system. Federally-funded studies essential to managing possible risks from this cutting-edge technology should be guided by a top-down strategy tied to projected commercialization, expected human and environmental exposures, and the regulatory decision-making process.
  • news/archive February 11, 2008 Know Your Nano? Free iPods To Those With High “Nano IQ”! Five free iPod Nanos are up for grabs! To celebrate the launch of our redesigned website, the Project is sponsoring a “Nano-IQ” contest. Winners will be randomly selected from those who successfully complete the five-question quiz. - UPDATE: Winners Announced!