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Content archived on 2024-06-18

METABOLOMICS OF TIDAL ORGANISMS TO INDICATE OIL POLLUTION

Objective

"Metabolomics is a new research field that evaluates the changes in the metabolite profiles within organisms as a result of normal physiological processes, from onset of disease, or from exposure to environmental toxins or other stressors. The goal of the METOIL is to understand the metabolomic state of a subject by extracting, identifying and quantifying all the small molecule compounds (metabolites) to assess the toxicological risk and consequences of environmental pollution by polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and other oil hydrocarbons. Metabolomic profiles of different marine organisms (seaweeds, polychaetes and mussels) will be studied to determine whether they can be used as pollution indicators and sentinel biosensors. The analytical methods implemented to characterise the metabolomes of the study organisms will be cutting-edge, powerful, reliable, and so far they are only possible in very few European laboratories. Advanced chemometric methods will be applied to develop a systematic methodology to ascertain how the metabolomes of the study species are affected and the metabolites that mostly determine that trends. METOIL is highly interdisciplinary as it involves analytical chemists, biologist, environmental metabolomics, ecotoxicological risk and chemometricians. METOIL implies cutting-edge, novel research with the ambition of building and applying a new approach for risk assessment related to contamination by spilled hydrocarbons. It is worth noting that METOIL can be applied to monitor the environmental situation of the Galician coast (NW Spain) and other affected areas strongly affected by chronic hydrocarbon spillages caused by the intense traffic of oil tankers navigating through the International Corridor for the Navigation of Special Goods. METOIL will, thus, be relevant to protect intertidal areas which are relevant for seafood and seaweed growing and collection which are intended for human consumption."

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IEF
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator

KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET
EU contribution
€ 230 627,20
Address
NORREGADE 10
1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
Region
Danmark Hovedstaden Byen København
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data