Author
|
Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 7/29/2013 Publication Date: 4/1/2014 Citation: Appell, M.D., Jackson, M.A. 2014. Preface. In: Park, B; Appell, M., Editors. ACS Symposium #1143: Advances in Applied Nanotechnology for Agriculture. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society. p. ix. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Agricultural products influence most aspects of life, including food and feed, feedstocks for bio-based products and everyday materials, such as fuels, textiles, and furniture. Advances in technology are necessary to address the future global needs from agriculture. Nanotechnology is a promising field focused on the unique chemical properties of materials with a dimension of 1-100 nm. Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize agricultural and food systems with various applications including food safety, quality, product traceability, better nutrient delivery systems, enhancing packaging performance, and improving agricultural and food processing. This volume of ACS Symposium Series focuses on the unique challenges of applying nanotechnology to benefit the agriculture sector and the food industry. This book is based on a series of nanotechnology-related symposia sponsored by the Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry at spring ACS national meetings between 2009-2013. During this period tremendous progress was made on practical applications of nano-based technologies to address agricultural problems, including in the areas of food safety, development of new value-added biomaterials, and nutraceutical/flavor delivery. This book initiated from the interest of symposium speakers to share their work with wider audiences. Fourteen chapters were selected and written for this special issue. The chapters were developed independently and are arranged according to topic. The authors are from a wide range of disciplines including food scientists, chemists, engineers, biologists, medical researchers, and physicists. The goal of this book is to provide the perspectives of scientists working with nanotechnology to address agricultural problems. The research presented within this book was conducted in proper laboratory environments meeting facility, local, and national safety standards. Applied nanotechnology research benefits from the proactive and concurrent efforts by the safety community to provide guidance and assess risks associated with nanomaterials as the technology develops. Challenges remain for more broad utilization of nanotechnology in the field, including more thorough assessment of occupational risks of exposure to nanomaterials, regulation, and public support of nanotechnology in daily lives. We are extremely grateful to the authors and peer-reviewers for contributing their expertise to this book. The editors would like to thank the Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry for providing venues for the symposia. We are also thankful to ACS publications (Tim Marney, Arlene Furman, Bob Hauserman, and Ashlie Carlson), James Oxley (previous symposium co-organizer), and the contributors and participants of the symposia. It has been a pleasure to work with dedicated people possessing the talent and strong desire to advance this field. |
