From Promise to Practice: Unlocking the Potential of Epigenetics for Ecological Risk Assessment

This document is a policy brief targeting regulators and funding bodies with a strategic framework to enable the reliable use of epigenetic biomarkers in ecological risk assessment (ERA). Developed within the scope of the Horizon Europe Twinning project EPIBOOST, yet co-creating with experts in the field external to the consortium, it translates cutting-edge research findings into concrete policy and funding recommendations. The approach supports the transition towards predictive, mechanism-based next-generation ERA by addressing critical knowledge gaps that currently limit regulatory uptake. It is directly applicable to environmental agencies, programme designers, and the European Research Executive Agency, leveraging the sustainable regulatory uptake of epigenomic evidence for improved management of environmental contaminants with subtle, cumulative, and long-term ecological impacts.