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The limited understanding, however, and therefore, the lack of policies to regulate this kind of technology pose a huge impact on the economy and potential risks to health and the environment, said Pat Roy Mooney, executive director of Canada-based Action Group on Erosion, Technology, and Concentration (ETC Group).
At a briefing last week, Mooney, who authored and co-authored several books on the politics of biotechnology and biodiversity, warned that some of the food and cosmetic products that Filipinos consume may contain nano-scale particles that could be harmful to human health.
According to ETC Group, over 800 products in the country have been processed under nanotechnology.
“These products are in the marketplace now and they are not regulated by the Philippine government or anybody else’s government,” Mooney said. But the lack of regulation is unlike the case of the melamine scandal.
“The basic reality (in nanotechnology) is that governments have never recognized this question of size,” he added.
‘Tiny’ technology
If biotechnology deals with the manipulation of life (bios), nanotechnology speaks solely of scale. A nanometer is equal to one billionth of a meter. One human hair is about 80,000 nanometers thick. Everything at the nano-scale is invisible to the unaided eye and even to all but the most powerful microscopes.
Below 100 nanometers, a material’s properties can change dramatically. “You go out of the area of classical chemistry and come into the field of quantum effects,” Mooney explained. “All of the characteristics of a chemical change below 100 nanometers, as you drop down in size — 100, 75, 50, 25 nanometers, and so on — keep on changing.”
With only a reduction in size and no change in substance, materials can exhibit new properties such as electrical conductivity, elasticity, different color, greater strength, and greater reactivity — characteristics that the very same materials do not exhibit at the micro or macro scales.
For example, aluminum oxide, the material used by dentists in teeth, is perfectly benign, but at the nano-scale — once ‘quantum effects’ kick in — the same substance is explosive and is used by the United States Air Force to set off bombs.
Nanomaterials, which are far lighter and stronger than anything currently used, could revolutionize the way things are made. Mooney said: “(Nanotechnology) cuts across the entire economy. It’s in cars, soap, food, pesticide, drugs, computers, because everything is made up of atoms.”
Potential health risks
Specific risks to human health of nanoproducts have yet to be identified. ETC Group’s Mooney, however, noted that out of 26 peer review studies conducted, none of these suggest that nanoparticles are entirely safe. “All of them say that further studies are needed.”
He explained that at around 70 nanometers in size, a nanoparticle can get into the lungs, skin, and cells. Then at 50 nanometers, it can go deeply into the body’s organs. At 30 nanometers, the immune system will not be able to detect a nanoparticle at all. “It’s too small for the immune system, which means that a nanoparticle can pass through the placenta.”
In the Philippines as in other countries, products containing nano-scale ingredients cannot be identified because these are not labelled and require no regulatory oversight.
Products suspected to contain nano-scale ingredients range from canola oil, health supplements, weight loss pills, cosmetic and anti-ageing products to textile, electronic products, and computer and automotive parts.
Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) executive director Wilhelmina Pelegrina urged the government to impose a moratorium on nanotech research and the commercial distribution of products until laboratory protocols and regulatory regimes are in place to protect workers and consumers, and until these materials are shown to be safe.
The problem, however, said Mooney, is that the technology is so advanced that governments have yet to figure out and understand it.
Meantime, he suggested consumers to check out the website of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, which has an inventory of nanotechnology-based consumer products currently on the market. While not comprehensive, the inventory provides a look at over 800 manufacturer-identified nanotechnology-based consumer products currently available.
Economic impact
The concept of commodity or raw materials is also changing with nanotechnology.
Mooney explained that an economy like the Philippines, which exports gold, nickel, and food products, could be affected if the role of raw materials changes in the future. “We don’t know if we will need gold or nickel the same way we had in the past.”
As an example, Mooney said that chalk, a very simple compound, once brought down to the nano-scale, can be 100 times stronger than steel and six times lighter. “In the end, there will be no need to make steel. You can actually use chalk, incredibly cheap at the nano-scale.”
