NANOGENTOOLS — Developing and implementation of a new generation of nanosafety assessment tools

Results in brief

Developing and implementation of a new generation of nanosafety assessment tools

The main challenge in the exploitation of nanotechnology for the benefit of European society is the uncertainty surrounding the potential associated risks. NGT has contributed to answer this challenge by joining industry and academia to create a collaborative excellence-based knowledge exchange network pushing forward and training scientists in new methodologies to assess nanosafety of carbon derived nanomaterials, discussing and sharing the newly obtained results at EU level associated organisms and agencies. NGT has focused on finding solutions for the following current challenges and tasks: • Faster, more efficient and reliable assessment of NM toxicity and determination of mechanistic toxicity through -omics tools. • Specific chemoinformatics and bioinformatics tools to obtain NMs physical and chemical characteristics data, and biological and omics data in collaboration with the EU Nanosafety Cluster. • Research and training on biophysical techniques and mathematical models for accurate and fast nanotoxicity prediction linked to safety-by-design concepts for NMs development / production. • Contribute on the development of safe by design tools and approaches.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

NanoMaterials safety is of great societal concern and raises many questions for the general public, governments, industry, scientists and regulators. Identifying and controlling the hazards associated with NMs is required to ensure the safety in parallel to exploiting the technological benefits.NANOGENTOOLS answers this challenge by creating a collaborative excellence-based knowledge exchange network that will: i) push forward knowledge via method development and pre-validation, ii) train scientists in new methodologies to assess long term nanosafety, and iii) support their inclusion in standardization and EU regulations.NANOGENTOOLS combines toxicogenomics, proteomics, biophysics, molecular modeling, chemistry, bio/chemoinformatics to develop fast in vitro high throughput (HTS) assays, with molecular based computational models for nanotoxicity. Its objectives are to:· Provide solutions for faster, more reliable assessment of NM toxicity and propose HTS and omics tools for predicting toxicological properties of NMs.· Develop new bioinformatics methodologies for analyzing -omics data and create an open database in collaboration with the EU Nanosafety Cluster.· Conduct research and training on biophysical techniques and mathematical models for accurate and fast nanotoxicity prediction.· Build/improve the safe by design concept, demonstrated using carbon-NMs and nanosensors.· Place our new knowledge in the context of regulations and EU roadmaps.NANOGENTOOLS brings together cutting edge research, innovative knowledge-transfer and co-development, and cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary secondments linking EU academic institutes/networks with industry and policy makers across 8 countries. Expected impacts include pre-validated tools for efficient cost-effective nanosafety assessment applicable to SMEs for incorporation into regulatory frameworks, and translation of knowledge via development of a CNT-based nanosensor based on safe-by-design principles.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

UNIVERSIDAD DE BURGOS · BurgosCoordinatorSpain
BIONANONET FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH · GrazAustria
NANOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION · Bruxelles / BrusselBelgium
NOVAMECHANICS LIMITED · NicosiaCyprus
Research and Development of Carbon Nanotubes S.A. · RioGreece
SITEX 45 SRL · BucharestRomania
THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM · BirminghamUnited Kingdom
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DEL PIEMONTE ORIENTALE AMEDEO AVOGADRO · VercelliItaly

NANOGENTOOLS · Developing and implementation of a new generation of nanosafety assessment tools

Results in brief

Developing and implementation of a new generation of nanosafety assessment tools

Project objective

Participants

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