Research infrastructures as engines of integration for micro- and nanomaterial research: a European perspective inspired by FHERITALE
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Micro- and nanomaterials have become pervasive across ecosystems, food systems, and human environments, raising urgent questions about exposure, toxicity, and long-term impacts. Yet despite rapid scientific advances, the research landscape remains fragmented, with inconsistent terminology, heterogeneous methodologies, and uneven technological capabilities across laboratories. The FHERITALE initiative— Food , Health and Environment Research Infrastructures to Tackle Emerging Priorities —offers a unique cross-domain analysis of these challenges and outlines a roadmap for coordinated European action. Drawing on the FHERITALE Policy Brief and White Paper, this perspective synthesizes current gaps, emerging priorities, and the strategic role of Research Infrastructures (RIs) in enabling a One Health approach. We argue that Europe is poised to lead globally in micro- and nanomaterial research if it can integrate RI capabilities, harmonize standards, and shift from descriptive studies toward mitigation, remediation, and policy-relevant solutions.
Source: Food Safety and Risk
Authors: Elisa Murgioni, Ondřej Adamovský, Nastasia Belc, Michel Boër, José Maria Carazo, Marcos Gragera, Laurens D.B. Mandemaker, Francesca Morelli, Gabriel Mustatea, Valeria Poscente, Harald Schwalbe, Subha Lakshmi Sharma, Joseph Timkovsky, Joris Van Loco, Roel C.H. Vermeulen, Claudia Zoani, Antonio Rosato
Institutions: Interuniversity Consortium for Magnetic Resonance, Masaryk University, National Research & Development Institute for Food Bioresources ‒ IBA Bucharest, Analysis and Experimentation on Ecosystems, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Utrecht University, National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Goethe University Frankfurt, Instruct-ERIC, Sciensano (Belgium), University of Florence
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204771643