In our many previous blog entries, we have talked about nanomaterial regulation within the EU. In general, nanomaterials and nanoforms are covered within the same meticulous regulatory framework, i.e. the REACH and CLP regulations. After decades of discussions between the EU member states, the European Commission, scientists and other stakeholders, new revisions to the existing…

An alternative to conventional plant protection products (PPPs) may be seen in the development of engineered nanoparticles as “nanopesticides”. Those can include the encapsulation of active ingredients as a nanocarrier, a nano-formulation of the active ingredient (AI), or the development of nano-engineered structures that render pesticidal properties (Kookana et al., 2019). The ultimate effect of…

It is popularly believed that the nano industry has entered the mass market and has undergone “consumerization” within the EU. This means that nanotechnology can no longer be considered part of a highly localized niche market, but has evolved from laboratories into being manufactured commercially, and has finally reached the consumers. Don’t believe me? Check…

The next-generation mRNA vaccines developed by BioNTech-Pfizer, and, the colloquially called Moderna vaccine scream innovation. mRNA vaccines are a clever way of tricking the body into producing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, without actually introducing the whole viral particle, but just a strand of its genetic material (RNA). Once inside the host cells, these mRNA strands are…