Nano Jas

NANOTECHNOLOGY

SUBMITTED TO:

SUBMITTED BY:

MS.KHUSHWANT KAUR MS.AMAN DHEER

JASMINE SIDHU ROLL NO:2236

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INDEX SNO

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What is Nanotechnology? The Meaning of Nanotechnology History Nanotech Facts

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Applications and Products: Putting Technology to Use Nanotechnology offers solution for cheap and effective supply of fresh drinking water Developing a Nanotechnology Workforce Full Utilization of the NNI Infrastructure Occupational Safety NNI Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues Ethical, Legal, and Other Societal Issues Societal Dimensions NNI Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research EPA White Paper on Nanotechnology Funding Opportunities ADVANTAGES International Cooperation on Responsible Development of Nanotechnology NNI Research Centers

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6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

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19

BIBLOGARPHY

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What is Nanotechnology?

With 15,342 atoms, this parallel-shaft speed reducer gear is one of the largest nanomechanical devices ever modeled in atomic detai

A basic definition: “Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. This covers both current work and concepts that are more advanced. ” In its original sense, 'nanotechnology' refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up, using techniques and tools being developed today to make complete, high performance products.

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The Meaning of Nanotechnology When K. Eric Drexler (right) popularized the word 'nanotechnology' in the 1980's, he was talking about building machines on the scale of molecules, a few nanometers wide—motors, robot arms, and even whole computers, far smaller than a cell. Drexler spent the next ten years describing and analyzing these incredible devices, and responding to accusations of science fiction. Meanwhile, mundane technology was developing the ability to build simple structures on a molecular scale. As nanotechnology became an accepted concept, the meaning of the word shifted to encompass the simpler kinds of nanometer-scale technology. The U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative was created to fund this kind of nanotech: their definition includes anything smaller than 100 nanometers with novel properties. Much of the work being done today that carries the name 'nanotechnology' is not nanotechnology in the original meaning of the word. Nanotechnology, in its traditional sense, means building things from the bottom up, with atomic precision. This theoretical capability was envisioned as early as 1959 by the renowned physicist Richard Feynman. “I want to build a billion tiny factories, models of each other, which are manufacturing simultaneously. . . The principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom. It is not an attempt to violate any laws; it is something, in principle, that can be done; but in practice, it has not been done because we are too big.” 4 Jasmine Sidhu

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Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize winner in physics”

Based on Feynman's vision of miniature factories using nanomachines to build complex products, advanced nanotechnology (sometimes referred to as molecular manufacturing) will make use of positionally-controlled mechanochemistry guided by molecular machine systems. Formulating a roadmap for development of this kind of nanotechnology is now an objective of a broadly based technology roadmap project led by Battelle (the manager of several U.S. National Laboratories) and the Foresight Nanotech Institute. Shortly after this envisioned molecular machinery is created, it will result in a manufacturing revolution, probably causing severe disruption. It also has serious economic, social, environmental, and military implications.

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History

 Physicist Richard Feynman gave a ecture to the American Physical Society in 1959 which foresaw advantages from manufacturing on a very small scale – e.g. in integrated circuits for computers, for sequencing genes by reading DNA molecules and using machines to make other machines with increasing precision. However, the term ‘nanotechnology’ was first used by Norio Taniguchi in 1974, in a talk about how the accuracy of manufacturing had improved over time.He referred to ‘nanotechnology’ as that which achieved greater dimensionalaccuracy than 100nm. Feynman also envisaged machines that could pick up and place individual atoms. This development of this idea was laterassisted by the invention of the scanning probe electron microscope (SPM) which allowed scientists to ‘see’ and manipulate the individual atoms in a surface. In 1989 one of the defining moments in nanotechnology occurred when Don Eigler used a SPM to spell out the letters IBM in xenon atoms. For the first time scientists could put atoms exactly where they wanted them. Molecular building blocks - Another great eap forward occurred in the shape of a new form of carbon. Harry Kroto from the University of Sussex, together with Richard Smalley and Robert Curl, discovered the carbon 60 molecule, which is shaped like a soccer ball. They named the molecular structure after the similarly shaped geodesic dome structure pioneered by the architect Buckminster Fuller. Unfortunately

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Buckminsterfullerene’ is too long a name for most people and so they are often called Buckyballs’

Nanotech Facts

Using the scanning tunneling microscope (STM), electron formations can be viewed. At left, electrons are surrounded by 48 iron atoms, individually positioned with the same STM used to image them. The image was created and colorized at the IBM Almaden research laboratory in California. Think small. Think really, really small—smaller than anything you ever saw through a microscope at school. Think atoms and molecules, and now you’re there. You’re down at the nanoscale, where scientists are learning about these fundamental components of matter and are putting them to use in beneficial ways.

