Ecotoxicoproteomics and ecotoxicogenomics are powerful tools to spot early molecular events involved in toxicant responses which are responsible for the adverse effects observed at higher levels of biological organization. Knowledge of the phenotypic consequences of stress must be accompanied by information on the molecular determinants (genes) that are induced or suppressed as well as the type and level of expression of their products (proteins). Taken together, phenotype and molecular data will help not only to unravel the mode of action (MoA) of the stressor but also which components might be affecting the survival, growth, and reproduction of a given species, which may ultimately impact the population and the community.

Within Environome, efforts will be addressed to improve the knowledge on the link between individual responses and molecular responses (proteins and genes) to stressors. This way we will get the hold of the continuum of biological response. Moreover, at the end of this project we expect to have a better understanding of toxicants pathways of toxicity and to have developed and validated a set of effective molecular tools (proteomics and transcriptomics) to assess the effects of pesticides in edaphic invertebrates, and transpose them to field exposure bioassay scenarios (a major asset for ERA).

With this approach we expect to decipher the early molecular events involved in toxicant responses responsible for the adverse effects observed at higher levels of organization.