| Ethical concerns
in nanotechnology: studies and discussion of toxicology
at the nanoscale |
Given
the emergence of nanotechnology as a new area of
active research in engineering, few have considered
the toxicological impact on humans of the widespread
use of nanoparticles. These particles may be delivered
deliberately into the body for biotechnological
applications or may be a byproduct of accidental
environmental release and exposure. Nanoparticles
are of particular interest because several studies
have shown that the smaller the foreign particle
the higher the rate of DNA damage to living organisms.
It is also unclear how practical personal protective
equipment can be designed against such small particles.
A collaborative effort between the Dahl and
the Islam groups examines the toxicological
effects of well-characterized carbon nanotubes,
which have been developed for technological application
as well as machined nanoparticles, but are less
characterized and more appropriate to model accidental
exposure. The UG student will devote approximately
25% of the effort to experimentally investigate
cell toxicity and proliferation during exposure
to nanoparticles. Most of the student's effort
would be in researching available data on nanoparticle
toxicity and on the ethical concerns associated
with new technologies, specifically nanotechnologies.
Additional resources on defining ethical frameworks
are available from Indira Nair in Engineering and
Public Policy and Peter Madsen in the Philosophy
Department, who enthusiastically support ethics
programs at Carnegie Mellon. Centers such as Center
for Nano-enabled Device and Energy Technologies
CNXT at Carnegie Mellon will provide additional
resources for discussion and will aid in dissemination
of the work. |
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