Medical University of Vienna
Website: www.meduniwien.ac.at
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Michelle Epstein
Michelle.Epstein@meduniwien.ac.at

Working Groups: WG1

Activities: We are a partner of the Horizon- Imptox Project and are addressing health in the context of MNPs and in vivo mouse models.

Flemish Institute for Technological Research
Website: www.vito.be
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Milica Velimirovic
milica.velimirovic@vito.be

Working Groups: WG2, WG3, WG4

Brno University of Technology, Faculty of chemistry, Institute of chemistry and technology of environmental protection, Purkynova 118, Brno, 621 00
Website: www.fch.vut.cz
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Jiri Kucerik
kucerik@fch.vut.cz

Working Groups: WG1

Activities: Ecotoxilogy study of microplastics and microbioplastics; effect on soil quality and plant growth.

Technical University of Denmark
Website: www.env.dtu.dk
Minimum number of days: 3 weeks

Contacts
Nanna Hartmann
nibh@env.dtu.dk

Working Groups: WG4, WG6, WG7

Activities: Our main research interests revolves around the fate and effects of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment and in technical systems. More specifically, we strive to obtain a mechanistic understanding of the fate, degradation, and effects of micro- and nanoplastics. The STSM candidate could work on topics such as freshwater ecotoxicity testing, sample preparation, and biodegradation of (micro)plastics. We have Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) chemical imaging for microplastics analysis.

Technical University of Denmark, National Food Institute, Kemitorvet 201, 2400 Kgs. Lyngby,
Website: www.food.dtu.dk
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Katrin Loeschner
kals@food.dtu.dk

Working Groups: WG4

Activities: We are interested in developing methods for detection and characterization of (metal-labelled) nanoplastics in food and biological matrices and nanoplastics released from food contact materials based on single particle ICP-MS and asymmetric flow field flow fractionation coupled to light scattering detectors. Further, we are interested in studying the interactions of toxic and essential trace elements with nanoplastics or their presence within.

Aalborg University, Department of the Built Environment, Division of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Thomas Manns Vej 23, 9220, Aalborg Øst, Denmark
Website: www.build.aau.dk
Minimum number of days: more than 1 months

Contacts
Alvise Vianello
avia@build.aau.dk

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG3, WG4, WG6

Activities:The MPs Research Group at the Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University (AAU – BUILD) has broad expertise in analytical methods for microplastic detection. The main activities range from sampling with custom-built devices and dedicated sample extraction procedures to state-of-the-art analytical methods (µFTIR-Imaging, µRaman, Py-GCMS, and AFM-Raman)

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
Website: www.hzdr.de
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Gregor Hlawacek
g.hlawacek@hzdr.de

Working Groups: WG1, WG3, WG4, WG5, WG6

Activities: We provide high resolution ion microscopy imaging of insulating materials as well as spatially and broad beam materials modification using ion beams with a wide range of elements and energies. In addition a wide range of highresolution and depth resolved ion beam analysis methods can be provided. Please look at www.hzdr.de.

National Technical University of Athens, School of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology Laboratory, Iroon Polytechneiou 9, Zografou GR15772
Website: www.ntua.gr
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Evangelos Topakas
vtopakas@chemeng.ntua.gr

Working Groups: WG5 

Activities: One of our main research interests is the identification, isolation and characterization of plastic degrading microorganisms, as well as the secreted enzymes that take part in the biodegradation process. Our research team (IndBioCat) is involved in one Horizon2020 project (BioICEP; https://bioicep.eu) and one national project (Plastomics) that is related in the discovery and engineering of novel plastic degrading/modifying enzymes.

Biocolloids Research Group, Department of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Szeged
Website: www2.sci.u-szeged.hu
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Istvan Szilagyi
szistvan@chem.u-szeged

Working Groups: WG4

Activities: Scientific interest focuses on nanoplastics in aqueous environments: solvation, structure, transport, migration, and remediation. Research activity is experimental based using colloid chemistry approaches and state-of-the-art scattering, spectroscopy and microscopy techniques.

Plastic Cup
Website: www.petkupa.hu
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Miklós Gyalai-Korpos
miklos.gyalai-korpos@hotmail.com

Working Groups: WG2, WG5, WG7

Activities: The Plastic Cup contributes to clean river Tisza by organizing events, waste collection campaigns, team-building activities and professional discussions throughout the year. Our three main goals: conservation of living waters, water sports promotion (kayaking, canoeing) and community building.

Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises
Website: www.kszgysz.hu
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Gergely Hankó
ugyvezeto@kszgysz.hu

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG5, WG6, WG7

Activities: The Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises (HAEE) is a nonprofit advocacy organization, established 30 years ago. At present with 255 member companies, which are important economic operators of the Hungarian green industry covering a wide range of activities.

University of Szeged, Department of Geoinformatics, Physical and Environmental Geography, EGyetem str. 2-6. Szeged – 6722, Hungary
Website: www.geo.u-szeged.hu
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Tímea Kiss
kisstimi@gmail.com

Working Groups: WG2

Activities: The research group studies the hydrological (regime, sediment transport rate) and geomorphological influencing factors (e.g. various forms, grain-size) of microplastic transport and deposition.

Centre for Nanobiotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology Vellore
Website: www.vit.ac.in
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Prof. Natarajan Chandrasekaran
nchandrasekaran@vit.ac.in

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG4, WG7

Activities: Isolation of micronanoplastics from cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food interaction with human cells, impact of microplastics in sludge laden agricultural soil, ecotoxicological studies in aquatic animals, impact of micronanoplastics to lake bioenergetics, isolation from edible fishes, enzyme studies, microplastics in aquaculture.

Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)
Website: www.tus.ie
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Declan Devine
ddevine@ait.ie

Working Groups: WG2, WG4

Activities: The Polymer, Recycling, Industrial, Sustainability and Manufacturing Research Institute builds on the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Athlone’s >50 years involvement with the Irish polymer sector. Our research spans TRL levels 1-9 with an emphasis on Polymer Science and Engineering. PRISM is made up of a multidisciplinary team of world class researchers conducting industrially relevant research in the polymer space. PRISM incorporates the Enterprise Ireland Funded Technology Gateway Centre Applied Polymer Technologies APT APT is an providing world class solutions for SME’s and Multinational companies throughout the product life cycle from product design through production scale -up and characterisation of final products. APT is housed in a state of the art facility on the TUS Athlone Campus (under development) which showcases its facilities from pilot scale up to industry scale processing equipment. APT is complemented by the Centre for Industrial Services and Design who provide expert knowledge and facilities for analytical testing and product development.

Environmental Physical Chemistry Laboratory, MIGAL, Galilee Research Institute
Website: www.migal.org.il
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Giora Rytwo
giorarytwo@gmail.com

Working Groups: WG3

Activities: We work on degradation or adsorption of pollutants coming from the plastic industry as BPA and BPS (see at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42860-021-00166-1). We also try to develop methods of analysis and quantification based on FTIR and a dispersion analyzer.

Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II department of Biology lab Hygiene
Website: www.unina.it
Minimum number of days: more than 1 month

Contacts
Marco Guida
marco.guida@unina.it

Working Groups: WG1

Activities: Environmental ecotoxicological analysis

Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry – University of Pisa
Website: www.dcci.unipi.it
Minimum number of days: 3 days

Contacts
Francesca Modugno
francesca.modugno@unipi.it

Working Groups: WG3

Activities: Development and the application of analytical methods based on analytical pyrolysis, chromatography and mass spectrometry for the characterisation of organic natural and synthetic materials , with specific attention to lipids, resins, synthetic polymers, lignocellulosic polymers, microplastics in the environment.

ENEA CR Portici (NA) Italy
Sustainability Department, Division Protection and Enhancement of the Natural Capital, Ecotoxicology and impact evaluation section
Website: www.enea.it
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Sonia Manzo
sonia.manzo@enea.it

Working Groups: WG1, WG4

Activities: Ecotoxicology and evaluation of impact of emerging contaminants, with particular focus on marine environment and nanoparticles.

Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova
Website: www.chimica.unipd.it
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Roberto  Pilot
roberto.pilot@unipd.it

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG3, WG4, WG5, WG6, WG7

Activities: The activities carried out here are mainly related to the employment of Raman and surface-enhancement spectroscopy (SERS) in different research fields, like material characterization, local temperature measurement and development of plasmonic substrates for chemical sensing applications.

