BIORIMA | BIORIMA - 3rd Newsletter

BIORIMA - 3rd Newsletter

Welcome to the third BIORIMA newsletter and the first one for 2021, giving you a short overview about the project's achievements since the last edition and the plans for its final year.

While a tiny, roughly 100 nm virus still determines our life on a global level, BIORIMA has succeeded in proceeding as planned and sustaining momentum from the outset to establish for the first time a risk management framework for the safe handling of nano-engineered biomaterials (NBM) used in medical applications. None of us could imagine a year ago that we would find ourselves in a situation that would change our way of working and meeting so emphatically. Luckily, however, and due to the nature of the methods and materials we are developing in BIORIMA, the results we produce can significantly support the combat of the ongoing pandemic, not only in the use of the NBM we developed as carriers for vaccines, but also in future treatments against Covid-19.

During the past month, our multidisciplinary research team has progressed in further building-up the BIORIMA database, for example by continuing to update and improve the Excel templates for the collection and curation of data and SOPs generated on the characterisation and testing of NBMs. This will allow all partners to easily access and share all the forthcoming generated new experimental data in a harmonised and interoperable way.1 The still ongoing comprehensive characterisation campaign includes a large set of industrial and lab-scale NBMs to support exposure, fate and risk assessment, and the development of Safer by Design (SbD) tools: two major goals of BIORIMA. For this, we have followed up the properties and biotransformation of NBMs in relevant media, including different cell culture media, artificial gastrointestinal fluids, osteoarthritic synovial fluids, synthetic sweat, and artificial fresh and marine waters.

BIORIMA’s Final Public Event – Results, Reflections and Aspirations

A large audience of wide-ranging stakeholders logged on to take part in BIORIMA’s final public event, held on January 19th, 2022. Organised with polished efficiency by Lisa Bregoli and Stefania Melandri, Warrant Hub, the event comprised three distinct and engaging sessions: 1. Presentation of BIORIMA Final Results 2. Nanosafety projects response to real-world needs 3. NSC-community-activity “Brainstorming of future collaboration for nanobiomaterials risk assessment”

BIORIMA FINAL MEETING

The BIORIMA Project held its final meeting from 17th – 18th January, a large, well-attended gathering of project members from all partner organisations, the External Advisory Board, and Marcello Cacace, the Project Officer from the EC.

News from the BIORIMA Project

A safe and sustainable society and environment are the two pillars on which our future stands, and both have to be continuously supported and protected by transparent, long-sighted and science-based regulation that is shared by all actors involved. BIORIMA is contributing to these ongoing new regulatory needs by developing novel methodologies that help us to obtain the knowledge and tools to manage possible risks associated with emerging new materials, such as nano-biomaterials (NBM), when used in medical applications.

More News ...