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The CHIASMA Project is fully aligned with the EU strategies for the development of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework to ensure safety and sustainability of enabling and emerging technologies ⎼ including those based on chemicals and materials, as addressed in the EU’s Chemical Strategy for Sustainability (2020), in the European Green Deal (2021) and in the Advanced Materials 2030 Initiative (AMI2030). CHIASMA will focus on developing New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and improved Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) approaches and strategies, to ultimately integrate these into the CHIASMA Framework for the combined assessment of Safe & Sustainable by Design (SSbD) to support REACH (regulation for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), CLP (regulation for Classification, Labelling and Packaging of chemicals) and other relevant regulations, such as the (proposed) Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and the EU Ecolabel regulation.
In CHIASMA the term ‘material’ means ‘Advanced Materials’ (AdMas), since it includes and surpasses that of ‘nanomaterials’ (EU, ‘Definition of a Nanomaterial’); in this, the Project is aligned with the future-oriented innovation, safety and sustainability considerations of the OECD (OECD (2020a); OECD (2020b)), the EU (EU (2022)), and Member States (e.g. Germany (2021)).
Interface Communities and ensure regulatory relevance of NAMs to assess the safety of chemicals/materials.
Demonstrate the usefulness of NAMs for the implementation of REACH and CLP regulations.
Develop NAMs and validate them for the regulatory assessment of long-term safety.
Develop and user-stress-test software interface and insurance of proper handling by authorities, regulators and end users.
Demonstrate the transferability of the CHIASMA’s NAMs.
Demonstrate the trans-domains applicability of the CHIASMA’s safety and environmental framework.
Improve the Life Cycle Impact Assessment model for human toxicity and ecotoxicity.
FAIR-ification and GLP-ification of protocol and methods.
The CHIASMA Project is planned and conducted by a highly interdisciplinary, international consortium of partner institutions.
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a RTO focusing on IT, material and environmental sciences, and space operations. LIST will coordinate the project and lead WP2 and WP9. LIST will provide regulatory support and contribute to stakeholder outreach. LIST will contribute to the development of NAMs, to the in-project validation and to the framework construction.
University of Tampere (TAU) leads WP3 and guide the development of the CHIASMA computational framework, of the knowledge graphs. tasks related to the standardisation and GLP-fication of SOPs of the CHIASMA NAMs. TAU will also perform -OMICS analysis for the whole consortium. NAMs, to the in-project validation and to the framework construction.
Seven Past Nine (7P9) leads WP4 providing the software and data solutions to implement the NAMs and IATAs and. 7P9-SI will be in charge of the development of the knowledge infrastructure, FAIR-ification of data, models and software and support.
Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM) is a governmental institute with a focus on the transfer of scientific knowledge into policy development and regulations as well as a focus on standardisation of test methods via OECD. RIVM will lead WP5 and participate in development of NAMs, support the in-project and regulatory validation and transferability of NAMs.
Medical University Innsbruck (MUI) has a long tradition of excellence in medical education and research on alternatives to animal testing. MUI will support the development of AOPs, IATAs and the understanding of the current and evolving NAM-based regulatory frameworks and facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange between the CHIASMA project and relevant organisations.
AcumenIST (AIST) has a strong track record in materials-science and R&I-management, public and regulatory affairs, harmonisation & standardisation, and policy-assessment/-development, and provides CHIASMA with targeted dissemination-, communication- and exploitation- management (WP8-Lead), as well as streamlined secretariat support (PS) of the coordinator, thus widening the collaborative network of the CHIASMA Project (WP9-Co-Lead).
Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a new campus with state-of-the-art equipment relevant to CHIASMA, including a large model fish facility for toxicity studies with cell culture facilities, an imaging unit and accredited chemistry lab. Within CHIASMA, NMBU will contribute to development and validation of NAMs (reproductive toxicology and development).
NovaMechanics (NovaM) is a SME specialised in chem/bio/nano informatics, simulation, and medicinal & materials chemistry. In CHIASMA project, NovaM will be responsible for the development of the CHIASMA Cloud Platform in WP4, as well as contribute to the development of machine learning models and predictive QSAR and RA models in WP3.
