"Nanomaterials in Mesocosms: A Needle in a Haystack"

Our new film, produced by partner University of Aveiro, shows how mesocosm experiments allow scientists to bridge the gap between the controlled laboratory and the real environment.

• Lush close-up photography of ecological systems and tiny organisms
• Insightful, graphic view on how scientists from many disciplines cooperate in the construction of mesocosms, an experimental world midway between the laboratory microcosm and the ecological macrocosm

NanoFASE is assessing the lifecycle of engineered nanomaterials, showing how they may be transformed in different environmental compartments such as aquatic or terrestrial systems or even living organisms.

Physical, chemical and physiological processes and the related kinetics of how engineered nanoparticles move and transform in these environmental "reactors" have been investigated in the laboratory. Now, NanoFASE partner University of Aveiro shows how mesocosm experiments are built to provide validation under highly realistic scenarios.

Showing young, enthusiastic ecologists and ecotoxicologists doing their magic in full mesocosm-mode, the film may inspire a whole new generation of women to choose STEM careers!

Narrator and screenwriter  Dr Susana Loureiro, lead designer of NanoFASE mesocosm experiments, is Assistant Professor at CESAM, U. of Aveiro, Portugal.

Introduction	Véronique Adam

 

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