This book comprehensively reviews the considerations of nanotechnology elaborated in philosophy, ethics, and the social sciences and systematizes and develops them further. It focuses on the issues of ethical responsibility regarding chances and risks of nanotechnology and its possible applications in the fields of synthetic nanoparticles, syntheti

This book addresses questions surrounding the feasibility of a global approach to ethical governance of science and technology. The emergence and rapid spread of nanotechnology offers a test case for how the world might act when confronted with a technology that could transform the global economy and provide solutions to issues such as pollution, while potentially creating new environmental and health risks. The author compares ethical issues identified by stakeholders in China and the EU about the rapid introduction of this potentially transformative technology – a fitting framework for an exploration of global agency. The study explores the discourse ethics and participatory Technology Assessment (pTA) inspired by the work of Jürgen Habermas to argue that different views can be universally recognized and agreed upon, perhaps within an ideal global community of communication. The book offers a developed discourse model, utilizing virtue ethics as well as the work of Taylor, Beck, Korsgaard and others on identity formation, as a way forward in the context of global ethics. The author seeks to develop new vocabularies of comparison, to discover shared aspects of identity and to achieve, hopefully, an ‘intercultural personhood’ that may lead to a global ethics. The book offers a useful guide for researchers on methods for advancing societal understanding of science and technology. The author addresses a broad audience, from philosophers, ethicists and scientists, to the interested general reader. For the layperson, one chapter surveys nanoissues as depicted in fiction and another offers a view of how an ordinary citizen can act as a global agent of change in ethics.

This book addresses the methodological issues involved in responsible innovation and provides an overview of recent applications of multidisciplinary research. Responsible innovation involves research into the ethical and societal aspects of new technologies (e.g. ICT, nanotechnology, biotechnology and brain sciences) and of changes in technological systems (e.g. energy, transport, agriculture and water). This research is highly multidisciplinary. It involves close collaboration between researchers in such diverse fields as ethics, social science, law, economics, applied science, engineering - as well as innovative, design-oriented and policy-relevant. Although there is a trend to engage ethicists and social scientists early in technology development, most literature in the field of Technology Assessment or Ethics of Technology is still aimed at one discipline whereas this book incorporates different approaches and to discuss experiences, lessons and more general theoretical issues.

Among the most novel and ever-growing approaches to improving the food industry is nanobiotechnology. In this book, the prospective role of nanobiotechnology in food which includes quality control and safety through nanosensors and biosensors, targeted delivery of nutrients, controlled release of nutrients, proteins, antioxidants, and flavors through encapsulation and enzymatic reactions for food fortification of fat-soluble compounds is discussed. Along the chapters of this book, nanobiotechnological techniques are addressed in detail with specific emphasis on food science applications. Features: Discusses nanobiotechnology in food for quality control and safety Covers food processing and packaging for food safety Explores the positive role of nanomaterials towards the sustainability of food Provides efficient, real, and sustainable solutions to pertinent global problems Includes case studies and research directions of the nanobiotechnology This book is aimed at researchers and graduate students in nanotechnology and food engineering.

Nanotechnology is considered the next big revolution in medicine and biology. For the past 20 years, research groups have been involved in the development of new applications of novel nanomaterials for biotechnological applications. Nanomaterials are also becoming increasingly important in medical applications, with new drugs and diagnostic tools based on nanotechnology. Every year, hundreds of new ideas using nanomaterials are applied in the development of biosensors. An increasing number of new enterprises are also searching for market opportunities using these technologies. Nanomaterials for biotechnological applications is a very complex field. Thousands of different nanoparticles could potentially be used for these purposes. Some of them are very different; their synthesis, characterization and potentiality are very diverse. This book aims to establish a route guide for non-erudite researchers in the field, showing the advantages and disadvantages of the different kind of nanomaterials. Particular attention is given to the differences, advantages and disadvantages of inorganic nanoparticles versus organic nanoparticles when used for biotechnological applications. A tutorial introduction provides the basis for understanding the subsequent specialized chapters. Provides an overview of the main advantages and disadvantages of the use of organic and inorganic nanoparticles for use in biotechnology and nanomedicine Provides an excellent starting point for research groups looking for solutions in nanotechnology who do not know which kind of materials will best suit their needs Includes a tutorial introduction that provides a basis for understanding the subsequent specialized chapters

Science and innovation have the power to transform our lives and the world we live in - for better or worse – in ways that often transcend borders and generations: from the innovation of complex financial products that played such an important role in the recent financial crisis to current proposals to intentionally engineer our Earth’s climate. The promise of science and innovation brings with it ethical dilemmas and impacts which are often uncertain and unpredictable: it is often only once these have emerged that we feel able to control them. How do we undertake science and innovation responsibly under such conditions, towards not only socially acceptable, but socially desirable goals and in a way that is democratic, equitable and sustainable? Responsible innovation challenges us all to think about our responsibilities for the future, as scientists, innovators and citizens, and to act upon these. This book begins with a description of the current landscape of innovation and in subsequent chapters offers perspectives on the emerging concept of responsible innovation and its historical foundations, including key elements of a responsible innovation approach and examples of practical implementation. Written in a constructive and accessible way, Responsible Innovation includes chapters on: Innovation and its management in the 21st century A vision and framework for responsible innovation Concepts of future-oriented responsibility as an underpinning philosophy Values – sensitive design Key themes of anticipation, reflection, deliberation and responsiveness Multi – level governance and regulation Perspectives on responsible innovation in finance, ICT, geoengineering and nanotechnology Essentially multidisciplinary in nature, this landmark text combines research from the fields of science and technology studies, philosophy, innovation governance, business studies and beyond to address the question, “How do we ensure the responsible emergence of science and innovation in society?”

This book investigates how ethics generally precedes legal regulation, and looks at how changes in codes of ethics represent an unparalleled window into the research, innovation, and emerging technologies they seek to regulate. It provides case studies from the fields of engineering, science, medicine and social science showing how professional codes of ethics often predate regulation and help shape the ethical use of emerging technologies and professional practice. Changes in professional ethics are the crystallization of ongoing conversation in scientific and professional fields about how justice, privacy, safety and human rights should be realized in practice where the law is currently silent. This book is a significant addition to this area of practical and professional ethics and is of particular interest to practitioners, scholars, and students interested in the areas of practical and applied ethics.