Avoiding a nanotech backlash

United Kingdom report warns of GM-style problems unless a wider public debate is started

| 2 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
2:00
Share

If companies developing nanotechnology products want to avoid being hit with the sort of backlash that crop firms have suffered over genetic modification (GM), there needs to be public debate at an earlier stage of research and development, a British think tank said on Wednesday, September 1.

In a new report from Demos, James Wilsdon and Rebecca Willis argue that companies haven't learned the lessons that GM should have taught them.

"Nanoparticles are already used in everyday products like sunscreens. But it's not clear that the lessons of GM have really hit home," they said in a statement. "The public wants to know that nanotechnologies are safe, but we also want to know who owns the technology, who will benefit from it, and how it will change our lives. Unless a meaningful debate starts soon, scientists could be facing another public backlash."

The report, produced in partnership with the Environment ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Stephen Pincock

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

sartorius logo
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo

Products

Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide

Explore a Concise Guide to Optimizing Viral Transduction

A Visual Guide to Lentiviral Gene Delivery

Takara Bio
Inventia Life Science

Inventia Life Science Launches RASTRUM™ Allegro to Revolutionize High-Throughput 3D Cell Culture for Drug Discovery and Disease Research

An illustration of differently shaped viruses.

Detecting Novel Viruses Using a Comprehensive Enrichment Panel

Twist Bio