Studies on cell responses to environmental stresses and contaminants by omics technologies
In recent decades, human activities have intensified the release of toxic substances, leading to a significant increase in environmental pollution and causing severe disruptions in ecosystems. This underscores the critical need for research to comprehend how organisms react to rapid environmental stresses. Our focus is on marine environment, specifically examining contamination by metal nanoparticles, microplastics, and derivatives like bisphenol-A. Our research centers on ciliated protozoa, eukaryotic microorganisms extensively characterized in our laboratory using omics technologies. We compare contaminant responses in ciliates adapted to both temperate and extreme environments. Our approach, combining morphological and molecular analyses, assesses changes in phenotype (e.g., cilia organization and structure) and genotype. Omics technologies help to identify differentially expressed marker genes and biological processes affected by contaminants. Our findings suggest that the strict molecular adaptation to the cold, as observed in the Antarctic Euplotes focardii (e.g., changes in genes regulating membrane fluidity), exposes this species to increased risks associated to plastic pollution in Antarctica.
Recently, we have been involved in the application of omics technologies, including single-cell RNA sequencing, to investigate the response to microplastics in human cells from the intestinal mucosa. This involves the comparison of gene expression in healthy and cancer cultured cell lines
Keywords - ENGLISH
Plastic pollution, bisphenol A, marine environment, transcriptomics, ciliated protozoa, Antarctica
Active participants in the research line (PI last author or *)
Xueyan Liu, Artenisa Peculaj, Angela Piersanti, Cristina Marchini, Sandra Pucciarelli, Cristina Miceli
External Collaborations
1)Matteo Mozzicafreddo, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche; 2)Monika Mortimer, China Jiliang University, (China);3) Signe Vahur, University of Tartu, Tartu (Estonia); 4) Salum Seif Salum, State University of Zanzibar (Tanzania);
Pillar
Environmental Sustainability
Macroareas in Environmental Sustainability
Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Ecology
Relevant research grants (national/international) funding specifically this Research Line
PRIN-2022 PNRR(responsabile Marchini); Fondazione CRUI GOFORIT; FAR UNICAM-Miceli
Email Address
cristina.miceli@unicam.it
Link to Relevant Publications