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sexta-feira, 28 de outubro de 2011

EADS and RUSNANO to join forces in the Nanotechnology field


Abstract:
European aerospace and defence group EADS and Russian Nanotechnology Corporation RUSNANO are planning to cooperate in the research and development of new technologies. The respective document was signed by Anatoly Chubais, CEO of Rusnano and EADS Chief Technical Officer, Jean Botti. As a first step, the partners will identify relevant patents in EADS's portfolio which could be suited to develop new business in the Russian industry.


EADS and RUSNANO to join forces in the Nanotechnology field

Moscow, Russia | Posted on October 27th, 2011

"As a global leader in aerospace and defence, EADS has technologies that can help our partners maintain their competitive edge," EADS CTO Jean Botti said. "Today's agreement establishes the ground for cooperation in different areas through the use and transfer of Intellectual Property and technology. We are pleased to partner with RUSNANO, a corporation at the forefront of innovation in Russia," Botti added.
The respective document was signed by Anatoly Chubais (R), CEO of Rusnano and EADS Chief Technical Officer, Jean Botti

"The advanced technologies of EADS complement well with the RUSNANOs' strong position on Russian high-tech market," stated RUSNANO CEO Anatoly Chubais."Our cooperation paves the way for the progress in nanotech-related fields including energy efficiency, new materials, life science and security".

The technology licensing procedures in place at EADS reduce the time required for implementation, minimise risk of patent infringement and ensure that all controls and processes are applied. To facilitate the application and use of licensed technologies, the company offers training, engineering support and assistance in the establishment of processes and procedures.

EADS sees Russia as a major cooperation Partner in the technology area. In 2003, the company has established a Technology Office to facilitate collaboration with the Russian research and development community. Since its opening, the RTO has already managed more than 100 cooperative research and technology programmes between EADS and Russian institutions. EADS is also participating in the Skolkovo Innovation Centre.
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About RUSNANO

RUSNANO was founded in March 2011 as an open joint stock company through reorganization of state corporation Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies. RUSNANO’s mission is to develop the Russian nanotechnology industry through co-investment in nanotechnology projects with substantial economic potential or social benefit. The Government of the Russian Federation owns 100 percent of the shares in RUSNANO. Anatoly Chubais is CEO and chairman of the Executive Board of RUSNANO.

Work to establish nanotechnology infrastructure and training for nanotechnology specialists, formerly conducted by the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies, has been entrusted to the Fund for Infrastructure and Educational Programs, a non-commercial fund also established through reorganization of the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies.

About EADS

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2010, the Group — comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter — generated revenues of € 45.8 billion and employed a workforce of nearly 122,000. EADS Innovation Works is the corporate research network of EADS. It operates the corporate Research and Technology (R&T) laboratories that promote the Group’s technical innovation potential with a focus on long-term research. EADS Innovation Works have two main sites in Munich and Paris and employ over 700 people including doctorates and university interns. Proximity centres are maintained in Getafe, Spain and Newport, U.K, Toulouse, Nantes and Hamburg to support the knowledge transfer to business units in these locations. EADS Innovation Works also operates R&T centres in Moscow, Singapore and Bengaluru, India. Paris and employ over 700 people including doctorates and university interns. Proximity centres are maintained in Getafe, Spain and Newport, U.K, Toulouse, Nantes and Hamburg to support the knowledge transfer to business units in these locations. EADS Innovation Works also operates R&T centres in Moscow, Singapore and Bengaluru, India.
For more information, please visit www.eads.net

Fonte: Nanotechnology Now

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Vejam:
a) EADS and RUSNANO to join forces in the Nanotechnology field

Iran, Russia urge nanotech cooperation


An Iranian industrial unit for producing nano-materials
An Iranian industrial unit for producing nano-materials

Abstract:
Iran and Russia have called for stronger cooperation in the field of nanotechnology through identifying the means to further enhance nanotechnology-related ties.

