Opening of “KRISS Joint Research Office”

Empa is one of the world’s leading research institutes in the field of nano-safety; its research focuses include interactions between nanomaterials and human cells and tissues, as well as the release of nanomaterials into the environment. KRISS develops standards in nanomaterial synthesis and characterization, accelerating the transfer of innovative nanomaterials from the lab all the way to their practical use. The “combined” knowhow of the two institutes thus enables a safe and sustainable use of nanomaterials e.g., in consumer goods and healthcare products. The collaboration with the world’s leading institutes in the field of nanotechnology is extremely important for both institutes to achieve a facts-based and target-oriented harmonization of the necessary regulations for nano-products. The networking and intensive exchange on location are boosted further by the strategic cooperation between Empa and KRISS.

“We’ll be collaborating in two specific areas,” explains Peter Wick, Head of Empa’s Particles Biology Interactions lab. “On the one hand, we conduct research into how nanomaterials are absorbed by cells, where they accumulate and what impact they have on human tissues; on the other hand, we need innovative, but also reliable methods to understand these complex interactions and draw the right conclusions from them.”