Among the research initiatives funded by the European Commission to foster the generation of the necessary knowledge to understand possible health and environmental effects associated to the increasing use and production of engineered nanoparticles and materials, the NanoSustain project commenced its activities on 1st May 2010 followed by a kick-off meeting in the Swedish countryside; as for the previous preparatory meeting held before the negotiation process, Dr. Stefano Pozzi Mucelli, Senior Researcher within the ECSIN Laboratory, participated to the Kick off Meeting, as leader of Work Package 2. The project concept is based on the sustainability principle, which means that the use of new materials, like engineered nanomaterials and associated products, must not only meet human needs of the present but also of future generations. This also means that all possible effects occurring along a products life-cycle containing these new materials must be fully taken into account as well as their final destiny.

Veneto Nanotech as Work Package 2 leader is a member of the Steering Committee of the project, in which would lead and coordinate the activities of:
1) mapping and evaluating the already existing information of nanoparticles such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and nanocellulose, and
2) fostering the validation process of project results, to ensure their reproducibility.

Furthermore, Veneto Nanotech will participate in the research activities of the project, by specific analysis aimed at characterise the dispersion of nanoparticles and nanomaterials life cycle products in environmental matrices, and their health effects by the mean of functional genomics and proteomics techniques.

The project has launched its official website, available at the address http://www.nanosustain.eu, where all the information about project proceedings will be disseminated to interested stakeholders.

List of participants:

1 NOMI - NordMiljö (Coordinator) SE
2 ION - The Institute of Nanotechnology UK
3 NRCWE - National Research Centre for the Working Environment DK
4 VTT - Technical Research Centre of Finland FI
5 UniHB – University of Bremen DE
6 VN - Veneto Nanotech I
7 JRC – European Commission Joint Research Centre I
8 KTU - Kaunas University of Technlogy LT
9 IMT - National Institute for R&D in Microtechnologies RO
10 NLAB - Nanologica SE
11 NGAG – Nanogate DE
12 UPM – UPM Kymmene FI
13 AME – Amroy FI