Iran, Russia urge nanotech cooperation

Tehran, Iran | Posted on October 27th, 2011


During a meeting on Thursday, Secretary of Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC) Saeed Sarkar and Director General of the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (Rusnano) Anatoly Chubais expressed their countries' resolves to consolidate bilateral cooperation in the field of nanotechnology, IRNA reported.

The Iranian official also elaborated on the Islamic Republic's achievements in nano-sciences.

Sarkar explained about measures taken by Iran to further develop this area of technology in Iran.

The Russian official, for his part, said his country was ready to interact with Iran in the field of nanotechnology.

Chubais emphasized the necessity of implementing joint ventures and formulating important nanotechnology projects.

Iran began investing in the field of nanotechnology back in 2001 and quickly ranked first in the production of nano-materials in the region and the Muslim world in general.

As many as 65 Iranian universities and scientific centers as well as 130 Iranian companies have entered the field.

According to INIC, the Islamic Republic is among the very few countries that have compiled a National Nanotechnology Plan.

Fonte: Nanotechnology Now
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Nanopartículas de titânio rompem barreira de proteção do cérebro


Nano-titânio

Pesquisadores da Comissariado francês de Energia Atômica (CEA) e da Universidade Joseph Fourier demonstraram que as nanopartículas de dióxido de titânio afetam uma barreira fisiológica essencial para proteger o cérebro: a barreira hematoencefálica.

As nanopartículas de titânio - também conhecidas como nano-TiO2 - são produzidas em escala industrial e são encontrados em cosméticos, incluindo os protetores solares, em tintas e também em revestimentos autolimpantes e superfícies bactericidas.
O estudo demonstrou que as nanopartículas rompem a barreira, gerando inflamação e uma diminuição da atividade da glicoproteína-P, uma proteína essencial para a eliminação de substâncias tóxicas nos órgãos vitais como o cérebro.


Modelo da barreira hematoencefálica
Estudos anteriores demonstraram que as nanopartículas podem danificar o DNA das células. Outros pesquisadores chegam a comparar as nanopartículas ao amianto. Mas pouco se sabia até agora sobre seus efeitos sobre o sistema nervoso central.
Um estudo feito em ratos havia mostrado que, após uma instilação nasal, o nano-TiO2 pode chegar ao cérebro, principalmente no hipocampo e bulbo olfatório.
Os pesquisadores então se perguntaram como essas nanopartículas podem ser encontradas no cérebro, normalmente protegido de elementos tóxicos por uma estrutura especial: a barreira hematoencefálica.
Para responder a esta pergunta, a equipe usou um modelo in vitro de células desenvolvido para reproduzir a barreira de proteção do cérebro.
Graças ao modelo celular, que também é utilizado pela indústria farmacêutica para testar os candidatos a medicamentos em estudos pré-clínicos, os pesquisadores demonstraram que a exposição in vitro às nanopartículas de TiO2 resulta na acumulação cerebral do material nanotecnológico.
Perturbação da função cerebral
O modelo desenvolvido pelos pesquisadores reconstrói a barreira combinando dois tipos celulares principais: as células endoteliais (do sistema circulatório), cultivadas em uma membrana semi-permeável, e células gliais (do sistema nervoso). O modelo apresenta as principais características da barreira hematoencefálica real, incluindo a humana.
Os pesquisadores demonstraram que a exposição aguda e/ou crônica ao nano-TiO2 leva a um acúmulo dessas nanopartículas nas células endoteliais.
Elas também alteram a função protetora, primeiro, quebrando a barreira e, segundo, diminuindo a atividade da P-glicoproteína, uma proteína encontrada nas células endoteliais, cujo papel é bloquear as toxinas que podem adentrar ao sistema nervoso central.
Os resultados sugerem que a presença de nano-TiO2 poderia ser a causa da inflamação vascular cerebral. Eles também sugerem que a exposição crônica, in vivo, a essas nanopartículas pode levar à sua acumulação no cérebro, com um risco de perturbação da função cerebral.
Nanopartículas de titânio rompem barreira de proteção do cérebro
A exposição crônica às nanopartículas de titâniopode levar à sua acumulação no cérebro,
com um risco de perturbação da 
função cerebral.[Imagem: Wang/Mabondzo/Lacombe]