The same thing may also apply in food products wherein requirements for commodities like coffee, tea, cocoa and sugar can be reduced. In nanotechnology, the same taste can be maintained but using much less of the raw material. This could entail the demand for fresh production to drop considerably.
Nanotechnology, ETC Group said, has the potential to topple commodity markets, disrupt trade and the livelihood of the poorest and most vulnerable workers who do not have the economic flexibility to respond to sudden demands for new skills or different raw materials.
“We are not against technology advancement, but the developing economies are ill-prepared,” said Peregrina.
ETC Group and SEARICE, along with other international civil society groups, proposed the creation of a new United Nations body to track, evaluate, and accept or reject new technologies and their products though the International Convention on the Evaluation of New Technologies (ICENT). ICENT is designed to provide an early warning or early listening system capable of monitoring any significant new technology.

PHILADELPHIA – A research team, led by investigators at the Department of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, has achieved a substantial "kill" of pancreatic cancer cells by using nanoparticles to successfully deliver a deadly diphtheria toxin gene. The findings – set to be published in the October issue of Cancer Biology & Therapy – reflect the first time this unique strategy has been tested in pancreatic cancer cells, and the success seen offers promise for future pre-clinical animal studies, and possibly, a new clinical approach.
The researchers found that delivery of a diphtheria toxin gene inhibited a basic function of pancreatic tumor cells by over 95 percent, resulting in significant cell death of pancreatic cancer cells six days after a single treatment. They also demonstrated that the treatment targets only pancreatic cancer cells and leaves normal cells alone, thus providing a potential 'therapeutic window.' Further, they are targeting a molecule that is found in over three-quarters of pancreatic cancer patients.
"For the pancreatic cancer world, this is very exciting," says the study's lead author, molecular biologist Jonathan Brody, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, who works closely with the Samuel D. Gross Professor and Surgeon, Charles J. Yeo, M.D. "There are no effective targeted treatments for pancreatic cancer, aside from surgery for which only a minority of patients qualify. We are in great need of translating the plethora of molecular information we know about this disease to novel therapeutic ideas."
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the U.S., reflecting the generally short survival time of patients - often less than a year from diagnosis.
This approach was originally developed in ovarian cancer cells by study co-author Janet Sawicki, Ph.D., a member of the Kimmel Cancer Center, and professor at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. She and her group had recent success in reducing the size of ovarian tumors following treatment with diphtheria toxin nanoparticles.
The strategy is based on the fact that both ovarian and pancreatic cancer cells significantly over-express a protein found on the cell membrane, called mesothelin. The function of that molecule is unknown, but it is found in the majority of pancreatic tumors and ovarian cancer tumors. Other solid tumors also express mesothelin, but not at such a high rate.
"We don't know completely why cancer cells repeatedly turn on mesothelin genes to produce these membrane proteins, but it gives us a way to fool the cell and hijack its machinery, to trick it into making other more potent genes that will be detrimental to the cancer cells," Brody says.
To do that, the researchers devised an agent that consists of a bit of mesothelin DNA connected to the gene that produces the toxin from diphtheria, a highly contagious and potentially deadly bacteria, which is now controlled through childhood DPT vaccination. "Naked" DNA is then coated in a polymer to form nanoparticles that are taken up by the cancer cells.
Inside the cells, the agent performs its trickery. The nanoparticles biodegrade and the cell machinery senses genetic material from mesothelin. It activates the diphtheria toxin gene, which then turns on production of the toxin which allows the toxin to then do its work on the cancer cells, Brody says. Within 24 hours of delivery, the toxin disrupted production of protein machinery by over 95 percent, and within six days, a number of cancer cells die or are arrested.
"The cancer thinks it is turning on mesothelin and once it gets started reading that genetic code, it can't stop," he says. "So it will read the bacteria's DNA and produce the toxin which shuts down protein production in the cancer cells."
"It worked well in our cell culture models and now we are moving into pre-clinical experiments," Brody says.
