29 research outputs found
Advanced materials foresight: research and innovation indicators related to advanced and smart nanomaterials
Background: Advanced materials are most likely to bring future economic, environmental and social benefits. At the same time, they may pose challenges regarding their safety and sustainability along the entire lifecycle. This needs to be timely addressed by the stakeholders (industry, research, policy, funding and regulatory bodies). As part of a larger foresight project, this study aimed to identify areas of scientific research and technological development related to advanced materials, in particular advanced nanomaterials and the sub-group of smart nanomaterials. The study identified and collected data to build relevant research and innovation indicators and analyse trends, impact and other implications. Methods: This study consisted of an iterative process including a documentation phase followed by the identification, description and development of a set of core research and innovation indicators regarding scientific publications, EU projects and patents. The data was extracted mainly from SCOPUS, CORDIS and PATSTAT databases using a predefined search string that included representative keywords. The trends, distributions and other aspects reflected in the final version of the indicators were analysed, e.g. the number of items in a period of time, geographical distribution, organisations involved, categories of journals, funding programmes, costs and technology areas. Results: Generally, for smart nanomaterials the data used represent around 3.5% of the advanced nanomaterials data, while for each field analysed, they represent 4.4% for publications, 13% for projects and 1.1% for patents. The study shows current trends for advanced nanomaterials at a top-level information that can be further extended with sub-indicators. Generally, the results indicated a significant growth in research into advanced nanomaterials, including smart nanomaterials, in the last decade, leading to an increased availability of information. Conclusion: These indicators identify trends regarding scientific and technological achievements and represent an important element when examining possible impacts on society and policy implications associated to these areas
Advanced materials foresight: research and innovation indicators related to advanced and smart nanomaterials [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
Background: Advanced materials are most likely to bring future economic, environmental and social benefits. At the same time, they may pose challenges regarding their safety and sustainability along the entire lifecycle. This needs to be timely addressed by the stakeholders (industry, research, policy, funding and regulatory bodies). As part of a larger foresight project, this study aimed to identify areas of scientific research and technological development related to advanced materials, in particular advanced nanomaterials and the sub-group of smart nanomaterials. The study identified and collected data to build relevant research and innovation indicators and analyse trends, impact and other implications. Methods: This study consisted of an iterative process including a documentation phase followed by the identification, description and development of a set of core research and innovation indicators regarding scientific publications, EU projects and patents. The data was extracted mainly from SCOPUS, CORDIS and PATSTAT databases using a predefined search string that included representative keywords. The trends, distributions and other aspects reflected in the final version of the indicators were analysed, e.g. the number of items in a period of time, geographical distribution, organisations involved, categories of journals, funding programmes, costs and technology areas. Results: Generally, for smart nanomaterials the data used represent around 3.5% of the advanced nanomaterials data, while for each field analysed, they represent 4.4% for publications, 13% for projects and 1.1% for patents. The study shows current trends for advanced nanomaterials at a top-level information that can be further extended with sub-indicators. Generally, the results indicated a significant growth in research into advanced nanomaterials, including smart nanomaterials, in the last decade, leading to an increased availability of information. Conclusion: These indicators identify trends regarding scientific and technological achievements and represent an important element when examining possible impacts on society and policy implications associated to these areas
Safe and sustainable by design chemicals and materials. Framework for the definition of criteria and evaluation procedure for chemicals and materials
The EU CSS action plan foresees the development of a framework to define safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) criteria for chemicals and materials. The SSbD is an approach to support the design, development, production and use of chemicals and materials that focuses on providing a desirable function (or service), while avoiding or minimising harmful impacts to human health and the environment. The SSbD concept integrates aspects for the domain of safety, circularity and functionality of chemicals and materials, with sustainability consideration throughout their lifecycle, minimising their environmental footprint. SSbD aims at facilitating the industrial transition towards a safe, zero pollution, climate-neutral and resource-efficient economy, addressing adverse effects on humans, ecosystems and biodiversity from a lifecycle perspective. To fulfil these ambitions, there is the need to develop a new framework for the definition of safe and sustainable by design criteria for chemicals and materials. To do so, several frameworks were reviewed including initiatives from research, industry, governmental agencies and NGOs. Capitalising on this information, a framework was developed and is presented in this report including a methodology for the definition of possible SSbD criteria and implementation mechanisms
Status, implications and challenges of European safe and sustainable by design paradigms applicable to nanomaterials and advanced materials
Metadata stewardship in nanosafety research: learning from the past, preparing for an "on-the-fly" FAIR future
Introduction: Significant progress has been made in terms of best practice in research data management for nanosafety. Some of the underlying approaches to date are, however, overly focussed on the needs of specific research projects or aligned to a single data repository, and this “silo” approach is hampering their general adoption by the broader research community and individual labs.