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REFLEXÃO:
Agora procure no seu protetor solar, seu cosmético diário, seu batom (caso use) sua pasta de dente, seu xampu, seu desodorante, seu teclado de computador, sua camisa, sua água, seu remédio.....vê se encontra nas embalagens a seguinte descrição: CONTÉM NANO?
Provavelmente você não vai encontrar; quer dizer, com toda a certeza você não vai encontrar nada. 
Agora questione-se -- brasileiro que és --; por acaso o Código de Defesa do Consumidor não estaria abarcado por esses produtos que estão à mil no mercado de consumo? Por acaso não se deve cumprir o direito dos utentes quanto à INFORMAÇÃO ADEQUADA?  Já não estaria na hora desses nanoprodutos estarem vinculados aos produtos considerados nocivos, perigosos e que geram riscos aos utentes, conforme consta na referida lei?
Está na hora de consumidores se ENGAJAREM, órgãos públicos atuarem e você ficar atento aos nanoprodutos.
A nanotecnologia promete milhares de soluções à humanidade, todavia a falta de INFORMAÇÃO e REGULAMENTAÇÃO tem gerado o efeito reverso, posto que ao invés de propiciar confiabilidade, permite-se que ondas de pavor e tensidade se instalem. Não é à toa que já ouvimos falar em Nanoterroristas
Espero PRECAUÇÃO das empresas e dos órgãos públicos, ainda mais nessa fase da história onde o consumo está exacerbado e desmesurado e o locupletamento se sobrepõe à CAUTELA.

quarta-feira, 26 de outubro de 2011

Wie Zellen mit Biomaterialien verschmelzen


Die Soja-Kovaleskaja-Preisträgerin Marga Lensen untersucht mit ihrer Arbeitsgruppe, wie Zellen auf nano- und mikrostrukturierte Oberflächen von Biomaterialien reagieren. Das sind synthetische Materialien, die in Kontakt mit biologischen Systemen wie Blut oder Gewebe kommen. So erschliesst die Juniorprofessorin beim Exzellenzcluster "Unifying Concepts in Catalyses" (UniCat) Materialien für biomedizini-sche Anwendungen.
"Wir haben entdeckt, dass sich Zellen an Biomaterialien wie Hydrogele binden, die an sich zellabweisend sind. Dies hängt mit der Oberflächenstruktur zusammen. Und die können wir verändern", berichtet Marga Lensen über ihre Forschung. Damit sich das Biomaterial besser mit den Zellen verbindet, züchten die Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler eine Zellkultur von Fibroblasten, die im Bindegewebe vorkommen, auf Hydrogelen mit bestimmten Oberflächenmustern, zum Beispiel Wellen oder Poren.
Für biomedizinische Anwendungen ist ihre Forschung grundlegend. Denn ein medizinisches Material wie Titan wird durch eine Beschichtung mit diesen Hydrogelen im Körper verträglicher. Ein Ziel von Professorin Lensen und ihren Kolleginnen und Kollegen: Sie möchten "Scaffolds" entwickeln, eine 3-D-Struktur der Hydrogele, die es ermöglicht, dass die Zellen mit dem Biomaterial "verschmelzen". Sie sollen im Material wachsen und sich zu einem funktionierenden Gewebe wandeln.
Ihre Ziele verfolgt Marga Lensen auf direktem Weg. Sie besuchte bereits während der Schulzeit Universitäten, die Chemie anbieten. Sie entschied sich für einen fächerübergreifenden Werdegang, studierte "Molekulare Wissenschaften" und forscht heute in einem interdisziplinären Bereich aus Chemie, Physik, Biologie, Mathematik und Informatik. Nach einem Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stipendium erhielt sie 2006 den Sofja-Kovalevskaja-Preis, mit dem die Chemikerin ihre Arbeitsgruppe und ein Zellkulturlabor mit einem Rasterkraftmikroskop zur Charakterisierung der Hydrogele aufgebaut hat. 2009 kam die gebürtige Niederländerin zum Exzellenzcluster UniCat an die TU Berlin, wurde 2010 Juniorprofessorin und leitet seitdem das Fachgebiet Nanostrukturierte Biomaterialien. Derzeit engagiert sie sich für eine Weiterfinanzierung ihrer Arbeitsgruppe an der TU Berlin, denn der Sofja-Kovalevskaja-Preis läuft im Oktober 2011 aus.
Source: Technische Universität Berlin

