TOX-Free Project

Many drugs, pesticides and chemical pollutants cause neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. However, we lack the assays for the accurate and sensitive assessment of toxicity in the cardiac and central nervous systems. To address this limitation, the EU-funded TOX-Free project will develop a non-invasive nanotechnology-based technique capable of recording in vitro electrical signals from human neuronal and cardiac cells. The TOX-Free biosensing technology will allow the assessment and quantification of subtle cellular and functional disturbances by toxicants or drugs. The biosensor will find direct applications in toxicology and pharmacology as well as in basic biology studies.