Bigger Than Antibiotics

And the medical applications are only a small part of this emerging technology.

Nanotechnology brings risk, benefits

By Than Tibbetts

anotechnology could someday result in drugs that act instantly, cancer treatments that attack tumors directly and chemical markers that track a single cell through the body. But as with any emerging technology, risks run as deep as the rewards. Nanoscale compounds — on the order of a millionth of a millimeter — behave much differently than compounds at ordinary scales. The Nanotechnology-Biology Interface conference at Cowles Auditorium on Thursday looked at how these bleeding-edge technologies affect everything from health and safety hazards to government regulation and the insurance industry.