University of Brescia, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Chemistry for Technologies Lab
Website: www.unibs.it
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Stefania Federici
stefania.federici@unibs.it

Working Groups: WG3, WG4, WG6, WG7

Activities: Realization of more realistic reference materials for MPs and NPs, through mechanical fragmentation. Characterization techniques: microFTIR, microRaman, AFM, XRD, TXRF, portable spectroscopies. Chemometrics for MP identification and quantification. Interactions between NPs and biological systems (eco-corona formation).

Politecnico di Milano
Website: www.polimi.it
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Matteo Tommasini Matteo
matteo.tommasini@polimi.it

Working Groups: WG2, WG3, WG4

Università del Piemonte Orientale. DiSIT, Gruppo Sustainable Materials, Via Michel 11 Alessandria, Italy
Website: www.uniupo.it
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Marco Milanesio
marco.milanesio@uniupo.it

Working Groups: WG3

Activities: Our main research interests are related to the characterization of physical-chemical properties of materials. X-ray diffraction, Electron microscopy, spectroscopy are the typical experimental techniques. New method of data analysis have been implemnted in Materials science, exploiting Principal Component Analysis and other multivariated methods. The studied compounds are in the fields of additives for polymers and inorganic binders, of porous and layered systems for gas/molecules adsorption, transport, degradation or sequestration and of phototactive materials for photovoltaic applications. In our group we develop also methods and tools for characterization of materials in real world environement. We are interested to apply our competences to microplastics. Guest expert in sampling are welcome to collaborate in MP characterization and monitoring.

University of Siena
Website: www.unisi.it
Minimum number of days:1 week

Contacts
Ilaria Corsi
ilaria.corsi@unisi.it

Working Groups: WG1, WG4

Activities: Ecological risk assessment of nanoplastics by using proxy as polystyrene nanoparticles and nanofibers. Extensive experience in particle/fibers characterization in water media and effect-based tools for mode of action and pathways of toxicity in model aquatic species. Possibility to run in vitro and in vivo tests either acute and long-term.

University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, Tecnopolo di Rimini, via Dario Campana 71, I-47922 Rimini (Italy)
Website: www.chimica.unibo.it
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Daniele Fabbri
dani.fabbri@unibo.it

Working Groups: WG3, WG6

Activities: Analytical pyrolysis. Developments of procedures based on Py-GC-MS for the analysis of nano/microplastic in environmental samples.; fundamental studies on polymers/matrix interactions for method optimisation.

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto Processi Chimico-Fisici
Minimum number of days: Three weeks / 1 month

Contacts
Gucciardi Pietro
gucciardi@ipcf.cnr.it

Working Groups: WG3, WG4

Activities: Raman spectroscopy, AFM, Surface and Tip Enhanced Raman spectroscopy, Optical and Raman Tweezers.

Institute of Biophysics (IBF)
@Genova (Via De Marini, 6 16149 Genova (GE) – Italy),
@Pisa (Via G. Moruzzi 1 San Cataldo – 56124 Pisa (PI) – Italy),
@Palermo (Via Ugo La Malfa, 153 90146 Palermo (PA) – Italy)
Website: www.ibf.cnr.it
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Rita Carrotta
rita.carrotta@ibf.cnr.it

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG4

Activities: The Institute of Biophysics offers expertise on Raman spectroscopy and TERS (Pisa), holographic microscopy (Genova) and AFM, DLS and quantitative fluorescence imaging (FLIM) (Palermo)

Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology
Website: www.lhei.lv
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Inta Dimante-Deimantovica
inta.dimante-deimantovica@lhei.lv

Working Groups: WG2, WG7

Activities: Several studies have been carried out analysing microplastics pollution in different environmental matrices – water and sediments of lakes, river and marine ecosystems, biota, wastewater etc., we have also designed and supervised the first citizen science project in Latvia where local people collected samples of microplastics in beach sand.

Research Center for Applied Chemistry, Department of Advanced Materials, Research Group for the Resilience of Drylands.
Website: www.ciqa.mx
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Carlos José Espinoza González
carlos.espinoza@ciqa.edu.mx

Working Groups: WG4, WG5

Activities: R&D in polymer materials and characterization. Development of alternatives to synthetic polymers and green technologies through the production of biopolymers, valorization of agro-industrial wastes, and sustainable use of the Mexican biodiversity.