The agent will not attack normal cells because the molecular machinery needed to turn on mesothelin is not found in normal cells, Brody says. Additionally, Sawicki has modified the diphtheria DNA to ensure that toxin that might be released from dying cancer cells is not taken up by healthy, normal cells.
But the researchers are now perfecting even more stringent measures to ensure safety, he says. "We can't help being hopeful," he says. "Our findings suggest that such a strategy will work in the clinical setting against the majority of pancreatic tumors."

The Molecular Engineering Translational Research Centre (METRC), funded by the N8 Research Partnership, will combine the research strength of the N8 group of universities to explore molecular engineering and nanotechnology to develop new products. The investment comes from a grant awarded to N8 from the Northern Way Growth Fund.
By combining world-class research expertise from the Universities of Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York, the new Centre will help move technology past the concept phase to highly functional products for use in everyday life.
The world-leading centre, which is led by Professor Tony Ryan OBE, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Pure Science at the University of Sheffield, will collaborate with businesses in the North and internationally, to share knowledge to develop new products, processes and services to help them innovate faster and take a larger share of rapidly-changing global markets.
Researchers at the centre will focus on a number of market sectors, including home and personal care, medicine and healthcare, and energy. Developments could include sensors and implants providing healthcare through human-device interfaces, easier interaction between humans and IT, and smart homes and fabrics.
Professor Tony Ryan said: "The fundamental objective of METRC is to stimulate economic growth. The old corporate research labs have gone and we´d like to create space where industrial and academic scientists can work alongside each other to turn cutting edge University research into exciting new products and processes for UK and global companies. Molecular engineering underpins a wealth of existing and new products - from soap to solar cells. Our business is in the science of everyday things."
Professor Keith Burnett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield and Chair of the Board of N8, added: "The N8 universities undertake more than £720m of research and employ over 8,200 academic staff. N8 is the largest `research pooling´ partnership ever undertaken in the UK and represents a unique combination of complementary research strengths and capacity which is of proven world-leading quality. Our aim is to maximise the impact of our research capabilities on the reputational and economic standing of the North and the UK, and the development of this Research Centre with financial assistance from the Northern Way is a significant step towards achieving this."
Notes for Editors: The N8 Research Partnership (N8) was launched by the North's eight research-intensive universities (Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York) to enable business and industry to access world-class knowledge and gain a significant competitive advantage. The intellectual critical mass offered by N8 will drive up business performance in global growth markets and add extra cylinders to the UK economic engine.
For further information please contact: Lindsey Bird, Media Relations Manager, on 0114 2225338 or email l.bird@sheffield.ac.uk

While nanotechnology has made a positive impact on many industries, the oil and gas industry has yet to fully investigate its potential. For this reason, Royal Dutch Shell hosted an International Nanotechnology Forum last week in Houston, Texas. The three-day, invitation-only event began a serious dialogue between nanotechnology experts and Shell scientists with the goal of understanding the realistic benefits nanomaterials might provide in future production scenarios.
Nanotechnology refers to the understanding and control of materials at the molecular level, in the size range of roughly 1 to 100 nm. To put this in perspective, the size ratio of a football to the diameter of the earth is roughly the same as that between 1 nm and 1 meter.
At these dimensions, materials exhibit unique physical phenomena that ideally give way to novel applications. For example, nanomaterials can be much stronger than conventional materials, and may offer superior flexibility and corrosion resistance as well. These properties would be well suited for construction materials that are stronger, and yet lighter, than steel for offshore production operations.
“Nanotechnology has made significant progress, and offered several benefits, to other industries in the past few years, but the oil and gas industry is only starting to look at this class of materials seriously,” said Sergio Kapusta, Shell’s Chief Scientist for Materials and one of the forum attendees. He mentioned that while industries such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications have invested billions of dollars in nanotechnology over the past few years, the oil and gas industry as a whole has only invested approximately USD 100 million in nanotechnology R&D over the same time frame.
