Nanotechnology: State of affairs?

Nanotechnology has not moved out of the focus. Still, it has become a rather controversial issue. I asked an expert on nanotechnology, Dr. Andriy Voronov, Associate Professor Coatings and Polymeric Materials at North Dakota State University, if he agrees and what pros and cons he thinks there are. This is part of his answer:

“In fact, about nine hundred everyday commercial products rely nowadays on nanosized materials. It is not surprising because nanotechnology can be applied to develop new and advanced materials of unique functionality and performance. However, it is also true that size-dependent change of properties of the materials in the nanoscale range (including their chemical reactivity) might bring not only unprecedented benefits, but also cause uncertainties and even health issues. In particular, nanoparticles can cause some unknown effects being uptaken by living organisms. In addition, studying nanomaterials toxicity (nanotoxicology) is just an emerging field, where knowledge about (nano)size and properties effects on material toxicity still remains limited.”

What is your opinion on nanotechnology, bearing in mind all that is known about it today? Do the pros prevail? Should R&D efforts be pushed again? Please share your views with our community!