Methods: State-of-the-art data/knowledge collection, curation management FAIRification, and sharing solutions applied in the nanosafety field are reviewed focusing on unique features, which should be generalised and integrated into a functional FAIRification ecosystem that addresses the needs of both data generators and data (re)users.
Results: The development of data capture templates has focussed on standardised single-endpoint Test Guidelines, which does not reflect the complexity of real laboratory processes, where multiple assays are interlinked into an overall study, and where non-standardised assays are developed to address novel research questions and probe mechanistic processes to generate the basis for read-across from one nanomaterial to another. By focussing on the needs of data providers and data users, we identify how existing tools and approaches can be re-framed to enable “on-the-fly” (meta) data definition, data capture, curation and FAIRification, that are sufficiently flexible to address the complexity in nanosafety research, yet harmonised enough to facilitate integration of datasets from different sources generated for different research purposes. By mapping the available tools for nanomaterials safety research (including nanomaterials characterisation, non-standard (mechanistic-focussed) methods, measurement principles and experimental setup, environmental fate and requirements from new research foci such as safe and sustainable by design), a strategy for integration and bridging between silos is presented. The NanoCommons KnowledgeBase has shown how data from different sources can be integrated into a one-stop shop for searching, browsing and accessing data (without copying), and thus how to break the boundaries between data silos.
Discussion: The next steps are to generalise the approach by defining a process to build consensus (meta)data standards, develop solutions to make (meta)data more machine actionable (on the fly ontology development) and establish a distributed FAIR data ecosystem maintained by the community beyond specific projects. Since other multidisciplinary domains might also struggle with data silofication, the learnings presented here may be transferable to facilitate data sharing within other communities and support harmonization of approaches across disciplines to prepare the ground for cross-domain interoperability.
Visit WorldFAIR online at http://worldfair-project.eu.
WorldFAIR is funded by the EC HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ERA-01-41 Coordination and Support Action under Grant Agreement No. 101058393
Metadata stewardship in nanosafety research: learning from the past, preparing for an "on-the-fly" FAIR future
Introduction: Significant progress has been made in terms of best practice in research data management for nanosafety. Some of the underlying approaches to date are, however, overly focussed on the needs of specific research projects or aligned to a single data repository, and this "silo" approach is hampering their general adoption by the broader research community and individual labs.Methods: State-of-the-art data/knowledge collection, curation management FAIrification, and sharing solutions applied in the nanosafety field are reviewed focusing on unique features, which should be generalised and integrated into a functional FAIRification ecosystem that addresses the needs of both data generators and data (re)users.Results: The development of data capture templates has focussed on standardised single-endpoint Test Guidelines, which does not reflect the complexity of real laboratory processes, where multiple assays are interlinked into an overall study, and where non-standardised assays are developed to address novel research questions and probe mechanistic processes to generate the basis for read-across from one nanomaterial to another. By focussing on the needs of data providers and data users, we identify how existing tools and approaches can be re-framed to enable "on-the-fly" (meta) data definition, data capture, curation and FAIRification, that are sufficiently flexible to address the complexity in nanosafety research, yet harmonised enough to facilitate integration of datasets from different sources generated for different research purposes. By mapping the available tools for nanomaterials safety research (including nanomaterials characterisation, nonstandard (mechanistic-focussed) methods, measurement principles and experimental setup, environmental fate and requirements from new research foci such as safe and sustainable by design), a strategy for integration and bridging between silos is presented. The NanoCommons KnowledgeBase has shown how data from different sources can be integrated into a one-stop shop for searching, browsing and accessing data (without copying), and thus how to break the boundaries between data silos.Discussion: The next steps are to generalise the approach by defining a process to build consensus (meta)data standards, develop solutions to make (meta)data more machine actionable (on the fly ontology development) and establish a distributed FAIR data ecosystem maintained by the community beyond specific projects. Since other multidisciplinary domains might also struggle with data silofication, the learnings presented here may be transferrable to facilitate data sharing within other communities and support harmonization of approaches across disciplines to prepare the ground for cross-domain interoperability
