GAIKER TECHNOLOGY CENTRE
(GAIKER)
GAIKER TECHNOLOGY CENTRE
GAIKER, member of Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), is a private and non-profit organisation devoted to research and offering innovative technological solutions related with our areas of knowledge: Biotechnology and Sustainable Composites and Functional Polymers. The Biotechnology area of GAIKER has wide experience in the application of standard methods, and development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to assist the development of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Advanced Materials.
Main activities and roles in SUNRISE
In SUNRISE, GAIKER participates in the WP1 (Integrated Impact Assessment Framework (IIAF) for advanced materials), WP5 (Case studies to test and demonstrate the IIAF for practical implementation by stakeholders, especially industry), WP6 (Support for SSbD policy implementation), WP7 (Dissemination, training and exploitation of results), and WP8 (Scientific coordination and administrative management) and leads the WP2 (IIAF building blocks: EHS assessment methods). In SUNRISE, GAIKER will mainly contribute to the establishment of the EHS assessment methodological building blocks (i.e., assessment criteria, indicators, thresholds, classes, toolboxes) for the 3 tiers of the IIAF and align those to Steps 1-3 of the EC-JRC framework.
GAIKER will also ensure that the experimental and advanced in vitro models adopted in the toolboxes can adequately address the more complex properties and interactions of the AdMa and will adapt/develop IATA and NAMs for cost-efficient and animal-free EHS data generation.
Meet the GAIKER team
Dr. Alberto Katsumiti is a senior researcher at the GAIKER Technology Centre. He holds a MSc and PhD in Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (University of the Basque Country, Spain), a MSc in Ecology and Conservation (Federal University of Paraná, Brazil) and a BSc in Biology (Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Brazil). His research activity has been focused on nanosafety, safe and sustainable by design and risk assessment. He has been actively involved in the development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for human and environment hazard assessment. He is a member of the EU-NETVAL (EU Network of Laboratories for the Validation of Alternative Methods). His participation in EU projects includes NANORETOX, SAbyNA, PlasticsFate, Macramé, Repoxyble, iCare.
Isabel Rodríguez Llopis is a senior researcher at the GAIKER Technology Centre. She holds a MSc in Biotechnology (University of Reading, UK) and a BSc in Biochemistry (University of the Basque Country, Spain). Currently, she is working in nanosafety, risk assessment and safe and sustainability by design (SSbD). Her participation in EU projects includes NanoReg2, caLIBRAte, NanoRigo, SAbyNA, PlasticsFate, Macramé, Repoxyble. She is a member of the national delegation of CEN/TC352 (nanotechnologies). She participated in the implementation of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) at GAIKER for toxicology studies and currently is a member of the Quality Assurance Unit to ensure compliance with GLP.