Tassos Papadiamantis is a senior scientist at the Entelos Institute (Cyprus). Within SSbD4CheM, he is leading the work package dealing with the computer aided (re)design approach.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your area of expertise?

Tassos Papadiamantis: My expertise is at the interface of nanomaterials safety, data and AI governance and management, and responsible predictive modelling. On the data side, I work on making nanosafety, materials, and chemicals data FAIR. On the modelling side, I develop responsible AI and machine-learning approaches to predict how materials behave, e.g., read-across models for ζ-potential and stability. I also work on developing ethical AI assessment frameworks applicable in materials and chemicals research. I bring this work into the regulatory space, mainly through projects with the European Union Observatory for Nanomaterials and EFSA, and publicly and commercially funded projects, supporting REACH and CLP compliance. This is also what I bring into SSbD4CheM and WP2, data-driven modelling, responsible AI, and FAIR data practices feeding directly into safe and sustainable design.

How does your specific work package “Computer aided (re)design approach” contribute to the project?

TP: WP2 provides the computer-aided (re)design layer of SSbD4CheM. Our role is to bring computational tools into the SSbD framework so that material selection and re-design decisions can be made early, before going to the lab. We combine physics-based methods and data-driven workflows that predict properties, behaviour, fate and transport of candidate materials. From these results we also identify the data gaps that need experimental work, which then guides what is actually measured in the project. On top of that, we develop a data-driven LCA estimation framework, so even for materials that do not yet have full inventory data we can give an estimation on their environmental impact. In practice, WP2 is the layer that turns SSbD from a principle into something computable and iterative.

What is the most exciting thing about the activities in your work package?

TP: For me the most interesting part is the loop we are building between models and experiments. The data-driven workflows we set up are not delivered once and frozen. They can be refined with new experimental data and the refined models can then feed the next design cycle. Combined with the LCA estimation step, this lets us look at safety, performance and lifecycle impact of a material that may not exist yet in the lab, which is something quite hard to do today. And we get to test this on three very different case studies, i.e., renewable composites for automotive, PFAS-free coatings for textiles, and cellulose nanofibers replacing plastic microbeads in cosmetics.

Yvonne Kohl is a senior scientist at the Bioprocessing & Bioanalytics department of the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT (Germany). Within SSbD4CheM, she is leading the work package dealing with models for human health and environmental safety assessment.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your area of expertise?

Yvonne Kohl: My professional expertise is in toxicology, with a strong focus on in vitro safety assessment. Over the past years, my research focused on establishing human-relevant in vitro models, often referred to as New Approach Methods (NAMs), with the goal of enabling their regulatory use. As a Senior Scientist and Scientific Specialist for Toxicology at the Fraunhofer IBMT my main areas of work include human toxicology, hazard assessment of chemicals and nanomaterials, innovative preclinical in vitro models, biohybrid systems, biological barriers and organ-on-chip systems.

How does your specific work package “Innovative models for human health and environmental safety assessment” contribute to the project?

YK: WP4 is really the engine of the project when it comes to innovative safety testing. Our role is to develop and deliver the core model systems and data that are needed for a modern, reliable safety assessment of nanomaterials and chemicals. Concretely, we develop and refine advanced in vitro, ex vivo and zebrafish embryo models that reflect key human and environmental exposure routes, such as skin, lung, gut and the aquatic environment. We then optimise these methods into robust, efficient screening tools that are fully aligned with the 3R principles—replacement, reduction and refinement of animal testing. At the same time, we are building a comprehensive data library on hazardous properties to address critical knowledge gaps. To ensure that our methods are truly fit for purpose, we run inter-laboratory comparisons and pre-validation studies up to TRL 6, demonstrating reproducibility, applicability and robustness and moving the methods closer to practical application in regulation and industry. Through all of this, WP4 provides the practical tools and evidence base that enable safer-by-design decision-making and support the regulatory acceptance of alternative test methods..

What is the most exciting thing about the activities in your work package?

YK: What excites me most about our work package is that we’re not just developing isolated test methods, but building an integrated, human-relevant model system. This allows us to realistically mimic key exposure routes—such as skin, lung, and gut—and to capture low-dose, chronic effects of nanomaterials and chemicals. By combining advanced in vitro and alternative models with real-life exposure scenarios, and then validating them through inter-laboratory comparisons, we’re really closing the gap between exploratory research and regulatory or industrial application. This gives our work a very tangible impact: it can directly contribute to reducing animal testing in line with the 3R principles, support safe-by-design innovation, and provide practical tools that industry and regulators can actually implement in their decision-making.

Barry Hardy is CEO of Edelweiss Connect (Switzerland). Within SSbD4CheM, he is leading the work package dealing with the project SSbD framework and workflow.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your area of expertise?

