The launch of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), and the corresponding interest in bioengineered probiotic therapies that this new NIH initiative is likely to generate, provide a unique opportunity for research examining ethical and social considerations in the introduction of new therapeutic modalities. To date, analysis of ethical and social considerations in the use of probiotics have focused on "over the counter" applications where physician involvement in the selection and administration of the probiotic is limited.

The ability to manipulate atoms and molecules at the nanoscale has catalyzed the emerging field of nanomedicine. While many biological phenomena occur at the nanoscale, "nanomedicine" denotes material fabricated at the scale of 1-100 nanometers (nm) to take advantage of novel properties (biological, optical, thermal, chemical, and mechanical) that manifest at the nanoscale. A focal area of development is nanodiagnostics and nanotherapeutics.