Context and Strategic Motivation
The TOXBOX project is funded under the Horizon Europe programme, specifically the HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-21 topic, which focuses on innovative methods for safety and sustainability assessment of chemicals and materials. It responds to the EU’s strategic push for a Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach, aiming to reduce reliance on animal testing and improve the predictive power of toxicological assessments. The project aligns with broader EU goals such as the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the European Green Deal.
Overall Objectives
TOXBOX aims to develop the first integrated instrument-based toxicology testing environment, combining advanced in vitro and in silico models. Its objectives include:
• Creating biomimetic models of human tissues and zebrafish embryos within fluidic platforms.
• Enabling real-time, non-invasive monitoring of toxicological effects over extended periods.
• Developing computational models to predict chemical distribution and toxicity across organs and environments.
• Designing a modular, plug-and-play instrument adaptable to diverse toxicological needs.
• Validating the system against regulatory standards to ensure compliance.
• Conducting full life cycle assessments under the SSbD framework.
Pathway to Impact
TOXBOX will revolutionize toxicology testing by:
• Reducing animal testing according to 3R-principle
• Providing early identification of toxic compounds, enabling their removal from development pipelines before animal trials
• Offering long-term exposure models to assess injury progression and reversibility.
• Supporting regulatory bodies with reliable, scalable, and standardized testing tools.
TOXBOX sets the stage for a paradigm shift in chemical safety testing. By integrating cutting-edge technologies with regulatory and societal needs, it promises safer materials, reduced animal testing, and enhanced public trust in chemical safety assessments.