Barry Hardy: I am Founder and CEO of Edelweiss Connect, working at the intersection of computational toxicology, FAIR data infrastructure, and Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) innovation. Our expertise focuses on developing knowledge infrastructures and mechanistically interpretable modeling workflows that integrate experimental and computational evidence to support predictive safety assessment. This includes development of FAIR-compliant data frameworks, AOP-based mechanistic modeling, and AI-assisted workflows such as ASPA, designed to generate high-quality, traceable evidence suitable for industrial decision-making and future regulatory acceptance.

How does your specific work package “SSbD4CheM framework and workflow” contribute to the project?

BH: Our work package contributes by developing the SSbD framework implementation layer that connects FAIR data, mechanistic knowledge infrastructure, and industrial innovation workflows. We are extending ASPA workflows to support SSbD applications, enabling structured integration of experimental data, mechanistic pathway knowledge, and predictive models into reproducible evidence packages. This infrastructure ensures that safety and sustainability assessments are transparent, traceable, and reusable, supporting industrial partners in making informed design decisions and preparing evidence that can ultimately support regulatory evaluation and acceptance.

What is the most exciting thing about the activities in your work package?

BH: The most exciting aspect is enabling a transition from fragmented data and isolated experiments to integrated, mechanistically grounded evidence that can directly guide safer and more sustainable chemical and material design. By combining FAIR data principles, knowledge graphs, and mechanistic modeling workflows, we are creating a foundation where safety and sustainability can be evaluated predictively and early in innovation. This opens the door to faster, more reliable development of safer products while building confidence in new approach methodologies (NAMs) that can eventually replace animal testing and support regulatory transformation.

In October 2025 (concretelly on Oct. 15th), Ivana Burzic, from Wood K plus, presented SSbD4CheM’s automotive case study at a dedicated meeting on the PARC project (European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals).

In her presentation, Ivana highlighted the safety (emissions) and sustainability (recycled materials, cellulosic fillers) goals of this case study on renewable based composites (WPC) with optimized TVOC emissions and odor for automotive car interior trims, as well as how the project is implementing all 5 steps of the SSbD framework. The presentation also covered different tests performed like weathering and TVOC emissions, before and after weathering tests, to ensure a safer production and application of the composites developed within the project, covering different cellulosic materials. The presentation also included LCA results.

The online meeting gathered PARC partners and European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) representatives to exchange experiences and contribute to building the EU SSbD toolbox. This collaborative effort supports a harmonised European approach to safer and more sustainable chemical assessments, enhancing environmental and health protection.

Demonstrating cross-project commitment to SSbD principles, Ivana also presented BIO-SUSHY’s food tray packaging as a case study, highlighting the PFAS-free, bio-based coatings that embody safety and sustainability principles from the very beginning of development.

This engagement underscores SSbD4CheM’s active participation in the European SSbD community and reinforces its position as a reference point for sustainable materials innovation.

The presentation is publicly available under DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17403579 (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license).

The third ECOSYSTEX Conference took place from 29 September to 1 October in Gothenburg, Sweden, bringing together experts, innovators, and industry leaders to discuss the latest technologies and business models for textile circularity.

Over two days, the 160 participants engaged in plenary and interactive breakout sessions, fostering lively discussions, networking, and collaboration opportunities across the textile sustainability community.

The event was supported by six ECOSYSTEX member projects — PESCO-UP, SOLSTICE, tExtended, BioFibreLoop, WhiteCycle, and Hemp4Circularity — which showcased their project results and hosted dedicated interactive sessions.

Onur Celen and Mine Türkay Kankıran (KORTEKS) attended the event on behalf of SSbD4CheM, presenting the project to fellow participants and exploring opportunities for collaboration. Their participation helped strengthen connections within the ECOSYSTEX network and provided valuable insights for future project developments.

The Final Conference of the PRIORITY COST Action gathered more than 150 participants at the Technical University of Leoben – Montanuniversität for a four-day program dedicated to the scientific, technical, and societal challenges posed by micro- and nanoplastics in the environment.

From 2-5 September, the event brought together experts, researchers, policymakers, industry, and civil society to conclude PRIORITY’s collaborative achievements. Participants contributed through thematic sessions, oral and poster presentations, networking activities, and dedicated opportunities for early-career researchers. The conference offered a great opportunity to strengthen Europe-wide and international cooperation on plastics pollution.