National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is Greece's oldest and most prestigious educational institution in the field of technology. Within CHIASMA, NTUA will contribute to the development of the knowledge graph, QSAR and read-across models. NTUA will also lead the development of PBK models and implementation of the IATA and will contribute CHIASMA platform.
Austrian Institut of Technology (AIT) is the biggest Austrian non-profit RTO, which brings in the project its long-lasting experience in molecular diagnostics and biological barrier research. Within CHIASMA, AIT will contribute to the development of experimental NAMs (internal barrier), in-project validation of NAMs, and to the development of high content methods for NAMs.
Leibniz Institute für Umweltmedizinische Forschung (IUF) investigates how environmental factors interfere with molecular and cellular processes and thereby detriment health. It has been contributing to the DNT in vitro battery and its regulatory acceptance by the OECD. In CHIASMA, IUF is responsible for development and validation of 3D neurotoxicity models and providing internationally accepted DNT models for compound evaluation. IUF will also contribute an R-based biostatistical pipeline for data analyses.
BASF is one of the largest chemical industries that develops new chemicals and new structural and functional for a wide range of applications (e,g in the domain of automotive and construction, packaging, coatings, household and personal care). In CHIASMA, BASF will support the in-project and regulatory validation and transferability of NAMs.
University of Rome Tor Vergata (UniTOV) is a public university with the mission to contribute to education, research and technological innovation. Within CHIASMA, UniTOV will contribute to the development of NAMs for regulatory testing for short and long-term effects and will participate in interlaboratory, in-project validation of NAMs for the placental barrier.
University of Amsterdam (VUA (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) takes responsibility for people and the planet by delivering values-driven education, research and knowledge transfer. VUA is a university in NL with extensive experience in molecular toxicology and NAM development. Within CHIASMA, VU will contribute to 1) NAM design and implementation; 2) standardisation and harmonisation and 3) in-project validation.
ECETOC is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to provide a collaborative space for top scientists from industry, academia and governments ECETOC will co-chair WP7 and promote regulatory acceptance.
Hanyang University (HYU) is a private university located South Korea hosting about 35,000 students. HYU will contribute to the development of experimental NAMs and to the in-project validation of NAMs. Particularly, HYU will focus on developing experimental and data analysis pipeline for high-content assay based on single-cell based mass cytometry.
HYU has developed unique technologies for single-cell ICP-Ms to perform high content analysis of panel of biomarkers of exposure. In addition, HYU is member of WNT and will link CHIASMA to local and Pan-Asiatic stakeholders.
University of Birmingham (UoB) is a research-intensive top-100 university with expertise in environmental pollution, ecotoxicology / NAMs development and advanced materials characterisation. UoB lead WP1 and provide extensive characterisation support to WPs 2 (In bio method developments) and 5 (in-project validation) as well as back-up for the Fish Embryo Test.
Swansea University (SU) is a public university in UK that has extensive experience in human hazard evaluation, NAMs development and their application in chemical and nanosafety testing. Within CHIASMA, SU will contribute to 1) NAM design and implementation; 2) technical hazard evaluation; 3) standardisation and harmonisation; 4) in-project validation.
Institut of Occupational Medicine (IOM) is an independent research and consultancy centre of scientific excellence in the fields of occupational epidemiology and environmental health, hygiene and safety, with long experience in chemical- and nanotechnology-risk hazard, risk and assessment, risk assessment and governance for workplace hazards. Within CHIASMA, IOM will contribute to the development of PBK, the data integration and FAIR-ification, development of NGRA approaches.
Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt (EMPA) is a Swiss RTO for materials science and technology. Within CHIASMA, EMPA will contribute to the development of NAMs mainly focusing on biological barriers and developmental toxicity. Furthermore, EMPA will contribute to the enhancement of the current USEtox method for the assessment of human toxicity and ecotoxicity and to an operationalization of the SSbD framework from the European Union in the form of the CHIASMA-framework.