ecopa is dissemination partner in the EU 6th and 7th Framework Programme projects carcinoGENOMICS, ESNATS and Sens-it-iv. Brief updates from these projects are provided below.

At the 15 March board meeting it was confirmed that the carcinoGENOMICS project will be extended by an additional six months. As part of its dissemination strategy, the project has supported a 27-30 March scientific workshop co-organised by the British Toxicology Society and the Nederlandse Verening voor Toxicologie. More information is available through the carcinoGENOMICS website. A second capacity-building meeting is also envisioned; date to be determined. The next project board meeting is scheduled for June at the Brussels Airport.

This month the Embryonic Stem cell-based Novel Alternative Testing Strategies (ESNATS) project began its 4th year. The next ESNATS annual consortium meeting will be combined with a ‘summer school’; these are planned from 1-5 May near Thessaloniki, Greece.

The Sens-it-iv project officially terminated on 31 March 2011. During the last months, efforts were made to establish an e-learning programme supporting public access to the experimental knowledgebase on assays available within the Sens-it-iv toolbox. The e-learning prototype is available here ^[1]. The Sens-it-iv consortium is hosting a congress marking the official closure of this EU FP6-funded project from 23-25 November at the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport Hotel. The objective is to actively stimulate the transfer and implementation of knowledge acquired and of tools developed by the consortium in the areas of skin and respiratory sensitisation, through discussion, and a marketplace of innovation. A draft programme is available here ^[2].