Comprehensive In Vitro Toxicity Testing of a Panel of Representative Oxide Nanomaterials: First Steps towards an Intelligent Testing Strategy
Nanomaterials (NMs) display many unique and useful physico-chemical properties. However, reliable approaches are needed for risk assessment of NMs. The present study was performed in the FP7-MARINA project, with the objective to identify and evaluate in vitro test methods for toxicity assessment in order to facilitate the development of an intelligent testing strategy (ITS). Six representative oxide NMs provided by the EC-JRC Nanomaterials Repository were tested in nine laboratories. The in vitro toxicity of NMs was evaluated in 12 cellular models representing 6 different target organs/systems (immune system, respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, reproductive organs, kidney and embryonic tissues). The toxicity assessment was conducted using 10 different assays for cytotoxicity, embryotoxicity, epithelial integrity, cytokine secretion and oxidative stress. Thorough physico-chemical characterization was performed for all tested NMs. Commercially relevant NMs with different physico-chemical properties were selected: two TiO2 NMs with different surface chemistry – hydrophilic (NM-103) and hydrophobic (NM-104), two forms of ZnO – uncoated (NM-110) and coated with triethoxycapryl silane (NM-111) and two SiO2 NMs produced by two different manufacturing techniques – precipitated (NM-200) and pyrogenic (NM-203). Cell specific toxicity effects of all NMs were observed; macrophages were the most sensitive cell type after short-term exposures (24-72h) (ZnO>SiO2>TiO2). Longer term exposure (7 to 21 days) significantly affected the cell barrier integrity in the presence of ZnO, but not TiO2 and SiO2, while the embryonic stem cell test (EST) classified the TiO2 NMs as potentially ‘weak-embryotoxic’ and ZnO and SiO2 NMs as ‘non-embryotoxic’. A hazard ranking could be established for the representative NMs tested (ZnO NM-110 > ZnO NM-111 > SiO2 NM-203 > SiO2 NM-200 > TiO2 NM-104 > TiO2 NM-103). This ranking was different in the case of embryonic tissues, for which TiO2 displayed higher toxicity compared with ZnO and SiO2. Importantly, the in vitro methodology applied could identify cell- and NM-specific responses, with a low variability observed between different test assays. Overall, this testing approach, based on a battery of cellular systems and test assays, complemented by an exhaustive physico-chemical characterization of NMs, could be deployed for the development of an ITS suitable for risk assessment of NMs. This study also provides a rich source of data for modeling of NM effects
Metadata stewardship in nanosafety research: learning from the past, preparing for an “on-the-fly” FAIR future
Introduction: Significant progress has been made in terms of best practice in research data management for nanosafety. Some of the underlying approaches to date are, however, overly focussed on the needs of specific research projects or aligned to a single data repository, and this “silo” approach is hampering their general adoption by the broader research community and individual labs.Methods: State-of-the-art data/knowledge collection, curation management FAIrification, and sharing solutions applied in the nanosafety field are reviewed focusing on unique features, which should be generalised and integrated into a functional FAIRification ecosystem that addresses the needs of both data generators and data (re)users.Results: The development of data capture templates has focussed on standardised single-endpoint Test Guidelines, which does not reflect the complexity of real laboratory processes, where multiple assays are interlinked into an overall study, and where non-standardised assays are developed to address novel research questions and probe mechanistic processes to generate the basis for read-across from one nanomaterial to another. By focussing on the needs of data providers and data users, we identify how existing tools and approaches can be re-framed to enable “on-the-fly” (meta) data definition, data capture, curation and FAIRification, that are sufficiently flexible to address the complexity in nanosafety research, yet harmonised enough to facilitate integration of datasets from different sources generated for different research purposes. By mapping the available tools for nanomaterials safety research (including nanomaterials characterisation, nonstandard (mechanistic-focussed) methods, measurement principles and experimental setup, environmental fate and requirements from new research foci such as safe and sustainable by design), a strategy for integration and bridging between silos is presented. The NanoCommons KnowledgeBase has shown how data from different sources can be integrated into a one-stop shop for searching, browsing and accessing data (without copying), and thus how to break the boundaries between data silos.Discussion: The next steps are to generalise the approach by defining a process to build consensus (meta)data standards, develop solutions to make (meta)data more machine actionable (on the fly ontology development) and establish a distributed FAIR data ecosystem maintained by the community beyond specific projects. Since other multidisciplinary domains might also struggle with data silofication, the learnings presented here may be transferrable to facilitate data sharing within other communities and support harmonization of approaches across disciplines to prepare the ground for cross-domain interoperability