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It’s a relatively new area of science that has generated excitement worldwide. Working at the nanoscale, scientists today are creating new tools, products and technologies to address some of the world’s biggest challenges, including 

clean, secure affordable energy

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stronger, lighter, more durable materials

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low-cost filters to provide clean drinking water

Applications and Products:Putting Technology to Use Over the past two decades, scientists and engineers have been mastering the intricacies of working with nanoscale materials. Now researchers have a mucher clearer picture of how to create nanoscale materials with properties never envisioned before. 

Products using nanoscale materials and processes now available.

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Nanotechnology and clean water: Researchers recently discovered unexpected magnetic interactions between ultra small specks of rust, which can help remove arsenic from drinking water. 

Jumbotron lamps. For example, a new form of carbon, the nanotube, was discovered by Sumio Iijima in 1991. In 1995, it was recognized that carbon nanotubes were excellent sources of field-emitted electrons. By 2000, the “jumbotron lamp,” a nanotube-based light source that uses these field-emitted electrons to bombard a phosphor, was commercially available. Today, jumbotron lamps light many athletic stadiums. By contrast, the period of time between the modeling of the semiconducting property of germanium in 1931 and the first commercial product (the transistor radio) was 23 years. 8

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Buckyballs.: The discovery of another nanoscale carbon form, C60, the fullerene (also called the buckyball) brought the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996 to Robert F. Curl Jr., Sir Harold W. Kroto, and Richard E. Smalley. It also started an avalanche of research into not only the novel characteristics of C60, but also other nanoscale materials.

Products using nanoscale materials now available: 

Anti-bacterial wound dressings use nanoscale silver.

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A nanoscale dry powder can neutralize gas and liquid toxins in chemical spills and elsewhere.

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Batteries for tools are being manufactured with nanoscale materials in order to deliver more power more quickly with less heat.

Cosmetics and food producers are “nano-sizing” some ingredients, claiming that improves their effectiveness. Sunscreens containing nanoscale titanium dioxide or zinc oxide are transparent and reflect ultraviolet (UV) light to prevent sunburns. Scratch- and glare-resistant coatings are being applied to eye glasses, windows, and car mirrors. Entirely new products could result from nanotechnology too. Research in nanomedicine, for instance, is focused on finding new ways for diagnosing and treating disease. Looking farther into the future, some researchers are working toward nanomanufacturing and a “bottom-up” approach to making things. The idea is that if you can put certain molecules together, they will self-assemble into ordered structures. This approach could reduce the waste of current “topdown” manufacturing processes that start with large pieces of materials and end with the disposal of excess material.

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• Drug-Delivery Techniques

Dendrimers are a type of nanostructure that can be precisely designed and manufactured for a wide variety of applications, including treatment of cancer and other diseases. Dendrimers carrying different materials on their branches can do several things at one time, such as recognizing diseased cells, diagnosing disease states (including cell death), drug delivery, reporting location , and reporting outcomes of therapy.

• Water-Filtration Techniques

Researchers are experimenting with carbon nanotube-based membranes for water desalination and nanoscale sensors to identify contaminants in water systems. Other nanoscale materials that have great potential to filter and purify water include nanoscale titanium dioxide, which is used in sunscreens and which has been shown to neutralize bacteria, including E. coli, in water.

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Nanotechnology offers solution for cheap and effective supply of fresh drinking water

Over one billion people have no access to clean water worldwide, and every week an estimated 42,000 people die from diseases related to low quality drinking water. In Australia, drought and salinity affect the water supplies to major Australian cities and regional areas alike. Nanotechnologies offer opportunities for cheap and effective solutions for some of the major problems facing water supplies. Nanostructured materials and nanoscale processes also have the potential to improve treatment technologies such as flocculation, filtration and disinfection to provide clean drinking water more cost-effectively. The large scale application of nanostructured films or membranes may also provide evaporation minimisation from reservoirs and water storages. The Australian water industry faces problems that need to be addressed, and the need to coordinate future directions for the water industry is apparent. In June 2006, the Victorian Government and Global Access Partners (GAP) organised and hosted the ‘Forum on Commercialising Nanotechnology in Water’, to discuss these issues with a number of key people from the water industry. The Forum agreed that there is not only a need, but also an opportunity for greater 11 Jasmine Sidhu

