CA23152 - Building Consensus on Biofilm Regulatory Decision Making (RegulatoryToolBox)

Regulatory science is the development of research equipment, in vitro and in vivo models, and methods that enable informed decision making. While every country has its own defined pathway for regulatory approval, all regulators rely on regulatory science tools to make decisions as to whether or not a product may enter the commercial market and what label claim the company who sells the product may make. As part of their decision making, regulators must consider how the product improves public health and its impact on the environment. Our challenge is that regulatory science has not stayed current, or even maintained, with what is now considered “standard practice” in research laboratories, creating a large gap between fundamental science and current regulatory guidelines. This COST action will establish a network of individuals from across the European Union from diverse academic biofilm research fields who can develop guidance on what is needed in terms of agreement on the scope and ontology for academic, industrial, and regulatory decision makers to close the gap between academic research and regulatory science.