Advancing Mechanistic E cotoxicology With Lipidomics
Chemist Diana Ilyaskina's research focused on how everyday chemicals, such as pesticides and p harmaceuticals, affect living organisms long before visible damage oc curs, such as death or reproductive failure.
Tradition al safety tests often miss these early warning signs. Ilyaskina's res earch focused on small, but ecologically important, soil-dwelling and freshwater animals, including springtails and pond snails. Changes i n the organisms were studied using advanced chemical analysis methods that track lipids and other small molecules essential for energy, gr owth, reproduction, and development. The main goal was to determine w hether these early internal changes could explain later problems such as reduced reproduction or stunted development. Overall, the researc h aimed to improve the risk assessment of chemicals by making environ mental protection more sensitive, predictive, and better adapted to t he increasing number of chemicals in the environment.
Consequen
ces already at low concentrations
Ilyaskina's research demonstrate
s that chemicals can affect animals even at the low concentrations of
ten found in the environment, without immediately causing death. Alth
ough the exposed animals often appeared healthy, significant changes
were already occurring in their bodies, affecting energy expenditure,
cell structure, and reproduction. These early internal changes helpe
d explain why reduced reproduction or disrupted development later bec
ame apparent at the population level. The results also showed that di
fferent species can respond differently to the same chemical, dependi
ng on their biology and habitat. Importantly, this approach can be us
ed to rapidly screen new chemical compounds and to better assess the
risks of chemicals already present in the environment, allowing harmf
ul effects to be identified before long-term damage occurs.
Mor e information on the thesis
DESCRIPTION: Chemist Diana Ilyaskina's research focused on how everyday chemicals, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, affect l iving organisms long before visible damage occurs, such as death or r eproductive failure. Traditional safety tests often miss the se early warning signs. Ilyaskina's research focused on small, but ec ologically important, soil-dwelling and freshwater animals, including springtails and pond snails. Changes in the organisms were studied u sing advanced chemical analysis methods that track lipids and other s mall molecules essential for energy, growth, reproduction, and develo pment. The main goal was to determine whether these early internal ch anges could explain later problems such as reduced reproduction or st unted development. Overall, the research aimed to improve the risk as sessment of chemicals by making environmental protection more sensiti ve, predictive, and better adapted to the increasing number of chemic als in the environment. Consequences already at low concentrations