Decades of nanotoxicology research have generated extensive
and
diverse data sets. However, data is not equal to information. The
question is how to extract critical information buried in vast data
streams. Here we show that artificial intelligence (AI) and molecular
simulation play key roles in transforming nanotoxicity data into critical
information, i.e., constructing the quantitative nanostructure (physicochemical
properties)–toxicity relationships, and elucidating the toxicity-related
molecular mechanisms. For AI and molecular simulation to realize their
full impacts in this mission, several obstacles must be overcome.
These include the paucity of high-quality nanomaterials (NMs) and
standardized nanotoxicity data, the lack of model-friendly databases,
the scarcity of specific and universal nanodescriptors, and the inability
to simulate NMs at realistic spatial and temporal scales. This review
provides a comprehensive and representative, but not exhaustive, summary
of the current capability gaps and tools required to fill these formidable
gaps. Specifically, we discuss the applications of AI and molecular
simulation, which can address the large-scale data challenge for nanotoxicology
research. The need for model-friendly nanotoxicity databases, powerful
nanodescriptors, new modeling approaches, molecular mechanism analysis,
and design of the next-generation NMs are also critically discussed.
Finally, we provide a perspective on future trends and challenges.