A place to follow the thinking, progress and discussions behind animal-free chemical risk assessment.
This blog gives news and articles on the work of the ASPIS cluster, a joint effort of the ONTOX, PrecisionTOX and RISKHunt3R projects. Here we explain how new approach methods are developed, tested and prepared for use in chemical risk assessment.
Articles will follow scientific progress, project milestones and the wider debate on replacing animal testing with reliable alternatives.
Articles will focus on three areas of the cluster's work.
Updates on milestones, results and events from ONTOX, PrecisionTOX and RISKHunt3R.
Explanations of the tools, models and test systems that make animal-free assessment possible.
Perspectives on how new approaches can be trusted and adopted in chemical safety decisions.
Each article is written to be accurate and accessible. We explain the science in plain language, state what is known and what remains uncertain, and link to the relevant project outputs where they exist.
The first published articles will appear below this introduction. Until then, you can follow the cluster through its meeting reports and programme pages.
If you work on alternative methods in toxicology or chemical risk assessment and would like to contribute an article or suggest a topic, please contact the editorial team through the contact page.
Get in touch to ask questions, suggest topics or learn more about ASPIS.
Contact the editorsWhat the 3Rs Mean in Practice at ASPIS The 3Rs principle — Replacement, Reduction and Refinement — is often presented as an abstract ethical framework. At ASPIS, it is treated a…
Why Next-Generation Risk Assessment Needs New Approach Methodologies Chemical safety decisions have long relied on animal testing, but the scale of modern chemical production ma…
Why Human-Relevant Testing Matters at PrecisionTOX Traditional toxicology has long relied on animal models that often fail to predict human responses. PrecisionTOX, a partner wi…
Why Ontologies Matter for Toxicological Prediction Computer-based hazard prediction depends on more than algorithms and data volume. It depends on how biological knowledge is or…
Three Projects, One Shared Mission The ASPIS Cluster brings together three European research initiatives that each began with a distinct scientific focus but quickly recognised…