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Nanotechnology: Building A

New Economy Atom-By-Atom

Michael D. Mehta, Ph.D.Professor, Department of SociologyChair, Sociology of Biotechnology

ProgramEmail: [email protected]

Website: www.policynut.com



What Is Nanotechnology (NT)?

• 1 nm=1 billionth of a meter(approximately 10 atoms of hydrogen inwidth).

•Nanotechnology=scale (1-100nm) +functionality.

• Distinction between intentionally designednanostructures (e.g., carbon nanotubes)

and nano-scale objects (e.g., carbon black:a byproduct of hydrocarbon burning ).

• NT is an enabling technology.

• NT is planned disruption.



A sample of applications expectedto emerge from advances in nanoscience

Environmental Remediate contaminated soil and water. Reduce the use of raw materials through

improvements in manufacturing.Medical Improve the delivery of drugs.

Improve diagnostic procedures.

Electronic Develop molecular circuit boards. Improve storage of data.

Materials Increase the strength of industrially-valuablefibres.

Improve the quality and reliability of metals andplastics.

Manufacture “smart” materials.



Also: mDNA

Examples Of The PrecisionMolecular Engineering

Already Possible



Should A Disruptive TechnologyLike NT Evolve

In A Regulatory Vacuum?• NT has introduced whole new classes of materials

that present an array of novel challenges toregulators (J. Miller, 2003).

• There are no NT dedicated regulators/regulationsin the world. Again, innovation is running ahead of

regulation (Mehta, 2002; Hunt and Mehta,forthcoming).• Government and industry should work to identify

and manage possible health and environmentalrisks before new products enter the marketplace

(Balbus et al., 2005).• What are the main risks associated withnanotechnology? (see Hunt and Mehta,forthcoming)• HUMAN HEALTH: lung transport, blood brain

barrier, translocation of nano-materials in cells- Toxicology research is focused on the short-



Positions on regulating

nanotechnology (S. Miller, 2005)

No new regulations

are needed*

Current regulations

are inadequate

* See Reynolds (2002) on the possible damage from

misguided regulation.



Industrial fires, nano-terrorism, NT armsrace

Accidents anddeliberate misuses*

Incineration, landfill,emissions from

stacks

Environmentalreleases

Carbon nanotubesManufacturing andlaboratory personnel(OH&S issues)

Cosmetics, medicine,textiles, sportinggoods

Consumer goods(end-users)

ExamplesFields

*It is possible that many of the benefits of NT could be

blocked if export controls are placed on trade to so-called“hostile” or “irresponsible” nations.

Recommended PolicyDomains



Observations On How Such ARegulatory System Could Work

• A case-by-case approach for conducting riskassessments on new NT products cannot work.

• A classification system could be crafted basedon such things as:

(3) physico-chemico properties (e.g., surface area)

(4) size

(5) uses

(6) explicit life-cycle assessment criteria,

(7) (perhaps) the ecological footprint of differenttechnologies & manufacturing techniques.

• Capacity is needed to anticipate unintended

consequences.



But Regulation Is More Than AboutScience

• A public debate on the societal implicationsof NT is needed.

• It would be a mistake to underestimatepublic acceptance (Mazzola, 2003; Mehta,

2005).• Example: ETC Group’s call for amoratorium on products of NT and theiranalysis of the policy landscape (2005).

• There is a need to engage stakeholdersupstream since once products reach thestages of regulation andcommercialization, it is usually too late(Daniel Sarewitz in Brainard, 2005).

• Real-time technology assessment (Guston



Nanotechnology inCanada

• Role of converging technologies & theestablishment (2001) of NINT.

• From a National Research Council of Canadaworkshop held in Banff (2001: p.13): progress inNT requires a clear vision and a strategic policyapproach. This should build on*:

strengths of a nation

complementary understanding of economic andsocial priorities

long-term funding [of S&T]

investment in the next generation of scientists

commercialization of new products.

* But nothing on the value of harnessing a good regulatory system for NT

to enhance innovative capacity or to create commercial advantages.

OR on the need for public consultation.

http://www.nint.ca/

http://www.nint.ca/



Nanotechnology And TheDeveloping World

• Study by Salamanca-Buentello et al. (2005)suggests that NT can be “harnessed to addresssome of the world’s most critical developmentproblems.”

• Delphi study of 63 international experts to choose

and rank the top ten nanotechnologies for thedeveloping world.

• Criteria used:

- impact (on water, agriculture, nutrition, health,

energy, environment)- burden (most pressing needs)

- appropriateness (affordable, robust, socially andculturally acceptable)

- feasibility (realistically deployed in ten years)

- knowledge gap (does the technology advance



Top Ten List

Sensors andpesticides

Vector & pest detection/control10

SensorsHealth monitoring9

DurabilityConstruction8

Nano-

catalysts

Air pollution & remediation7

Coating/packaging

Food processing & storage6

Nano-capsules

Drug delivery systems5

Lab-on-ChipDisease diagnosis & screening4

Nano-membranes

Water treatment & remediation3

Herbicidedelivery

Agricultural productivityenhancement

2CNT storageof H

Energy storage, production andconversion

1

ExamplesApplicationsRank



Lessons ForIndia

• What role should/could NT play in nation-building?• How would enhanced cooperation between India

and Canada help achieve these goals?• Need to develop a benchmarking methodology to

assess the state of NT R&D, how to translatenanoscience into NT, and how to build morecapacity.

