On September 29, 2009, The Economist magazine named Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata Motors, the winner of this year’s “Business Process Innovation Award” for successfully developing the world’s cheapest vehicle — the Nano car. In the explanation, The Economist said that Tata “changed the way Indian companies conduct business” and applauded the company for creating a safe and affordable vehicle for families in emerging markets. “Innovative ideas are everywhere,” said Mark Langley, executive vice-president and COO of the Project Management Institute. “Tata Motors’ Nano challenges the way automobiles have been made and marketed for a hundred years,” explains Mark Langley, VP of the Project Management Institute. “The application of project management is testimony to Tata Group’s record of refining its processes, from boardroom to manufacturing floor, and promises transformation of an industry facing a billion new customers over the next generation.”

This September, Tata Motors (India’s biggest auto manufacturer) unveiled the cheapest car to hit the road. The Nano has been referred to by the company as “the People’s Car,” which will cost motorists just 1 Pakistani lakh (or $2,500 in US dollars). Even though commodity prices have risen significantly, Tata has kept its four-year promise to consumers by keeping the cost to them unbelievably low. The four-door sedan seats four people, runs off a two-cylinder gas engine in the rear, gets 50 miles to the gallon and features an all-sheet metal body that looks very much like the Mercedes Smart Car. Drivers who are used to creature comforts like air conditioning, power steering, antilock brakes, electric windows and rear seatbelts may be disappointed to learn that this gem of nanoscience carries none of those things. Some of these Nano accessories — like air conditioning — may be available at an extra cost, but leaving out some of the fanciness is part of the allure with this simple vehicle.

So how does Tata Motors make a car for so cheap? One way is by using cheaper manpower from Thailand manufacturing plants and searching online auctions for 45% of their supplies (compared to other major auto firms that use auctions for just 10-15%). The India-based company also has access to low-cost steel and aluminum. Other cost-cutting features include using a single windshield wiper, rather than two; three nuts per wheel, rather than four; one side view mirror instead of two; simplifying the door opening levers; and accessing the boot by folding down the back seats, rather than creating another opening component.

As predicted, Tata Motors’ new Nano has sent ripples through the car market, as other manufacturers look for innovative ways to compete. This month, US automaker Ford Motor Co. announced that it would begin manufacturing the four-door Figo in India, with secondary plants throughout China. While they were reticent to reveal the price, one analyst says he anticipates the Ford Figo to sell for $6,000 – $8,000, which will put it in close competition with the luxury line of Nano car offerings. “This new car will be a game changer,” said Michael Boneham, president of Ford India. “It will give us muscle in the heart of the Indian market.”

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The number of consumer products that use nano-materials has more than doubled over the last few years. Nanotechnology applications include clothing, cosmetics, bedding, jewelry, sporting goods, nutritional supplements and personal care items. For a list of these goods, visit www.nanotechproject.org/consumerproducts. In your everyday household products, you are likely to find the nanomaterial, nanoscale silver or carbon nanotubes. By 2014, Lux Research estimates 15% of the total global consumer goods output will contain some sort of nanotechnology. According to polls, most Americans know very little about nanotechnology, so much more nanotechnology research must be accomplished to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of such new advances.

One study conducted by the Tokyo University of Science in Japan discovered that maternal exposure to the nanoparticle “titanium dioxide” affects the expression of hundreds of genes related to the central nervous system in fetal mice. “Nanotechnology and the production of novel man-made nano-particles are increasing worldwide. Titanium dioxide in its nanoparticle form has a high level of photocatalytic activity, and can be used for air and water purification and self-cleaning surfaces. Our findings, however, add to the current concern that this specific nanomaterial may have the potential to affect human health,” reports study leader Ken Takeda. He adds that, compared to control mice, the changes discovered within the genes “include those we normally consider to develop in childhood, such as autistic disorder, epilepsy and learning disorders, and also others that arise mainly in adulthood or old age, such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.” Current nanotechnology research regarding TiO2 is being examined for self-cleaning surfaces, coatings, sun-blocks and paints.

