In Vitro Toxicity Evaluation of Nanomaterials: Importance of Material Characterization

Nanomaterials, which are defined functionally as have a single dimensional feature within the 1 - 100 nanometers range, have been used to create materials that exhibit novel physicochemical properties and function imparted through this engineered, controlled feature size. Although nanomaterials are currently being widely used in advancing technology, there is a serious lack of information concerning the toxic effects of manufactured nanomaterials. The assessment of nanoparticle and their potential interaction with biological system should be a fundamental requirement before large-scale production and technological implementation of novel materials. The main focus of this presentation will be to discuss basic research applied to discover biological interaction of nanomaterials and its relationship to material characterization. Identification and development of appropriate in vitro assays/models to characterize biological responses to nanomaterials with reference to their physicochemical characters will be discussed (AFRL-WS 07-0909).