Join Sigma Xi for the Science and Society Distinguished Public Talk on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the UNM Conference Center Auditorium as they present ‘Whole Organism Metrology in Support of Nanotoxicology Research.’

Co-sponsored by the Albuquerque Section of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEEE) and its Life Members Affinity Group, Sigma Xi (the Scientific Research Society), the UNM Department of Physics & Astronomy and the UNM Division of Continuing Education, the event features Bryant Nelson, a staff research chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

As a researcher in NIST’s Material Measurement Laboratory, Nelson has been responsible for the design, technical development and leadership of research projects related to understanding and characterizing the potential environmental health and human safety risks of engineered nanomaterials.

The rapid growth of nanotechnology increases the likelihood that engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and/or nano-enabled products will impact humans and the environment in both the near and far future. Sensitive measurement tools, robust metrology and tools/metrics for achieving measurement assurance are urgently needed for nanosafety risk assessments and regulatory decision making. There is an evolving movement, spurred by legislation in Europe, that is now finding increasing application in the United States for the development of alternative testing models that reduce the use of animals (i.e., rodents) in nanotoxicology research. So far, there exist few recognized protocols or standard practices for evaluating the uptake and toxic potential of ENMs in whole organisms. Some of the most recent efforts focus on the development of standard protocols for evaluating the uptake and toxic potential of ENMs in Caenorhabditis elegans. Sensitive measurement tools, robust metrology and quantifiable metrics for achieving measurement assurance are critical for nanosafety risk assessments and regulatory decision making.

There will be a meet and greet with Nelson at 5 p.m. in the UNM Conference Center Auditorium, located at 1634 University Blvd. NE.

Pizza will be provided after the lecture.

For directions to the UNM Conference Center, go to UNMCC.