Shell began seriously investigating nanotechnology for energy applications about three years ago, with the goals of producing more hydrocarbon from existing wells, producing more hydrocarbon from difficult sources (i.e., oil sands, shales), and helping to protect the environment through improvements to water clarification and carbon sequestration.
Shell has made inroads into research collaboration by pioneering the Texas-based Advanced Energy Consortium, which facilitates precompetitive research in micro- and nanotechnology materials, and by sponsoring SPE’s first Applied Technology Workshop on nanotechnology, held earlier this year in Dubai. However, in order for Shell to obtain step change improvements rather than incremental advances, more detailed collaborative work is needed.
The forum brought together 30 of the world’s leading nanotechnology experts and 30 Shell scientists to open the lines of communication and set the framework for future collaboration. “The first part of the forum was designed to get everyone on the same page,” said Kapusta, “essentially to educate the nanotechnology community about the oil field and the challenges we face, and then for us to learn more about the unique characteristics of nanomaterials and how they have been applied elsewhere. With this framework, we could then begin the detailed dialogue.”
A few presentations were given on specific oilfield topics, and then breakout groups were set up on each topic. People with interest in a given topic were encouraged to join that group, discuss specifics of the production challenges in that topic, and think about how collaborative efforts might solve these challenges.
“These breakout groups returned with very specific areas for research,” Kapusta said. Some of the areas included:
* Newer materials. More advanced nano-based materials would ideally be of higher strength and durability, lower weight, lower cost, and have shorter delivery times. There is also a need for new coatings with greater corrosion and erosion resistance. * Improved separations. Specific research interests include developing nano-based materials for improved fluid separation and lower-cost means of separating CO2 at high pressure for more efficient carbon sequestration. * Improved catalysts. In particular, there is interest for nano-based catalysts that can convert shales and tar sands into higher quality fuels. * Improved EOR operations. Nanotechnology could provide improved emulsions for more efficient reservoir sweeps, or nanoparticles that could be injected into the reservoir and transmit data to the surface for improved mapping and identification of the oil/water interface. * Greener fuels. A combination of nano- and bio-based solutions could yield more efficient catalysts for the conversion of cellulose into ethanol.
Another major research focus has to be on the fate of these nanomaterials in the environments to which they are introduced, and on the potential health consequences, since there are currently no clear regulations on the use of nanomaterials. “Wine and water are both liquids, but they are not the same. Nor is one nanoparticle the same as another, of course – ‘nano’ refers only to their size. But this technology is still so new that there is uncertainty as to the potential environmental, health, and safety risks that some nanoparticles may pose,” Kapusta said.
Ted Moon is the Technology Editor of JPT Online. He brings information on emerging technologies, R&D successes, new field applications, updates from SPE papers about recent innovations, and more. If you have a question or suggestion for future article topics, email Ted at teched@spe.org.

The Technology Fast 50 comprises the 50 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications and life sciences companies in the San Diego area. Companies ranked in the list will also be highlighted in Deloitte’s North American Technology Fast 500 composite list. Nanogen came in as San Diego’s 17th fastest growing technology company on the list with a 468% CAGR over the past five years.
“We are proud to be named for a second year as one of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50” said David Ludvigson, President and Chief Operating Officer for Nanogen. “We have made great strides focusing on our core diagnostic products and developing new partnerships that have resulted in continuing rapid growth.”
Nanogen has introduced industry-leading diagnostic tools for two of the fastest growing in vitro diagnostic (IVD) markets—molecular diagnostics and point-of-care rapid testing. The company’s products include rapid diagnostic tests for cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure, and DNA or RNA tests for specific infectious diseases. The company has a strong intellectual proprietary portfolio, including their minor groove binder (MGB) technology which has been widely licensed in molecular biology fields and has proven to provide better results than traditional PCR probe technology.