- This involves identifying sub-fields, bibliometricanalyses of research and collaborations; surveying

all researchers, surveying international experts insub-fields. See Warris (2004) for a benchmarkingapproach used in Australia.

First World Nano-Economic Conference (WNEC), Mumbai, 29 March

But, again NOTHING ON SOCIAL ISSUES ORREGULATION.

When it comes to NT, good science and

good governance are needed.

http://www.world-nano.com/india/index.php








Forthcoming June2006 with Earthscan,

UK. To urchase online cl

SynopsisNanotechnology - technology at the molecularlevel - is held out by many as the Holy Grail forcreating a trillion dollar economy and solvingproblems from curing cancer to reprocessingwaste into products and building super-fastcomputers. Yet, as with GMOs, many view

nanotech as a high risk genie in a bottle thatonce uncorked has the potential to causeunpredictable, perhaps irreversible,

environmental and public health disasters.With the race to bring products to market,there is pressing need to take stock of thesituation and to have a full public debate

about this new technological frontier. Including

contributions by renowned figures such asRoland Clift, K. Eric Drexler and Arpad Pusztai,this is the first global overview of the state of

nanotech and society in Europe, the USA, Japan and Canada, examining the ethics, theenvironmental and public health risks, and the

governance and regulation of this most

promising, and potentially most dangerous, of all technologies.

http://www.amazon.co.uk.exec/obidos/ASIN/1844073580/qid=1138991971/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_0_2/202-5226038-7190265

http://www.amazon.co.uk.exec/obidos/ASIN/1844073580/qid=1138991971/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_0_2/202-5226038-7190265



References

Balbus, J., Denison, R., Florini, K. and S. Walsh (2005) “Getting nanotechnology

right the first time.” Issues in Science and Technology , Summer, 65-71.Brainard, J. (2005) “A more social science. Daniel Sarewitz wants researchers to

serve society better by looking for beneficial results.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 18 November, online athttp://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i13/13a02201.htm orhttp://www.cspo.org/home/newatcspo/sareqitz_chronicle.htm

ETC Group (2005) NanoGeoPolitics: ETC Group Surveys the Political Landscape.Ottawa, Canada, online at http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=520

Guston, D.H. and D. Sarewitz (2002) “Real-time technology assessment.”Technology and Culture, 24:93-109.

Hunt, G. and M.D. Mehta (eds.) (forthcoming). Nanotechnology: Risk, Ethics and Law. London, UK: Earthscan.

Mazolla, L. (2003) “Commercializing nanotechnology.” Nature Biotechnology ,21(1): 1137-1143.

Mehta, M.D. (2005) "Regulating biotechnology and nanotechnology in Canada: Apost-normal science approach for inclusion of the fourth helix " International

Journal of Contemporary Sociology . 42(1): 107-120.

Mehta, M.D. (2004) "From biotechnology to nanotechnology: What can we learnfrom earlier technologies?" Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society .24(1): 34-39.

“

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i13/13a02201.htm

http://www.cspo.org/home/newatcspo/sareqitz_chronicle.htm

http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=520

http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=520

http://www.cspo.org/home/newatcspo/sareqitz_chronicle.htm

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i13/13a02201.htm



References (continued)

Miller, S. (2005) “Regulating nanotechnology: The FDA and the EPA are likely

watchdogs.” New York Law Journal, 5 April, 233(64): 1-5.Miller, J. (2003) “Beyond biotechnology: FDA regulation of nanomedicine.”

Science and Technology Law Review, 4: 1-35, online athttp://www.stlr.org/html/volume4/millerintro.html

National Research Council of Canada (2001) Proceedings of the NRCNanoscience and Nanotechnology Workshop, Banff, Alberta, 10-12 January.

Reynolds, G.H. (2002) Forward to the Future. Pacific Research Institute, San

Francisco, CA, online athttp://www.pacificresearch.org/pub/sab/techno/forward_to_nanotech.pdf

Salamanca-Buentello, F., Persad, D.L., Court, E.B., Martin, D.K., Daar, A.S., andP.A. Singer (2005) “Nanotechnology and the developing world.” PLoSMedicine, 2(4): 300-303.

Warris, C. (2004) Nanotechnology Benchmarking Project . Australian Academyof Sciences, February, online athttp://www.science.org.au/policy/nanotech.htm

http://www.stlr.org/html/volume4/millerintro.html

http://www.pacificresearch.org/pub/sab/techno/forward_to_nanotech.pdf

http://www.science.org.au/policy/nanotech.htm

http://www.science.org.au/policy/nanotech.htm

http://www.pacificresearch.org/pub/sab/techno/forward_to_nanotech.pdf

http://www.stlr.org/html/volume4/millerintro.html

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