Devices of Responsibility: Over a Decade of Responsible Research and Innovation Initiatives for Nanotechnologies.

Responsible research and innovation (RRI) has come to represent a change in the relationship between science, technology and society. With origins in the democratisation of science, and the inclusion of ethical and societal aspects in research and development activities, RRI offers a means of integrating society and the research and innovation communities. In this article, we frame RRI activities through the lens of layers of science and technology governance as a means of characterising the context in which the RRI activity is positioned and the goal of those actors promoting the RRI activities in shaping overall governance patterns. RRI began to emerge during a time of considerable deliberation about the societal and governance challenges around nanotechnology, in which stakeholders were looking for new ways of integrating notions of responsibility in nanotechnology research and development. For this reason, this article focuses on nanotechnology as the site for exploring the evolution and growth of RRI.

Returning to the Patent Landscapes for Nanotechnology: Assessing the Garden that It Has Grown Into.

The patent landscape, like a garden, can tell you much about its designers and users; their motivations, biases, and general interests. While both patent landscapes and gardens may appear to the casual observer as refined and ordered, an in-depth exploration of the terrain is likely to reveal unforeseen challenges including, for example, alien species, thickets, and trolls. As this Chapter illustrates, patent landscapes are dynamic and have been forced to continually evolve in response to technological innovation. While emerging technologies, such as biotechnology and information communication technology have challenged the traditional patent landscape, resulting in the pruning of certain elements here and there, the overarching framework and design has largely remained intact. But will this always be the case? As the field of nanotechnology continues to evolve and mature, the aim of this Chapter is to map how the technology has evolved and grown within the confines of existing structures and underlying foundation of the patent landscape and the implications thereof for the technology, industry, and the public more generally. The Chapter concludes by asking the question whether the current patent landscape will be able to withstand the ubiquitous nature of the technology, or whether nanotechnology, in combination with other emerging technologies, will be a catalyst for governments and policy makers to completely redesign the patent landscape.

Neurotechnology and Society: Strengthening Responsible Innovation in Brain Science.

Technological advances have the potential to dramatically increase our understanding of the human brain, treat and cure injury and disease, and enhance our general well-being. While advances in neuroscience hold great promise, they also raise profound ethical, legal, and social questions. In this vein, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) convened an international workshop in September 2016 to explore responsible research and innovation in brain science.

The Growing Public Health Challenges of Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation From Use of Indoor Tanning Devices in the United States.

Ultraviolet radiation is recognized as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the world's authority on cancer research. In particular, exposure to ultraviolet radiation can lead to melanoma of the skin, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer in the United States. Yet despite the significant public health burden that is associated with skin cancer in the United States, each year over a million Americans engage in indoor tanning where exposure to artificial ultraviolet radiation occurs. In this article, we argue for an immediate ban on the use of commercial indoor tanning by minors and, based on international precedents, the phasing out of all commercial tanning operations in the United States. We consider the use of indoor tanning devices in the United States, epidemiological data on indoor tanning devices and cancer, regulation of tanning devices, and scientific evidence for increased government intervention.

Analysis of pediatric lung donor allocation policy: a call for change?

In an unprecedented legal ruling in June 2013, a US federal district court judge decided that the existing policy for donor lung allocation be vacated to save the life of a ten-year-old girl dying from cystic fibrosis. This case has fueled much controversy in the United States among policy makers, ethicists, and physicians who treat other patients awaiting transplant. This article examines the creation of the current US lung allocation policy and its impact on outcomes and analyzes the multidimensionality of the ruling. After analyzing the current policy and investigating alternatives for donor pool expansion, the article concludes by articulating options that may mitigate the need for current policy revision.

Wellness as a worldwide phenomenon?

This article examines the concept of wellness through a comparative political economy and legal framework. It asks whether wellness, an increasingly defined term within US federal and state legislative instruments including, for example, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is primarily a US-centric phenomenon. Or is wellness, in its various different guises, a worldwide phenomenon? By focusing on three distinctly different jurisdictions - the United States, Germany, and Australia - this article examines wellness through the lens of employers, the health care system, employment and tort law, and the greater political economy. It notes that while improving employee health, well-being, and productivity is common across the three countries and their respective cultures, the focus on wellness as a distinct legal concept is unique to the United States.

Newborn screening cards: a legal quagmire.

Newborn screening (NBS) programs are a well established and cost-effective method for early identification of genetic disorders. However, a raft of legal questions surrounds the collection, storage, ownership and secondary use of NBS cards. The absence of clear legal rules governing NBS programs in Australia means that there are few straightforward answers to these questions. A series of controversial incidents have exposed this uncertainty in Australia, and remarkably similar controversies have occurred in the United States and European Union. We review the situation, using Victoria as a case study. We also make the case for a dedicated regulatory regime for NBS programs, arguing that the lack of such a regime threatens public trust and the robust operation of NBS programs in Australia. New rules would likely introduce stricter requirements for informed consent at the point of blood collection than has been the norm to date. However, the scope for use of cards in research could expand rather than contract, and it may be possible to reduce the risk that vast card archives will need to be destroyed in response to future public outcries.

Hitting the mark or falling short with nanotechnology regulation?

Regulation of all new technology ebbs and flows between periods of under- and over-regulation, often dependant on the viewpoint of the observer and the underlying objectives of the particular regulation. As illustrated by genetic modification (GM) applications, defining what constitutes appropriate regulation for a rapidly evolving technology can be difficult. Drawing upon the lessons of GM, we argue that nanotechnology will go through similar periods of inappropriate regulation. As with GM, future regulatory responses to nanotechnology will be shaped by perceptions of risk and willingness to accept varying levels of risk. With varying responses between jurisdictions appearing inevitable, we argue that the timing and type of regulation adopted for nanotechnology, and its appropriateness, will be crucial to its commercial success.