ASPIS cluster
Animal-free Safety assessment of chemicals: Project cluster for Implementation of novel Strategies
The ASPIS Cluster is made up of three research projects funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme: ONTOX, PrecisionTox and RISK-HUNT3R.
(SC1-BHC-11-2020)
€60 Million
3 Projects
5 Years
The Cluster
ASPIS brings together the three consortia funded under the European Commission’s call for projects advancing the safety assessment of chemicals without the use of animal testing. Collectively, we represent more than 70 institutions across 16 European countries and the U.S. delivering on a €60 million investment in providing timely answers about chemicals’ effects on human health.
Our shared goals
We are committed to utilizing all available knowledge across disciplines to improve the accuracy, speed, and affordability of chemical safety testing without the use of laboratory animals. Building on advances in the omics fields including genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics; robust in vitro and in silico methodologies; and artificial intelligence (AI) analysis strategies; we provide New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to rapidly accelerate and improve chemical risk assessment in the EU.
Our impact
The safety of hundreds of thousands of chemicals in market products remains untested due to the high cost and slow pace of traditional animal testing. By demonstrating and validating NAMs, ASPIS introduces a new era of toxicology in which the biological effects of chemicals can be understood on a molecular level. This knowledge allows for precisely informed decisions that safeguard human and environmental health while facilitating the development of safe and sustainable products.
Enhanced international cooperation leading to cutting-edge discoveries
Contribution to the development of an international strategy and guidelines for testing chemicals, drugs and biologicals and assessing associated hazard and risk
Development of novel, sustainable tools for toxicity testing and drug discovery without the use of experimental animals.
