Maria Zarcone received NRS Travel Grant
Maria Zarcone
Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center
The 7th Nanotoxicology conference, held in Antalya, hosted an international and interdisciplinary audience. Each two years, professionals from various scientific backgrounds share latest results and strategy in the characterization and application of nanomaterials in medicine.
Because of the variety of nanomaterials and the use of different study models, sunrise courses took place every morning before plenary lectures to foster a better understanding for the diverse public. In those seminars it was possible to gain basic knowledge about characterization of physicochemical proprieties of nanomaterials, but also about the use of advanced in vitro lung cell models in nanotoxicology. During the five days of conference three plenary lectures and three parallel sessions were offered every day in which many different topics were discussed: nano/bio interface, nanoparticles and biological barrier, nanomedicine, pulmonary toxicity, eco-immunosafety, environmental exposure, strategy of risk assessment and in vitro exposure modeling.
Posters sessions were dedicated to in vivo and in vitro studies, focusing on silver, cerium oxide and diesel particles exposures. Particularly interesting were the plenary discussions in a round table format in which the importance of development of public databases about characterization data, improvement of the guidelines for the use of nanomaterials and a better harmonization of protocols was discussed.
I would like to thank the NRS for giving me the opportunity to participate in this event that allowed me to acquire new knowledge on the application and adverse effects of nanoparticles and to meet several experts in nanotoxicology interested in our in vitro model of whole diesel exposure to primary bronchial epithelial cells. Importantly, I have discussed my results with many colleagues in the field, and established new contacts that are highly relevant for my project. Through these contacts, I am now invited to present my study during the 18th ETH conference on Combustion Generated Particles in Zurich next month.
