Nanotechnology is a rapidly evolving field with numerous commercial applications, but it is also veiwed as a solution to problems faced by developing countries in areas like disease prevention and water purification. The technology provides tools to manipulate matter at the atomic and molecular level, change material properties in dramatic ways, and create innovative new materials or improve existing ones.

The 19 member countries of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) closed their recent summit on "harnessing science and technology for development" by urging the utilization of nanotechnology to achieve development goals. Governments have been pouring billions of dollars into nanotech research annually, focusing on, for example, creating nanosponges that clean water of industrial pollutants.

Not everyone agrees with COMESA's zeal. Participants at a regional workshop on nanotechnologies in Côte d'Ivoire in early 2010, including international civil society organization ETC Group and the international trade union IUF, expressed concern that nanotechnology could potentially disrupt the economies of developing countries. If cheaper manufactured nanomaterials compete with traditional commodity markets, such as cotton and minerals, they could both wipe out export revenues and displace workers. South Africa, which depends heavily on exporting its natural resources, is especially vulnerable. As a precaution, the country launched a National Nanotechnology Strategy in 2005 and collaborates on nanotech research with India and Brazil.

The patenting of the technology also has Africa at a disadvantage. The United States and Europe (accounting for over 80 percent of patents being granted around the world) have already secured thousands of patents in the field and are now putting pressure on African governments to enact tougher intellectual property laws and recognize the rights of patent owners. Innovation is likely to be stifled if researchers must pay royalties and licensing fees before they can gain access to the technology.

Environmental and health risks are also a major concern. The same properties of nanomaterials that make them attractive to industry also make them an environmental hazard. Human cells are much larger than nanoparticles and as a result nanomaterials and devices can easily enter most cells, often without triggering an immune response. Studies have shown that nanoparticles in widespread commercial use can be toxic and some nanoparticles can even cross the placenta, posing risk to developing embryos. Workers routinely exposed to nanoparticles are most at risk, but consumers of nano products also need protection.

Despite the efforts of the ETC Group, IUF and others to call for a moratorium on the commercialization of new nano products, especially in food and agriculture, no government regulations exist, and no occupational health and safety standards have been established. The future will see if recommendations coming out of the Côte d'Ivoire workshop will be implemented and help moderate the impact of new technologies on Africa's economies.  

Tech Bytes

➲ China's National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin has built the world's fastest supercomputer.  Tianhe-1A has 1.4 times the horsepower of the second-ranked supercomputer now based in the United States and performs mathematical operations around 29 million times faster than an American model from 1976. While supercomputers are typically used to solve problems in areas of defense, finance and energy, China's gigantic machine will also run calculations for astrophysics and bio-molecular modeling research. It's expected to attract top scientific talent to Tianjin.

➲ Medical geneticists in Ireland have concluded that Yersinia pestis, the bacterium behind three historical waves of plague (including the Black Death) that devestated the world, originated in China. Being the root of the bacterium's family tree, the country is home to marmots, voles and other rodents that are natural hosts for the disease. Epidemics most likely spread to Europe across the Silk Road and to East Africa and America by sea voyages.

➲ A data center for collecting data on biodiversity and health in Africa is currently under construction in South Africa. Currently this information is dispersed across the globe at 50 other data centers located in East Asia, Europe and the United States. Scheduled to open early next year, the center is the first of its kind in Africa. It is hoped that aggregating the data into a singular online resource will help policymakers around the continent.