In August, Nanogen announced its intention to merge with The Elitech Group, a private diagnostics company based in France. The combination will create a global IVD provider of products spanning the molecular, point-of-care, clinical chemistry and microbiology diagnostics markets with expected first year revenues of more than $150 million. This year’s ranking is based on 2003 – 2007 numbers and does not reflect the company’s 2008 performance or the prospective merger.
“To rank on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50, companies must have phenomenal revenue growth over five years,” said Theresa Drew, managing partner, San Diego Practice, Deloitte & Touche LLP. “Nanogen has proven to be one of the fast-growth success stories in San Diego and we applaud their dedication to making their vision a reality.”
About Nanogen, Inc. Nanogen provides innovative, high-quality diagnostic products to clinicians, physicians and researchers worldwide, making it easier to predict, diagnose and, ultimately, help treat disease in a timely fashion. The company's products include molecular diagnostic kits and reagents and kits for rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests. Nanogen has pioneered research in areas involving nanotechnology, biomarkers, and molecular biology to bring better results to diagnostics and healthcare. For additional information please visit Nanogen’s website at nanogen.com.

The State Nanotechnology Corporation, engine builder Saturn and Gazprombank signed a contract Wednesday to create a joint venture that will build equipment for the aviation and engineering industries.
The agreement, worth an estimated 1 billion rubles ($38.3 million), is the first deal for the nanotechnology corporation since President Dmitry Medvedev asked former UES chief Anatoly Chubais to head the company, also known as Rosnano, last month.
"This project will be highly effective financially," Rosnano managing director Sergei Polikarpov said in a statement. "The creation of a metal-cutting tool with a nanostructure covering marks a significant contribution to the competitiveness of Russian engine building."
The special coating will allow the tools to be used up to a dozen times, while going through more than double the amount of metal they are normally able to cut, the statement said.
Chubais was on hand to sign the agreement with Saturn CEO Yury Lastochkin and Gazprombank vice president Anatoly Milyukov.
Both Saturn and Gazprombank will have 25 percent stakes, while Rosnano will invest half the total sum.
The company, which will manufacture hard-alloy tools to detail parts for airplane engines, will base its production at a Saturn facility in Rybinsk, in the Yaroslavl region.
Saturn is expected to consume up to 30 percent of annual production, while the rest will be sold to domestic manufacturers. Lastochkin said the venture would consider the possibility of eventually entering the international market.
Asked how the ongoing financial crisis would affect Rosnano, Chubais said he expected it would spur an increased appetite for innovation.
"I'd say this crisis is the worst since the Great Depression. We shouldn't dismiss it as if we don't care or aren't worried. We do care."

In partnership with Virginia State University, Chesterfield County Public Schools will host a visiting science author. Nanotechnology specialist Richard A.L. Jones will work with Chesterfield students for two days and lead a panel discussion that is open to the public.
Nanotechnology involves working with matter at the atomic or molecular level to develop devices no larger than 100 nanometers. Jones is a professor of physics at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, a Fellow of the Royal Society (England's highest scientific honor), a prominent adviser on public policy and the author of "Soft Machines: Nanotechnology and Life," a book that explains to the average person the science and potential of nanotechnology.
Students at several high schools have read "Soft Machines" to prepare for Jones' visit. On Oct. 20, he will work with Monacan High students, then will spend the afternoon with teachers at the MathScience Innovation Center. On Oct. 21, Jones will work with Lloyd C. Bird High students and teachers.
His visit to the county will conclude with a panel discussion from 7-9 p.m. on Oct. 21 in the auditorium of Lloyd C. Bird High School, 10301 Courthouse Road. The community is invited to attend this event, along with county students, teachers and parents. Jones will discuss his book, panel members will comment and audience members may ask questions. Admission is free, and registration is not required.
"Interacting with Dr. Jones is a wonderful opportunity for our students," said Dr. Jeremy Lloyd, the school system's instructional specialist for science. "This is the first time since 2003 that we have collaborated with Virginia State University to bring in a prominent science author, and we are delighted to renew this partnership with such a high-caliber scientist."