Fonte: NanoWerk
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REFLEXÃO:

Para aqueles que se interessam por nanotecnologia e seus estudos, tenha sempre em foco que o que pauta essa abordagem é a INTERDISCIPLINARIDADE. Posto que a sua abrangência é tão excêntrica e diversificada que apenas uma ramo das ciências "duras" não comportará a capacidade e multiplicidade da Nanotecnologia.

E inclusive eu pauto que as ciências humanas também deve estar ínsita nos debates e construções da Nanotecnologia, por óbvio é por isso que o blog leva o nome de NanoLei; vislumbrar a interligação da nanotecnologia com as normas.
Para exemplo segue uma imagem demonstrando um pouco da TRANSDISCIPLINARIDADE da ERA NANO.



terça-feira, 25 de outubro de 2011

Sami Shamoon College of Engineering Launches NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program


NanoProfessor®, a division of NanoInk®, Inc. focused on nanotechnology education, and PicoTech, the exclusive distributor for NanoInk and the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program in Israel, announced today that the Sami Shamoon College of Engineering (SCE) in Be'er Sheva, Israel will be the first college in the country to implement the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program. As Israel's largest engineering college, SCE is focused on educating students in engineering and technology through innovative instruction and R&D. The NanoProfessor Program helps SCE meet this objective by providing instrumentation, curriculum, and hands-on labs to expand students' understanding, skills, and real-world experience needed to succeed in the growing nanotechnology industry.
"Becoming the first school in Israel to implement the state-of-the-art NanoProfessor Program ensures that SCE students will gain the professional training necessary to become leaders in Israel's nanotechnology industry," said Jehuda Hadad, president of SCE. "The cutting-edge NanoProfessor Program will help SCE offer a skilled workforce to the more than 65 Israeli corporations already engaged in nanotech-related businesses."
"We are excited to bring the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program to SCE to support the college in continuing Israel's tradition of scientific excellence," said Dean Hart, chief commercial officer at NanoInk. "Israel has the third largest concentration of nanotech startup companies in the world and the NanoProfessor Program will help meet the growing demand within Israel for nano-savvy workers by providing SCE students with valuable hands-on training using the same equipment and materials used by professionals in the nanotechnology field today."
The NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program aims to expand hands-on nanotechnology education from the cleanrooms of research-based universities to undergraduate classrooms. The program alternates between classroom lectures and hands-on lab work and includes a textbook authored by leading nanotechnology experts, covering the topics of Nanotechnology Basics, Nanophysics, Nanochemistry, Nanobiology and Environmental, Health, & Safety perspectives on nanotechnology.
In conducting the hands-on lab experiments, students learn the fundamentals for building custom-engineered nanoscale structures while working with state-of-the-art equipment including NanoInk's NLP 2000 Desktop NanoFabrication System, a student-friendly atomic force microscope (AFM), an advanced fluorescence microscope, and various chemical and biological materials used today within current and emerging nanotechnology applications.
About the NanoProfessor® Nanoscience Education Program
The NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program aims to advance the field of nanoscience and address the growing need for a skilled workforce of nanotechnologists. The NanoProfessor Program, including instruments, an expert-driven curriculum, and student/teacher support materials, is available for community colleges, technical institutes, and universities worldwide. More information is available at www.NanoProfessor.net or (847)679-NANO(6266).
Source: NanoProfessor (press release)

