New Haven Independent

Nanotech

How Long Have We Been Eating Nanoparticles?

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | May 16, 2012 12:30 pm | Comments (1)

(NHI Nanoblog) Consumer and health advocates have consistently raised questions about the potential addition of ultra-tiny materials to boost the flavor, texture or freshness of food. But what if nanoparticles are already in what we’re eating?

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“Silicon Forest” Offers Clues

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | May 14, 2012 2:00 pm

PORTLAND, Ore.—The Portland State University Business Accelerator sits in a nondescript, brick and cement block building hard up against Interstate 5. There’s a view of the nearby Willamette River, but the foreground is all cars and city trappings.

The point of this stripped-down center isn’t the aesthetics. Its appeal lies in the pricetag. In this spot, start-up companies are able to slip into laboratory space on the cheap, and access business and technical advice, too.

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The Challenge: Boost Nano, Create Jobs

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | May 9, 2012 11:58 am

PORTLAND, Ore.—How do you marry the drive for innovation to the need for new—and well-paid—jobs?

A phalanx of federal officials who work on research, development and policy involving super-small materials came to the City of Roses last week to ponder that question. They were joined by people from all over the country—Utah, Oklahoma and Arizona were just a few of the home addresses—who are in the economic development and education trenches.

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Federal Nano Effort Wins Praise, Gets Homework Assignment

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | May 8, 2012 12:10 pm

(NHI Nanoblog) A recent advisory report for President Obama praises the National Nanotechnology Initiative for its efforts, but gives the multi-agency project some homework, too.

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Senator Seeks To Keep Nano On The Radar

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | May 3, 2012 1:30 pm

PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden has been one of nanotechnology’s champions inside the U.S. Capitol. Amid the chaos of an election year and a long list of priorities, he wants to keep science research on the radar screen—with an extra eye on safety.

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“Do Good Science”

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | Apr 30, 2012 3:26 pm

With ultra-tiny silver particles turning up in everything from toothpaste to plastic food containers, researchers are eager to understand any potential impacts on people, animals or the environment. But can they get there when the substance itself is so dynamic?

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FDA To Manufacturers: Let’s Talk

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | Apr 25, 2012 12:15 pm

In a move aimed at ensuring the safety of consumer products that contain ultra-tiny super-materials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released tentative guidelines to help manufacturers of food ingredients and cosmetics stay in line with the law.

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Tiny Particles Hurt Plant DNA

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | Apr 20, 2012 7:00 am

(NHI Nanoblog) Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, have found that super-small copper oxide particles can pile up in plants—and stunt their growth, adding to the questions over whether nanomaterials pose a risk to the food chain.

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Green Chemistry Guru Comes Home

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | Apr 19, 2012 11:43 am

It was a moment that most research scientists will never experience: Nearly two years ago, an angry citizen rose from an audience full of Louisianans coping with a massive oil spill that threatened their way of life. An accusation flew at Paul Anastas, then a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official: You don’t care enough about how much this is hurting us.

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Super-Small Particles May Travel Up The Food Chain

by Gwyneth K. Shaw | Apr 9, 2012 7:11 am

(NHI Nanoblog) Swedish researchers have found that ultra-tiny particles can survive through the food chain—from algae to zooplankton to fish—raising questions about the long-term impact of the increasing use of nanoparticles in everyday products.

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