Seoul, Korea – The International Symposium on Nanotechnologies in Biological Systems (NBS 2015) was held at the Imperial Palace Hotel on May 28, 2015 to highlight recent trends in research, standardization, and industry.
It was organized by KSA (Korea Standards Association) and Hanyang University. Prof. Yoon Tae-hyun (Hanyang University) moderated the event. This endeavor is being sponsored by KATS (Korean Agency for Technology and Standards).
The symposium’s keynote talk was delivered by Dr. Simon Holland (Chair, ISO/TC 229), who spoke about the benefits of standardization in the field of nanotechnologies in biological systems (convergence technology). Standardization “would foster innovation and could be used to support national technical regulations,” among other things, Holland says.
However, for standardization to work – and work well – he stresses the importance of both public awareness and widespread participation from within academia and industry. To help with public awareness, Holland spoke to this reporter about a “plain language guide” that would be made public as a way for this highly technical world to connect with the public.
As for participation from academia and industry, it is crucial, but he concedes that this is a challenge. “It is worth doing,” he says, when asked about what he would like to say to encourage more participation. “You could be a part of actually contributing to the standards, and your organization will see that your time is actually valuable.”
Prof. Taeghwan Hyeon of Seoul National University presented exciting results from his lab on the synthesis of uniform-sized nanocrystals for medical and energy applications, particularly nanoparticle-based MRI contrast agents and treatment for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide – with more than half of those deaths being reported in Asian countries.
Dr. Steve Brown, the US delegate, proposed a path forward for Bio-Nanotechnology standardization within ISO/TC 229. Other talks were given by Dr. Soon-Cheol Hong (Boditech Med Co., Ltd.), Prof. Jackie Ying (IBN, Singapore), Prof. Moo-Yeal Lee (Cleveland State University), Prof. Ali Betolahi (ISO/TC229 Iran delegate), and Mr. Chang-Ha Lee (Mechasys Co. Ltd.).
The Panel Discussion was chaired by Dr. Tae Geol Lee (KRISS). South Korea is currently leading a study group of nanotechnology in biological systems, and this symposium “will be helpful for Korea to propose and eventually organize a formal working group related to convergence technology to foster standardization in this field,” he indicated.
By Julia Yoo
