Expert Witness Blog
Vicki Colvin, executive director of the International Council on Nanotechnology, told the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology Wednesday that nanotechnology holds great promise for the future of cancer therapy and water treatment. Colvin, also director of Rice University’s Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, said however, that concerns about the safety of nanoproducts may limit important technological developments. Colvin was an expert witness at the hearing “Research on Environmental and Safety Impacts of Nanotechnology.” The hearing relates to the current direction of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). The technology expert witness also said:
‘There is an urgency to nano-EHS research that affects the entire NNI investment,” she said. “Innovation in nanotechnology is being threatened by the uncertainty about its risks. We need this innovation more than ever right now.’ She called on the National Nanotechnology Initiative to release a detailed strategy for nano-EHS research no later than fall 2008.
To read the full text of Colvin’s remarks, visit http://icon.rice.edu.