HISENTS aims to deliver an advanced nanosafety platform capable of providing high-throughput toxicity screening for the risk assessment of novel nanomaterials.

The platform will be made up of an integrated set of miniaturised modules each representing critical human physiological functions from molecular interactions, through to cell, organ and organism effects.

To achieve this, the project will take a multidisciplinary approach drawing on experts from industry and research in the fields of nanotechnology, chemistry, cell biology, toxicology, engineering, electronics, computer modelling and material science.

There are expected to be five major outcomes from the HISENTS project:

• Generate new screening tool(s) to speed up the profiling of nanomaterial hazards
• Faster characterisation of the mechanisms by which nanomaterials can cause toxicity
• ‘Safer by design’ approaches whereby the data generated by the project on nanosafety can be used to design future nanomaterials that avoid any toxicity issues
• Generate data on nanosafety that can be used beyond the lifetime of the project
• Contribute to the wider conversation of nanosafety and nanoregulation in Europe. As part of this, the project will be an active member of the Nano Safety Cluster

1 April 2016 – 31 March 2019