Project description
Tiny plastics, big risks
Microplastics (MPs) have penetrated all the elements of our daily life, including the air we breathe and the food we consume. The risk increases when they break down into nanoscale plastics (NPs), as the smaller particles can enter cells and vital organs. While this poses threats to both ecology and human health, few studies focus on the long-term effects. In this context, the EU-funded ENLIVEN project uses human liver organoids and zebrafish embryos. ENLIVEN studies the effects of environmental nanoplastics (eNPs) on liver resilience and gene response to sensitise researchers to advanced nanotoxicology. It will map toxicological pathways, improve health risk prediction, and grow long-term capabilities in environmental health involving single-cell RNA sequencing and cutting-edge methodologies.
Objective
ENLIVEN is a research-through-training project designed to equip researcher with key expertise to tackle challenges in nanotoxicology. Plastic pollution has rapidly surpassed unprecedented in less than a century, with microplastics (MPs) found across various environments, ecosystems, and within the human body. MPs are present in the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. While current analytical techniques limit the detection of nanoplastics (NPs <100 nm), plastic degradation continues beyond the microscale, leading to nanoscale interactions with potentially unknown consequences. NPs pose significant environmental and public health risks, particularly due to chronic exposure to harmful chemicals. Environmental nanoplastics (eNPs) are of particular concern due to their ability to penetrate cells and vital organs, increasing their retention in organisms. However, most research focuses on the environmental impact of MPs and NPs, leaving critical gaps in understanding their long-term effects on public health and biology. ENLIVEN aims to address this by uncovering the biological mechanisms of eNPs, examining their degradation, liver resilience, and long-term health impacts. Using human liver organoids and zebrafish embryos, ENLIVEN will study genes related to tolerance, sensitivity, and heritability, alongside liver resilience. The project proposes an innovative, integrative approach in predictive toxicology, combining bottom-up and top-down methodologies. It will link Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOP) through single-cell combinatorial RNA-seq and explore phenotypic variability via Drug-Induced Liver Injury studies in human liver organoids. This research will advance comparative human toxicology by revealing the biological mechanisms that respond to eNPs throughout life. Additionally, ENLIVEN will enhance researchers’ career prospects, foster international collaborations, and support the establishment of a research group at the home institution in Spain.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine embryology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine toxicology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.4.1 - Widening participation and spreading excellence
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-TALENTS-02
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1000 LJUBLJANA
Slovenia
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.