"Nanoceria: benefits and risks" session of the 8th International Nanotoxicology Congress

I organized a workshop on nanoceria that was held November 2, 2013 in Santa Barbara, California, in association with the Second Annual Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) Conference. The workshop was financially supported by SNO; and the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment, the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the Associate Dean for Research of the College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky http://www.susnano.org/workshop2013_one.html. This was the inaugural SNO-sponsored workshop. The objective was for panels, each comprised of researchers who were investigating nanoceria, representing at least two different institutions, and who had not previously collaborated, to discuss what was known and not known about nanoceria’s chemistry, applications and implications, and to make research recommendations. It was based on the Dahlem workshop model, whose aims include promotion of international, interdisciplinary exchange of scientific information and ideas, and to stimulate international cooperation in research. The workshop resulted in a themed collection on Nanoceria Research published in Environmental Science: Nano: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/articlecollectionlanding?sercode=en&themeid=caddfa35-94a4- 4bbb-b00d-af0fca9aa816. The perspectives provided by the workshop’s panels have helped focus research efforts on nanoceria toward areas of greatest uncertainty and need. Purpose and Scope of Event: I am organizing a follow-up workshop. When I visited with a member of the 2013 workshop Steering Committee (Phil Demokritou, Harvard) in March, 2015, he suggested holding this workshop in collaboration with the 8th International Nanotoxicology Conference, to be held in Boston, Massachusetts, June 1-4, 2016. This Conference continues a series of international nanotoxicology conferences (2006 in Miami, 2008 in Zurich, 2010 in Edinburgh, 2012 in Beijing, and 2014 in Antalya, Turkey where there were ~ 500 presentations). I have discussed this workshop with Phil and the Conference co-organizer (Alison Elder, University of Rochester). They are supportive of a special nanoceria symposium or workshop associated with the Conference, and have suggested that I chair it. Alison noted “We … would very much welcome a session on nanoceria.” They are planning to have this one-day nanoceria workshop as a session of the 8th International Nanotoxicology Conference. To encourage participation by researchers whose interest is nanoceria (e.g., the beneficial effects of nanoceria) but not nanotoxicology, there will be a one-day registration opportunity for the 8th International Nanotoxicology Conference.