Nanotechnology Lawyer & Attorney : Porter Wright Morris & Arthur : Nanotechnology Law Report - Germanium nanobead image provided by UT-Battelle, which manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Department of Energy

According to a FDAnews Device Daily Bulletin dated October 30, 2006, Philippe Martin, principal administrator for the EC’s nanotechnology and policy efforts, recently advocated international cooperation and self-regulation in the world-wide nanotechnology industry. Martin was quoted as saying that the “U.S. industry’s ‘catch me if you can’ approach to dealing with regulators is not useful.”

I am sure U.S. industry takes issue with Martin's characterization of its self-regulation efforts.  

For proposed international approach to nanotechnology regulation see: (1) Abbott, Kenneth W., Gopalan, Sandeep, Marchant, Gary E. and Sylvester, Douglas J., "International Regulatory Regimes for Nanotechnology" (June 8, 2006); (2) Sylvester, Douglas J., Abbott, Kenneth W. and Marchant, Gary E., "A Framework Convention for Nanotechnology?" (August 21, 2006); and (3) Marchant, Gary E. and Sylvester, Douglas J., "Transnational Models for Regulation of Nanotechnology" Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, Forthcoming .

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AUTHORED BY ANDREW BERGMAN

On October 27, 2006, the ABA Section on Environment, Energy and Resources sponsored a teleconference on the science of nanotechnology.  The speakers were Kristen Kulinowski, Ph.D., from Rice University, and John Balbus, M.D., from Environmental Defense, and the moderator was Sunil Garg, Ph.D., Esq., from the Ecoshelf Group.

Kulinowski described nanotechnology as understanding and controlling of matter between the molecular and particulate levels, where the properties of materials change and new properties emerge. For example, gold at nanoscale is red or blue and has a much higher chemical reactivity.  Major changes can be made to a material's magnetism, friction and electrical conductivity. There are already 200-300 products on the market today that are touted as nanomaterials, and success is predicted for nanomaterials with regard to solar panels, replacing copper wires, defense applications, medicine and environmental technology. However, nanomaterials cause come concern. Some materials appear to be fairly cytotoxic, and larger cell organisms show the effects of nanomaterials in hazard studies (inject in lab).

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