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coordination between the providers of nanotechnology and potential users within the water industry

• Society & Safety Responsible development of nanotechnology entails research toward understanding the public health and safety and environmental implications of nanotechnology, as well as research toward promising, highly beneficial uses of the technology. Such an approach recognizes the value of supporting basic research to develop nanotechnology as well as research to address environmental, health, and safety concerns related to the use of nanotechnology. Responsible development of nanotechnology also entails establishing channels of communication with relevant stakeholders, in terms of both providing information and seeking input. Such communication allows the public and the NNI agencies to make well-informed decisions and builds trust among all stakeholders. The broad implications of nanotechnology for society can be grouped into two categories, namely environmental, health, and safety implications and societal dimensions. The NNI has made and will continue to make research in both these areas a priority. The implications of nanotechnology extend beyond borders, so international cooperation is an important part of the NNI strategy for responsible development in both these categories.

• Education and Workforce Needs A solid educational foundation, a skilled workforce, and a state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure are essential to the success of the NNI. Nanoscale science, engineering and technology programs and resources are required to produce a new generation of researchers and inventors working at the nanoscale. Educational programs continue to be developed with NNI support for all levels, including K-12 schools, community colleges, vocational schools, and major 12 Jasmine Sidhu

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research universities. Building on this foundation, additional measures are needed to develop and maintain a skilled nanotechnology workforce. The supporting physical infrastructure, that is, highly specialized buildings and equipment, also is important. The NNI has created a network of interdisciplinary research centers and user facilities with modern equipment for nanometer-scale science and engineering research. The NNI research centers, user facilities, and university-based research projects are designed and developed to foster multidisciplinary education, offer opportunities for teacher training, and stimulate the development of curricula and instructional materials. The NNI also provides hands-on training of technicians, undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers are universities, Federal laboratories, and other institutions.

Nanotechnology Education In the future, the NNI member agencies will build on this investment by sustaining support for educational programs at all levels. Examples of specific efforts by the NNI member agencies to support and encourage education materials for a broad cross-section of users and stakeholders include the following: 

Enhancing existing programs designed to develop middle school, high school, and undergraduate scientist-educators who can effectively introduce nanotechnology concepts into schools.

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Developing educational modules that incorporate nanotechnology into curricula for the many disciplines contributing to nanotechnology.

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Fostering international exchanges of students and researchers working in nanotechnology-related fields.

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Putting opportunities in place that bring together nanotechnology researchers from NNI-funded centers and user facilities to work with educational researchers and teachers, for example, through summer visiting research fellowships for teachers and undergraduate students. 13

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Developing a Nanotechnology Workforce A skilled workforce is essential to realizing the NNI vision. This workforce must include nanotechnology researchers, technicians, manufacturing engineers, and production workers. To develop this workforce, the NNI will build on the educational programs described above by promoting partnerships between industry, educators, and the Federally funded R&D system. Such partnerships will aim to provide access to training programs for careers in nanotechnology-related industrial sectors. Examples of activities the NNI will support and encourage include the following: 

Using career centers funded by the Department of Labor and other appropriate public venues to distribute information on nanotechnology and the career opportunities this field offers.

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Developing training programs that encourage nanotechnology-related career opportunities

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Providing information on nanotechnology-related training opportunities on the NNI website.

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Assessing human resource issues, including workforce training, by comparisons with other countries through international benchmarking exercises.

workers

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Full Utilization of the NNI Infrastructure The extensive infrastructure established by the NNI over the past seven years includes centers and user facilities support research on nanomanufacturing and nanoscale characterization, synthesis, simulation and modeling. This infrastructure is well suited to support the prototyping and demonstration stages of nanotechnology development. The NNI will support and encourage efforts to keep these facilities fully staffed and readily accessible to nanotechnology researchers from academia, industry, and the government. The NNI agencies are committed to promoting broad access to user facilities by all sectors, especially by small businesses. Future activities include development of an inventory of major tools and facilities, continued development of user training for these facilities, and efforts to publicize the availability of these resources. The NNI agencies will also evaluate these existing infrastructure and equipment investments, considering possible new needs for the long term. In the near term, however, the focus will be on maximizing the utility and utilization of the substantial infrastructure already in place. Among existing programs are those of the National Science Foundation: 

NSF's Research Experience for Teachers and Research Experience for Undergraduates, reaching thousands of students and educators annually.

