NanoSafety Cluster
 
 

 

 

 

The NanoSafety Cluster is a DG RTD NMP initiative to maximise the synergies between the existing FP6 and FP7 projects addressing all aspects of nanosafety including toxicology, ecotoxicology, exposure assessment, mechanisms of interaction, risk assessment and standardisation.

 
Objectives

Synergy among these projects, collaboration for maximising impact, policy elaboration, planning of future actions, and international cooperation are the main aims of the NanoSafety cluster, projects and stakeholders open forum.

The main objectives of the NanoSafety cluster are:
  • To facilitate the formation of a consensus on nanotoxicology in Europe
  • To provide a single voice for discussions with external bodies
  • To avoid duplicating work and improve efficiency
  • To improve the coherence of nanotoxicology studies and harmonize methods
  • To provide a forum for discussion, problem solving and planning R&D activities in Europe
  • To provide industrial stakeholders and the general public with appropriate knowledge on the risks of NanoParticles and nanomaterials for human health and the environment.
 

Area of interest

To date the widely accepted view is that there are many unanswered questions on the potential environmental and health risks associated with the manufacture, use, distribution and disposal of nanomaterials. NANOSAFETY cluster aims to address (but not limited to) the following areas:
  • Physicochemical characterisation of NanoParticles and materials including NanoParticles in their formulation (nanomaterials)
  • Fate, biodistribution, degradation of NanoParticles and nanomaterials at cellular and body level and in the environment.
  • Assessment of toxicity and risk of NanoParticles and nanomaterials to humans and the environment
  • Biological membrane activity of NanoParticles
  • Modelling of the exposure-dose-response relationship and extrapolation of results from in vitro to in vivo and to human situations.
  • Metrology, cross validation and standardization of assays, protocols and models for NanoParticle toxicity
  • Data management: including the creation and implementation of a common database
  • Combining the dissemination effort of each cluster member to obtain maximum impact in terms of harmonizing the message to stakeholders