The next decade of nanomaterials research will be defined not by particle cores, but by the coronas they acquire as they move through complex biological and environmental systems. Our recent work pushes this paradigm to its limits, arguing that the corona is no longer a passive descriptor of exposure history but an active, mechanistic driver of hazard, fate, and regulatory relevance. This challenges entrenched assumptions and proposes a radical reframing of nanomaterials safety.

Across a series of mechanistic studies, this talk will demonstrate that the evolving biomolecular and eco-coronas act as dynamic “identity layers” that dictate nano–bio interactions far more powerfully than pristine physicochemical properties. By integrating exposomics, advanced proteomics, and machine-actionable metadata pipelines, we reveal how corona fingerprints can predict toxicological outcomes, modulate AOP-relevant pathways, and expose hidden vulnerabilities in current regulatory testing frameworks. These findings disrupt the long-standing reliance on static characterisation and instead position the corona as the central organising principle for next-generation nanosafety assessment.

We further show how corona evolution across environmental compartments—soil, wastewater, biota—creates a cascade of emergent behaviours that challenge traditional boundaries between human health, ecological safety, and materials design. This work argues for a shift toward corona-centric safety-by-design, where controlling or engineering corona formation becomes a strategic lever for reducing hazard and enhancing sustainability. Embracing the corona as the true determinant of nanomaterial identity offers a transformative path toward predictive, FAIR, and regulatory-ready nanosafety science. This talk will outline that vision—and invite the community to help build it. (Up to 250 words)