Assessing the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics to ecosystems

Smaller is not necessarily less toxic

12-Oct-2023 - For most pollutants, there are standard protocols for assessing the risks to ecosystems. Despite the increasing concern about the harmful effects of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), so far, there exist no harmonised guidelines for testing the ecotoxicity of MNPs. An international research team ...

Where do toxins from tobacco attack DNA?

In the future, this could make it easier than ever to determine the safety of many chemical substances

24-Feb-2023 - It is known that toxins in tobacco smoke can change our DNA – but where exactly in the genome they do this has been a mystery. A new approach developed by researchers at ETH Zurich now brings light into the darkness. In the future, this could make it easier than ever to determine the safety of ...

Unprecedented dynamic-range resolution useful for examining impact of environmental pollutants on cells and tissues

Full-body synchrotron imaging of roundworms reveals nanoparticle accumulation

02-Jun-2022 - Scientists working at DESY’s PETRA III light source have been able to generate the first synchrotron-based X-ray map of the whole body of an organism at such a high resolution that contaminants could be detected at the individual cell level. The research team was able to identify cerium ...

Revealing the path of a metallodrug in a breast cancer cell

05-Feb-2019 - Some types of cancer cannot be treated with classical chemotherapy. Scientists from Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne University, PSL university, University Grenoble Alpes and ESRF, the European Synchrotron, are working on a metallorganic molecule as an antitumor drug. Their research has given thorough ...

ECETOC Task Force provides new insights

Toxicity testing of microparticles and poorly soluble liquids in the water environment

15-Jan-2019 - A Task Force set up by the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC) has provided new insights into scientific testing for the impact of undissolved particles in the aquatic environment. ECETOC launched the Task Force in response to increasing concerns among the ...

3D 'organ on a chip' could accelerate search for new disease treatments

30-Oct-2018 - Researchers have developed a three-dimensional 'organ on a chip' which enables real-time continuous monitoring of cells, and could be used to develop new treatments for disease while reducing the number of animals used in research. The device, which incorporates cells inside a 3D transistor made ...

Toxicity of carbon and silicon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers

20-Jul-2018 - Nanoparticles with a wide range of applying, including medicine, damage cells of microalgae Heterosigma akashivo badly. This algae species is widely spread in the Russian Far East marine area. The acute toxic effect exhibited at concentrations of 100 mg/l of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silicon ...

Deciphering the 'mosaic' of the brain

Discovery sheds new light on how neurodegenerative diseases might occur

11-Apr-2018 - Researchers from the University of Leicester have shed new light on how neurons in the brain communicate with one another. This could potentially help in our understanding of how and why a range of neurodegenerative diseases occur. The team, led by Dr Joern Steinert from the MRC Toxicology Unit ...

Computers outperform lab rats in detecting toxic chemicals

19-Feb-2018 - UL, the science safety company, and Johns Hopkins University have embarked on joint research that has resulted in findings that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is superior in finding toxic substances to traditional animal testing. Beyond being more effective, UL's Cheminformatics REACHAcross™ ...

Microscope using UV instead of visible light emerging as diagnostic tool

06-Dec-2017 - MUSE image of sebaceous glandA microscope using ultraviolet light to illuminate samples enables pathologists to assess high-resolution images of biopsies and other fresh tissue samples for disease within minutes, without requiring the time-consuming preparation of conventional slides or ...