SINTEF Ocean
Website: www.sintef.no
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Andy Booth
andy.booth@sintef.no

Working Groups: WG1, WG3, WG4 WG6

Activities: SINTEF Ocean has a current project portfolio covering research activities that represent many aspects of micro- and nanoplastic. We are interested in STSM candidates looking to link their ongoing activities with those we have ongoing within our project portfolio.

Universidade do Algarve, High Institute of Engineering, Food Engineering Department
Website: www.ualg.pt
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Maria Margarida Cortez Vieira
mvieira@ualg.pt

Working Groups: WG4

Activities: Development of new food packaging biodegradable and biobased materials.

CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research
of the University of Porto, EcoBioTec group
Website: www2.ciimar.up.pt
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Marisa Almeida
calmeida@ciimar.up.pt

Working Groups: WG2, WG3, WG7

Activities: Marisa Almeida is a senior Researcher at CIIMAR (EcoBioTec), with a PhD in Chemistry from Faculty of Science of the University of Porto, main research area is environmental analytical chemistry and phytoremediation and bioremediation processes in estuarine and marine environments. The impact of emergent pollutants in coastal and estuarine ecosystems, including microplastics, has been a key aspect of current research. Science dissemination through different projects and actions to increase water and ocean literacy, with special attention to marine litter and prevention and reduction of plastic marine pollution are also main activities. Current research considers the impact of microplastics on estuarine and coastal environment, namely their interaction with fish larvae and different fish species, but also their presence in estuarine areas and the role of salt marsh vegetation on microplastics retention. These studies include microplastics monitoring in the environment, including their distribution between water, sediment and biota (fishes). Microplastics interactions with other pollutants, either chemical (e.g., metals and hydrocarbons) or biological (pathogens) is being also investigated, namely their adsorption processes. Moreover, in the frame of a recently approved research project, microplastic toxicity to different aquatic organisms will be researched. In the frame of current research studies in course monitoring of microplastic in different matrix, namely water, sediment and biota (fish and other aquatic organisms) are needed and it is mandatory to have suitable methodologies to properly assess microplastics presence and allow comparison wit studies being carried out around the world. In that sense it is extremely important to use and contribute for the use of harmonized and standardized methodologies. Moreover, the interaction with the society to address this problematic and contribute to prevention and mitigation measured is need which can be only achieved with the involvement of everyone, scientists, stakeholders and general public.

GreenUPorto – Centro de Investigação em Produção Agroalimentar Sustentável, Edifício de Ciências Agrárias (FCV2)
Website: www.fc.up.pt
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Ruth Pereira
greenuporto@fc.up.pt

Working Groups: WG1

Activities: GreenUPorto – Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre, was awarded with the classification of Excellent by FCT. In 2021, it was recognized as an Associate Laboratory ‘Inov4Agro’ together with CITAB. The mission of GreenUPorto, is to contribute to the scientific and technological development and to the knowledge transfer in the field of agronomy (specifically horticulture), food, and environmental sciences, promoting an innovative and sustained growth of this sector. This mission is accomplished with research in three thematic areas: Plant Biology, Production and Post-Harvest, Processing, Valorization, Consumption & Human Nutrition and Environmental Quality and Risk Assessment. GreenUPorto is presently involved in several European and national projects both as coordinator and as research partner (www.fc.up.pt/greenuporto).

Instituto de Telecomunicações
Website: www.it.pt
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
João Felicio
joao.felicio@lx.it.pt

Working Groups: WG3

Activities: At Instituto de Telecomunicações we are investigating the use satellite-based remote sensing techniques to detect/monitor marine plastics at microwave frequencies. We are open to collaborations and to be a host institution to any researchers working in this area.

University of Aveiro, Department of Biology and CESAM, 3810-193 Aveiro,
Website: www.ua.pt
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Mónica Amorim
mjamorim@ua.pt

Working Groups: WG1, WG4, WG7

Activities: Activities are mainly developed within ecotoxicology, focusing on standardized tests and also on the adaptation and novel developments to the hazard testing. Vast experience across the nanotoxicology area.

University of Aveiro/Department of Biology/CESAM/ Applied Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory (applEE lab), Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro
Website: www.ua.pt
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Vera Lucia Maria
vmaria@ua.pt

Working Groups: WG1, WG4

Activities: Activities involving an ecotoxicological approach to assess several negative effects, namely from the apical (e.g. behavior, reproduction, survival) up to the downstream (e.g. molecular, biochemical, cellular) levels, caused by a variety of anthropogenic contaminants on aquatic and soil model organisms.

REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Drº António Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4249-015 Porto
Website: www.laqv.requimte.pt
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Virgínia Cruz Fernandes
vircru@gmail.com

Working Groups: WG2, WG3, WG6

Activities: Development of analytical methods for the extraction of microplastics and analysis by RAMAN spectroscopy; Study the interactions between microplastics and other related contaminants by adsorption studies;

Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College, University of the Highlands and Islands
Website: www.eri.ac.uk
Minimum number of days: more than 1 month

Contacts
Szabolcs Pap
szabolcs.pap@uhi.ac.uk

Working Groups: WG2, WG3, WG5

Activities: Marine plastic as a vector of contaminants (metals and organics); Marine plastic utilisation for water treatment and recycling to other products; Plastic characterisation (SEM and other microscopes) and different pollutant extraction techniques; Monitoring and modelling impact on seabirds and other marine wildlife.

Strathclyde university
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Juliane Simmchen
juliane.simmchen@strath.ac.uk

Working Groups: WG4, WG5, WG7

Activities: Development of active remediation strategies as well as photocatalytic degradation.

University of Edinburgh, School of Engineering, Institute for Infrastructure and Environment
Website: https:www.eng.ed.ac.uk
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Thalia Chatzisymeon
e.chatzisymeon@ed.ac.uk

Working Groups: WG5

Activities: Development of physicochemical technologies (e.g. advanced oxidation processes, adsorption) for removal of microplastics from water; Artificial weathering of microplastics; monitoting the fate of micro-pollutants (e.g. antibiotics, bisphenols) when in contact with weathered microplastics in water; we have access to analytical chemistry techniques and microscopy (SEM, AFM) techniques.

University of Belgrade – Faculty of Chemistry
Website: www.chem.bg.ac.rs
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Tanja Cirkovic Velickovic
tcirkov@chem.bg.ac.rs

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG3

Activities: Quatification and chemical characterization of microplastics isolated from complex matrices; impact of microplastics on food digestion; interactions of microplastics and proteins.

Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Ivan Ristić
ivan.ristic@uns.ac.rs

Working Groups: WG3, WG4

University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of environmental engineering and occupational safety and health, Laboratory for environmental engineering and occupational safety and health
Website: www.izzs.uns.ac.rs / ftn.uns.ac.rs
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Maja Petrovic
majadjogo@uns.ac.rs

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG7

Activities: The key research areas of Department of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health: -Waste management and material flow analysis; -Development and evaluation of waste management systems: -Determination of generation rate and composition of MSW; -Monitoring of landfill gas; -Landfill management; -Wastewater, groundwater and surface water, leachate; -Biosystem engineering; -Renewable energy sources, solid biomass; -Introduction of documented agricultural production.

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Website: www.fs.uni-lj.si
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Joško Valentinčič
jv@fs.uni-lj.si

Working Groups: WG2

Activities: Developing a detection and monitoring system of microplastic in a continuous micro flow channel.

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
Website: planterastics.fkkt.uni-lj.si
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Gabriela Kalčikova
gabriela.kalcikova@fkkt.uni-lj.si

Working Groups: WG1

Activities: Interaction of microplastics with freshwater organisms, the main focus is on aquatic macrophytes. Preparation and characterization of environmentally relevant microplastics. The use of advanced analytical methods to characterize and detect microplastics in freshwaters. Environmental aging, development of biofilm, and evaluation of microplastics properties. Adsorption of pollutants on the microplastic surface and their consequential leaching. The fate and behavior of microplastics in laboratory constructed wetland.

Center for cooperative research in biomaterials- CIC biomaGUNE. Paseo Miramon 182, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
Website: www.cicbiomagune.es
Minimum number of days: more than 1 month

Contacts
Fernando López-Gallego
flopez@cicbiomagune.es

Working Groups: WG5

University of Girona. Department of Physics. Laboratory of Environmental Physics. Escola Politècnica 2. Campus Montilivi. 17003-Girona
Website: www.udg.edu
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Teresa Serra
teresa.serra@udg.edu

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG7

Activities: We are interested in the transport of suspended microplastic particles in aquatic systems. We analyze the retention of plastic particles by aquatic vegetation, coastal lagoons under different hydrodynamics. We also are interested in the uptake of microplastic particles by zooplankton and the toxicity that these microplastic particles cause in their bodies.

Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA-CSIC/UNIZAR)
Website: redoxactivematerialsgroup.com /  inma.unizar-csic.es
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Scott Mitchell
scott@unizar.es

Working Groups: WG4

Activities: We have been developing multifunctional water purification systems for some time and a couple of years ago moved into working with microplastics: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.201912111 . We would like to encourage researchers wishing to work on alternative purification approaches inviolving mutifunctional hybrid materials. We have used a magnetic nanoparticle composite to remove organic, inorganic, microbial, and microplastics pollutants from water. The composite is based on a polyoxometalate ionic liquid (POM-IL) adsorbed onto magnetic microporous core–shell Fe2O3/SiO2 particles, giving a magnetic POM-supported ionic liquid phase (magPOM-SILP). Efficient, often quantitative removal of several typical surface water pollutants is possible, together with facile removal of the particles using a permanent magnet. Tuning of the composite components could lead to new materials for centralized and decentralized water purification systems. We also work on antimicrobial materials to prevent biofilm blocking in water purification systems.

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of La Laguna, Apartado 486, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Website: jhborges.webs.ull.es / ull.es
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Javier Hernández-Borges
jhborges@ull.edu.es

Working Groups: WG2, WG3, WG6

Activities: Microplastics determination in seabed sediments, beaches, invertebrates, soil, wastewater, food, snow, air…

University of Valencia, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry – C/ Doctor Moliner, 50, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
Website: www.clecem.es
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Enrique Javier Carrasco-Correa
enrique.carrasco@uv.es

Working Groups: WG2, WG3

Activities: The proposed STSM will be focus on the development of 3D-printed devices for analyze emergent pollutants released by microplastics using solid phase extraction in complex aqueous matrices. The applicant will be able to design, print and surface modify 3D devices and apply them to real samples.

University of Valencia, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry – C/ Doctor Moliner, 50, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
Website: www.clecem.es
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Enrique Javier Carrasco-Correa
jmherrer@uv.es

Working Groups: WG2, WG3

Activities: The proposed STSM will be aimed at the development of selective materials based on aptamers for the extraction of emerging pollutants released by microplastics. The applicant will be able to prepare, characterize and apply the developed sorbents to isolate the target compounds in real water samples.

Group of Sustainable Energy and Chemistry (EQS), Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry (IPC-CSIC), C/Marie Curie 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Website: www.icp.csic.es
Minimum number of days: 3 days

Contacts
Rafael Mariscal
r.mariscal@icp.csic.es

Working Groups: WG5

Activities: Production of monomers such as succinic acid and 1,5-pentanediol from furfural by heterogeneous catalysis. This low-cost furfural is also produced in our laboratory from lignocellulosic residues. Our goal is to prepare renewable polymers with high performance.

Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
Website: www.usc.es
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Pastora María Bello Bugallo
pastora.bello.bugallo@usc.es

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG3, WG4, WG5, WG7

Activities: Evaluation of the impact and Best Available Techniques Analysis in the entire Life Cycle of the Plastics in the environment, from its conception till the accumulation in the environmental media even in the living beings. Modelling for the fate of plastics (including microplastics and nanoplastics). Material and Energy flow analysis including all flows where potentially plastics, microplastics, and nanoplastics are included in the environment. Detection of improvable flows. Proposal of techniques for circular and regenerative economy. Proposal of processes to substitute traditional plastics (that potentially are degraded to micro and nanoplastics in the environment compartments (such as net materials in the marine environment), into biodegradable materials.

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Website: www.uab.cat
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Ricard Marcos
ricard.marcos@uab.es

Working Groups: WG1, WG4

Activities:The Group of Mutagenesis (GM) of the UAB is the host group. GM has participated in several EU projects on the topic of nanomaterials and moved to the nanoplastics (NPLs) field in 2019. The main topics are the effects of NPLs on the intestinal barriers both in vitro and in vivo, the long-term effects, as well as genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. At present, the GM is leading the EU project PLASTICHEAL

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Patricia García-Muñoz
patricia.gmunoz@upm.es

Working Groups: WG4, WG5

Food Research Institute (CIAL) – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) – C/Nicolás Cabrera, 9, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
Website: www.cial.uam-csic.es
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Alba Tamargo García
alba.tamargo@csic.es

M.Victoria Moreno-Arribas
victoria.moreno@csic.es

Working Groups: WG1

Activities: In vitro simulation models of gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation including techniques to study MNPs impact on gut microbiota. In vitro models to study gastrointestinal barrier, e.g. barrier permeability or cytotoxicity in several intestinal human cell lines.

