The Environmental Toxicology group studies and assesses the bioavailability and toxicity of existing and emerging contaminants and their mixtures. To this end, the group applies an array of lab toxicity tests (i.e. transgenic yeast, cell lines, zebrafish embryos and Daphnia magna models), and field assays conducted with feral fish and invertebrates from both marine and freshwater environments. Effects are assessed across different biological levels using transcriptomic, lipidomics, metabolomics, morphogenetic and specific cell response, including effects on whole organism and population.
Some of the key achievements of the group involve the use of biomarkers and sentinel species to biomonitor contamination in marine and freshwater systems, the first evidence of endocrine disruption in fish (estrogenic effects in fish) and aquatic invertebrates (imposex in gastropods), the application of -omic technologies to monitor effects and mode of action (MoA) on model species, the use of video-tracking technologies to assess neurobehavioral changes in model species, the determination of the ‘obesogenic’ effect of contaminants in fish, fish cell lines and invertebrates and the development of animal-free bioassays for endocrine disruption and related toxic effects.
- Study the mechanisms of action of toxicants altering growth, reproduction, energetic metabolism, phototactic behavior in Daphnia magna using omic and functional assays.
- Developing and use of cost-effective toxicity assays to identify toxic compounds in complex mixtures in the field
- Elucidation of the molecular bases of the neurotoxic effects caused by some environmental pollutants and drugs using zebrafish as vertebrate model.
- Gene expression in animal species of environmental interest
- Cell death mechanisms
- Identification of new biomarkers from transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis
- Development of tissue and cell based bioassays for the detection endocrine disruption and related toxic effects
- Lipidomic tools to monitor effects of contaminants and unravel toxicity pathways in model species
Research Facilities:
- Four fully equipped labs to conduct biochemistry, molecular and analytical chemistry work.
- Zebra fish housing facility
- CT room to culture Daphnia magna and algae
- Behavioural facility room
- Microscopy facility room…
- Histology facility room
- Spectrofluorimeter microplate readers
- Respirometry
- Spectrometry
- Genomics service equipped with real time PCR instruments (LC480, Roche), PCR termocycler (Biorad), Nanodrop Spectrophotometer, Bioanalyzer (Agilent technologies) and Gel Logic 200 Imaging System (Kodak)
- Cell culture facility
Permanent Researchers
Barata Martí, Carlos
437759
Piña Capó, Benjamí
437757
Porte Visa, Cinta
437760
Portugal Minguela, José
437796
Raldúa Pérez, Demetrio
437797
Postdoc Researchers
PhD Students
Bedrossiantz, Juliette
437776
López Llaó, Gemma
437746
Santos Barreto, Luiza
437775
Sanz Lanzas, Claudia
437743-437758
Wang, Tiantian
437746
Technical
Administration
Communication and Outreach
Projects and Fundraising
FishOnChip
FishOnChip project proposes to use a microfluidic multi-chamber microchip (MIMUC) coupled to a NanoporousElectrode Array (NEAR) chip able to measure transcriptomic responses resulting from multi-cell interactions mimicking toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic processes occurring in the MIMUC.
FishOnChip project aims to use a microfluidic multi-chamber microchip (MIMUC) coupled to a NanoporousElectrode Array (NEAR) chip able to measure transcriptomic responses resulting from multi-cell interactions mimicking toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic processes occurring in the MIMUC. The MIMUC will include different fish cell lines, mimicking the physiological connections between different tissues implicated in the toxicant uptake (gills, gut), the xenobiotic metabolism in liver, and the toxic effects on reproductive organs. Following exposures, selected transcriptomic responses will be measured using a NEAR chip obtained by merging the high throughput multiplexing capacity of microelectrode arrays with the unmet sensitivity of nano- biosensors, functionalized with custom cDNA probes for direct mRNA detection. This will allow for a risk assessment of chemicals based on transcriptomic responses of key genes linked to molecular initiating and key events selected across existing adverse outcome pathways (AOPs). We will first develop a simple MIMUC and the NEAR chip technology as a proof-of-concept, that could be scalable to more complex devices incorporating multi cell culture layers, 3D cell cultures and denser electrode arrays. Transcriptomic effects will be complemented with cell hallmarks of toxicity linked to cell viability, proliferation (growth) and reproduction. Validation of cell-based responses will be based on in silico analyses of existing AOPs, for specific reproductive effects using the placenta cell line JEG-3 – an established endocrine model, and for some mode of actions using Daphnia magna toxicogenomic assays.
