Nanotechnology research holds such promise that we simply cannot afford to abandon it. Scientists working in nanotechnology jobs are looking at ways to enhance the products we use, the medications that treat diseases, preventative screenings and the foods we eat. The answer to a number of confounding questions can be found in tiny particles one-billionth the size of a meter. Yet, what are the risks associated with this new nano science? And who is in charge of the oversight for new products containing nano-materials? The answers just might surprise you.

A recent report (“A Hard Pill To Swallow: Barriers to Effective FDA Regulation of Nanotechnology-Based Dietary Supplements”) details some of the current problems with FDA oversights and nanotechnology research. “Historically, the regulation of dietary supplements has been a significant challenge for the FDA, and the fact that some of those products are now being manufactured using nanotechnology creates an additional layer of complexity,” explains former FDA official William B. Schultz. There is some fear among researchers that nano-materials, being so small, may have the ability to migrate into the bloodstream and directly into a cell’s nucleus. “It is not clear that the supplement industry is conducting the rigorous testing needed either to understand the effects of nanoscale ingredients in its products or to back up the product claims. This means that consumers are potentially exposed to unknown risks that should be balanced with the possible benefits of taking these supplements,” says David Rejeski, PEN’s director.

So what does the Food and Drug Administration say about nanotechnology applications? “In light of this fast-rising commercialization, the FDA needs to make certain that it has the tools, resources and information necessary to ensure the safety of novel products before they enter the market, and to detect and move swiftly to correct any problems that may arise,” says David Rejeski, director of nanotechnology research for the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN). “Given the agency’s insufficient resources, which for two decades have not kept pace with inflation, making sure that the FDA has the capacity to safely manage nanotechnology must be the shared responsibility of Congress and our political leaders. The agency must be ‘nano-ready’ for the products on the market today and able to deal with the more advanced nanotechnology applications expected in the next 5-10 years.”

In a report released this past August, David Rand, Robert Hurt and colleagues noted that exposure to large amounts of nano-particles had adverse effects on adult fruit flies. During the nanotechnology research experiment, flies injected with the contaminants transferred nano-materials to other adult flies, causing incapacitation or death. However, fly larvae and flies that simply ate nano-particles showed no such reactions. Scientists say that many more tests must be done to examine the relationship between transmission of nano-particles and long-term effects of these materials.

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