Nanoinformatics 2020 Roadmap

The Nanoinformatics 2020 Roadmap is the first broad-based community effort to articulate the comprehensive needs and goals in nanoinformatics. It is based in part on Nanoinformatics 2010: A Collaborative Roadmapping Workshop, which was organized by experts from the community of practice and held in early November 2010. The Roadmap serves to inform the broader nanotechnology community of the value informatics can add to ongoing research and development efforts; it is also intended to stimulate contributions from experts in either nanotechnology or informatics regarding possibilities not foreseen by the initial members of the community of practice. The Nanoinformatics 2020 Roadmap identifies the current stakeholders, needs, capabilities, and connections which will define a successful nanoinformatics program, and outlines plans for developing them. The implementation plans in the Roadmap incorporate a decade-long vision and pathway, providing a realistic timeframe to establish an effective system of nanoinformatics data, tools, and infrastructure. Such a program will enable the community to improve and “travel” on the road to understanding, development, and beneficial application of nanotechnology

Systematic Evaluation of Nanomaterial Toxicity: Utility of Standardized Materials and Rapid Assays

The challenge of optimizing both performance and safety in nanomaterials hinges on our ability to resolve which structural features lead to desired properties. It has been difficult to draw meaningful conclusions about biological impacts from many studies of nanomaterials due to the lack of nanomaterial characterization, unknown purity, and/or alteration of the nanomaterials by the biological environment. To investigate the relative influence of core size, surface chemistry, and charge on nanomaterial toxicity, we tested the biological response of whole animals exposed to a matrix of nine structurally diverse, precision-engineered gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of high purity and known composition. Members of the matrix include three core sizes and four unique surface coatings that include positively and negatively charged headgroups. Mortality, malformations, uptake, and elimination of AuNPs were all dependent on these parameters, showing the need for tightly controlled experimental design and nanomaterial characterization. Results presented herein illustrate the value of an integrated approach to identify design rules that minimize potential hazard