The EURION cluster consists of eight projects receiving funding from the same Horizon 2020 call New testing and screening methods to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals. All projects, comprising in total of more than 70 research groups and 50-million-euro funding, are focusing on improved and harmonized methods as well as screening and testing strategies for the less-studied endocrine disruptor related outcomes, such as metabolic diseases, thyroid hormone disruption, female reproduction and developmental neurotoxicity. The cluster, guided by a common international advisory panel, has been formed to optimize synergies and avoid overlaps between projects. The cluster will work together towards the common goal by means of working groups, workshops and meetings as well as data sharing and overall tight collaboration.
ATHENA (Assays for the identification of Thyroid Hormone axis-disrupting chemicals: Elaborating Novel Assessment strategies) project aims to mobilise the scientific progress made in recent years to close critical gaps left open in test methods for thyroid hormone axis disrupting chemicals. New methods capturing the consequences of maternal thyroid hormone deficiency on the developing brain will be developed to be incorporated into existing OECD test guidelines.
ENDpoiNTs (Novel Testing Strategies for Endocrine Disruptors in the Context of Developmental NeuroToxicity) project aims to develop novel testing and screening tools and to generate scientific insights on the links between endocrine disruption and developmental neurotoxicity.
ERGO (Breaking down the wall between human health and environmental testing of endocrine disrupters: EndocRine Guideline Optimisation) project aims to break the wall between mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrate testing and assessment of endocrine disruptors and provide biomarkers and endpoints suitable for extrapolation of effects from non-mammalian tests to humans and other mammals.
FREIA (Female Reproductive Toxicity of EDCs: A human evidence-based screening and Identification Approach) project aims to provide test methods to study the mechanisms by which EDCs affect female reproduction during specific life stages. The project will further provide better information on EDC-related female reproductive health effects that will be used to improve female reproductive health around the world.
GOLIATH (Beating Goliath: Generation Of NoveL, Integrated and Internationally Harmonised Approaches for Testing Metabolism Disrupting Compounds) project aims to generate the world’s first integrated approach to testing and assessment (IATA) specifically tailored to metabolism disrupting chemicals and help to reduce the worldwide rise in metabolic disorders that have reached Goliathan proportions.
OBERON (An integrative strategy of testing systems for identification of EDs related to metabolic disorders) project contributes to the improvement of current testing approaches by building an integrated testing strategy (ITS) to detect endocrine disruptor related metabolic disorders by developing, improving and validating a battery of test systems.
SCREENED (A multistage model of thyroid gland function for screening endocrine-disrupting chemicals in a biologically sex-specific manner) project aims to develop three-dimensional cell-based in vitro assays to better mimic the structure and function of the thyroid and thus provide better predictions on the sex-specific effects of low dose exposure of endocrine disruptors on thyroid function.
