"FUTURENANONEEDS" EUROPEAN PROJECT STARTED!
FutureNanoNeeds, "Framework to respond to regulatory needs of future nanomaterials and markets", FP7 project started on January 1st . The KICK-off meeting was celebrated in Dublin on February 9th and 10th hosted by the coordinator the University College Dublin (UCD).
This project will develop, during the next 4 years, a novel framework to enable naming, classification, hazard and environmental impact assessment of the next generation nanomaterials prior to their widespread industrial use. It will uniquely achieve this by integrating concepts and approaches from several well established contiguous domains, such as phylontology and crystallography to develop a robust, versatile and adaptable naming approach, coupled with a full assessment of all known biological protective responses as the basis for a decision tree for screening potential impacts of nanomaterials at all stages of their lifecycle. Together, these tools will form the basis of a "value chain" regulatory process which allows a each nanomaterial to be assessed for different applications on the basis of available data and the specific exposure and life cycle concerns for that application.
The FutureNanoNeeds consortium is uniquely placed to achieve this, on the basis of expertise, positioning, open mindedness and a belief that new approaches are required.
More info can be found at: www.futurenanoneeds.eu