For years, expert toxicologists have relied on a mix of data and "professional intuition" to justify read-across. But in a regulatory landscape demanding more transparency, "trust me, I'm an expert" is no longer enough. We are excited to highlight a seminal new paper: "A scheme for the assessment and definition of tolerable uncertainty in read-across for toxicological data gap filling" (Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2026). The authors, Mark Cronin and Terry Schultz, are names that...

When we discuss the environmental risk assessment of industrial chemicals, Ready Biodegradation (RB)  is often our first line of defense. However, for many of the thousands of chemicals registered under REACH, experimental data remains a bottleneck. While in silico  tools like Biowin, Opera, and Vega promise to fill these gaps, how much can we actually trust them? A recent landmark study by Karamertzanis et al. (2026)  provides a much-needed reality check. By leveraging a curated dataset of...

For many toxicologists, the shift toward New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) feels like a moving target. Perhaps the most significant development recently is the QSAR Assessment Framework (QAF) . If you missed ECHA’s recent webinar on the topic, it is an essential watch for anyone involved in chemical risk assessment. Why the QAF Matters Now In silico data is no longer just a "supplement." However, with increased use comes increased scrutiny. The QAF provides the criteria regulatory agencies...