ITS-NANO--prioritising nanosafety research to develop a stakeholder driven intelligent testing strategy

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterial safety and risk assessment
• Toxicology and hazard identification
• Computational toxicology and in silico modeling

Background:

• Assessing individual nanomaterials (NMs) for risk is resource-intensive (financial, ethical, time).
• A more intelligent, efficient approach to knowledge acquisition and risk assessment is necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a framework for future research priorities in nanomaterial risk assessment.
• To establish an Intelligent Testing Strategy (ITS) for accurate, effective, and efficient NM risk evaluation.
• To reduce the reliance on case-by-case testing of NMs.

Main Methods:

• Convened experts from government, industry, academia, funders, and NGOs to reach a consensus.
• Identified key components for current and future NM risk assessment: physicochemical characterization, exposure identification, hazard identification, and modeling.
• Developed a flexible framework with prioritized research areas presented as 'stepping stones' or 'hexagon diagrams' with a time perspective.

Main Results:

• A stakeholder-driven framework outlining research priorities for an Intelligent Testing Strategy (ITS) for NMs was developed.
• The ITS aims to assess NM risks accurately, effectively, and efficiently, minimizing case-by-case testing.
• Prioritization diagrams allow stakeholders to integrate their expertise and activities into the ITS pathway, enhancing in silico approaches over time.

Conclusions:

• The ITS-NANO project successfully created a detailed, flexible, and stakeholder-driven research prioritization tool.
• The tool identifies specific research needs, highlights interconnections, and provides a time-based perspective for developing an ITS for NMs.