Fonte: NanoWerk

Six rules for nano-design


One of the big challenges facing nanotechnology researchers is understanding how particles interact at the nanoscale, in order to design devices that are robust and reliable.
Now, a group of scientists in the US has formulated a set of basic rules that could help in this task.
Chad Mirkin and colleagues at Northwestern University have looked specifically at the case of nanostructures formed by gold nanoparticles connected into lattices using DNA. However, they say that the findings should apply to any type of spherical nanoparticle that can be densely packed and connected via DNA.
The aim of the research was to determine the rules that lead to specific interactions between the gold particles and the DNA, and to build profiles of the resulting nanostructures. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, Mirkin's team determined the structural characteristics for 41 different crystals that had adopted one of nine lattices. The researchers learned that for each structure, they could tune lattice parameters such as sizeand stability by modifying nanoparticle sizes and the length of the DNA connecters. The methods used to create specific lattices are condensed into a set of six basic rules – which are outlined in a paper in Science.

Playing with marbles

"Imagine having a bunch of marbles of different colours, let's say red, yellow and green. We can take those tiny structures and attach DNA to them and get the reds to go to certain spots, and the yellow and the green to go to certain spots, with sub-nanometre precision," says Mirkin. The Northwestern researcher explains that, in theory, these rules could be followed to build any sort of crystal lattice. The work, the researchers say, will make it easier to fabricate nanotechnologies, such as solar cells with nanoparticle arrays designed to harvest light at far higher efficiencies than current technologies permit.
"The most innovative aspect of the research is the possibility of designing nanoparticle crystals à la carte," says Alex Travesset, a materials scientist at Iowa State University in the US. Travesset believes that, in the medium term, the set of rules could help in the design of new sensors and improved catalysis systems.
Oleg Gang, a bio-nanomaterials researcher at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, also believes that these rules could help in the development of a wide range of applications – includingsolar-energy harvesting. "In the longer term, these materials will definitely impact all fields of our life, like polymers did in the second half of the last century," he says.

About the author

James Dacey is a reporter for nanotechweb.org's sister website, physicsworld.com

Fonte: Nanotechweb.org

Can carbon nanotubes remove cholesterol?


Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are currently under investigation for a wide range of medical applications: as scaffolds for tissue growth, substrates for detecting antibodies, and vehicles for targeted drug delivery, to name but a few. At the University of Silesia's Institute of Physics in Poland, researchers are examining a new possibility: the use of CNTs to remove excess cholesterol from living tissues.
Cholesterol is a major component of mammalian cell membranes, and is also found in extracellular lymphatic fluid. While cholesterol is essential to maintain the structure and function of a cell membrane, excess levels can be detrimental. Cholesterol molecules can lodge in the inner lining of blood vessels resulting in the plaque deposition associated with atherosclerosis.
The research team, headed up by Zygmunt Gburski, has performed a range of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the influence of CNTs and graphene sheets on cholesterol molecules, both within a cell membrane and lodged around extracellular proteins. The collected results of these studies were recently published in the open-access online bookCarbon Nanotubes – Growth and Applications (see also: Solid State Commun150 415).
"Computer modelling and simulations can be used for preliminary studies of biosystems, allowing one to directly observe the dynamics of molecules of interest," explained Gburski. "MD simulations allow you to change the components of the system, simplifying or complicating it, and discover what is really important for the dynamics of the system. In particular, MD simulations are very effective when it comes to the study of nanosystems."
MD simulation over 1.5 ns of a CNT placed near an extracellular protein surrounded by cholesterol molecules. MD simulations
The researchers first examined the influence of CNTs on cholesterol molecules embedded in the phospholipid bilayer that forms the cell membrane. MD simulations were performed at physiological temperature with and without a CNT placed near the membrane.
Examining the mean displacement of the cholesterol molecules revealed that the nanotube's presence increased the motion of the cholesterol molecule from 1.1 to 1.3 Å. But though the cholesterol molecules were slightly attracted by the CNT, they always remained inside the phospholipid bilayer – the nanotube could not remove cholesterol molecules from the cell membrane.
Next, the team studied an extracellular domain protein (1KF9) covered by 40 cholesterol molecules. Preliminary MD simulations showed that the cholesterol molecules clustered together near the protein surface and had little mobility. When the simulation was rerun with a CNT placed near the cholesterol cluster, the molecules' mobility increased – attributed to their attraction to the nanotube overwhelming their tendency to gather on the protein surface.
Cholesterol molecules that were pulled out of the cluster spread in a thin layer over the CNT surface. Removal of the nanotube substantially reduced the number of cholesterol molecules within the cluster. For example, a CNT of 80.5 Å in length pulled out 23 cholesterol molecules, an extraction efficiency of 57%.
In the next step, the researchers studied a more complex (and more realistic) system: cholesterol molecules around an extracellular protein in a water environment. The protein 1LQV was selected as it appears in the endothelium layer that lines the inside of blood arteries.
As seen previously, the motion of the cholesterol molecules was initially restricted by interaction with the protein surface. When the CNT was placed nearby, the molecules could migrate farther, with some moving from the cluster and creating a thin layer around the carbon nanotube. A steered molecular dynamics simulation, in which external forces were applied to pull out the CNT, demonstrated that a 60 Å long CNT pulled out 17 of the 21 cholesterol molecules (80% efficiency).
MD simulation (1 ns) of a CNT being removed from the vicinity of the cholesterol cluster in a water environment (for clarity, the water molecules are not shown).
Finally, the researchers examined the influence of graphene, a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon, on cholesterol molecules spread over the endothelial protein's surface. Placing a graphene sheet (720 carbon atoms) 2.3 nm from the cholesterol-covered 1LQV protein significantly increased the mobility of the cholesterol molecules, reflecting their migration onto the graphene surface. After this migration, a large number of cholesterol molecules were removed from the cluster surrounding the protein.
MD simulation (2.5 ns) of a graphene sheet near to a cholesterol-covered protein.
The researchers concluded that the ability of carbon allotropes to extract cholesterol molecules from the surface of an extracellular protein, while leaving molecules within cell membranes untouched, should be taken into account when searching for future medical devices to treat excess cholesterol.
"Our results could be treated as a kind of virtual nanosurgery in a computer laboratory, using a nanotube or graphene wall as a surgical device, and might trigger some real-life experiments in this field," Gburski told medicalphysicsweb.
"
When these succeed, the next step would be clinical investigations. However, we are at the very beginning of this road."

About the author

Tami Freeman is editor of nanotechweb.org's sister website,medicalphysicsweb.

sábado, 22 de outubro de 2011

Food industry eager to use nano - but not to talk about it



An interesting article in Food Safety News describes the huge enthusiasm from the food industry for using nano-ingredients in food. Despite this, the reporter found that few companies would admit whether or not they were using it now.

Many Eager to Use Nano in Food, But Few Admit It

by Andrew Schneider | Jun 21, 2011

NEW ORLEANS -- More than 15,000 food scientists, chefs, recipe developers and purveyors of spices, flavorings and additives met here last week to examine the newest innovations in the cook's pot and on grocery shelves.
Nanoparticles, which could revolutionize steps all along the path from the farm to the table, were discussed openly and with passion in many of the scientific sessions of the Institute of Food Technologists annual conference.
But in the huge exhibition hall, among the thousand of displays of the newest advancements in the food industry, nano was rarely being promoted as the exciting science it may well be. Its absence was perplexing.
Food Safety News patrolled the sprawling Food Expo questioning likely users of the new technology. The enthusiastic company sales reps and scientists saw the "press" tags affixed to our convention passes and suddenly had very little to say. It was akin to not talking about the crazy aunt at the family reunion.
There were few signs among the elaborate displays that even mentioned nanotechnology. One exception was the exhibit for Southwest Research Institute, which runs 2 million square feet of laboratories in San Antonio, Texas.