Europe is ready to accelerate development of these technologies, as delegates heard at a recent conference, Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy, organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF) in partnership with Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung in Österreich (FWF) and the Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck (LFUI).
The conference focused on solar rather than other sustainable energy sources such as wind, because that is where nanotechnology is most applicable and also because solar energy conversion holds the greatest promise as a long-term replacement of fossil fuels. Solar energy can be harvested directly to generate electricity or to yield fuels such as hydrogen for use in engines. Such fuels can also in turn be used indirectly to generate electricity in conventional power stations.
"The potential of solar power is much, much larger in absolute numbers than that of wind," said Professor Bengt Kasemo from Chalmers University of Technology and the chair of the ESF conference. However, like wind, the potential of solar power generation varies greatly across time and geography, being confined to the daytime and less suitable for regions in higher latitudes, such as Scandinavia and Siberia. For this reason there is growing interest in the idea of a global electricity grid according to Kasemo.
"If solar energy is harvested where it is most abundant, and distributed on a global net (easy to say - and a hard but not impossible task to do) it will be enough to replace a large fraction of today's fossil-based electricity generation," said Kasemo. "It also would solve the day/night problem and therefore reduce storage needs because the sun always shines somewhere."
In the immediate future, solid state technologies based on silicon are likely to predominate the production (manufacture) of solar cells, but DSC and other "runners ups" are likely to lower costs in the long term, using cheaper semiconductor materials to produce robust flexible sheets strong enough to resist buffeting from hail for example. Although less efficient than the very best silicon or thin film cells using current technology, their better price/performance has led the European Union to predict that DSCs will be a significant contributor to renewable energy production in Europe by 2020. The DSC was invented by Michael Grätzel, one of the speakers and vice chair at the ESF conference.
The key point to emerge from the ESF conference, though, is that there will be growing choice and competition between emerging nanotechnology-based solar conversion technologies. "I think the important fact is that there is strong competition and that installed solar power is growing very rapidly, albeit from a small base," said Kasemo."This will push prices down and make solar electricity more and more competitive."
Some of the most exciting of these alternatives lie in the field of biomimetics, which involves mimicking processes that have been perfected in biological organisms through eons of evolution. Plants and a class of bacteria, cyanobacteria, have evolved photosynthesis, involving the harvesting of light and the splitting of water into electrons and protons to provide a stream of energy that in turn produces the key molecules of life. Photosynthesis can potentially be harnessed either in genetically-engineered organisms, or completely artificial human-made systems that mimic the processes, to produce carbon-free fuels such as hydrogen. Alternatively, photosynthesis could be tweaked to produce fuels such as alcohol or even hydrocarbons that do contain carbon molecules but recycle them from the atmosphere and therefore make no net contribution to carbon dioxide levels above ground.
Biomimetics could also solve the longstanding problem of how to store large amounts of electricity efficiently. This could finally open the floodgates for electrically-powered vehicles by enabling them at last to match the performance and range of their petrol or diesel-based counterparts. One highlight of the ESF conference was a presentation by Angela Belcher, who played a major role in pioneering nanowires made from viruses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
However, commercial realisation of biomimetic and other emerging technologies lies far in the future. But meantime, as delegates heard from several speakers at the ESF conference, nanotechnology has an important contribution to make, improving the efficiency of existing energy-generating systems during the transition from fossil fuels. For example, Robert Schlögl outlined how nano-scale catalysts can be used to improve the efficiency of engines or systems consuming fossil fuels.
Inspired by such presentations, delegates at the conference were unanimous in calling for a follow up. "The conference was regarded as a real success and a new proposal for a conference in 2010 (chaired by Grätzel) will soon be submitted," said Kasemo. "In particular the conference inspired and educated young people, such as doctors, students, postdocs, young researchers, who will be the ones to realise the potential of nanotechnology for sustainable energy."
The ESF-FWF conference in Partnership with LFUI on NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY was held at the Universitätszentrum Obergurgl, near Innsbruck in Austria during June 2008.