| Posted: August 5, 2010 |
RTI International to develop nanomaterials registry |
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(Nanowerk News) Scientists at RTI International will develop a registry for nanomaterials as part of a new contract from the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
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Under terms of the federally funded three-year contract, worth $2,889,367, researchers at RTI will establish a web-based registry that will provide curated information on the biological and environmental interactions of well-characterized nanomaterials.
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The registry is being designed to facilitate data validation and data quality improvement of nanomaterials; enhance the development of new models, assays, standards, and manufacturing methods; and accelerate the translation of new nanomaterials for biomedical and environmental applications.
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"Nanotechnology research and applications run a wide gamut, and only a centralized resource can address such diverse activities as regulation, product development, and environmental remediation," said Michele Ostraat, Ph.D., senior director of the Center for Aerosol Technology at RTI and the project's principal investigator. "This registry will allow for the integration of diverse data sources in this field."
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The registry will also engage scientists in the nanomaterials community to promote common nanomaterials standards and to identify reliable information that can be used in regulatory decision making.
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Global government funding in nanotechnology has grown tremendously, from less than $1 billion in 2000 to $8.4 billion in 2008. Industrial investments have also grown from less than $900 million in 2000 to $8.6 billion in 2008.
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RTI will work with industry groups, standards organizations and government agencies to develop and validate the registry.
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As an entirely federally funded project, partnering organizations also include the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the National Cancer Institute.
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