University of Gothenburg, Department of Marine Sciences
Marine Nanochemistry group, Kristineberg 566 SE 451 78 Fiskebäckskil
Website: www.gu.se
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Karin Mattsson
karin.mattsson@gu.se

Working Groups: WG2, WG3, WG4

Activities: UGOT has a correlative world unique system (CoorMic), which consists of a lightmicroscope, a confocal Raman with two lasers and an environmental SEM with EDX attachment for MP particle studies. The Raman system can be used inside the SEM or as a stand- alone platform. With a correlative sample holder with calibration points individual particle coordinates are identified and each particle can be analyzed with all techniques. For small sized particles, particles with coordinates can be imaged automatically with high resolution in the SEM with elemental analysis. The same particles can then be polymeric identified with the in-situ Raman system. Kristineberg Marine Research Station has extensive experimental facilities for thermosconstant labs, realistic outdoor weathering experiments, drinking water micro- and nanoplastic sampling system, sampling preparation apparatus and labs.

Erciyes University, Department of Chemistry, Kayseri Turkey
Website: www.erciyes.edu.tr
Minimum number of days: 1 month

Contacts
Mustafa Soylak
rektor@erciyes.edu.tr

Working Groups: WG3, WG4, WG6

Activities: Erciyes University is one of the research university in Turkey. It is 8th place in Turkey on research activities. Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Engineering Faculties are the main faculties. There is a lots of research centers for scientific activities.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Microplastic Research Laboratory
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Ülgen Aytan
ulgen.kopuz@erdogan.edu.tr

Working Groups: WG2

Activities: The MP Research Laboratory at RTEU is working with partners from IUC, AU, ÇAKU, KKU to understand MP pollution in aquatic environments with a multidisciplinary approach. MPs Lab is equipped to sampling, isolating, imaging, and quantifying MP contamination from a range of environmental matrices from water to sediment samples to aquatic fauna.

Aquatic Biotechnology Laboratory, Fisheries Faculty, Atatürk University, Erzurum
Website: www.atauni.edu.tr
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Saltuk Ceyhun
saltukceyhun@hotmail.com

Working Groups: WG1, WG4

Activities: I’m the head of the Aquatic Biotechnology lab. In our laboratory, we perform toxicity tests using the zebrafish model. Recently we have focused on the effects of nano-sized plastic particles (NPs). We examine the effects of NPs in zebrafish adults and larvae at the molecular and behavioral levels. With the new system we have established, we can evaluate the synergistic effect of temperature with an accuracy of 0.5 degrees. In addition, we can analyze anxiety, circadian rhythm, social interaction in adult zebrafish and locomotor activity, blood flow and heartbeat in larvae. We want you to know that we are willing to collaborate, and we would be pleased to host you here.

Faculty of Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Çiftlikköy Campus 33343 Yenişehir / Mersin
Website: www.mersin.edu.tr
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Mehmet Çabuk
mehmetcabuk@mersin.edu.tr

Working Groups: WG2, WG3, WG4, WG5

Activities: Fields of expertise: Chemistry and polymer science o Synthesis and characterization of various polymers and composites. o Conducting polymers (polyaniline, polypyyrole, polythiophene etc.) o Smart materials: Electro/magneto-rheological fluids, electrorheological properties and Electrorheological materials. o Natural and biodegradable polymers (chitosan, cellulose, starch etc.), Green Chemistry. o Electrokinetic properties (zeta potential, colloidal dispersions, surface charge and colloidal stability) of various materials such as polymeric or glass waste. o Clays (bentonite, perlite, pumice, montmorillonite etc.) and their composites with polymers. o Electrical and optoelectronic properties of materials. o Antibacterial and antifungal activities of materials. o Adsorption studies of various materials. o Identification of waste or natural materials and their use in our studies. Laboratory info: – Research Laboratory of Metallurgy and Material Engineering, University of Mersin, Mersin, Turkey. – Electrorheology Research Lab., Department of Chemistry, University of Gazi, Ankara, Turkey.: Synthesis of various polymer and composite materials and their characterization (FTIR, SEM-EDS, TEM, TGA, XRD, DLS). Thermo-Haake RS600 model Electrorheometer (shera rate, viscosity, yield stress, viscoelastic deformation, creep recovery etc.). Malvern NanoZS Zeta Sizer (zeta potential, particle size, surface charge, colloidal stability). Agilent E4980A Precision Model Impedance Analyzer / LCR Meter.

