The group has been spearheading critics who alleging that questions over nanotechnology safety have not been answered and the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is not in a position to effectively police it.

It has now issued recommendations it says the federal authority should take into consideration for the enhancing the safety of products that use this technology.

The debate reveals regulatory weaknesses affecting new products in the dietary supplement industry that fall under this umbrella.

Nanotechnology is the ability to control things at an atomic and molecular scale of between one and 100 nanometers and has been met with enthusiasm across a variety of industries. Critics highlight the murky area of how nanoparticles affect toxicity and say the particles should be treated as new, potentially harmful materials and tested for safety accordingly.

While the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies admits there are benefits to the technology, it has time and again expressed its concern for how it is put into use.

"…given what is at stake here-the quality of our environment, the future vitality of the American economy, and the health of workers and consumers-good intentions are not enough," said Andrew Maynard, chief scientist with the project.

In Maynard's view, the necessary steps in order to a establish a secure regulatory backdrop for the technology, include:

-creating a transparent and well-funded research strategy;

-establishing a federal advisory committee drawing on diverse industries and fields.

In terms of funding, the project recommends that a minimum of $50mn annually go to research related to oversight and regulatory needs, and that another $95mn go to exploratory research.

The project also suggests the appointing of a top-level government official to address nanotechnology concerns.