EU to fund major nanomedicine survey

The European Union (EU) is funding a major survey of nanomedicine, exploring the potential of this emerging technology and advising on its regulation.

The EU is spending Euro 700,000 on this NANOMED project, utilising experts from Britain's Council for Science and Technology (CST) and Genetic Interest Group Ltd, along with Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany, and the French Atomic Energy Commission.

The CST's Professor Sir John Beringer told a European Commission briefing note that the resulting report - available by December - would include "the first accurate projections of market size and potential" for nanomedicine. It will make recommendations regarding public and private sector decision-making over nanomedical innovations.