Post on 22-Aug-2020
Environment, Health & Safety (and Ethics)and the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Sandip TiwariNNIN Director
Science and Engineering as social forcephysical and life sciences, and complexity
Self-regulation and regulationCitizen scientist in pursuit of knowledge (and wealth)
Broader Scientific PursuitFostering of Ideas, Development of Citizen scientists, Knowledge sharing & Commercialization
Research/Service/Breadth/OutreachOpenness, Learning, Complementarity, … National and International:
Diversity of InterestsGlobalization
Challenges:Science and Engineering in the Modern World World and the AcademyAcademy and Change
Citizen Scientist in the Modern World
Chemistry
Some Actual & Potential “Nano” Impact Areas!
ElectronicsLogicMemoryAnalog…
MaterialsStructuralCoatingsInorganic-Organic…
EnergyCatalysisStoragePhotovoltaics…
Medical DiagnosticsPersonalizedHigh Sensitivity…
Medical TreatmentLocalized In situNon-Invasive…
Drug DiscoveryRapid SortingBioInformaticsRapid Prototyping…
Society
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The Ammonia Process
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High pressure catalysis
Fritz Haber also worked on “chemical” weapons for World War 1
www.nndb.com
Fritz Haber
Fertilizers
Water
Rio Grandehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande
At Creede, CO; fishermen heaven – trouts: large brown, brook & cutthroat
In El PasoJ. Faucett
In Mexicoscribalterror.blogs.com/.../2007/07/20/aral.jp
And where there is still plenty of water: Algae Blooms
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Excessive and indiscriminate use
Technology - Third World
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Thin film display screens and pc boardsPlastics – bags, packaging, …
Risks and Ethics and Time ScalesFission and Fusion
& today’s nuclear terror issues
A 50 Years Old Story: Thalidomide
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H. Sjostrom and R. Nilsson
Diazepam (Valium) Barbital (Veronal)
Thalidomide
Chemie Grunental:Antibiotics and modified penicillinspost-war Germany
Drugs didn’t need to show efficacy or safety in any great detail
Successful sedatives of 1950’s
W. Kunz
4 different groupsChiralEnantiomers, nonsuperimposable mirror images
Researchers convinced themselves that thalidomide had good sedative properties and was good for suppressing respiratory infection
Physicians published articles testifying utility from “data” supplied by drug manufacturer- CG & licensees across the continents , including in US
1959: first reports of severe neurological damage, neuritis, …
Denials & attempts to stifle public reporting of symptoms
1960: reports of phocomelia: malformed newborns8000 children with severe defects in 60-61
Banned shortly thereafter
Lessons!
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None of the individuals involved protested. System failed. Science and medicine failed.
Remedy has to come from legislation, drug testing, …
Sales
MalformationsEconomics & its dark side: greed
Abysmal Science
Thorough testing entirely missing –the world knew that rabbit fetus can not break down quinine while adult rabbit liver does
Science as a system can likely survive sloppiness, hype, and maybe even fraud. Nano has its share.But science that touches human lives absolutely cannot be bad.
Medicine: Another Step Up in Complexity
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WSJ, Health & Wellness, Sep 22(2009)
Nixon’s War on Cancer
Cycles of euphoria & despair; prospects and sobering reality
Misconceived rhetoric & execution
A huge superstructure of centers, hospitals, expensive ineffective drugs, …
Directed research without basic biological understanding
Deaths due to cancer continue to steadily increase
And an Ethical Question
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October, 2009 issue
Brave New World a la Huxley?
or
Shall we use Vonnegut handicapping a la 1960’s story?
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Thalidomide: inhibits HIV-1, useful for leprosy (e.g. legal in Brazil)
Nitric Oxide: air pollutant but also an absolutely natural neurotransmitter
Ozone: absorbs UV when in the stratosphere but at sea level destroys plants life and tissue
Scientists have the absolute responsibility for thinking about the uses of their creation, and the abuses by others
And they must do everything possible to bring those dangers and abuses before the public
It is their responsibility to humanity – this is what makes scientists human
Nuclear: a major potential source of energy, witness the clean environment of France
Healthcare Challenge
Tiwari_04_2009_Engineering ppt April 3 2009
2 Photon, TeraHertz, Nanoparticles imaging, Targeted drug delivery, …
Personalized Sensing, Microfluidics, Mini NMR, …
Diagnosis Complexity,Treatment ComplexityTools ComplexityKnowledge Complexity
Time
Patient need and Usefulness of Performance
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AcademeKnowledge creation
EducationHuman resource
Society: Citizen scientistOpenness
IndustryR&D CommercializationScaleProfits & profitabilitySecrecy
EHS: Complexity of EffectsAn open environment for experimentation, testing and creation of knowledge in which society has increased trust even while balancing the inherent conflict of values of openness and secrecy
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Bringing together Interdisciplinary groups with different intellectual strengths and cultures, and appropriate resources, needs a different model of research and development than largely practiced to this point in this country.
