UCLA, partners establish new center on environmental effects of nano...(ty materials science nanotechnology the ...)

The UC CEIN will serve a critical national need to further understanding of the environmental health and safety of nanomaterials. The CNSI at UCLA will serve as the major base of operations for the new center, with a second major hub at UC Santa Barbara.

"The new centers will provide national and international leadership in the emerging field of environmental nanoscience," said Arden L. Bement Jr., director of the National Science Foundation. "This is an important addition to the National Nanotechnology Initiative and builds on earlier discoveries on the environmental implications of nanotechnology, made since 2001, when the NSF's Center for Biological and Environmental Technologies was established. The new centers are aimed at strengthening our nation's commitment to research on the environmental, health and safety implications of nanomaterials."

"The collaborative approach that these centers will use is key to quickly building the scientific foundation for understanding the health and environmental implications of nanomaterials," said George Gray, the Environmental Protection Agency's assistant administrator for research and development. "This comprehensive research model promises to augment the knowledge we need to be good stewards of the environment."

The UC CEIN will unite recognized experts in the fields of engineering, chemistry, physics, materials science, ecology, cell biology, marine biology, bacteriology, particle and chemical toxicology, computer modeling, high-throughput screening, and risk prediction to establish the foundation of a new scientific discipline: environmental nanotechnology and nanotoxicology.

"A significant part of our mission is to use the insights gained from the research conducted at the UC CEIN to inform policy decisions about the safe implementation of
'/>"/>