One of the key moments of the conference was Session 4: Networking with External Projects, chaired by Stefania Federici and Aleksandra Tubic.
This session provided a platform for external projects addressing micro- and nanoplastics or related environmental challenges to showcase their objectives, methodologies, and achievements. By facilitating interactions across different initiatives, the session aimed to enhance collaboration, foster synergies, and amplify the collective impact of ongoing research across Europe and beyond. Representatives were encouraged to share their dissemination strategies, expand their professional networks, and explore new avenues for joint work in the growing field of micro- and nanoplastics research.

Our project coordinator, Milica Velimirovic (VITO) represented the project at the conference. She contributed to the scientific program wiht the general poster presentation of the project, highlighting its objectives and progress related to Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) methodologies for chemicals and materials. Her participation helped raise awareness of the project’s approach, foster potential collaborations, and strengthen connections between the SSbD4CHeM project and the broader PRIORITY community.

One highlight of the event was the opportunity of meeting one of the members of our External Advisory Board, Melanie MacGregor, from the Flinders Universty!

Stephan Wagner is Professor for Environmental Analysis at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Fresenius) (Leipzig, Germany). Within SSbD4CheM, he is leading the work package on analytical methods for visualisation, characterisation, analysis and identification of particles and organic compounds in the materials and products of the project.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your area of expertise?

Stephan Wagner: By training I am an environmental scientist with a focus on environmental analytics. Over the last ten years my research portfolio has expanded from environmental analysis to food, materials and consumer product analysis. My team and I develop new analytical approaches and apply them to the development of new technologies and risk assessment. We work with organic and inorganic mass spectrometry techniques. I like this area because we work very close to the application and it allows a high degree of innovation.

How does your specific work package “Analytical methods for tailored requests” contribute to the project?

SW: Our work package is designed to support the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) approach for the three case studies in the project by providing new and fit-for-purpose analytical tools. We aim to develop innovative analytical tools for imaging, nano- and microparticle characterisation, volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis and identification of unknown organic compounds in the materials and products of the project case studies. In this work package, analytical research and industrial application are very closely linked. We drive analytical innovation by considering the analytical needs of the industry in our work package.

For example, we are developing and implementing mass spectrometry-based analytical detection techniques for VOCs and applying them directly to characterise VOC emissions from vehicle interiors using state-of-the-art emission test chambers. These tests provide exposure concentration data that will be used for safety assessment of the new materials in car interiors.

What is the most exciting thing about the activities in your work package?

SW: We have been involved in many European and national projects where new analytical approaches have been developed. In SSbD4CheM, we want to not only develop and optimise new analytical approaches, but also apply them to the SSbD framework. Therefore, our partners are from research institutions and industry, which makes the work very exciting. For the next project period, we will also investigate the potential for harmonising our newly developed methods, which would make them applicable beyond the project.

Ivana Burzic is Project Leader at Wood K plus, a research organisation in the field of wood and wood-related renewable resources in Linz, Austria. Within SSbD4CheM, she leads the work package dealing with the development and validation of novel materials for the three case studies, with fulfilled sustainability and safety aspects.

Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your area of expertise?

Ivana Burzic: I have many years of experience in researching thermoplastic-based materials/formulation development and their application to various polymer processing technologies. I hold a position at Wood K plus R&D Center (Austria) as International Project Manager in the Bio-based Composites and Processes (BCP) team. Previously, I studied Organic Chemistry and Polymer Engineering from the University of Belgrade (Serbia), and I’m interested in sustainable and circular materials for different application areas. Before joining Wood K plus, I spent 3 years at the Johannes Kepler University (Austria) at Institute of Polymer Extrusion and Compounding, where I worked closely with students as a research associate. During this time, I enjoyed teaching students about plastic welding. I really love teaching young people, especially children, how we can change the future by having good habits and acting responsibly.

How does your specific work package “SSbD driven R&D of novel materials and Demonstration of Industrial Assay” contribute to the project?

IB: The WP7 work package of the SSbD4CheM project plays an important role as it develops novel renewable composites with optimised Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) emissions and odour for automotive applications, PFAS-free coatings for textile applications and investigates different types of nanocellulose as a sustainable additive in cosmetics in the light of the implementation of the SSbD framework. In order to fully exploit the potential benefits that innovative SSbD4CheM materials can offer, it is essential to prioritise safety aspects in conjunction with sustainability considerations. Therefore, by applying different steps of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Framework considering different SSbD4CheM use cases, the WP7 work package will work closely with partners from other WPs to integrate functionality/innovation with safety and sustainability considerations as early as possible in the innovation process at TRL3/4 (R&D development process), thus saving costs towards their market introduction.

What is the most exciting thing about the activities in your work package?

IB: Collaboration with international teams as well as close collaboration with industrial partners (representatives of Stellantis Group, AHAVA and KORTEKS) to address different, sometimes complex issues related to the different use case requirements.