Start Date: 01/01/2022 – End Date: 20/06/2022
Project Leader: Carlos Barata Martí
Researchers: Cinta Porte Visa , Benjamí Piña Capó , Demetrio Raldúa Pérez , Laia Navarro Martín , Gemma López Llaó
Funding: International Project
COGNITOX
Biological organisms are chronically exposed to low concentrations of neuroactive chemicals, including pharmaceutical compounds. This is especially dramatic in water due to the input of both diffuse and on-site specific contaminant sources for wastewater treatment effluents, which are the main contaminant source of these chemicals. Furthermore, drinking water is one of the main routes of chemical exposure (apart from occupational exposure), where epidemiological approaches have shown causal links between chemical intoxications and neurological related effects in humans. There is a need for both human and environmental health risk assessment to predict sublethal chronic neurotoxic effects of chemicals. COGNITOX project aims to identify hazardous neuroactive chemicals in real samples using the existing behavioural toolbox implemented with new behavioural assays to detect an extensive number of neuroactive chemicals. The project will also allow to relate the chemical fingerprints detected by targeted and non-targeted procedures with behavioral and metabolomics responses using state-of-the-art passive sampling and chemical analyses, chemometric and multivariate data analyses, working with model organisms, such as zebra fish and Daphnia.
Grant PID2020-113371RB-C21 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033
Start Date: 01/12/2021 – End Date: 31/12/2023
Project Leader: Demetrio Raldúa Pérez , Carlos Barata Martí
Funding: National Project
VideoAquaLAB
We are currently living in the so-called chemosphere, surrounded by chemical compunds that may have important repercussions in the ecosystems or in the pollution of water resources, even affect seriously human health (risk of cancer, allergies or disruption of the hormonal system or effects in the nervous system). Neuroactive compounds are of particular concern since they are widely present in common products such as pesticides, medicines or industrial products and they are known to play a fundamental role in serious diseases. VideoAquaLab project aims to evaluate the effects of neuroactive products on living organisms, using model organisms, such as zebra fish (by the response of adults models to vibrational stimuli) and Daphnia (with phototaxis). The results can be directly extrapolated to other living organism including humans. This project is a collaboration with IRI-CSIC, who will be in charge of automation and software development of the experiments, using a high-speed Photron Fastcam Mini UX100 (Photron USA Inc., San Diego, CA, USA), with a Sigma 50 mm F1.4 DG lens and recording at 1280 × 1280 pixel resolution and 1000 frames per second (fps) for zebra fish, and a software to measure the vertical phototactic response of Daphnia to light, which mimics natural conditions of zooplankton vertical migration.
Grant PDC2021-120754-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union Next GenerationEU/ PRTR
Start Date: 01/12/2021 – End Date: 31/12/2023
Project Leader: Demetrio Raldúa Pérez , Carlos Barata Martí
Funding: National Project
NeuroTICs
New generation of drugs protecting against neurotoxic industrial chemicals
Human brain is a great target for chemical terrorism, so NATO nations should be prepared to respond effectively to terrorist threats involving neurotoxic industrial chemicals (neuroTICs). The main objective of this project is to assess the therapeutic potential of AD4 and thioredoxin-mimetic peptides, blood-brain barrier permeable drugs targeting oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation, on acute neurotoxic syndromes induced by three common TICs (organophosphorus compounds, acrylamide, organic mercury). Moreover, specific combinations of drugs derived from the analysis of potential therapeutic targets for each toxidrome will be also tested.
This project is supported by: The NATO Science for Peace and Security programme