Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NANOGENTOOLS (Developing and implementation of a new generation of nanosafety assessment tools)

Teaser

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...

Summary

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.

Work performed

WP 2: Proteomics, genomics/toxicogenomics and bioinformatics. Key instruments for long term assessment of nanotoxicity
Systems biology, high throughput screening and toxicogenomics approaches were followed to identify underlying toxicity pathways in different unicellular models. The challenge was to develop and demonstrate a mechanism-based understanding of NMs toxicity, which allowed further improvement of toxicity testing by identifying novel endpoints for risk assessment of novel and emerging materials. New methodologies were developed and applied mainly in carbon derived nanomaterials. WP2 lead beneficiary: UPO

WP 3: Multidisciplinary approaches and tools to understand nanotoxicity
This WP focused on the development of multidisciplinary techniques, innovative tests and methodologies as tools and vehicles to predict the effects of NMs on human and environmental health through a deep understanding of the biophysical and physicochemical mechanisms underlying nanotoxicity. Moreover, new cutting-edge visualization techniques for NMs distribution were developed and improved through implementation of new sensing devices. These approaches were complemented with computational models capable of predicting molecular interactions, including mechanistic molecular dynamics simulation of the interaction of carbon NMs with model cell membranes. This WP also laid the groundwork for much of the Safe-by-design work completed in WP4 and this worked closely with WP4 in terms of the research and the publication outputs.WP3 lead beneficiary: UoB

WP 4: Safe by design production and demo of nanomaterials/products
This WP carried out a truly multidisciplinary cross-sectorial activity directly interlinked with WPs 2 & 3, which was focused on the production of carbon-based NMs used as a reference within the process of pre-validation of the new tools explored (WP2 & 3). Additionally, training and research in new methods to achieve the understanding and management, and implementation of the concept of ‘safe by design’ in a manner useful for industry and especially SMEs was conducted. Finally, a demo on the safe design of NMs and products for sensor devices based on carbon nanotubes, was developed. WP4 lead beneficiary: S45

WP5: Policy developments, regulation and standardization
Efforts were made to achieve the best use of the results from the NGT project, optimizing the transfer of results and knowledge to the interested parties, and EU industry. The policy activities were based on counselling decision makers and policymakers around the new generation of nanosafety assessment tools, and the novel concepts developed under this project, and their possible onward development and validation as standard reference materials and methods. The plan was specifically designed and addressed towards SMEs and its measures focused to bring the conclusions to this group of industries, as a fundamental part of European producers of NMs and their applications. WP5 lead beneficiary: NIA

Final results

NANOGENTOOLS has contributed to bring a step further the availability of in silico and in vitro laboratory techniques for the toxicology assessment of nanomaterials. The project has worked as well in fostering the discussion on standards, methodologies and regulation for nanotechnology risks assessment, being in this regard aligned with the strategy research agenda “Nanosafety in Europe 2015-2025: Towards Safe and Sustainable Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Innovations”.
One of the most important achievements of NGT has been to train scientists and SMEs with a state of the art knowledge in the area, something necessary for the future of European industry. NGT has contributed to the development of nanotechnology at EU level (a KET with an impressive potential of jobs creation), generating new knowledge related to the enhancement of workers, consumers and environmental safety.
NGT action has provided an outstanding framework for this purpose, since the actors involved in the project included some of the most relevant players in the definition and the development of nanoEHS (Environment, Health and Safety) science, and resulting policies for the aforementioned tasks.

Website & more info

More info: http://www3.ubu.es/nanogentools/.