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NSF's Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education (NSEE), including Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) awards supporting course development.

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Educational activities occurring through DOE laboratories, such as the "Nano*High" effort at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in California - a 15

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series of free Saturday morning lectures for high school students of all interests and teachers of all subjects. 

Support development of science center and museum exhibits, video production, and other approaches to learning outside of formal educational institutions.

Occupational Safety Research on workplace exposure to nanomaterials is a high priority for the agencies of the National Nanotechnology Imitative. Research funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Environmental Protection Agency, and the Departments of Energy and Defense all are contributing to our knowledge about potential effects of engineered nanomaterials on biological systems and recommended practices for working with nanomaterials

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NNI Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues Nanotechnology encompasses an increasing number of activities based on the ability to measure, see, and control matter at the scale of nanometers. Nanoscale circuitry is already in cell phones and other electronic products on the market today. Many applications that are envisioned will take advantage of the fact that, at the nanoscale materials have different chemical and physical properties than materials at larger scales. Also, there is potential for nanosized particles to be transported through cell walls and other biological barriers in ways that are different from their macroscale counterparts. These properties can be used to make better batteries, to deliver drugs where they are needed, and to clean contaminated soil and groundwater. The ability to control matter at the nanometer scale is leading to technological advances in many areas, including energy, medicine, and the environment.

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Ethical, Legal, and Other Societal Issues The impacts of new technologies, including nanotechnology, on individuals and society is a subject of inquiry for philosophers, sociologists, ethicists, and psychologists, among others. Today, the NNI activities in this area include funding research in economic, ethical, legal, and cultural implications, as well as implications for science and education, quality of life, and national security. Some examples of priority research in this area are 

Assessment of education and workforce development needs.

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Additional means of effective public engagement on technology issues.

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Barriers to adoption of nanotechnology in commerce, healthcare, or environmental protection.

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Nanotechnology impacts on economic growth, standard of living, and competitiveness.

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Ethical issues in the selection of research priorities and applications.

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component of this research is the identification of effective means to raise awareness of nanotechnology and obtain input from the general public.

In addition, the NNI plans to 

Foster and encourage forums for dialogue with the public and other stakeholders. Such forums include museums and other science centers, various programs organized by NNI-funded research centers, the USDA extension program, and other agency outreach mechanisms.

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Create and distribute new informational materials about nanoscience and nanotechnology to better communicate with the broad public. Further, periodic measurements of public perceptions of nanotechnology will provide important feedback to the NNCO and agencies, as well as to the scientific community and policy makers.

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Societal Dimensions Nanotechnology, like other new areas of technology, will impact society in ways that may be difficult to predict. The NNI supports ongoing research pertaining to ethical, legal, and societal implications (ELSI) of nanotechnology, in order to better understand its societal ramifications, to encourage the distribution and exchange of insights from leading experts in this area, and to develop avenues for societal input into nanotechnology development. The NNI also promotes public outreach, engagement, and communication of research findings, including those related to understanding societal dimensions of nanotechnology. The NNI recognizes that the perspectives of public and stakeholder groups are vital in the nanotechnology R&D enterprise and conisders public engagement to be one of its key objectives. The NSET Subcommittee's Nanotechnology Public Engagement and Communications (NPEC) Working Group, in conjunction with the NNCO, coordinates many of the NNI activities in this area. There will also be be continued support for efforts to educate the public through means such as those currently led by the NSF-funded Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) Network, which is a combination of exhibits and resources aimed at educating the public about nanotechnology, and the NSFfunded National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT), which offers education resources to help teachers with nanotechnology-related concepts, simulations, and activities for the classroom.

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Another example of public education and outreach is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' Nanotechnology Webinar series. This program brings the public, industrial hygienists, and public health advocates into a web-based dialogue with nanotechnology subject matter experts. Other outreach efforts, such as media roundtables, will also continue, and the NNI will explore ways of building capacity for public engagement.

