http://icon.rice.edu/ News Digest & Items of Interest en-us Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:52:54 GMT http://icon.rice.edu/icon_rss.cfm Web Services icon@rice.edu webserv@rice.edu http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3020 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT While nanoparticles are emerging as drug carriers for targeted nanomedicines, preclinical assays to test nanoparticle efficacy are hampered by the lack of methods to quantitatively determine internalized particles. A novel method, developed by scientists at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), is suited to pave the way for preclinical testing of nanoparticles to establish dose-efficacy relationships and to optimize biophysical and biochemical parameters in order to make better drug delivery vehicles. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3020 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3021 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT A new paper by the OECD Working Party on Nanotechnology ("Nanotechnology for Green Innovation"; pdf) brings together information collected through discussions and projects undertaken relevant to the development and use of nanotechnology for green innovation. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3021 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3019 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT On June 11, 2013, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for a “new agenda for European consumer policy.” The agenda calls for “adequate consumer protection and product safety in the markets for consumer goods produced using nanotechnology or genetically modified organisms.” http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3019 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3017 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT Research by Indiana University environmental scientists shows that air-pollution-removal technology used in "self-cleaning" paints and building surfaces may actually cause more problems than they solve. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3017 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3018 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT An interdisciplinary and international research collaboration at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz was able to rule out coalescence as reason for the borad nanoparticle size distribution. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3018 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3015 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT How a nanoparticle behaves in the body is determined by the properties of the substance it consists of. The size of the particles is of secondary importance. If a biological effect is present, it can often be weakened by a technique known as functionalization. These are results of the NanoGEM (Nanostructured materials - Health, Exposure and Material Properties) project initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and involving 19 research institutions and companies, which have been working together for three years. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3015 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3016 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT This event will bring together the U.S.-EU Communities of Research (CORs), which are a platform for scientists address environmental; health; and safety questions about nanomaterials, by developing a shared repertoire of protocols and methods to overcome research gaps and barriers. The Communities were established in 2012, and this workshop is intended to further develop and support the CORs’ activities. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3016 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3013 Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT The ITS_NANO project is proposing a framework for grouping of engineered nanomaterials based on their chemical, physical and biological properties and on their subsequent exposure routes and biological impacts in order to intelligently design next-generation nanosafety evaluation and risk assessment strategies. A webinar to launch the outcome of this process, "Research Prioritisation to deliver and Intelligent Testing Strategy for Engineered Nanomaterials," will be held on the 19th June 2013 at 15.00 Central European Time (14.00 UK, 09.00 US east coast). http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3013 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3014 Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT On May 31, 2013, the European Commission (EC) began a public consultation on the new European Union (EU) occupational safety and health policy framework. The EC staff working document highlights five main challenges, including “[i]dentifying the health and safety risks of new or emergent risks. Concerns about nanomaterials, endocrine disruptors and electromagnetic field hazards have been expressed and documented. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3014 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3010 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT Scientists working at the Institut Laue-Langevin have shown that the charge of gold nanoparticles, identified by major pharmaceutical companies as a drug delivery agent of the future for the treatment of cancer, affects how they interact with our cell’s protective outer wall. These crucial insights provide a first step in the effective design of safe nanoparticles for biomedical applications and the practices and procedures for their secure handling in a variety of other consumer products. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3010 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3011 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT Positively charged gold nanoparticles can penetrate deep into cell membranes while negatively charged particles do not enter the cell wall at all, but instead prevent it breaking down under certain conditions. This new result, from researchers working at the Institut Laue-Langevin in France, the University of Chicago in the US and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, could help design nanoparticles for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and anti-cancer treatments. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3011 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3012 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT Carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers have led to various lung ailments in rodents during test studies. Researchers concerned about similar effects on humans have issued new recommendations to protect workers. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3012 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3007 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT Finding appropriate regulatory solutions to the fast developing science of nanotechnology requires an understanding of the brand, associated languages and their implications, according an article recently published in the Science and Public Policy journal. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3007 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3008 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) began a public consultation on the draft multi-annual work program for 2014-2018. According to the draft work program, ECHA will develop “more refined guidance on the registration of substances in nano-form to provide further detailed advice reflecting the state-of-the-art in regulatory science in this respect and the anticipated adaptation of information requirements for nanomaterials ... http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3008 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3009 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT In recent years various products worldwide have been brought onto the market, which have been promoted with the keyword “nano” or with which a reference to nanotechnology is made. It is important to reach a generally accepted agreement what the term “nanomaterials” means. In various industry and research sectors this term - and many others related to nanotechnology - is defined completely different, which leads to confusion and misunderstanding. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3009 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3005 Wed, 05 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been urged to set up an expert group to seek a consensus of both developed and developing countries on how to tackle the ethical aspects of nanotechnology. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3005 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3006 Wed, 05 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) will hold a workshop on June 11-12, 2013, to obtain input from stakeholders regarding the goals and objectives of an updated National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategic Plan, which is currently under development and scheduled for completion by December 2013. Parts of the workshop will be webcast. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3006 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3003 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT A new publication aims at identifying key areas for further research on risk assessment methodologies for nanomaterials. The paper is authored by the Working Group 10 of the “NanoSafety Cluster” - an initiative that brings together topic-related EU-funded projects, aiming at identifying key areas for further research on risk assessment procedures for nanomaterials. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3003 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3004 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT Engineers are trained to try to figure out how to achieve things that humans cannot and in nanoscience and nanotechnology that challenge is no different. I have always found the relationship between technology and its use to "aid" or "enhance" human capability intriguing because there is a fine line beyond which all kinds of ethical alarms go off. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3004 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3002 Mon, 03 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT RTI is expanding the utility of its Nanomaterial Registry by partnering with research organizations, universities, and industry in the nanomaterial research community to answer important questions on the connections between nanomaterial physical and chemical characteristics and nanomaterial benefits and risks. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3002 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2999 Fri, 31 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT A series of training materials on modelling the toxicity of nanomaterials are now available from the Second QualityNano Modelling Training School, held in Edinburgh on the 27th March 2013. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2999 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3000 Fri, 31 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT A TA Swiss study on the impact of nanomaterials on the environment and health, including their risks, concludes that there are still important knowledge gaps that need to be studied. (Article in German) http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3000 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3001 Fri, 31 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT The European Commission (EC) is considering a change to its REACH chemicals regulation that would close a loophole under which nanosubstances may not be properly managed. European Parliament lawmakers have expressed concern that REACH registration dossiers do not provide sufficient information about nanosubstances because the regulation does not require chemical safety reports for substances produced in low volumes. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=3001 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2998 Thu, 30 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT In May 2013, the European Commission (EC) posted a January 2013 report entitled "Examination and Assessment of Consequences for Industry, Consumers, Human Health and the Environment of Possible Options for Changing the REACH Requirements for Nanomaterials". A link to that report is provided. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2998 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2996 Wed, 29 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT Lithium (Li-ion) batteries used to power plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles show overall promise to "fuel" these vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but there are areas for improvement to reduce possible environmental and public health impacts, according to a "cradle to grave" study of advanced Li-ion batteries recently completed by Abt Associates for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2996 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2997 Wed, 29 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is studying whether industrial uses of nanomaterials raise safety issues not addressed by existing guidelines or regulatory systems. The project, which is in its very early stages, will consider whether to adapt a 2003 guiding principles document to address possible workplace safety issues raised by nanomaterials, and will also focus on whether national and European Union regulations on chemical accident prevention need to be adapted. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2997 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2993 Tue, 28 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT The European Union's chemical legislation known as REACH needs revision argues Steffen Foss Hansen, Associate Professor at DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark. In a correspondence to the Editor of Nature Nanotechnology ("The European Union’s chemical legislation needs revision"), Hansen argues that REACH needs to be revised in three major areas. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2993 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2994 Tue, 28 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT On May 14, 2013, COWI announced that it was commissioned by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess the impacts of nanomaterials on Denmark's environment. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2994 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2995 Tue, 28 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT An OECD project entitled "Regulatory Frameworks for Nanotechnology in Food and Medical Products" was based on a survey, for each of the food and medical products areas, that addresses several important questions. This survey activity was carried out over two years from early 2011 to early 2012, and a report summarising the findings has now been made publicly available. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2995 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2992 Fri, 24 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT Nanomaterials end up in a wide range of consumer products such as cosmetics, clothing, and medications. And just like any other chemical or material used in such products, engineered nanomaterials fall under the jurisdiction of U.S. federal environmental, health, and safety guidelines. However, existing rules may be inadequate to regulate the new technologies, concludes a new study in Environmental Science & Technology. By slipping through these gaps in regulations, some nanomaterials may not receive appropriate risk assessments, the researchers say. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2992 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2991 Thu, 23 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT On May 9, 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated a significant new use rule (SNUR) for premanufacture notice (PMN) substance P-12-44, which is identified as “functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes.” http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2991 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2990 Wed, 22 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT The first annual conference on Governance of Emerging Technologies: Law, Policy and Ethics has just wrapped up in Arizona, Phoenix. In his keynote speech, Technology Innovation and the New Social Responsibility, Andrew Maynard, Director of the University of Michigan Risk Science Center called for a re-think of the relationship between technology innovation and societal needs. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2990 http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2989 Tue, 21 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT IOM Singapore’s SAFENANO unit has prepared a Position Statement on Occupational Exposure to Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and Nanofibres (CNFs), following the publication of NIOSH Current Intelligence Bulletin. The NIOSH guidance is considered to be important and timely, highlighting the need to make sure that CNTs and CNFs are not released into the working environment and the risks are effectively controlled. http://icon.rice.edu/details.cfm?NID=2989