Building Consensus on Biofilm Regulatory Decision Making
RegulatoryToolBox is a European network which brings modern biofilm research to regulatory decision-making. Biofilms affect healthcare, industry, and the environment, yet current regulatory assessments rely on outdated tools that fail to reflect recent scientific progress.
Join us in shaping the future of biofilm regulation. Whether you are a researcher, industry leader, or policymaker, your expertise can help drive change. Together, we can build a modern regulatory toolbox that reflects the latest science and fosters innovation across Europe.
Our Mission and Objectives
Despite the critical role of regulatory science in determining market access and product claims, it has fallen behind modern research practices.
This disconnect has created a gap between fundamental science and current regulatory standards, especially in assessing public health benefits and environmental impact. RegulatoryToolBox aims to bridge this gap by fostering collaboration and modernising regulation to reflect on advanced biofilm science.
Our mission is to improve decision-making around anti-biofilm products and processes by:
Evaluating novel biofilm methods
Reaching scientific and methodological consensus
Informing stakeholders and promoting educational initiatives
Our Working Groups
The RegulatoryToolBox mission and objectives are delivered through three interlinked working groups, each addressing a critical component of the regulatory-science pathway and collectively ensuring coherent, evidence-based progress across the Action:
Working Group 1
WG1 evaluates the advantages and limitations of existing and emerging biofilm technologies to determine their suitability as regulatory science tools. It assesses which models, methods, and approaches have the robustness, relevance, and reproducibility needed for regulatory use. WG1’s aim is to propose biofilm models and methods that can be standardised and formally recognised by regulatory bodies.
Working Group 2
Connecting research with regulation by converting biofilm data into actionable insights, WG2 develops decision-making frameworks and guidance for risk assessment, product evaluation, and claim substantiation across sectors. Its work identifies gaps in existing regulations, clarifies expectations for evidence, and proposes practical, biofilm-relevant pathways that regulators and industry can use to support informed, consistent decision making.
Working Group 3
WG3 leads the communication, dissemination, and outreach activities of the Action, ensuring that its outputs, events, and opportunities reach regulators, industry, academia, and the wider public. WG3 also raises awareness of biofilm-related challenges and develops educational resources to support capacity building and informed engagement across sectors.
News / Publications
- 18/03/2026 9:30 am
- 18/03/2026 8:00 pm
- Format: online
- Online via Microsoft Teams
- 24/03/2026 9:30 am
- 24/03/2026 8:00 pm
- Format: online
- Online via Microsoft Teams
Frequently Asked Questions
Members gain access to a diverse international network of experts working at the interface of biofilms, regulation, standards, and innovation. Our Action offers opportunities to collaborate on authoritative outputs, contribute to working groups, access training and events, participate in cross-sector discussions, and shape guidance that supports regulatory decision-making. Members can also benefit from COST-funded networking tools such as training schools, short-term scientific missions, and support for conference participation.
Membership is open to everyone! We welcome researchers, innovators, regulators, industry professionals, standards developers, and other stakeholders with an interest in biofilm regulatory science. You can join by creating an e-COST profile and submitting a request to participate in the Action, here: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23152/#tabs+Name:Description
Once approved, you will be added to the community and can engage with working groups, events, and calls for participation.
RegulatoryToolBox provides a range of support mechanisms, including:
• Travel support for attending WG meetings and Action events
• Virtual Mobility Grants for short online collaborative projects
• Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) enabling researchers to work with host institutions across Europe
• Support for participation in conferences and training activities
• Access to training schools and thematic workshops