"There are many areas where nanomaterial can be of an immense benefit to food development, processing, safety monitoring and packaging," James Oxley, senior research scientist in nanomaterials for Southwest Research Institute, told Food Safety News.
James-Oxley-IFT-featured.jpg

Many exhibitors are actively developing exciting applications for nano particles, but they're just not talking about it, he explained.
"The ongoing concern about possible health hazards or adverse reactions from nanomaterial has people staying pretty quiet about what they're doing," Oxley said.
"If the FDA provides a clearer picture of what it will and won't accept in food and packaging, the use of nanomaterial holds great promise for a wide variety of food-related applications."
A week before the world's top food scientists gathered for this conference, the Food and Drug Administration issued guidance that it says outlines the agency's view on whether products it regulates involve the application of nanotechnology.
They invite public comment on the draft guidance horribly named: "Considering Whether an FDA-Regulated Product Involves the Application of Nanotechnology." The agency says "it represents the first step toward providing regulatory clarity on the FDA's approach to nanotechnology."
"Nanotechnology is an emerging technology that has the potential to be used in a broad array of FDA-regulated medical products, foods, and cosmetics," said Carlos Peña, director of FDA's emerging technology programs. "FDA is monitoring the technology to assure such use is beneficial."
Meanwhile, on the same day that FDA made its nano announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency said that it will seek to determine whether nanomaterials in pesticide products can "cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment and human health."
There is enormous industry pressure on the government to move more rapidly on approving the use of nanomaterial. Many safety regulators and much of the public health community fear that there has been insufficient testing of the health hazards from exposure to nanomaterial.
An executive order signed by President Obama on Jan. 18. pretty much illustrates the quandary presented to all players in this enormously growing world of nanoparticles.
"Our regulatory system must protect public health, welfare, safety, and our environment while promoting economic growth, innovation, competitiveness, and job creation. It must be based on the best available science."


What are we talking about?
Nano is derived from the Greek word for dwarf, which really tells us very little, so try this: a nanometer is a billionth of a meter, a nanoparticle is tens of thousands times smaller than the period at the end of this sentence.
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies -- a partnership between the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Pew Charitable Trusts -- maintains a Consumer Products Inventory that offers the best-educated guess available on the commercialization of nanomaterial. PEN's latest tally says there are currently 1,317 products, produced by 587 companies in 30 countries, containing nanomaterial.
Other than some cooking oil and chocolate flavoring, most of the products so far are not food but food-related, and involve food storage or preparation -- items such as cutting boards. But those who compile the list say it is far from comprehensive.
The food industry is no different than the rest of the commercial world and thus is using in-house scientists or contracting with outside experts to see what these manmade, subatomic structures can do to enhance what they make and sell.
The scientific presentations and many of the hundreds of posters on new research findings made it clear that some companies are devoting many R&D dollars to using nano to make food seed more bug-resistant, enhance protection against pathogens, monitor spoilage or aid in traceability with food-packaging sensors or bolster flavoring and increase shelf life.
Some are already testing engineered nanoparticles to reduce bacterial growth, maintain the freshness and longevity of baked goods; keep meat juicer; eliminate disagreeable, but benign odors and reduce the amount of sugar and salt in recipes.
The rush to regulate
Regulating the use of nanoparticles, especially in food, has become an international quagmire.
"There is actually no specific definition for nanomaterials that's widely accepted although several countries have published their own definition," Bernadene Magnuson, Senior Scientific and Regulatory Consultant for Cantox Health Sciences, told Food Safety News.

