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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
TOXBOX, a Horizon Europe funded research initiative, has successfully concluded the first 18 months of its four-year mission to revolutionize chemical safety testing. With 16 partners from 10 countries, the project is developing an advanced, plug-and-play toxicology platform that combines modular testing systems with powerful in silico modelling - fully aligned with the EU’s Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework.
TOXBOX aims to transform how we assess chemical toxicity by developing an all-in-one platform that delivers high-throughput, life-cycle-wide testing data – reducing reliance on animal models and enabling safer, faster innovation in chemicals and materials. The platform will integrate:
• Organoid-on-chip models for skin, lung, liver, and immune systems
• Real-time, non-invasive sensing and monitoring
• AI-driven in silico models for predictive toxicity
Building on the earlier H2020 PANBioRA project, TOXBOX now pushes the boundaries of alternative testing by bridging human and environmental health assessment in one system. The project runs from January 2024 to December 2027.
Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is the project’s administrative coordinator and works in close collaboration with Spartha Medical, the project’s scientific coordinator. Additionally, Steinbeis Europa Zentrumis leading the development and implementation of the communication and dissemination strategy and the definition of the exploitation strategy for the project and support on the management of intellectual property.
Achievements after the first 18 months
With the first project phase completed, TOXBOX has achieved major technical and collaborative milestones:
Scientific and Technical Progress:
• Validation of co-exposure protocols and toxicological assessments with selected materials
• Development of prototype chips for modular toxicity testing
• Development of new microfluidic architectures in integrated chip designs for skin- and liver- on-a-chip systems
• Development of transgenic zebrafish line and of the organoid models (skin, lung, liver, immune cell types)
• Design of a preliminary CAD model and interface of the full TOXBOX system
• Publication of a new method for feeding-rate testing in daphnids (NAM Journal)
Collaboration and community engagement:
TOXBOX has cultivated strong internal and external collaboration during its first 18 months.
Consortium meetings in Strasbourg (Kick-Off in January 2024), Kragujevac (June 2024), and Grenoble (January 2025) strengthened interdisciplinary cooperation and project alignment. Externally, the project was showcased at several events, including, e.g. the World Biomaterial’s Congress, Material’s Week, Compamed & Medica, MPS World Summit, 360 Grand Est and Vivatech 2025.
TOXBOX also joined the EU Network for Safety and sustainability of Chemicals and materials (NSC), reinforcing its commitment to safe nanomaterials. Collaborations with sister Horizon Europe projects CheMatSustain, CHIASMA, and SSbD4CheM, have been initiated and are ongoing. Initial contact has furthermore been made with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to explore future collaboration and alignment with EU policy and regulatory developments.
Another major achievement is the recent launch of the TOXBOX project video, offering a concise, engaging introduction to the project’s vision, technologies, and expected impact. It is now available on the TOXBOX website and YouTube channel.
The 18-month review meeting will take place in September 2025 at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) to refine strategies for the next phase.
Looking ahead
As TOXBOX is now entering into its critical validation phase, the platform will undergo real-world testing in laboratory settings.
Key upcoming activities include:
• Testing of the developed chips
• Interlaboratory testing of platform modules across partner sites
• Validation of integrated in vitro and in silico models
• Application of the platform to key chemical groups (nanoparticles, metal ions, biocides)
• Full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to verify SSbD alignment
• Contributions to EU regulatory and standardization frameworks
TOXBOX Consortium
The TOXBOX project brings together 16 partners from 10 countries, offering deep expertise in toxicology, biomedical engineering, environmental sciences, regulatory affairs, and industrial innovation:
Steinbeis Europa Zentrum/ Steinbeis 2i GmbH, Spartha Medical, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Steinbeis Advanced Risk Technologies Institute do Kragujevac, Dolmen Design and Innovation Ltd, Dublin City University, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Aquamonitrix Ltd, Preste, Kemijski Institut, Fundacion Tekniker, Betthera s.r.o., Agence Nationale de la Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation de l’Environnement et du Travail, Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt, University of Nottingham.
Scientific Coordination
Dr. Nihal Engin Vrana
Spartha Medical
1 Rue Eugène Boeckel
67000 Strasbourg, France
E-Mail: evrana@sparthamedical.eu
Web: https://sparthamedical.eu/
Communication and Dissemination
Sophie von Stralendorff
Steinbeis Europa Zentrum/ Steinbeis 2i GmbH
Steinhäuserstraße 12
76135 Karlsruhe, Germany
E-Mail: sophie.vonstralendorff@steinbeis-europa.de
Web: https://www.steinbeis-europa.de/en/home
Dr. Nihal Engin Vrana, Spartha Medical
E-Mail: evrana@sparthamedical.eu
https://toxbox.eu/ -Project website
https://www.youtube.com/@TOXBOXProject - YouTube
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S3050620425000041 - Publication
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