This Special Issue devoted to 'The regulation of nanotechnologies' draws together contributions from some of the leading commentators in their respective fields. The Special Issue canvasses some of the most pressing philosophical, ethical and regulatory questions currently being debated around...

Ubiquitous in nature, regulation shapes decision-making and human behavior. Its impact can, as it has often been argued, encourage or stifle innovation, especially in relation to emerging technologies such as nanotechnologies. It is therefore not surprising that the regulatory debate in relation...

Growing consumer demand for new and/or improved products has encouraged governments and industry to experiment with innovative technologies, such as nanotechnologies, across the manufacturing chain. With nanotechnologies destined to impact on every aspect of society, there is increasing concern...

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...

While uncertainty remains about what a smart city “is,” significant advances have been made in the technologies and applications that will underpin their roll out. In this paper, we argue that a smart city or region is not truly “smart” unless it places sustainability and quality of life...

Rapid technological advances and commercialisation of the emerging field of nanotechnology will challenge traditional international and domestic regulatory regimes, including intellectual property rights. This article examines the role of the World Trade Organisation's Trade-Related Intellectual...

Zika infection in pregnant women is associated with an elevated probability of giving birth to a child with microcephaly and multiple other disabilities. Public health messaging on Zika prevention has predominantly targeted women who know they are pregnant or intend to become pregnant, but not...

Based on the experiences of two high profile voluntary data collection programs for engineered nanomaterials, this article considers the merit of an international online registry for scientific data on engineered nanomaterials and environmental, health and safety (EHS) data. Drawing on the...

The patent landscape, like a garden, can tell you much about its designers and users; their motivations, biases and general interests. And 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...