A Year in Review: MARKOPOLO in 2025
As 2025 comes to an end, we look back at a productive and inspiring first project year. MARKOPOLO set the foundations for a strong scientific collaboration focused on understanding how noise and ultrafine particulate matter shape brain and cardiovascular health. The consortium made remarkable progress across research, networking, and collaboration.
The year began with the launch of the MARKOPOLO. January marked the official start of our joint mission and laid the groundwork for all upcoming activities.
In February, partners met in Mainz for the first general assembly and kick-off meeting. Bringing the consortium together at such an early stage proved invaluable. Over two days, researchers aligned on scientific priorities, exchanged ideas, and initiated key collaborations. The meeting created the momentum needed to drive forward our investigations into noise and ultrafine particulate matter and their health effects.
April provided an early opportunity for scientific exchange on the ground. Coordinator Andreas Daiber visited the RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven. Hosted by SEAB member Flemming R. Cassee, he presented on the health effects of traffic noise and ultrafine particles. The visit was a motivating example of how dialogue and shared expertise can strengthen research directions.
In June, the first highly translational study of MARKOPOLO was published linking preclinical mouse exposure data on the detrimental cardiovascular effects of inhaled nanoparticles with the cardiovascular disease incidence by airborne ultrafine particles in the global population (Kuntic et al. Redox Biol. 2025 Jun;83:103644. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2025.103644. Epub 2025 Apr 22).
In July, the consortium released its first MARKOPOLO newsletter. It provided insights into scientific progress and introduced the project to a broader audience. At the same time, the fieldwork started across Switzerland. The team at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute launched a mobile air pollution monitoring campaign. Despite heatwaves or heavy rain, researchers collected high-resolution data on ultrafine particles and other pollutants using a brightly coloured measurement vehicle. By capturing data in both clean and heavily polluted environments, the team was generating the foundation for spatial models that will help improve our understanding of how air pollution affects public health.
September brought a major networking milestone. MARKOPOLO joined the inaugural ExpoHealthNet Cluster Meeting in Barcelona. Together with six EU-funded sister projects, the team explored shared goals, identified synergies, and discussed opportunities for joint action. Presentations from the European Commission and the European Environment Agency highlighted how research informs policy. Working-group updates and interactive sessions demonstrated the value of cross-project collaboration in addressing pollution and non-communicable diseases.
In November, MARKOPOLO partners contributed an important scientific advancement through a new publication on global ultrafine particle concentrations (Georgiades et al. Sci Data. 2025 Nov. doi: 10.1038/s41597-025-06055-9). The study introduced the first global, high-resolution 1 km maps of ultrafine particle number concentrations by combining measurements with machine learning. These data offer a vital resource for exposure assessment and will support more accurate evaluations of the health risks associated with particulate air pollution. Find all other relevant MARKOPOLO publications on our publication page.
Also in November, the mobile air pollution monitoring campaign moved to Denmark. The measurement car, developed by scientists at the University of Utrecht, was collecting high-resolution pollution data across Danish streets. This work exemplifies how real-world data collection supports robust epidemiological research.
December closed the year with notable international collaboration. While Marin Kuntić travelled to partners in Padua, doctoral researcher Arijan Valar from UMC-Mainz visited the laboratory of Federica del Monte at the Medical University of South Carolina. The objective was to establish a sophisticated noise exposure system for animal studies.
We extend our sincere appreciation to all partners, researchers, and collaborators who drove the project forward during its first year. Your commitment and scientific contributions laid the foundation for impactful research.
