Objectives

The main objective is to train young scientists to study the interaction between NP and living organisms, with a common focus on the ability to induce or modulate the stress, inflammatory and immune reactivity of the organisms.

impact

The PANDORA fellows will be trained in the following scientific and technological goals:


1. Assessing safety of some representative types of NP (e.g. iron, titanium, cerium oxide) on the immune defence capacity of living organisms (from plants to humans).
2. Identifying common mechanisms/markers of reactivity predictive of risk vs. safety.
3. Designing predictive in vitro assays to detect the immuno-risk of NP for the environment and human health.

The eleven ESRs will be all enrolled in PhD schools, and will be additionally trained in an overarching training programme that will include training-by-research, joint courses of technical, scientific, ethical and transferrable skills, active participation to public scientific events, and an intense intersectoral networking exchange plan.

To accomplish its mission, PANDORA’s research plan will be organized in two well-interconnected research Workpackages (WP1 and 2), supported by three additional Workpackages including training (WP3), dissemination and outreach activities (WP4) and management (WP5).

The eleven PhD students will work on Individual Research Projects well integrated in the two research Workpackages and interconnected among them.

WP1: NP impact on immune responses of environmental species
NP interaction with innate immune cells/receptors:
ESR1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 11
Modulation of immune-pathogen interaction by NP:
ESR1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
WP2: Assays and biomarkers of NP impact on immunity of environmental species
Defining biomarkers of environmental immuno-risk:
ESR1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Immuno-risk predictive cell-based in vitro assays:
ESR1, 2, 3, 9, 11

 

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