NNI Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research

The Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the Committee on Technology, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) released the document Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research (PDF), describing the NNI's strategy for addressing priority research on environmental, health, and safety (EHS) aspects of nanomaterials. NNI Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Prioritization Report The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), on behalf of the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the 21 Jasmine Sidhu

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Committee on Technology, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) released the document Prioritization of Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials (PDF). Read public comments on EHS Prioritization. FDA Nanotechnology Report Outlines Scientific, Regulatory Challenges The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s Nanotechnology Task Force's report recommends that the agency consider developing guidance for manufacturers and researchers and taking other steps to address the benefits and risks of drugs and medical devices using nanotechnology.

ICON Online Journal for Risk Research A new monthly online journal with citations and links to articles on the environment and health impacts of nanotechnology is now available online. The Virtual Journal of Nanotechnology Environment, Health & Safety (VJ-Nano EHS), was developed to improve access to information in peer-reviewed scientific articles. VJ-Nano EHS organizes the information contained in the EHS database into a reader-friendly monthly journal format, primarily listing articles published during the current month. The journal is a joint project between the International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON) and Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN), which also established its EHS database in August 2005

Understanding Risk Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials How can we know what is a risk and what is not?

Risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials is the work of many scientists today. And, as they will attest, evaluating risk is a complex process.In order to help with assessing risk-related research, the National Nanotechnology 22 Jasmine Sidhu

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Coordination Office commissioned an article called Understanding Risk Assessment, written by a science journalist, Trudy Bell.

EPA White Paper on Nanotechnology

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Science Policy Council issued a Nanotechnology White Paper (EPA/100/B-07/001, February 2007) on science issues and needs associated with nanotechnology. This paper is a revision of the peer-reviewed draft released and put out for public comment in December 2005. For more information on the White Paper or to download a copy, please visit the EPA website.EPA also has posted A Fact Sheet on Nanotechnology under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Public Views on EHS Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials

Participants at the public meeting on EHS Research Needs held in Arlington, VA Approximately 150 people took part in the National Nanotechnology Initiative's (NNI) Public Meeting on Research Needs related to the Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanoscale Materials. The meeting was held January 4, 2007, in Arlington, Virginia. Fifteen speakers, representing industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, and risk assessment consulting organizations, addressed 23 Jasmine Sidhu

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representatives of government agencies with responsibilities in the area of nanotechnology. 

The complete news release

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Transcript from the meeting

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Presentations from the meeting

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Public comments

The agencies of the NNI had requested input on the research needs, identified in a document published in September 2006, and on the prioritization criteria for such research needs. (See NNI's EHS Research Needs). The public input will be used to formulate the government's recommended priorities for safety-related research on nanomaterials, which, in turn, will guide agencies and program managers who fund research in the field. NSET Document: Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials The Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council's Committee on Technology has released a document identifying environmental, health, and safety (EHS) research and information needs related to understanding and management of potential risks of engineered nanoscale materials. (PDF) The document will be used by Federal agencies participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) to inform and guide research programs. It also communicates to industry, universities, and other nongovernment research entities approaches for obtaining the knowledge and understanding necessary to enable risk assessment and management of nanomaterials. Read more.

Download Report (841 KB)

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Responsible development of nanotechnology includes supporting fundamental discovery-based research as well as targeted research and other activities to understand potential risks associated with the manufacture and use of engineered nanoscale materials. Since the inception of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the participating agencies have supported research to safely develop and apply nanotechnology for societal benefit and economic growth as well as research to better protect public health and the environment. By integrating the results of such research, the NNI aims to ensure the benefits of this new technology are maximized within a coordinated research framework that emphasizes understanding and prioritizing potential risks as well as the means to manage such risks. Nanotechnology-related environmental, health, and safety (EHS) research is an essential component of the NNI's coordinated research framework. EHS research is focused in particular on understanding general mechanisms of biological interaction with nanomaterials and on developing broadly useful tools and tests for characterizing and measuring nanomaterials in various environments, including in the body. This research is to understand the effects of address the potential implications of engineered, incidental, and natural nanomaterials; remove contaminants from soil and water; and prepare for a new generation of nanoproducts. Nanotechnology-related EHS research is also informed and influenced by all other components of the broader NNI research portfolio, including research on fundamental nanoscale phenomena and processes; nanomaterials; nanoscale devices and systems; instrumentation, metrology, and standards; nanomanufacturing; and societal dimensions (ethical, legal, and other societal issues).

