On the hunt for nanoplastics and their biological impact

Name of applicant

Elvis Genbo Xu

Title

Associate Professor

Institution

University of Southern Denmark

Amount

DKK 6,138,000

Year

2023

Type of grant

Research Infrastructure

What?

The cutting-edge microscopy+nanospectroscopy platform, named mIRage-LS, enables rapid, precise, reproducible, and automated measurement of nanoplastics in various (a)biotic samples. It is the first and only of its kind with super spatial resolution and accurate chemical mapping features, holding unique potential to revolutionize our understanding of nanoplastics’ environmental and health impacts.

Why?

Every year, ~8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans, posing environmental and health threats, but their detection, especially at the nanoscale, remains challenging. With the ground-breaking mIRage-LS platform, we aim to bridge knowledge gaps, address ecological and human health concerns, and support evidence-based policies to combat plastic pollution in Denmark and globally.

How?

Our project centers on precise particle, chemical, and cellular analysis using the mIRage-LS. It will foster a strong community including Danish Center for Hadal Research, Danish Center for Research in Marine Plastic Pollution, Danish Molecular Biomedical Imaging Center, Natural History Museum of Denmark. As the project starts, our user group is expected to grow largely beyond plastic research.

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