Responsible development of nanotechnology

Excerpt from "The Responsible Development of Nanotechnology: Challenges and Perspectives," Nanowerk.com. March 10, 2012--Nanotechnology is a rapidly evolving field expanding in the worldwide context of globalization. Yet no international framework has emerged for the regulation and governance of nanotechnologies. This phenomenon may be explained by several factors: diversity of nanoparticles and their properties; complexity of risk assessment; differing expectations of economic impact; strategic partnerships between universities, industry and government; conflicting politico-economic agendas; race toward innovation and patent application; and political hesitation between public education and forums of public consultation.

The big players -USA, the European Economic Community, Japan, China- are working toward various forms of regulation and supervision, as these constitute the necessary conditions for scientific, economic and social development of nanotechnologies. Other countries seem to have adopted a wait-and-see approach, which is often detrimental to the national development of nanotechnology, such that nano products are consequently imported and the general public remains in the dark as to matters of social, environmental and economic concern.

Furthermore, a lack of regulation and the geographic variability in rules and regulations drive the outsourcing of innovation and possibly a shift in responsibility regarding innovative development.

Senior Fellow for Life Sciences, Center for Human Life and Bioethics, and CMDA Member David A. Prentice, PhD: "The announcement of this conference on The Responsible Development of Nanotechnology is an opportunity for people to learn more about this developing technology. For those unfamiliar with nanotechnology, it involves fabrication of particles, including machines, that are microscopic or smaller (nano-scopic) in size. The older among us may remember the movie Fantastic Voyage, where a submarine and crew were shrunk to the size of a blood cell and injected into a patient; fans of Star Trek may think of the Borg, who injected nano-sized machines that remade the human body. While nanotechnology is not yet that advanced, there are already publications using nanoparticles to track and visualize specific cells; for vital imaging of tissues; cell-specific targeting of cancer chemotherapy and antibodies; gene delivery and expression in specific tissues; anofiber scaffolds for cell growth and tissue regeneration; and construction of molecular machines smaller than a human cell.

"Commercial use of nanoparticles already includes cosmetics and sunscreens, paints and electronics. Several journals are devoted to the topic, including recent focus collections of papers related to the still-unresolved issue of 'nanotoxicology'. The ethics and regulation of nanotechnology is also still unsettled, even though the research is more than two decades old. Significant issues regarding safety in production and use of nanotechnology, as well as potential uses for modifying the human genome or breaching privacy, have yet to be addressed. It is past time that we become more aware of this burgeoning area, and imperative that as Christians we weigh in on guidance for development of nanotechnology, channeling it into ethical and useful paths."

CMDA Ethics Statement: Christian Physician's Oath
CMDA Ethics Statement: Moral Complicity with Evil