NanoSafe Australia
Name of Group Leader:
A/Prof. Paul WrightPhysical Address:
School of Medical Sciences,RMIT-University,
Bundoora West Campus, Building 223 Level 2
Plenty Road, Bundoora
VIC 3083, AUSTRALIA
Mailing Address:
School of Medical Sciences,RMIT-University,
PO Box 71, Plenty Road, Bundoora,
VIC 3083, AUSTRALIA
Phone:
+61-3 9925 7075Fax:
+61-3 9925 7063Email:
paul.wright@rmit.edu.auNanotechnology Research Programs/Activities:
* Toxicokinetics (including dermal penetration and distribution), toxicity testing and risk assessment of nanomaterials in sunscreens, specifically zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.*The development of research tools for nanotoxicology research, specifically:
- Appropriate physico-chemical characterisation methods for describing nanomaterial toxicity.
- In vivo toxicokinetics and dermal penetration detection methods for nanomaterials.
- Appropriate dosimetry models, dose-response relationships and mechanisms of action of nanomaterials.
- Biomarkers of exposure and effect for nanoparticles, including functional biochemical and immuno- toxicity biomarkers and differential gene expression.
- High-throughput methods for rapid nanotoxicity screening.
The network’s first collaborative initiative was the production in late 2006 of: “Current OHS best practices for the Australian nanotechnology industry: A NanoSafe Australia position paper”.
Scale of Nanotechnology Research Effort:
NanoSafe Australia's growing membership currently includes 10 research groups across Australia based at RMIT, Monash, Flinders, Queensland, Macquarie, Western Australia and Curtin Universities, and also the CSIRO Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research (investigating environmental nanovectors).Nanotechnology research facilities:
The NanoSafe Australia network is Australia’s first program to deal with the considerable challenges surrounding the health and safety of nanomaterials. It involves a co-ordinated approach and collaborations with various specialists and their facilities in diverse fields of research.Australian toxicologists are experienced in research fields that are directly related to the issue of nanotoxicology, such as measurement of ultra-fine particles in ambient air, immunotoxicology, toxicokinetics, occupational hygiene and workplace monitoring of toxic agents, ecotoxicology, environmental toxicology and ecological and human health risk assessments. The NanoSafe Australia network is also forging partnerships with materials scientists, which will aid toxicology studies by characterising the specific traits of nanomaterials that are important to their bioactivity and toxicity.
Participants
- Mr Griffin D'Costa
- Mr Abdulkareem Elbaz
- Dr Bryce Feltis
- Dr Visalini Muthusamy
- Mr Sean O'Keefe
- Mr Nikolas Patsikatheodorou
- Mr Cenchao Shen
