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FHERITALE - Thematic cluster definition
Summary
This paper isn't a health study itself, it's a planning document that organizes European research labs and tools into six coordinated teams to better study tiny plastic particles (microplastics and nanoplastics) and their impact on food, health, and the environment. Think of it as building better infrastructure so scientists across countries can more efficiently and consistently test how these plastics affect our bodies, rather than working in isolated silos. While it won't directly tell you if microplastics are harmful, it sets the stage for faster, more reliable answers to that question in the future.
FHERITALE supports the development of an integrated European Research Infrastructure landscape for artificial materials at the micro- and nanoscale, including micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), bioplastics and plastic additives, across the Food–Health–Environment domains.This deliverable defines thematic clusters by building on the D6.1 gap analysis, technology needs assessment and stakeholder inputs, including the Brussels stakeholder meeting. The proposed approach is service-oriented, grouping existing and emerging capacities into accessible, validated and interoperable RI service portfolios. Six thematic clusters are proposed: Environmental Monitoring; Analytical and Characterisation Services; Toxicology and Exposure Modelling; Biological Models and In Vitro Systems; Data Interoperability and Digital Tools; and Sustainable Packaging and Functional Materials.Each cluster is described in terms of scope, RI functions, users, approaches, gaps addressed, readiness, interfaces with other clusters and candidate service concepts. The cluster architecture is validated against criteria such as relevance to priority needs, cross-domain coverage, service readiness, stakeholder support, feasibility, interoperability and contribution to WP7 and WP8.The resulting framework provides a practical basis for pilot services, service fiches/factsheets, access pathways, harmonisation actions, validation roadmaps, training activities and long-term sustainability planning.