Fully functional support infrastructure (Deliverable 3.3)
OpenRiskNet is developing an e-infrastructure for predictive toxicology and safety assessment (of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials etc.) in the form of virtual research environments (VREs) and data, analysis and modelling services coming from the consortium but also from third parties, which can be deployed to these. This deliverable describes the support functions set up and how they were customised for specific user groups. Due to its specific purpose of being an infrastructure where public and commercial services are offered to the community, OpenRiskNet services different types of users and roles, which can be grouped into:
End users (e.g. members of academia, industry, and regulatory agencies) who are defined as users who log into an OpenRiskNet VRE and consume one or more services or applications
Developers who are involved in developing or setting up parts of the OpenRiskNet VRE, such as middleware, frameworks, data, or tools packaged as services or applications; in the latter case also referred to as tool provider
System administrators, who are in charge of creating and managing the OpenShift environment for the VRE and deploying the basic services.
We note that there will in many cases be an overlap between these roles, so that e.g. a Developer might also play the role of a System Administrator, but we will use these definitions in this document for clarity.
For all these users, we provide user-driven website content, a virtual help desk and an issue tracker for technical matters and case study related information as well as an option for feature requests, all structured around specific user roles. The helpdesk offers frequently asked questions (FAQ), a Getting Started guide, and a way to ask questions in the form of filing support tickets, which are serviced by specific OpenRiskNet staff responsible for handling and delegating issues. Additionally, a wiki specifically designed for developers, service providers and system administrators is provided with information on the deployment of the infrastructure and the development of OpenRiskNet-compliant services A newly established services catalogue offers functionalities that integrate the services description with training and user support. The support infrastructure is fully functional and in operation. A set of Key Performance Indicators are proposed, including the statistics so far. An updated status report on the KPIs will be included in the next relevant deliverables.
The direct access to different support functionalities:
OpenRiskNet Helpdesk: https://openrisknet.freshdesk.com
OpenRiskNet Wiki: https://github.com/OpenRiskNet/home/wiki
OpenRiskNet Issue tracker: https://github.com/OpenRiskNet/home/issues
OpenRiskNet Services catalogue https://openrisknet.org/e-infrastructure/services/
OpenRiskNet Library: https://openrisknet.org/library/
The website homepage (https://openrisknet.org/) offers a single entry point access to all these functionalities in a simple and user friendly manner
Deliverable Report D6.1 eNanoMapper Year 1 Dissemination Report
WP6 (Dissemination and Training) focuses on the development of news, events, findings, practices, resources, services created and scientific discoveries or progress from the eNanoMapper project. The Deliverable 6.1 describes the overall dissemination activities in the first twelve months of the project with a focus on the Task 6.1 (Community web site), Task 6.2 (Virtual seminars), Task 6.3 (Workshops) developments and other important scientific events in which eNanoMapper partners participated with lecture and/or poster presentations. Online dissemination tools which facilitate the information exchange between the eNanoMapper partners and the dissemination of the project results to the general public have been created and deployed. In the first twelve months of the project, the dissemination activities included also webinars and workshops (i.e. OpenTox 2014 Conference in Athens, Greece, co-sponsored by eNanoMapper and ToxBank FP7 projects) that covered scientific applications developed in the project and case studies. These events have the role to promote advances in the areas covered by eNanoMapper and to foster collaborations and common approaches with other programs. At the level of EU NanoSafety Cluster, eNanoMapper is also well represented: WG4 (Database) is led by Egon Willighagen (UM) and WG8 (Systems Biology) is led by Bengt Fadeel (KI), both WP leaders in eNanoMapper