Bernadene-Magnuson-IFT-1-featured.jpg
In a session on food law and regulation, Magnuson explained to other scientists that food safety agencies in North America and overseas may require additional safety evaluations of nanomaterials with certain characteristics. 
"These include nano particles that have the likelihood to persist and bio accumulate either in the humans or in the environment; those with a high level of either chemical or biological reactivity; a complex form or structure; and/or those with the ability to undergo a complex transformation," explained the international expert, who is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Toronto.
"For oversight and regulation, however, the critical issue is whether and how such new or altered properties and phenomena emerging at the nanoscale create or alter the risks and benefits of a specific application."
She said that safety studies will still need to be done to demonstrate lack of any potential health or environmental issues. The White House apparently agrees with her.
"Nanomaterials should not be deemed or identified as intrinsically benign or harmful in the absence of supporting scientific evidence, and regulatory action should be based on such scientific evidence," the White House said earlier this month, in a lengthy update on nano policy to the heads of all agencies, including the FDA and USDA, on the oversight of all applications of nanomaterial.
Risk assessment
The use of nanotechnology in medicine and electronics, aircraft and vehicles, has been science-fiction-like and often borders on the unbelievable.
Naturally occurring nanoparticles -- completely harmless -- exist in many foods and spices, even chocolate, beer and dairy products. Toxicologists and other risk assessors worry that if there are devastating hazards, they may exist with the manmade or engineered nanostructures, where atom-sized or smaller chemical structures are constructed molecule-by-molecule into something with commercial value.
The U.S. safety agencies -- FDA, USDA, EPA, CDC and NIOSH -- have been besieged by industry, which wants nanoparticles to be immediately approved as safe because some of the chemicals -- silver, titanium dioxide, copper -- have been used more or less safely for decades.
  
But health and safety regulators are far from convinced that these same metals and chemicals reduced to nano-scale are perfectly safe, especially when it comes to inhalation or consumption.
There have been significant peer-reviewed studies by both academic and government investigators which have shown that many nano particles are small enough to penetrate the skin, lungs and pass through the all-important blood-brain barrier.
Inhalation of carbon nanotubes -- which are one of the main building blocks of many nano products and packaging -- has been shown to cause cancer, much like asbestos does. However, the particles can penetrate the lungs more deeply than asbestos and appear to cause often-fatal damage more rapidly in test animals.
  
Nano-titanium dioxide, which is used as a whitening agent in many food and cosmetic products, has been proven to cause disease in test animals that have been exposed to high doses. One study at UCLA repeatedly showed damage or destruction of the animals' DNA and chromosomes.
Judging by the number of fresh graduates and young scientists presenting their research during days of IFT poster sessions, it's obvious that the use of nanomaterials will have an important place in the world of food science.
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Photos: Above, James Oxley; lower, Bernadene Magnuson.
The original article can be found at:
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/06/many-eager-to-use-nano-in-food-but-wont-admit-it/

Fonte: FoE Nanotechnology Project

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REFLEXÃO:
Já parou para analisar quantas coisas químicas (sintéticas) enfiamos goela abaixo? E quantos nanoalimentos existem e que já estão disponíveis no mercado e consumo? Será que eu e você não temos o direito de ser INFORMADOS, sobre a inserção de tal "melhoria" industrial? O Código de Defesa do Consumidor Brasileiro em seu artigo 6° e seguintes nos garante o acesso à informação e à publicidade não enganosa bem como a proteção contra produtos nocivos e geradores e perigosos afim de efetivar a nossa proteção. Alguém aí já viu ou ouviu falar de uma embalagem que dizia no rótulo: CONTÉM NANO?
Daqui há algum tempo haverá demandas judiciais de pessoas que pleitearam o nexo de causalidade entre o dano e os Nanomateriais já disponibilizado aos utentes. E para a solução do caso será necessário utilizar-se da vertente do RISCO DO DESENVOLVIMENTO NANOTECNOLÓGICO. Pois esses danos podem ser desencadeados daqui a algum tempo no consumidores.