Increasing expertise in micro- and nanoplastics analysis through twinning action
Funding Program:
Horizon Europe
Call:
HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-02
GA No.:
101160289
Duration:
2024 - 2027
EC Funding:
1,499,992.50 €
Increasing expertise in micro- and nanoplastics analysis through twinning action
Plastics have become ubiquitous in the food system, from agricultural production to food packaging and waste disposal. While they offer certain advantages, their negative consequences are far-reaching. They are proven to harm marine life and ecosystems, contribute to deforestation and climate change, and can be harmful to food systems and human health.
The main goal of the InPlasTwin project is to strengthen the research and innovation capacity in the field of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) analysis in Slovenia and Greece. This will be achieved through networking, knowledge sharing, and research collaboration with leading European institutions, renowned for their expertise in MNPs analysis.
A particular emphasis will be placed on strawberry cultivation, where researchers will simulate real farming conditions to analyse how MNPs, released from mulching films, are absorbed by crops and how they affect yield, fruit quality and safety.
Our role in the project
Foodscale Hub (FSH) is leading the establishment and implementation of a strong Dissemination, Exploitation, and Communication (DEC) Plan. As part of this, FSH is:
- Facilitating the transfer of knowledge to raise research profiles of research institutions.
- Enlarging the impact of InPlasTwin results and research through strategic dissemination, communication, exploitation, and sustainability strategies.
- Ensuring visibility and reach for the project and its outputs by being interconnected with all remaining InPlasTwin activities.
InPlasTwin by numbers
- 6 partners
- 6 countries
- 6+ workshops to foster ethics and gender balance in research
- 20+ staff from JSI, AUA, and FSH to adopt practices in diversity inclusion and ethics gained in the project
- 10+ conference contributions and 5+ scientific publications
- 12+ researchers from JSI and AUA trained on analytical techniques for the detection of MNPs in the environment and food