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Funding Opportunities Large industry currently supports about half of the R&D in nanotechnology in the U.S.—about $2 billion per year. The other half comes from small business and investors, as well as Federal, state and local governments. Federal research grants are defined and awarded by individual government departments and agencies, in accordance with their respective missions. Read Current Solicitations for links to funding home pages for the departments and agencies participating in the NNI. You can also use a new solicitation database offered by the DOE Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies to learn about opportunities for nanoscience research funding by Federal agencies. In addition to grants are special programs designed to seed commercialization activity that facilitates economic growth. These programs support small business collaboration with universities and other research institutions. See Funding Partnerships for an overview of these Federal government programs, the largest of which are the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Facilitating business partnerships, state and regional funding and a positive business environment are goals of economic development initiatives that have formed across the country specifically for nanotechnology

Funding NNI research on environmental, health and safety (EHS) aspects of nanomaterials has increased steadily. Between fiscal year (FY) 2005, the first year for which estimates are available, and the President's request for 2009, the NNI will invest an estimated $256 million in research that is primarily aimed at understanding the risks posed by nanomaterials. This funding and 26 Jasmine Sidhu

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corresponding effort to advance understanding of nanotechnology-related environmental, health, and safety issues is leveraged by a significant amount of additional investment in instrumentation, metrology, facilities, and fundamental materials research. This research and other NNI activities are coordinated by the Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications (NEHI) Working Group under the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council. In FY 2009 EHS R&D funding ($76 million) is over double the level of actual funding in 2005 ($35 million), the first year this data was collected. The steady growth in EHS R&D spending follows the NNI strategy of expanding the capacity to do high-quality research in this field. The proposed $76 million for 2009 does not include substantial research in instrumentation and metrology and on fundamental interactions between biosystems and engineered nanoscale materials, both of which are important in the performance and interpretation of toxicological research. An indication of the level of funding for these broader categories of nanotechnology-related EHS research may be deduced from the detailed 2006 data collected and analyzed specifically for this purpose. This data showed that the total funding for nanotechnology-related EHS research in 2006 was about $68 million, 80% higher than that reported for "primary purpose research."

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ADVANTAGES Most inventions help us live a good daily life. Nanotechnology is a good technological advance because of its positive benefits to pollution, money and cost, food, and many more things. Nanotechnology could help fix many of our problems that we encounter everyday  Less Pollution:

The problem with past technologies is that they pollute the environment in cases where we humans would die in years. A good example of a bad polluting invention would be the automobile. The automobile ran on gas and the gas fumes destroyed the ozone layer.

 Electricity:

At Purdue University and at the University of Chicago, engineers and physicists have found that a new formation of liquid drops with gas could make threads and wires. The wires and threads could be as small as a few nanometers wide in width. The nano-wires and threads could make other materials and create microscopic circuits as well as medical products.

 Low Production Costs:

Since the products that are able to be produced by nanotechnology will be 28 Jasmine Sidhu

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manufactured billions at a time, the item can be affordable and effective at the same time. The problem with storage and transportation will be eliminated. If microscopic food was produced, everyone could purchase the item because of its low cost. The low cost could also help us produce the daily things that we need so that everyone will buy it everyday.

 Technology Itself:

With nanotechnology, we can have mini "super computers" that runs faster than the one that a billion dollar corporation has. These computers will run so fast that we might not ever need a faster computer

 Mass Production of Food & Consumables: This will help end the epidemic of starvation with food left over to spare. Instead of waiting for the rain to come, you can grow tons of food at once in a small space.We can make medicine. For people that have long term sicknesses, and have to take many different kinds of medicines, we can use nanotechnology to shrink and combine the medicine so that the patient will not forget to take a certain medication and so that the patient will not have to swallow multiple pills.

