nanotech policy faces no small hurdles

WASHINGTON-air purifiers, cosmetics, sports equipment, computers, clothing, bedding, household appliances, medical devices.
Almost every daily necessities can be used.
Better, supporters say.
Nanotechnology.
But America has spent billions of dollars. S.
In Nanotech Research and product development, some decision makers, scientists and business leaders are still trying to figure out exactly what nanotech is, what it can do, and whether it is harmful to consumers.
\"It\'s very, very broad. . . .
Like everything, the sink in the kitchen is nanotechnology, \"says Christine Peterson, who has been focusing on nanotechnology issues since most people knew it existed.
She founded the forward-looking NanoTech Institute in 1986 and is now vice president of public policy at the Institute.
Nanotechnology is a broad term used to describe materials constructed at the atomic and molecular levels and their research and development.
Nano is one
About a billion meters. 00000004 inch.
In terms of scale, an office copy paper is about this issue.
004 inch thick, about 10,000 nanometers.
Most of the materials manufactured by nanotechnology researchers tend to be between 1 and 100 nanometers wide.
Peterson said she believes that the federal government\'s actions are not quick enough to get nanotech research into regular use, although she said it may not be possible to get her criticism recognized.
\"You know, I don\'t think that\'s possible,\" she said . \" Great changes in technology, she explained --
Air or open-
Heart surgery, for example
It took me years to perfect and be declared safe.
She said it is unrealistic to expect the government to be fully prepared for all the effects of nanotechnology.
But Andrew Maynard, a scientist and researcher at the woodrowilson Institute of International Scholars, said the government supports the private sector in developing the use and safeguards for nanotechnology products. \"The [federal]
The government is the conductor after the train. . .
But the train is fast, \"he said.
At, Maynard\'s organization released a list of products considered to be the first to use nanotechnology and was open to the public.
There are more than 200 products on this list.
Maynard and his colleagues said that while his organization tried to include in its literature all the products that boast about the use of the technology, the list was by no means exhaustive.
In the creation of nanotechnology, the ball and the nano-soil are the ball, the micro-ball made of carbon that can be used as a lubricant, and the nanotubes, the tiny
Size additives used to enhance metal or building materials.
Scientists in the United States and around the world are developing similar technologies to fight cancer, improve fuel efficiency, fight deadly viruses such as AIDS, use solar energy to make lighter materials for aircraft and remove air and water pollutants.
However, with the development of technology, some serious problems have arisen, including how resources are developed, how international trade in materials should be handled, whether nanotechnology can or should be used to develop weapons, and whether it poses any risk to health.
Another frequently asked question is what is the role of the government in protecting the public from potential harm
Misuse or dangerous side effects of the product.
Because the development of nanotechnology is likely to affect any, perhaps every artificial material, the United States. S.
Lawmakers say the federal government will continue to play an important role in promoting its potential and protecting citizens from harm.
\"As we move forward, we need to fully address the security risks raised in this dynamic development area, and at the same time, Sen said:\" Be cautious about introducing premature regulations, these regulations may inadvertently suppress the positive innovations that are taking place in the field. \". John Ensign, R-Nev.
The chair of the Senate subcommittee on business technology, innovation and competence, which recently held the nanotech development hearing.
\"The potential economic and social benefits of nanotechnology are indeed endless,\" Sen added . \". John Kerry, D-Mass.
The highest Democrat on the committee.
\"Since we know very little about this emerging field, we must strive to understand the safety and environmental consequences of health, nanotechnology and take appropriate safeguards, to ensure that the technology is deployed in a responsible manner.
\"The federal government has been five years since the government started its Nanotechnology Program --
Known as the National Nanotechnology Program
The budget for nanotechnology research this year is about $1.
Clayton Tiger, director of the National Office for the Coordination of nanotechnology, said that 3 billion and its spending will involve about 150 universities across the country, which is located in the bureaucracy of the cabinet.
First-level advisory group of the National Science and Technology Commission.
Tiger is often asked to testify in Congress, and his job is to understand the situation of nearly 40 government agencies funding nanotechnology research, have some regulatory jurisdiction over it, or have a vested interest in its use.
Institutions interested in nanotechnology include the defense, energy, commerce, agriculture, homeland security and transportation sectors, as well as regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, research, etc.
Centers like the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and about a dozenS.
Intelligence agency
Teague said dozens of officials from different agencies met regularly to discuss the development of nanotechnology and share new ideas.
The Council reports directly to the president.
The tiger office\'s subcommittee, which serves on the Council, has identified a range of priorities for nanotechnology, forming guidance documents on how the government intends to deal with nanotechnology issues.
\"With regard to how we coordinate all the government agencies involved, the federal government is going on very carefully,\" he said . \".
Tiger said that the most important thing for the government now is to continue to expand its ability to understand Nanoscience by funding research and helping to build facilities and laboratories dedicated to Nanoscience.
