Research Councils UK welcomes the research on the pathogenicity of carbon nanotubes published in Nature Nanotechnology today. It has great significance to the Research Councils particularly in the context of our new cross council programme, NanoScience through Engineering to Application.
Commenting on the research, Professor Richard Jones, the Research Councils' Senior Strategic Advisor for Nanotechnology, said, "The results of this well conceived and executed research confirm the possibility that some nanotubes could be potentially hazardous. Not all nanotubes are the same, and the research is valuable in clarifying which types would be most likely to lead to risks if they were to be directly inhaled. Those nanotubes that are found in niche applications today are generally incorporated in composite materials, in which form they are unlikely to pose a risk to users. However, we need to make sure that any more widespread use of nanotubes in the future doesn’t lead to risks for workers, consumers or the environment; future research needs to clarify what routes of exposure and what levels of dose would be needed to cause toxic effects."
John Wand, manager of the NanoScience through Engineering to Application Programme, said, "Nanotubes are a promising area of enquiry but just one of many streams of nanoscience research and caution should be used in forming any judgements about the impact of other nanotechnologies. Nevertheless, the Research Councils are committed not only to supporting exciting new scientific opportunities in the area and to ensuring that the many potential benefits of the innovations are explored but also that any health or environmental concerns are actively addressed".
Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionise society and could lead to environmental, healthcare and energy benefits, and major advances in materials, optics and computing. The first tranche of funding through the NanoScience through Engineering to Application Programme has provided £6.5 million to explore new methods of harvesting solar energy, for example by developing new types of solar cells.
The new cross-Council nanotechnology programme is one in a range of 6 new thematic programmes that the Research Councils are committed to over the next Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 period, bringing together partners from the research community in an unprecedented effort, using novel and multidisciplinary approaches to help solve the global challenges of the next 10 to 20 years.
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Contact
Toni-Jo Henderson
RCUK Media Officer.
Tel: 01793 444023
Notes to editors
- 'Carbon nanotubes introduced into the abdominal cavity of mice show asbestos like pathogenicity' in a pilot study, is published in Nature Nanoscience, 20 May 2008.
- Nanoscience is the science of the very small, on the scale of one billionth of a metre. At this scale some materials behave radically different from larger forms of the same substances, and can offer huge potential economic, health and environmental benefits.
Major Research Council investments in Nanoscience
Under the NanoScience through Engineering to Application, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is investing £9 million for research involving carbon nanotubes. Most of this relates to electronic properties, which would use much shorter nanotubes of the kind shown in this research so as not to fall into the asbestos paradigm.
EPSRC research investment in nanotube synthesis and their use in composite materials, amounts to around £2 million.
Professor Richard Jones of the University of Sheffield was appointed as Senior Strategic Advisor for Nanotechnology to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as of 1 June 2007. Professor Jones spends 3 days per week advising EPSRC on the development and implementation of its Nanotechnology Strategy. He also acts as an advocate for nanotechnology and for EPSRC both within the UK and internationally.
The Medical Research Council has awarded approximately £2 million to support research projects that aim to determine the potential hazards and risks to human health posed by the products of nanotechnologies. A significant award is to Professor Donaldson from the MRC/University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research who has received a grant of £478,000 to investigate the inflammatory effects of nano-sized particles on lung cells.
For details of the MRC Nanotoxicology Policy Highlight Notice visit the MRC website: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/ApplyingforaGrant/HighlightNotices/Nanotoxicology/index.htm
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) provides funding for nanoscience research under two partnership programmes - the Environment and Human Health Programme and the Environmental Nanoscience Initiative. In addition to an MRC grant, Professor Donaldson has also received funding of £109,000 through the Environment and Human Health Programme for an exploratory study to determine if analysis of chemical structure can be used to predict toxicological activity in nanoparticles.
About the Research Councils' cross-Council programmes
The Research Councils fund world-class research with successive studies demonstrating the quality of the UK research base and the UK's strong international performance. Novel, multidisciplinary approaches are needed to solve many, if not all, of the big research challenges over the next 10 to 20 years. To achieve this, RCUK will coordinate the delivery of multidisciplinary research in six priority areas.
The six priority areas are:
- Energy;
- Living With Environmental Change (LWEC);
- Global Uncertainties: security for all in a changing world;
- Ageing: Life Long Health and Wellbeing;
- Digital economy;
- NanoScience through Engineering to Application.
Each programme is important in terms of the knowledge and skilled people which will be generated, and has significant potential for delivering economic impact. Effective coordination of the programmes through RCUK will accelerate delivery of benefits and economic impact. Other multidisciplinary priority areas are being taken forward bi/tri-laterally by Councils.
About Research Councils UK
The seven Research Councils are independent non-departmental public bodies, funded by the Science Budget through the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). They are incorporated by Royal Charter and together manage a research budget of over £2.8 billion a year.
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the partnership between the UK's seven Research Councils. Through RCUK, the Research Councils work together to champion the research, training and innovation they support.
The seven UK Research Councils are:
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
- Medical Research Council (MRC);
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
- Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC).