BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence D.I. Ilyaskina METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260317T114500 DTEND:20260317T131500 DTSTAMP:20260317T114500 UID:phd-defence-d-i-ilyaskina@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260924T230059 LOCATION: SUMMARY:PhD defence D.I. Ilyaskina X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Advancing Mechanisti c Ecotoxicology With Lipidomics

Chemist Diana Ilya skina's research focused on how everyday chemicals, such as pesticide s and pharmaceuticals, affect living organisms long before visible da mage occurs, such as death or reproductive failure.

Tr aditional safety tests often miss these early warning signs. Ilyaskin a's research focused on small, but ecologically important, soil-dwell ing and freshwater animals, including springtails and pond snails. Ch anges in the organisms were studied using advanced chemical analysis methods that track lipids and other small molecules essential for ene rgy, growth, reproduction, and development. The main goal was to dete rmine whether these early internal changes could explain later proble ms such as reduced reproduction or stunted development. Overall, the research aimed to improve the risk assessment of chemicals by making environmental protection more sensitive, predictive, and better adapt ed to the increasing number of chemicals in the environment.

Co nsequences already at low concentrations
Ilyaskina's research demo nstrates that chemicals can affect animals even at the low concentrat ions often found in the environment, without immediately causing deat h. Although the exposed animals often appeared healthy, significant c hanges were already occurring in their bodies, affecting energy expen diture, cell structure, and reproduction. These early internal change s helped explain why reduced reproduction or disrupted development la ter became apparent at the population level. The results also showed that different species can respond differently to the same chemical, depending on their biology and habitat. Importantly, this approach ca n be used to rapidly screen new chemical compounds and to better asse ss the risks of chemicals already present in the environment, allowin g harmful effects to be identified before long-term damage occurs.

More information on the thesis

DESCRIPTION: Advancing Mechanistic Ecotoxicology With Lipidomics Chemist Diana Ilyaskina's research focused on how everyday chemica ls, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, affect living organisms l ong before visible damage occurs, such as death or reproductive failu re.Traditional safety tests often miss these early warning s igns. Ilyaskina's research focused on small, but ecologically importa nt, soil-dwelling and freshwater animals, including springtails and p ond snails. Changes in the organisms were studied using advanced chem ical analysis methods that track lipids and other small molecules ess ential for energy, growth, reproduction, and development. The main go al was to determine whether these early internal changes could explai n later problems such as reduced reproduction or stunted development. Overall, the research aimed to improve the risk assessment of chemic als by making environmental protection more sensitive, predictive, an d better adapted to the increasing number of chemicals in the environ ment.Consequences already at low concentrations
Ilyaskina's resear ch demonstrates that chemicals can affect animals even at the low con centrations often found in the environment, without immediately causi ng death. Although the exposed animals often appeared healthy, signif icant changes were already occurring in their bodies, affecting energ y expenditure, cell structure, and reproduction. These early internal changes helped explain why reduced reproduction or disrupted develop ment later became apparent at the population level. The results also showed that different species can respond differently to the same che mical, depending on their biology and habitat. Importantly, this appr oach can be used to rapidly screen new chemical compounds and to bett er assess the risks of chemicals already present in the environment, allowing harmful effects to be identified before long-term damage occ urs.More information on the thesis END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR