About the project

The npSCOPE project will develop a new instrument that couples the extraordinarily high resolution of the recently commercialized helium-ion microscope with sensors for composition (a mass spectrometer) and 3D visualization (transmitted ion detector) in order to more fully characterise individual nanoparticles and their interaction with their environment (tissue, cells, etc.) and to better understand the risks they might pose to human health or the environment.

The results of the project will be primarily applied within the framework of nano-toxicology activities, including studies on the toxicity of nanoparticles absorbed by the human body orally (nanoparticles contained in food), through breathing and via the skin but also, for example, in the semiconductor and battery industry or in life sciences, other areas where nano-analysis is a key factor.