BIOECOTOX: "Biomarkers: the early warning sentinel of chemical pollution risk assessment"

The BIOECOTOX project is expected to serve the “Global change and Ecosystem” priorities of the 6th EU framework program for research (FP6). One of its major research topics is to develop a better understanding of ecosystem functioning to minimise the negative impact of human activities and to ensure the sustainable management of natural resources. Recently biomarkers, defined as indicators of physiological alteration in organisms, have emerged as important tools in environmental risk assessment. However, the ecological factors and the absence of specificity to pollutants may complicate interpretation of the significance of their responses. Molecular biomarkers in ecotoxicology offer the possibility of providing (1) early detection of environmental stress, (2) inferred mechanisms of action and (3) efficient monitoring of the environment. The promise is that the knowledge of toxicogenomic responses in one species may help predict the modes-of-action of similar agents in other species and risk assessment in humans. The BIOECOTOX project focuses on the gene expression profile of selected biomarkers using a very sensitive technique: the RT-PCR. This method should improve the sensitivity and the specificity of the pollutants detection. For this purpose, model organisms are exposed to selected priority hazardous substances. The poster presents the preliminary results of the project on Benzo(a)pyrene effects on yeast (S. cerevisiae)