Breaking the Plastic Chain

We investigate how environmental nanoplastics affect the liver and early development by combining advanced human-relevant models and cutting-edge omics technologies.

DISCOVER THE PROJECT

Real-world nanoplastics

We work with nanoplastics derived from the environment, not only pristine laboratory particles.

Innovative models

We use human liver organoids and zebrafish embryos to study toxicity and adaptation.

Multi-scale vision

From molecules and cells to the whole organism, linking exposure to long-term effects.

The Problem

Plastic pollution has become a global threat to ecosystems and human health. Beyond visible microplastics, there are even smaller particles: nanoplastics.

Due to their size, they can cross biological barriers, interact with proteins, lipids and DNA, and accumulate in key organs such as the liver or the brain. However, the most realistic and potentially hazardous forms — environmental nanoplastics and the chemicals they release — remain poorly understood.

This lack of knowledge limits our ability to assess real-world risks and to design effective policies to protect human health and the environment.

About us

Real-world nanoplastics

We work with nanoplastics derived from the environment, not only pristine laboratory particles.

Innovative models

We use human liver organoids and zebrafish embryos to study toxicity and adaptation. Multi-scale vision From molecules and cells to the whole organism, linking exposure to long-term effects.

Multi-scale vision

From molecules and cells to the whole organism, linking exposure to long-term effects.

Our Approach

Environmental nanoplastics

In NanoBreak, we work with nanoplastics originating from the environment, generated from degraded plastics collected in European coastal areas.

These materials better represent what our bodies are actually exposed to in daily life, including both the particles themselves and the additives and chemical substances released during degradation.

Advanced biological models

To understand how environmental nanoplastics act in the human body, we use two complementary models achors the 3Rs and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs):

Human liver organoids – 3D mini-organs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that reproduce key features of liver structure and detoxification.
Zebrafish embryos – A transparent vertebrate model that allows us to study early development, stress responses and potential transgenerational effects.

This dual approach helps us connect cellular and molecular processes with changes at the level of the whole organism.

State-of-the-art tools

The project integrates nanoscale imaging and spatial multi-omics approaches to locate nanoplastics within tissues and identify which biological pathways are altered:

Spatial metabolomics – Changes in small molecules essential for metabolism.
Spatial transcriptomics – Which genes are turned on or off in specific tissue regions.
Spatial epigenomics – Modifications in DNA regulation that may influence long-term effects.

By combining these tools, we can map the journey of nanoplastics inside the body and their biological consequences in unprecedented detail.