Project description
Tracing mercury detoxification pathways in aquatic life
Mercury (Hg) has a strong affinity for proteins, altering their structure and function. Microorganisms in aquatic ecosystems convert Hg into methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin that accumulates through food webs and poses serious health risks. The ERC-funded SeMER project aims to investigate how Hg behaves in living organisms and how selenium may counteract Hg toxicity. Using cutting-edge analytical techniques, researchers will identify different Hg isotopes both in freshwater and marine organisms and clarify the mechanisms by which Hg is metabolised and detoxified. Project findings will pave the way for improved risk assessment processes and provide tools for the investigation of other toxic metals in the environment.
Objective
Mercury (Hg) pollution is a major environmental problem. Due to its extreme toxicity, Hg has recently been included in the top ten chemicals of major public health concern by the World Health Organization. Once released in the environment, it can be transformed, principally by aquatic microorganisms, into methylmercury. Methylmercury’s hazardous effects are biomagnified through food webs, resulting in negative health effects. However, Hg metabolic pathways in biota remain poorly understood. Therefore understanding these complex processes is crucial to elucidate potential (eco)toxic effects as well as factors governing Hg biogeochemical cycling. Hg binding with proteins has been evoked as a cause for toxicity and the role of selenium (Se) as antagonist for Hg toxicity is acknowledged but thus far not well understood.
SeMER is an ambitious and multidisciplinary research project with a main objective to revolutionize the understanding of Hg metabolic pathways in living organisms in the context of (antagonist) interactions with Se. The project is based on the development of novel analytical approaches that combine speciation and natural isotopic fractionation in a unique pattern. Speciation provides valuable information about reactivity and potential toxicity of metabolites. Furthermore, the natural abundance isotopic signatures add a dynamic dimension, comprising the life history of target elements, pollution sources, and reaction tracking. The resulting (bio)molecular and isotopic signatures will provide valuable insights of Hg in biota and potential detoxification mechanisms. Developed methodologies will be assessed in both freshwater and marine ecosystems in order to characterize important differences in Hg:Se interactions across contrasting habitat types. SeMER concept will revolutionize the sources and tracing of Hg and its metabolites, that could be extended to other metals and push back frontiers in life and environmental sciences related to them.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry transition metals
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- social sciences political sciences political transitions revolutions
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75794 PARIS
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.