Online training tools for nanosafety assessment – NanoCommons for researchers and safety assessors in industry, academia and regulatory authorities

Abstract

NanoCommons is a research e-infrastructure project offering access to high quality nanoinformatics tools and services for nanotechnology and nanosafety stakeholders (academia, industry, regulators). It is user-led, offering and developing the services needed by the user community of nanotechnology, nanosafety and related fields. NanoCommons is built on 3 main pillars: joint research activities, networking activities and transnational access services, covering four categories relevant for nanosafety assessment: experimental workflows design and implementation; data processing and analysis; data visualisation and predictive toxicity; data storage and online accessibility. These services are designed to promote data FAIRness (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), a key NanoCommons goal, that can be made Open through the NanoCommons Knowledgebase. Thus, NanoCommons provides innovative solutions for data mining, harmonisation, utilisation and re-utilisation, including incorporation of a range of modelling and decision support tools that require and/or can produce organised, high-quality datasets. A number of online training tools have been developed for each of the offered services to help users chose and use the services relevant to their needs. The NanoCommons help-desk and training library shall bridge academic research with industry and regulators, as recommended by the EU NanoSafety Cluster‘s “Closer to the Market” Research Roadmap serving the Safe-by-Design concept in nanotechnology.