So what does the Food and Drug Administration say about nanotechnology applications? “In light of this fast-rising commercialization, the FDA needs to make certain that it has the tools, resources and information necessary to ensure the safety of novel products before they enter the market, and to detect and move swiftly to correct any problems that may arise,” says David Rejeski, director of nanotechnology research for the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN). “Given the agency’s insufficient resources, which for two decades have not kept pace with inflation, making sure that the FDA has the capacity to safely manage nanotechnology must be the shared responsibility of Congress and our political leaders. The agency must be ‘nano-ready’ for the products on the market today and able to deal with the more advanced nanotechnology applications expected in the next 5-10 years.”

Nano-materials are being engineered to have special qualities and functions that can be used in a variety of products, from sunscreens and clothing to medicines and supplements. However, because these particles are so small, they may pose rare toxicity risks. For instance, some nanotechnology research revealed that nano-materials can migrate to the lungs, penetrate the immune system, or sneak inside a cell’s nucleus, which could possibly interfere with bodily processes. In March 2009, Lloyd’s of London analyst Darragh Gray compared the financial meltdown to the nanotechnology risks, writing: “When you think that part of the reason behind the turmoil in our financial markets was the blithe acceptance of complex products that many didn’t understand, the importance of getting to grips with and quantifying complex sources of risk has never been more obvious.”

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Nanoparticles are the source of much excitement, but also much controversy. Nanotechnology companies are looking at using these microscopic atoms and molecules in everything from clean energy development and food enhancement to surface coatings and cancer treatment. Yet some people worry that nanomedicine isn’t being examined as carefully as it should be, and many nano particle products are arriving on the market without the necessary oversight to ensure that human exposure to these materials is, in fact, safe. As scientists research nanotechnology, they find there are many ways to disengage the potentially harmful side effects of these tiny particles.

Currently, the U.S. FDA doesn’t seem overtly alarmed about nanoparticles, which must have been clinically tested for safety by the manufacturer. FDA spokesperson Christopher Kelly admits that, “Nanoparticle versions of [FDA-approved] materials may well be new materials” that may trigger new investigations, but “this is considered on a case-by-case basis.” Since nanotechnology applications is such a new branch of science — just 20 years old — it’s hard to say when any real risks from overexposure would be revealed, but physicist Andrew Maynard warns, “We need to better understand how nano can be benign in foods, but [also] where the dangers are.” He adds, “It all comes down to the need for more research. We can’t fly blind here. We need to know what’s going on,” Maynard says. “There is no hard evidence that nanomaterials in products on the market will harm humans or the environment, but there is enough evidence to say that we need to reexamine.”

Despite rising worries over potential risks, 2009 has been a big year for the nano particle. MIT researchers discovered that nanoparticles carrying killer genes can effectively suppress ovarian tumor growth in mice. Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University researchers found success in animal trials of using a nano particle cream to treat erectile dysfunction, without all the usual side effects. University of Michigan studies confirm that a nanomaterial can be used to administer morphine on the battlefield, without dangerous side effects. Scientists at the Sharif University of Technology in Iran see promise in using coatings made of dioxide titanium nano materials to bolster the strength of steel and other building materials. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, silver nanoparticles are helping archaeologists examine ancient, diluted dyes by absorbing and enhancing the dye molecules, while also preventing fluorescent substances from reflecting too much light when a laser is shined on them. All these exciting breakthroughs are evidence that we can’t just walk away from this new science.

A History Channel documentary about threats to our world recently featured nanoparticles. In their “worst case scenario,” researchers wondered: What might happen if these little particles encounter a glitch in their programming and suddenly begin eating all the carbon-based materials on our planet? What if the glitch causes uncontrolled replication? Suddenly, these microscopic molecules will eat up every living thing on the planet, leaving a “grey goo” in its wake. This end-of-the-world theory seems pretty improbable, but it is important to study the risks and benefits of nano science.

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