MACRAMÉ
Advanced Characterisation Methodologies to assess and predict the Health and Environmental Risks of Advanced Materials
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Platform Optimisation to Enable NanomaTerIAL safety assessment for rapid commercialisation
Nanomaterials have unique optical, magnetic, electrical and chemical properties, which can make them extremely useful in fields such as electronics, medicine and energy. However, the dynamic nature of many nanomaterials in complex environmental matrices is a major challenge for their detection, quantification and characterization, and the European Union recognizes that the development of tools to ensure the safe and sustainable use of nanomaterials has not kept pace with the rapid commercialization of nanotechnologies. Assessing the safety of nanomaterials is further complicated by the difficulty of transferring findings from one material class to another (read-across) and the absence of sufficiently broad datasets to support general conclusions (grouping), leaving regulators and industry without efficient tools for risk assessment.
POTENTIAL is developing a standardized approach for the detection, quantification and characterization of Advanced Nanomaterials (Ad-NMs) as they interact with complex environmental and biological matrices, such as water sludge or animal tissue. The project delivers: standard protocols for physico-chemical characterization and high-resolution imaging of Ad-NMs; standard protocols for nanotoxicity evaluation; an in-vitro 3D cell model for safety assessment; and a computational model to maximise grouping and read-across across nanomaterial classes. LIST contributes advanced in vitro models, expertise in inhalation toxicology, and ecotoxicological testing with Daphnia magna, collectively supporting both experimental nano-safety assessments and the regulatory translation of results.
The project is expected to generate positive impacts across four dimensions. Economically, standard approaches will reduce regulatory compliance costs and shorten the time to market for new materials. From an environmental perspective, a better understanding of nanomaterial interactions with the environment will support more appropriate regulation and increase safety. Socially, improved tools for studying nanomaterials will increase the availability of safe-by-design nanotechnologies, while grouping and read-across approaches will contribute to the replacement, reduction and refinement of animal testing. Finally, in terms of health, new guidelines for establishing nanomaterial safety will facilitate the clinical translation of nanomedicine, for example in drug transport, targeting and gradual release.