About UC CEIN
With the rapid development of nanotechnology, a wide variety of nanomaterials are now used in clothing, electronic devices, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals and other biomedical products. The potential interactions of nanomaterials with biological systems in the environment are attracting growing attention from the public, manufacturers of nanomaterials or nano-enabled products, academic researchers and policymakers. Nanotechnology is expected to become a $1 trillion industry within the next decade.
Created in 2008 with funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the CEIN will employ approaches that differ from traditional toxicity testing, which relies mainly on costly whole-animal studies that take a long time to complete. To keep abreast of the rapid pace of nanotechnology-based enterprises, the CEIN will develop high throughput screening approaches and computerized learning technology to provide stratified risk ranking that can be used for the academic community, industry, the public and regulating agencies.
Headquartered at UCLA, the CEIN will serve a critical national need to enhance our understanding of the environmental hazards of nanomaterials as well as how to do safe design to protect the environment. The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UCLA will serve as the major base of operations for the new center, with a second major hub at UC Santa Barbara.
Mission
The mission of the UC CEIN is to insure that nanotechnology is introduced and implemented in a responsible and environmentally-compatible manner to allow the US and the International community to leverage the benefits of nanotechnology for global economic and social benefit.
The UC CEIN will deliver the knowledge needed to responsibly and sustainably advance nanotechnology for the nation and the world through its research, educational and outreach contributions to the NSF, USEPA, the wider NNI, industry and the public.
Objectives
- Develop a library of reference NMs
- Understand the impacts of different types of NMs on organisms and ecological systems
- Develop a predictive model of toxicology and environmental impacts of NMs
- Develop guidelines and decision tools for safe design and use of NMs
Additional Center Information
CEIN Annual Report 2009
Results of Metal Oxides in Mesocosm Waters