Yildiz Technical University, Faculty Of Civil Engineering, Department Of Environmental Engineering Davutpasa Campus, Esenler/İSTANBUL
Website: www.cem.yildiz.edu.tr
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Afşın Yusuf ÇETİNKAYA
afsinyc@yildiz.edu.tr

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG4, WG7

Activities: Afşın ÇETİNKAYA started as a Research Assistant at Yıldız Technical University, Department of Environmental Engineering. He completed his master’s degree studies in 2012 and doctorate studies in 2017 at the same University and Department, and was appointed as an associate professor at YTU in 2020. Between 2016 and 2017, he continued his post-doctoral studies in Finland with the support of a project carried out within the scope of TÜBİTAK and the European Union 6th Framework Program (FP6). A total of 36 international articles were published in journals included in the SCI/SCI-Expanded list, and their publications were cited 513 times internationally according to the Google Scholar Citations citation index, with h-index and i10-index values of 13 and 16, respectively. He has studies on wastewater and drinking water treatment Plastics, Solid Waste, bioelectrochemical systems, zero waste and life cycle analysis.

Karadeniz Technical University
Website: www.ktu.edu.tr
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Tuncay Bayram
t.bayram@ktu.edu.tr

Working Groups: WG1, WG2, WG3

Activities: We have the opportunities to sampling, digestion, density separation and identification with stereo microscope of water, biota and sediments. Besides, we may also measure heavy metals, pollution, and environmental radioactivity in soil, water and sediments by using EDXRF instrument, ultra low and high energy gamma ray detectors. There may be research on how microplastics contribute to elemental dispersion, monitoring of pollution parameters in surface and groundwater.

Cukurova University, Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Basic Science
Website: www.suf.cu.edu.tr
Minimum number of days: no mimimum number of days

Contacts
Sedat Gundogdu
sgundogdu@cu.edu.tr

Working Groups: WG2, WG3, WG7

Activities: Cukurova University, Faculty of Fisheries, was recognized as a leading institution in fisheries and aquaculture research by TUBITAK and the Turkish Higher Education Council. The faculty’s mission is to contribute to scientific and technological development and knowledge transfer in marine and freshwater science, food, and environmental sciences, promoting the innovative and sustained growth of this field. This mission is accomplished with research in three thematic areas: Marine Biology, Freshwater science Plastic Pollution, Aquatic food processing, Aquaculture and Environmental Quality and Risk Assessment. Specifically, in plastic pollution research, a leading faculty in Turkiye, our faculty has been working on this issue for over seven years. Our faculty can analyze microplastics via optical microscopy, FTIR and micro Raman spectroscopy. More than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than five different projects have been conducted.

Advanced Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Selcuk University, Konya
Website: www.selcuk.edu.tr
Minimum number of days: 1 week

Contacts
Halit Çavuşoğlu
cavusogluhalit@gmail.com

Working Groups: WG2, WG4, WG5

Activities: We carry out research and development activities in a multidisciplinary structure in the fields of material technologies, chemistry and biotechnology. Recently, we have focused on the impacts of the different Nano/Micro plastics (Polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate) on the various plants such as wheat, lettuce. We are also working on eliminating the adverse effects of Nano/Micro plastics, especially functionalized graphene-based materials. In this context, we are working on the synthesis of different nanoplastics and the development of unique materials for their removal from the environment. Our university, which has an advanced characterization infrastructure, offers comfortable working opportunities for researchers who will work on micro/nano plastics. Among the microscopes with advanced imaging techniques available in our university infrastructure, Scanning Electron Microscope (ZEISS EVO LS10, EDX equipped), Transmission Electron Microscope (JEOL-Jem 2100,EDS equipped), confocal microscopy (Nikon/A1R1), Atomic Force Microscopy (NT-MDT / Ntegra Solaris), Fluorescence microscope (OLYMPUS / BX53). Our team is eager to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary atmosphere.