To understand the unknown future of nanotechnology, our panel of scientists will explore what we have learned in the last decade about the inherent risks of engineered nanomaterials'to workers, the public, and the environment due to their uniquely small size. In addition, Framing the Unknown will explore the key scientific challenges that await us over the next ten years as we continue to develop an understanding of the central issues controlling the health and safety risks of nanomaterials.

Regulatory agencies in the U.S. are charged with navigating through the ever-changing world of nanotechnology, keeping up with the latest science, and protecting the public's safety. While the scope and nature of potential risks from nanotechnology are still unknown, the task of establishing nano regulations has been difficult. The nanoEHS Perspective explores the progress of what regulators have achieved to date, and what direction the new administration's U.S. regulatory agencies (including OSHA, EPA, FDA, and CPSC) are taking to move towards developing safety regulations for nano products.

The nanoEHS Perspective also addresses the challenges corporations face when seeking ways to profitably commercialize science in ways that can be insured while complying with regulatory frameworks. More than ever, corporations are striving to get ahead of the occupational and environmental health and safety issues involved with the business of nanotechnology and undertake voluntary, progressive efforts to assure that the public's safety concerns are addressed. By taking this step forward, corporations use the tools of molecular engineering to develop products that are intrinsically safer-by-design.