The main aim of EDEC group is to improve environmental risk assessment of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and emerging pollutants (EPs) in aquatic ecosystems, developing new methodologies to assess their effects. Addressing the impact of deep-sea mining and accidental marine spills are also current research aims. The group uses a multi-parametric approach that combines molecular biology, modeling and bioinformatics, ecological modeling, biochemical tools, and population relevant endpoints such as embryonic development bioassays, full life-cycle and multi and transgenerational assays. We aim to understand the mechanisms of toxicity of EDCs and EPs, single and in mixtures, and their impact in the aquatic ecosystems. We are particularly interested in understanding the transgenerational effects of EDCs and EPs and the underlying chemical’s mode of action (MOA). We use ecological modeling to project the ecological costs associated with chemical exposure. Linking adverse-effects endpoints of EDCs and EPs with the chemical’s mode of action (MOA) is transversal to all themes of the EDEC group. Our approach takes into consideration an evolutionary perspective thus focusing on the impact of EDCs and EPs across different phyla. Since the endocrinology and the genomic constitution of most invertebrates are poorly characterized, a parallel aim is to improve the understanding of invertebrate’s endocrinology and signaling pathways and link it with the impact of EDCs in key biological process. The group combines both field and laboratory studies

ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS AND EMERGENT CONTAMINANTS

Principal Investigator:
Miguel Santos
TEAM
Angeliki Lyssimachou
António Nogueira
Clara Lopes
Diogo Oliveira
Estibali Wilson
Hélder Sousa
Hugo Morais
João Pedro Sousa
Lucia Ivorra
Luciana Moreira
Maria Francisca Coutinho
Marlene Pinheiro
Marta Ribeiro
Melina Abdou
Mirella Souza
Nélson Alves
Raquel Chaves
Raquel Ruivo
Renata Amaral
Ricardo Capela
Susana Barros
Teresa Neuparth
Tiago Torres
Publications Highlights
Ruivo R., Bellenchi G.C., Chen X., Zifarelli G., Sagné C., Debacker C., Pusch M., Supplisson S., Gasnier B. (2012). Mechanism of proton/substrate coupling in the heptahelical lysosomal transporter cystinosin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 109(5): E210-217.
Cardoso PG, Rodrigues D, Madureira TV, Oliveira N, Rocha MJ, Rocha E (2017). Warming modulates the effects of the endocrine disruptor progestin levonorgestrel on the zebrafish fitness, ovary maturation kinetics and reproduction success. Environmental Pollution. 229: 300-311.
Santos, M.M., Ruivo, R., Capitão, A., Fonseca, E., Castro, L.F.C. (2018). Identifying the gaps: Resources and perspectives on the use of nuclear receptor based-assays to improve hazard assessment of emerging contaminants. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 358, 508-511.
Capitão, A.M.F., Lopes-Marques, M.S., Ishii, Y., Ruivo, R., Fonseca, E.S.S., Páscoa, I., Jorge, R.P., Barbosa, M.A.G., Hiromori, Y., Miyagi, T., Nakanishi, T., Santos, M.M., Castro, L.F.C. (2018). Evolutionary Exploitation of Vertebrate Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ by Organotins. Environmental Science and Technology, 52 (23), 13951-13959.
Barros, S., Montes, R., Quintana, J.B., Rodil, R., André, A., Capitão, A., Soares, J., Santos, M.M., Neuparth, T. (2018). Chronic environmentally relevant levels of simvastatin disrupt embryonic development, biochemical and molecular responses in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Aquatic Toxicology, 201, 47-5.
Capela, R., Garric, J., Castro, L.F.C., Santos, M.M. (2020). Embryo bioassays with aquatic animals for toxicity testing and hazard assessment of emerging pollutants: A review. Sci. Total Environ. 705, 135740.
Soares, J., Fernandes, R., Brito, D., Oliveira, H., Neuparth, T., Martins, I., Santos, M.M. (2020). Environmental risk assessment of accidental marine spills: A new approach combining an online dynamic Hazardous and Noxious substances database with numerical dispersion, risk and population modelling. Sci Total Environ. 715, 136801.
Neuparth, T., Machado, A., Montes, R., Rodil, R., Barros, S., Alves, N., Ruivo, R., Castro, L.F.C., Quintana, J., Santos, M.M. (2020). Transgenerational inheritance of chemical-induced signature: a case study with simvastatin. Environ. Int. 144, 106020.
Pinheiro, M., Oliveira, A., Barros, S., Alves, N., Raimundo, J., Caetano, M., Coimbra, J., Neuparth, T., Santos M.M. (2021). Functional, biochemical and molecular impact of sediment plumes from deep-sea mining on Mytilus galloprovincialis under hyperbaric conditions. Environmental Research, 110753.
Torres, T., Ruivo, R., Santos, M.M. (2021). Epigenetic biomarkers as tools for chemical hazard assessment: gene expression profiling using the model Danio rerio. Sci Total Environ. 733, 144830.
Alves, N., Neuparth, T., Barros, S., Santos, M.M. (2021). The anti-lipidemic drug simvastatin modifies epigenetic biomarkers in the amphipod Gammarus locusta. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 209, 111849.
Projects
- INNOVMAR: Innovation and Sustainability in the Management and Exploitation of Marine Resources
- CORAL: Sustainable Ocean Exploitation: Tools and Sensors
- MARINER: Enhancing HNS preparedness through training and exercising
- PRE-NEURO-HD: Targeting huntingtin proteostasis and mitochondria to prevent neuronal dysfunction in Huntington
- ValorMar: Integral valuation of marine resources: potential, technological innovation and new applications
- GLOBALED: Impacts of global change on environmentally realistic mixtures of endocrine disruptor compounds on the structure and functioning of coastal ecosystems. Implications for a sustainable environment
- NanoLegaTox: When old meets new: A novelty study on the human uptake, genotoxicity and immunotoxicity of nanoparticles and legacy contaminants mixtures
- NOR-WATER: Pollutants of emerging concern in watersheds from Galicia-Northern Portugal: new tools to risk management
- TRANSobesogen: Trans-phyletic obesogenic responses: from epigenetic modules to transgenerational environmental impacts
- ATLANTIDA: Platform for the monitoring of the North Atlantic ocean and tools for the sustainable exploitation of the marine resources
- Ocean3R: Reduce pressures, restore and regenerate the NW-Portuguese ocean and waters
- MODELRISK: Ecosystem models to support Environmental Risk Assessment of marine ecosystems under HNS spills
- DEEPRISK: Deep-sea mining and climate change: new modeling tools in support of Environmental risk management
- NIAF: Sustainable antifouling agents: from grape wastes to the sea with the green chemistry leading the way