TCT Focus: Dr. Steffi Friedrichs
Nanotechnology is exciting emerging science that basically means manufacturing at the atomic level. It’s literally building one atom at a time. The industry is quickly growing and can already be found in a number of places such as certain medical procedures and even in some skin care products. This issue’s Focus is Dr. Steffi Friedrichs. As the Director of the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA), Dr. Friedrichs has a vast knowledge on this new technology. While behind the scenes, Dr. Friedrichs plays an important role in developing guidelines and regulations for the ethical practice of this dynamic technology. Read on to learn more about this fascinating new technology. Nanotechnology is here, so be prepared!
What did you study in school? When did you become interested in nanotechnology?
I became interested in science and technology very early on, so I
focused on Chemistry and Mathematics (alongside arts) during my final
years. After that, I immediately went to the Technical University of
Braunschweig (i.e. my home town in Germany; in Germany, students tend
to stay close to home during their University years) to study for a
Diploma in Chemistry (a degree course that takes on average six years
in Germany, plus a guaranteed requirement to do a 3+ years for a Ph.D.
afterwards if one wants to stay in the field). During my undergraduate,
I spent six months at Leicester University (UK) doing a lab project; it
was partly due to this project that I was able to finish my degree
within four and a half years. After obtaining my diploma in March 1999,
I joined the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory at Oxford University to do
my Ph.D. (or D.Phil., as it is called in Oxford) on carbon nanotubes.
During this time, I started to gradually leave the world of solution
chemistry as I had known it until then, and move into the area of
materials science and electron microscopy. After completing my Ph.D. at
Oxford in April 2002, I first held an appointment as a lecturer in
Inorganic Chemistry at Oxford University, before moving on to Cambridge
University on the appointment to lectureship in Nanotechnology and
coordination of a Master’s Program in Micro- and Nanotechnology
Enterprise.
Can you explain, in a nutshell, what nanotechnology is?
Nanotechnology and nanoscience describe the ability of science and
technology to make and manipulate particles that are only a few
nanometers in size, with one nanometer being a billionth of a meter; to
illustrate this: the size ratio between a particle that is one
nanometer in diameter and a soccer ball is the same ratio as that
between the ball and the earth. One requires very accurate high-tech
tools to build something with nanotechnology and very powerful
microscopes to see anything that is only a few nanometers in size.
Science and technology has only just enabled us to do all this; we
could not have done nanotechnology 30 years ago to the same extent to
which we are doing it now. This is state-of-the-art.
Although nanotechnology is
still a relatively small industry it has been rapidly growing. Where is
it already being used today and what are, in your opinion, some of the
most exciting plans for it in the future?
It’s already used in some fascinating high-tech applications, like the
treatment of otherwise inoperable tumors, fast-throughput screening
technology and detection technology, high-efficiency solar cells,
flexible computer displays, etc.
I think that the biggest impact of nanotechnologies will be in the life-sciences and medical care.
You are currently the
Director of The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA), which is a
fairly new organization formed in the UK in 2005. Why did the
association form and what is its goal?
The NIA started off as a loose forum of representatives from a number
of companies working with nanotechnologies, or planning to work with
nanotechnologies; these representatives got together on a frequent
basis to discuss the issues that affected the industries in the current
public debate of nanotechnologies (i.e. reviews of the adequacy of
existing regulation, potential societal impact, health and safety of
the workforce, etc.). It soon became clear that there was enough to
discuss and actively do on a daily basis for a full-time representation
of the NIA, and the UK Government liked the idea of having a central
point of contact to represent the nanotechnology industries, so that
the NIA was formed and funded for three years by the UK Government. Its
goal is to present the nanotechnology industries (within and outside
the UK) with a single clear voice in the ongoing debate.
The NIA has recently started developing a code of conduct for
organizations working with nanotechnologies. Why is this code important
and what sort of problems will it address?
The Code is a voluntary, principles-based code, which is appropriate
for adoption by organizations of all sizes involved in the research,
development, manufacturing and retailing of products using
nanotechnologies; it aims to reflect a consensus of what constitutes
good practice and provide guidance on what organizations can do to
demonstrate responsible governance of this dynamic area of technology,
and to stimulate organizations to consider all aspects of their
involvement with nanotechnologies, including the broader social and
ethical issues.
At present, there is limited evidence to determine whether the current regulatory frameworks are sufficient to ensure the responsible development of the technology and its many applications, and a lack of guidance around how these frameworks should be applied to nanomaterials. The Code is designed to provide guidance on best practice for organizations during the transitional period while the appropriate national and international regulatory frameworks are being evaluated and, if necessary, developed, and to complement any existing regulation. It is also hoped that its broad remit will give it relevance even after any regulation is introduced, and that it will contribute to the development of regulation if future scientific assessments identify the need for amendments in regulation.
In addition, stakeholders (i.e. the general public, customers, employees, governments, business partners, investors and insurance companies), need to be reassured that companies commercializing nanotechnologies are adopting a responsible approach and are proactively and effectively mitigating any risks related to them.
What do you see for the future of nanotechnology? Is there one thing that you are most excited about?
One of the most exciting elements of nanotechnology is that it
combines biologists, chemists, engineers and physicists; for the first
time ever, all of these disciplines are working together to make and
manipulate materials on the nanometer scale. It can be very hard, as
the languages used by the scientists in these disciplines are very
different, but it is an immensely enriching experience.
Do you have any advice for someone interested in becoming involved with nanotechnology?
A
good training in one of the classical sciences is a key, I think,
combined with a curious mind to look beyond the things that are meant
to be understood as ‘given.’
What do you hope to do next?
I
would like to stay with the NIA for a while; it is an immensely
rewarding job, in which every day brings a new challenge and new things
to learn. I think that any of my future jobs will always be closely
linked to science and technology.
