Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
BOX 29.1
A SPECIAL CASE OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY: NANOMEDICINE
One. of. the. ields. associated. closely. with. nanobiotechnology. is. the. emerging. ield.
of. nanomedicine.. “The. early. genesis. of. the. concept. of. nanomedicine. sprang. from.
the. visionary. idea. that. tiny. nanorobots. and. related. machines. could. be. designed,.
manufactured,. and. introduced. into. the. human. body. to. perform. cellular. repairs. at.
the. molecular. level.. Nanomedicine. today. has. branched. out. in. hundreds. of. differ-
ent.directions,.each.of.them.embodying.the.key.insight.that.the.ability.to.structure.
materials.and.devices.at.the.molecular.scale.can.bring.enormous.immediate.beneits.
in.the.research.and.practice.of.medicine.(Freitas.2005:.p..2).”
From.antibiofouling.surfaces.to.supercomputers.that.diagnose.ailments.faster.than.
a.team.of.specialists,.nanomedicine.is.going.to.have.wide-ranging.inluence.on.pub-
lic.health.and.human.disease.prevention,.diagnosis,.and.treatment.(Weber.2011)..The.
next.generation.of.medical.doctors.will.need.to.understand.how.nanoscale.materials.
interact.with.the.body's.tissues.to.understand.teratogenic.effects.as.well.as.therapeu-
tic.beneits..Currently,.Northeasten.University.and.the.CNSE.have.programs.focused.
on.nanomedicine.
scientists. in. related. but. different. ields.. At. the. CNSE,. courses. for. nanobiotechnologists.
are.taught.that.focus.on.the.scientiic.language,.scientiic.content,.concerns,.and.culture.of.
medical.practitioners.and.public.health.specialists.to.enhance.collaboration.and.commu-
nication.between.doctors.and.engineers.
In. addition,. the. commercialization. of. nanobiotechnologies. requires. effective. commu-
nication. across. sectors.. Researchers. from. industry. and. academia. must. have. an. under-
standing.of.the.cultures.and.requirements.of.the.other.sector.to.better.communicate.the.
importance. of. issues. that. arise. in. the. technology. transfer. process.. Finally,. intercultural.
communication.is.critical.for.the.advancement.of.the.ield..The.development.and.manufac-
turing.of.nanobiotechnology.is.an.international.effort..Researchers.need.to.be.able.to.work.
with.their.peers.in.other.countries.
Nanobiotechnology. will. likely. be. under. intense. regulatory. scrutiny. as. products. are.
developed.(Busch.and.Lloyd.2008)..Researchers.commercializing.technologies.will.need.
to.be.able.to.communicate.their.work.to.regulators.and.the.public.in.a.manner.that.shows.
that.the.beneits.outweigh.the.potential.risks.(Berube.2006)..They.will.need.to.be.able.to.
produce.the.quality.assurance.and.documentation.that.will.be.required.as.nanobiotech-
nologies.develop.
29.3.13 Social, Legal, and ethical issues
Nanobiotechnology.products.will.be.developed.for.medical,.agricultural,.environmental,.
and.food.production.applications..These.applications.have.the.potential.to.affect.human.
health. and. the. environment.. Researchers. in. nanobiotechnology. will. need. to. keep. the.
social.and.ethical.issues.associated.with.this.technology.at.the.forefront.of.their.mind.as.
these.technologies.evolve..Nanobiotechnologists.should.be.familiar.with.the.larger.scale.
implications.of.their.work.on.biological.systems..They.must.also.be.trained.on.the.regula-
tory.process.associated.with.nanoscale.biological.technologies..An.understanding.of.this.
process.will.help.them.achieve.compliance.and.avoid.regulatory.pitfalls.in.the.commer-
cialization.of.technologies.