Inter-Disciplinary Research Efforts
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University ofWashington
Cornell
Penn State
U. Texas
Stanford
UCSB
HarvardMinnesota
Michigan
Howard
GeorgiaTech
ArizonaState
Organic/inorganic interfacesBiosciencesFlexible ElectronicsLocal high technology companiesLarge Hispanic and Native American population
WashingtonUniversity
Nanoinstrumentation for health and environmentNanomaterialsHighly rated
Environmental EngineeringMedicine and Life SciencesPublic Health
Univ. of Colorado
Precision engineeringEnergyLocal connections to NIST and NRELLocal high technology companies
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) Mar 2009 -
Inter-Disciplinary Research EffortsNNIN facilities
Example: Cornell Nanoscale Facility
Open 24 hoursUser conducts projectOpen independent equal accessAffordableTraining and sharing of knowledge
All branches of engineering, physical and life sciences, grad students, industry researchers, working under one roof together while maintaining individual control.
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NNIN
Society & Ethics
Research & Development Support
Technical leadership responsibilities at sites
Open culture External user focus
Staff & Domain expertsGeographic diversity
Advanced scientific computation and
modeling support focused on interdisciplinary
problems & experimentation
National & local activities across age groups and emphasis
on diverse undergraduate and
graduate development
Development of societal and ethical consciousness
within NNIN community throughout all of its
activities, and leverage national and infrastructure scope for studies and for
dissemination
NNIN Research Infrastructure Mission:Enable rapid advancements in science, engineering and technology at the nano-scale by efficient access to nanotechnology infrastructure
In Computation & Modeling, and Society & Ethics, provide compelling unique offerings that complement other national efforts and that draw from network’s national strengths
R&D supported: ~$500M
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NNIN Research Users Users from diverse disciplines
Users with different specialized and integrated technical needs
Users from diverse institutions
NNIN network model permits effective & efficient service
>50 lrg companies >200 sm. companies
>5200 from 180 institutions (2008-09)
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NNIN’s Scientific ImpactFundamental Measurements
Quantum KickbackSchwab
Molecular Scale
Self Assembly
Supra-Molecular Scale
Applications transistors & mem
Quorum Sensing, Austin
Neuroprobes
Zero-mode
Single SpinRugar
SWNT
Nanotubes
Molecular-Scale Transport Studies, Ralph
100 nm thick shaft
1 µm thickmass loading
single-electron transistor
116 MHz beam
1 m
Displacement measurement, Cleland
Across Molecules, Reed
CNT Mechanical Oscillations
2 m
Resonant Virus Detection, Ilic
Adhesion, Kenny
Organ models, Schuler
Liquid Si
Host Substrate
Device Layer 1
Device Layer 2
Device Layer 3
Device Layer 4
3D electronics
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Infrastructure made possible by
• NSF funds • User fees• University contribution
of equipped laboratories
• Other programs• Gifts • Competitive awards
Infrastructure made possible by
• NSF funds • User fees• University contribution
of equipped laboratories
• Other programs• Gifts • Competitive awards
What makes this possible?
User centric culture and procedures
InformationProcesses and
expertise
Research Development>4300 publications/year
>3800 academic users/year
350+ companies
Equipment850 major tools
Staff~150 FTE
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A Summary
NNIN now has 14 institutions and an expanded technical focus Environment and public health – Washington University in St Louis
Organic/Electronic interface – Arizona State University
Precision Sciences and Engineering & Energy; University of Colorado
During Mar. 2008 – Feb. 2009 >5200 users
>4300 graduate students from 180 academic institutions, 250 companies, federal labs and international
>1600 new users trained
supported > 1000 PhD awards
>4300 publications
~Average annual academic user fee: ~$3300
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NNIN Education Program
>750 student and professional participants/year(2-3 day hands-on events) >10,000
visitors to NNIN educational events
Globally-aware leadership skills for US Grad Students
For 3rd to 6th
grades10,000-100,000 webvisits /monthPrinted copies used in classrooms
Lab exposure to ~700 high-schoolers/yr>500 urm & other undergrads/year
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Parting Thoughts
Science & Engineering in the modern world cannot remain isolated from the society
Our creations are the dominant force and we cannot control them once discovered Cannot anticipate the myriad ways they will be used
Complex interactions – physical and natural
And in time
And the ones with life science impact are directly human
Public health, safety, environment, ethics, global, … in the mix
A responsible societal environment necessary to understand and to effectively regulate
Academe and industry have quite different motives “Nano”’s impact – positive or negative – need thorough understanding
Openness – wherever the studies take us using the best knowledge and techniques available – is critical to understanding the bright and dark
Academe is the suitable environment for pursuing such studies
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Best wishes to Washington University in this noble effort
And thank you NSF for supporting this direction
BackUps
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Chemicals
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In 109 kg In 109 kgSulfuric acid 39.62 Nitric acid 7.99Ethylene 25.15 Ammonium nitrate 7.49Lime 20.12 Urea 6.96Phosphoric acid 16.16 Ethylbenzene 5.97
Ammonia 15.03 Styrene 5.41Propylene 14.45 Hydrogen chloride 4.34Chlorine 12.01 Ethylene oxide 3.87Sodium hydroxide 10.99 Cumene 3.74
Sodium carbonate 10.21 Ammonium sulfate 2.60
Ethylene chloride 9.92 1,3-Butadiene 2.01
Chemical and Engineering News (2001)