But equally important, he said, is working to find ways to put the research into the market and to look at its social impact, including the impact it may have on the health and safety of Americans.
\"Each of them is a key area of investment. . . [in]
The ultimate goal of this technology is to benefit our society . \"
Some government departments have been forced to solve the problem of nanotechnology.
For example, the Food and Drug Administration announced last month that it will hold an open meeting on nanotechnology in October.
The announcement was spurred by panic in Germany, where German officials were forced to recall a product called \"Magic Nano,\" a household cleaner that caused breathing problems to dozens of people in the country.
It is not clear whether the product really uses nanotechnology materials.
Due to this incident in Germany, the United StatesS.
The Consumer Product Safety Committee, which has not yet recalled any products, is also investigating safety issues.
The agency released a copy of three.
A policy statement on the issue, but officials there admit they still have a lot to learn.
\"Due to the wide range of differences in potential health effects and the lack of exposure and toxicity data for specific nano-materials, the statement reads: \"CPSC staff are unable to make any general statements about potential consumer exposure or health effects that consumers may have caused by exposure to nano-materials during use and disposal. \".
The statement goes on to say that one of the top priorities of the CPSC is to determine the type of nano-materials in the product and then come up with a way to identify potential health hazards.
It also said that there are no other specific provisions on nanotechnology
Or any other product-
CPSC did not start to pay attention to the product until the product went public.
\"This is similar to the nanotechnology we have released,\" CPSC spokesman Mark Ross said . \".
\"Basically, we are monitoring the situation. . .
Look for any problems that may arise.
Most other government agencies have similar policy statements that can be accessed through the website of his office, Tiger said.
Although Congress has held some hearings on the impact and development of nanotechnology, a measure of interest to Congress shows that nanotechnology is not a real priority: the Government Accountability Office produces more than 1,000 reports on various topics for Congress every year, but has not received any requests for reports on nanotechnology in the medium term
A spokesman for the agency said April.
Ensign and Kerry\'s press assistant did not answer questions about any legislative measures on nanotechnology if considered.
Peterson and others say there are many ways Congress can make it a sign.
In addition to the basic budget for federal-level nanoscience, intellectual property rules need to be considered.
The current patent law makes it easy for companies to remove patents granted to universities, which makes it difficult for others to obtain the technology, she said.
\"It could be a problem and some companies are complaining about the system,\" Peterson said . \".
\"The whole purpose of universities and research is to share information. . . .
This limits the sharing of information.
\"On an academic level, Gary lubroff, director of the Center for nanotech research at the University of Maryland Park College, said that obtaining a patent would take longer than in the past.
Rubloff is also a researcher who serves as a liaison between university staff, public officials and the research community, he said, slow patent procedures may eventually link the technology to litigation or prevent investment funds from reaching where they need to go.
Peterson also noted international trade and its impact on the economy.
She said she heard discussions about restricting exports of nanotechnology, especially those that could harm national security.
But tougher controls do more harm than good, she said.
Tighter controls may force a company with controversial products to go overseas, \"and then they are completely out of our control. . . .
\"It is not clear yet that this is a road,\" she said . \".
However, Nigel Cameron said that the ethical issue of nanotechnology may determine whether nanotechnology is really popular or whether its potential has not yet been developed, director, Nanotech and social center, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.
\"This is a discussion about human values,\" Cameron said . \"
One of the last technological breakthroughs
Genetically modified food
This is a major disappointment, and nanotechnology may suffer the same fate if it is not handled properly.
In particular, Europeans have labeled genetically modified products \"Franken-food.
\"Just like the discussion of genetically modified foods and the whole genetics, the development of nanotechnology raises profound philosophical questions about what humans mean and the changes in human condition.
\"That conversation bothered all the discussions about nanotechnology,\" Cameron said . \"
Cameron says a terrible development is
Known as \"trans-humanism\", one can use nanotechnology to create things instead of human functions, such as thinking.
While a technology can be used for a good purpose, such as stroke recovery, \"the same technology can make Google in your brain,\" Cameron said \", this raises huge questions about public policy.
Cameron said he could also foresee further class division in the use of nanotechnology.
With expensive nanotechnology solutions for cancer or other health problems, it is likely that those with the best health care will be able to access new health care and live longer while the poor may be
While nanotechnology faces pitfalls and unknown directions of development, it is certain that it is here and will exist in the next few years.
Teague, a government nanotechnology expert, said that no specific topic in nanotechnology research is a priority.
Health care, energy, materials, clean environment
More and more people are treated equally, which is one of the reasons why nanotechnology is so important and the reason why the development speed is unbalanced.
\"I think this will be one of the most transformative technologies, and certainly in the past 100,\" Tiger said . \".
\"I think almost every aspect of life will eventually be changed by it.
Regardless of the problems faced by nanotechnology and the progress made by nanotechnology, the real focus is on the future, says Rubloff.
\"This will be the next industrial revolution. . . .
I think there is no doubt about it . \"