In the last issue of Sampler, we shared the first milestone in making PARC's research projects visible and accessible to a broader audience – an effort that received extremely positive feedback from our community and stakeholders.

Since then, we have significantly stepped up our efforts. Today, over 60 research projects are featured on the PARC website, all presented in a clear, structured, and consistent format. Every project page follows the same layout, offering key messages, a brief summary, main achievements and results, policy relevance, potential impacts, related publications, and links to related projects.

This uniform approach ensures coherence and clarity in communicating the work of PARC while making it easier for both experts and the public to explore and understand the research that is shaping the future of chemical safety in Europe.

Spotlight on current projects

PARC's research reflects the diversity and ambition of the Partnership, covering areas such as human health, environmental protection, innovative testing methods, the reduction of animal testing, and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

In the area of endocrine disruption, for instance, one project is developing tools to assess chemicals that may interfere with metabolism and contribute to health problems such as obesity and diabetes. 

Our work is providing regulators with essential tools to tackle the health challenges posed by these harmful substances, highlights the project manager, Albert Breaeuning (BfR).

Other projects are advancing innovative testing methods for assessing immune system effects, including respiratory allergies and immunosuppression. In the words of the project manager, Etienne Blanc, 

the goal is to create innovative testing methods for these aspects of immune system effects.

Improving efficiency and reducing the reliance on animal testing is also a shared objective across several projects. One of them is developing quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation methods that help predict how chemicals behave in the human body, supporting next-generation risk assessment. 

In the long term, the methods developed in this project will support faster, more reliable, and animal-free approaches to chemical safety, says the project manager, Sylvia Escher.

Advanced omics technologies are also at the forefront of some projects, offering deeper insights into how chemicals affect biological systems at the molecular level. 

By creating a structure way of using omics data, the project is helping regulators make informed decisions about chemicals risks, adds Bob van de Water, the project manager.