 War: Usually, in a war, the side with the most advanced technology and weapons will win. Using nanotechnology, we can build undetected microscopic spy planes. The maximum amount of stealth will increase greatly for the side that has that technology. People could build tracking devices, so small that when you shake someone's hand, the device attaches onto them with out them even feeling anything. 29 Jasmine Sidhu

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International Cooperation on Responsible Development of Nanotechnology NNI agencies and representatives participate in many international activities, including bilateral and multilateral cooperative programs, monitoring of foreign nanotechnology R&D, and promotion of the trade and commercial interests of the United States. Cooperation and collaboration with other nations on nanoscale science and technology R&D, particularly in pre-competitive and non-competitive research areas, can further the progress of the NNI while helping our international partners achieve their own goals. The United States seeks to foster mutually beneficial relationships with other countries, in order to establish a framework for the safe, secure, and responsible use of nanotechnology worldwide. In keeping with the NNI goal of supporting responsible development of nanotechnology, international environmental, safety and security concerns surrounding the use of nanotechnology-enabled products are appropriately addressed by the global scientific community and relevant regulatory agencies. Effective communication among scientists, regulators, policy makers, consumers, industrial leaders, and othe rstakeholders also will be enhanced by cooperation with international partners. The development of a healthy global marketplace for nanotechnology products and ideas will require the establishment of consumer confidence, common approaches to nanotechnology environmental, health, and safety issues, efficient and effective regulatory schemes, and equitable trade rpacies for nanotechnology, not just in the United States, but worldwide. The NSET Subcommittee's Global Issues in Nanotechnology (GIN) Working Group coordinates international activities in nanotechnology, monitors foreign 30 Jasmine Sidhu

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nanotechnology programs, and seeks to broaden international cooperation and communication with respect to nanotechnology R&D. The working group has representatives from all Federal agencies that have active nanotechnology R&D programs as well as from numerous agencies that have oversight roles in international affairs

NNI Research Centers A highly significant impact of the NNI has been the focused investment by the NNI-participating agencies in the establishment and development of multidisciplinary research and education centers devoted to nanoscience and nanotechnology. NNI agencies have developed an extensive infrastructure of over 60 major interdisciplinary research and education centers and user facilities across the country. Many such centers, with state of the art equipment for nanoscale S&T research, are designated as user facilities and are available to researchers from academia and the private sector, and to scientists at the national laboratories.

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NNI Centers and Networks of Excellence Government funds for nanotechnology research have created some of the most sophisticated nanoscience laboratories in the world. In addition to providing the facilities, the National Nanotechnology Initiative also has created programs to attract researchers across an array of disciplines and to facilitate discoveries. Research at Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)

Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Image credit: Department of Energy Centers and networks provide opportunities and support for multidisciplinary research among investigators from a variety of disciplines and from different research sectors, including academia, industry and government laboratories. Such multidisciplinary research not only leads to advances in knowledge, but also fosters relationships that enhance the transition of basic research results to devices and other applications. All agency centers and networks created under NNI auspices over the last seven years are listed here, organized by funding agency.

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NIST Nanotech Center

NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. Image credit: HDR Architecture, Inc./Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing

Other Research Centers Some centers and networks are collaborative efforts of several agencies. Among them is the National Nanomanufacturing Network, established in 2007 and scheduled to become fully operational in 2008, which is a partnership between four NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers (NSEC), DOD laboratories, and NIST. In addition, industry, business and professional organizations are partnering in this effort for nanotechnology development. Also in 2008, NSF will establish a new center on environmental health and safety in 2008 and will expand national outreach activities at its nanotechnology research and education networks: National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, Network for Computational Nanotechnology, Nanotechnology in Society Network, Nanoscale Center for Learning and Teaching, Nanoscale Informal Science Education, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers, National Nanomanufacturing Network, and Materials Research Science and Education Centers. A major milestone for DOE in 2008 is the start of full operations at the agency's fifth Nanoscale Science Research Center (NSRC) user facility located at Brookhaven National Laboratory. These five major user facilities are a primary 33 Jasmine Sidhu

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component of the scientific infrastructure developed through the NNI. All five DOE NSRCs are anticipated to be in full operation by the middle of FY 2008. NIH continues to fund a network of nanotechnology research centers, supported by both individual NIH institutes and the NIH-wide Nanomedicine Roadmap Initiative. Centers' programs promote multidisciplinary research and development that engage basic biological, physical science, clinical perspectives and expertise, and leverage, and enhance the centers' investments. The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) at NIST is now in full operation. Initial work includes fundamental research that may be key to the development of next-generation data storage devices. Other areas of emphasis at NIST include nanomanufacturing and the development of standard reference materials.

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BIBLOGARPHY • • • • •

www.google.com www.nano.gov/html/funding/home_funding.html www.nano.gov/html/facts/home_facts.html www.nano.gov/html/facts/nanoapplicationsandproducts.html www.nano.gov/html/facts/home_facts.html

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