Project Trace
Microplastics and nanoplastics have been detected in a growing range of human tissues and body fluids. However, researchers currently lack a reliable biological standard against which to assess the accuracy of their measurements. As a result, different laboratories can analyse similar samples and obtain significantly different results, making it difficult to compare findings and build a consistent evidence base.
Project TRACE aims to address this challenge by developing a reference liver tissue sample containing a precisely known quantity of traceable nanoplastic particles. Unlike existing plastic standards, the material will allow scientists to test every stage of the analytical process, from tissue preparation and particle recovery through to final measurement. No comparable standard currently exists for human tissue analysis.
As a first step towards a shared standard for human solid-organ research, Project TRACE has the potential to improve the consistency and comparability of results between laboratories, technologies and countries. In doing so, it will strengthen research into human exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics and support a better understanding of their potential implications for human health and public health more broadly.
The project will be jointly led by Professor Shilpa Chokshi and Dr Nathaniel Clark at the University of Plymouth. The research will be undertaken within the Centre of Environmental Hepatology and has been supported by a £61,000 funding award from PMF, enabling the appointment of a full-time Research Assistant for 12 months through the Peninsula Medical School, together with the consumables required to develop and validate the project’s reference materials.
This important research would not be possible without the generosity of PMF’s donors and supporters, whose contributions continue to enable pioneering studies that advance our understanding of human health and environmental challenges.
Featured image: a fluorescence microscopy image of human liver tissue showing fluorescently labelled nanoplastics in red and cell nuclei in blue
Leave a Reply