SiNfONiA

The potential of nanomaterials (NMs) and nanotechnology to improve the quality of life, address grand societal challenges, contribute to economic growth, and to enhance the industrial competitiveness is widely recognized, in Europe and worldwide. To ensure the safe development and application of NMs, however, reliable approaches are urgently needed to evaluate and predict the potential risks posed by these materials and technologies to health, food, and environment. Supporting regulators and industry with nanosafety research will ensure sustainable economic development, product safety, and European leadership in deployment of nanotechnology. Intensive efforts and significant funding have been dedicated to the regulatory and safety aspects of nanomaterials in industrial and consumer applications, particularly since the recommended definition of a nanomaterial has been published by the European Commission in 2011. Critical progress has been made on the standardization of some of the measurement methods and establishing performance benchmarks and limitations for existing screening and safety evaluation methods. The ongoing discussions , and recent implementation guidelines, however, highlighted the persistent challenges both in basic definitions and measurements for NMs and in understanding and quantifying their biological effects. Accordingly, there is a continued need to improve and validate practical methodologies for basic characterization of NMs (particularly those applicable in the industrial setting) and to develop novel methodologies for evaluating the safety of nanomaterials. Both of these aspects are critical for promoting a sustainable industrial use of NMs and for establishing the public trust in the NMs used in consumer products. Importantly, significant research and innovation are required in the area of nanosafety because the majority of traditional methods are not suitable or adequate for handling the challenges imposed by the nanoscale size range as well as unique characteristics and diversity of NMs. In other words, developing an effective and comprehensive methodology for evaluating the safety of nanomaterials requires qualitative improvements beyond the state-of-the-art in traditional metrology, toxicology, pharmacology, and biomedical assays. SiNfONiA aims to attract and maintain a high-profile researcher (ERA Chair holder) and a supporting team with excellent research capabilities in the nanosafety research domain, particularly in the emerging area of evaluating the safety of nanomaterials. SiNfONiA is designed to catalyse and maximise the impact of the ERA Chair on the scientific and research excellence of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL).