Dr Junli Xu awarded prestigious European Research Council funding for Cutting-Edge Irish Research into Microplastics

School Faculty Dr Junli Xu is among 494 young scholars to receive European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants today. The funding - totalling nearly €780 million - is part of the EU Horizon Europe programme and will support the scholars to launch cutting-edge research projects. Seven projects in total will be hosted in Ireland.

Dr Xu leads the UCD Microplastics Research Group and was awarded €1.5 million for her project ‘Machine Learning Combined with Spectral Imaging for Inferring the Toxicity of Micro- and Nanoplastics’ (Plastox). PlasTox will investigate how MNPs affect human digestive health. The outcomes of this research have the potential to yield breakthroughs in numerous key applications such as toxicological screening of drugs, safety assurance and environmental hazard monitoring, and to open up a whole new field of research in toxicology. Tiny plastic particles, known as micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), are everywhere - in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

A recent (opens in a new window)international conference on Microplastics and Human Health at UCD highlighted that the levels of microplastics in the environment are around 100 times higher than the levels of other chemicals, and that a significant amount of research is still required to establish the exact toxic effects of microplastics on humans. 

According to Dr Xu, “By using advanced techniques such as machine learning and spectral imaging, we will develop new models that can predict the health impacts of MNPs, potentially transforming how we assess the risks they pose and reducing the need for costly lab experiments. The significance of this work lies in its potential to revolutionise our approach to toxicology, environmental safety, and public health, by offering more accurate and efficient ways to assess the risks associated with MNP exposure.”

Dr Xu continued, “I am thrilled and deeply grateful to be awarded an ERC Starting Grant.  PlasTox provides me with the opportunity to explore highly ambitious and innovative research ideas that are both transformative and impactful, expanding beyond microplastic research into other areas of toxicology. Attaining competencies in the microplastic domain involves environmental science, life science, analytical chemistry, mathematics and data analytics to make substantial progress and anchor this field of research as a standalone activity. The ERC Starting grant provides an optimal solution for such evolution, allowing for the acquisition of essential instruments and the expansion of my research team.”

“I sincerely thank my collaborators, colleagues, and team members for their support, with special gratitude to Professor Aoife Gowen for her mentorship and inspiration. I am also deeply grateful to the SFI-IRC Pathway Programme and the UCD Ad Astra Fellowship for their funding, which has enabled my research independence.” 

For further information and a full list of awardees visit the(opens in a new window) European Research Council website.