Russia Pledges $1B to Nanotech Research

Last Wednesday President Vladimir Putin announced a $1B initiative to fund nanotech research and aid companies with investments in the science. The money would also help transform the Kurchatov nuclear institute into the hub for Russian nanotech research. The initiative stems from Russia's massive oil and gas export and is intended, according to Minister Sergei Ivanov, to diversify an economy now heavily dependent on raw materials. The money is in addition to the approximately $5.8B that Russia has already devoted to nanotech research.

Ivanov, who will head the budgeting of the nanotechnology initiative, predicted that 90% of the money will go to fund civilian applications, with the rest going toward the military. Putin added that “No doubt, nanotechnologies will become a key industry for the creation of ultra-modern and ultra-effective offensive and defensive weapons, as well as means of communications.”

This last quote certainly compels concern, especially given the strained relations between the United States and Russia as of late. With all the attention being given to the health concerns of domestic nanotechnology manufacturing, it seems that the threat of nanotech-enabled weaponry has been overshadowed.

Below are some links to articles regarding nanoweapons:
CRNano.com
Janes.com
Newsmax.com

NEWS: UN calls for tighter Nanoparticle Controls

The U.N. Environmental Program (UNEP) sited nanotechnology in its Global Environmental Outlook annual report for 2007. In the report, they call for tighter regulation of nanoparticles in light of the high rate of projected growth of the nanotech industry in the next decade.

In the report, UNEP claims that "It is not clear whether current regulatory frameworks are adequate to deal with the special characteristics of nanotechnology. To date no government has developed a regulatory framework specific to nanotechnology. A balanced approach is required to maximize benefits while minimizing risks"(SOURCE: unep.org). The report calls for better global cooperation between countries and industries with testing and regulatory policy and increased education of the benefits and risks of nanotech to the common population.

Berkely, CA is currently the only city in the U.S. with nanotechnology regulations in place, though the city council of Cambridge, MA has recently discussed bringing about similar regulations. Regulations have tended to lie largely on the side of proactiveness rather than restrictiveness, requiring government notification of potential hazards of the nanoparticle under manipulation. Still, some claim that nanoparticle regulation need not differ from other small material regulation standards, and worry about nanotechnology regulations at a local level. While the method for regulation of nanoparticles is still up for debate, the rapid rise of nanoscale research and manufacturing calls for an eye to be turned toward its regulation.

NEWS: Let's Get Started

Today I will post my first informational post. This post will profile a new class of self-assembling protein scaffolds which can be injected into damaged tissue to promote regeneration. One lab in MIT found that injection of these "sapeptides" can result in regeneration of severed nerve fibers from the eye of hamsters, restoring vision. Just think, one day injections of these proteins may help stroke victims and Alzheimer's patients regenerate brain tissue and improve their lives.

This post will mark the start of my commitment to this blog. I hope to make 3-4 posts per week and I will provide equal coverage to the science behind nanotechnology as to the companies applying nanotechnology to better our lives.